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  Forum  Discussions  Questions and A...  Where does a comic's purchase price go?
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New Post 4/17/2008 9:46 AM
Unresolved
  Matt Smith
2 posts


Where does a comic's purchase price go? 
Modified By Matt Smith  on 4/17/2008 9:46:38 AM)
I trying to ascertain how the retail price of a comic book is broken down among the various shareholders involved in the production, distribution, and retail sales of a $2.99 monthly comic book.
 
I am seeking to explain to some of my students how that $2.99 is divided among the comic shop, Diamond, the talent, etc. in terms of percent share or actual dollar amounts.
 
If you could assist me with some insight into this distribution, I would be much obliged.

 

Thanks,
Matt

 
 
New Post 4/19/2008 6:09 PM
  billwilliams
1 posts


Re: Where does a comic's purchase price go? 

I am an indy publisher under the name Lone Star Press.  I sell to Diamond at 60% off and they give a terrible discount to the retailers.  The number I heard was 40% off, so Diamond gets cut in for 20%.

My chore is getting the material produced and printed for less than the 40% of cover that I get from Diamond.  Mail order sales help because we get 100% of the price plus the fan pays shipping.  Our ad revenue from WOWIO supplements the cash flow.

Bill

Free Lone Star Press books and comics on WOWIO- http://www.wowio.com/users/searchresults.asp?nPublisherId=81

 

 
New Post 4/21/2008 9:30 PM
  John Jackson Miller
55 posts




Re: Where does a comic's purchase price go? 

Diamond sells to retailers at different percentages, based on their order volume. The scales are different for Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, and for Everyone Else, and some of them top out at 58.5% for the largest of the large accounts (I think — I would need to look again at an order book to refresh my memory). So the publisher is getting something like three-eighths of each dollar — to divide up between creative, production, printing, profit, etc. I do not have a breakdown handy on those, as it differs for each publisher. And as Bill says, not every publisher has the same terms with Diamond, so the size of the pie wedge differs.

I recall editing an article that did those breakdowns about a decade or so ago — I will look it up when I have time.


Best, John Jackson Miller • Curator, The Comics Chronicles
 
New Post 4/24/2008 1:01 PM
  Matt Smith
2 posts


Re: Where does a comic's purchase price go? 

Thanks for your professional perspective, Bill.

John, if you come across that article, I'd be much obliged for the citation so that I may track it down.

 
New Post 4/24/2008 11:13 PM
  John Jackson Miller
55 posts




Re: Where does a comic's purchase price go? 

It's from the fourth year of Comics Retailer magazine — somewhere in issues #35-40, I believe. I'll get into the files soon and look it up.


Best, John Jackson Miller • Curator, The Comics Chronicles
 
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