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A Statement from Warren Ellis
Editor's
Note:
For those not in the know, Warren Ellis is one of the most
ferociously creative minds in the history of comics. His talent
is matched only by his concern for the health of the industry
itself. The following release, generated as part of his newsletter,
From The Desk Of, concerns a bold new move to help comics
in general. Sign up for the newsletter at www.warrenellis.com.
From The
Desk Of
WARREN ELLIS
February 18 2001
Warren
Ellis'
WWW.ORDERINGCOMICS.COM
Southend, England
February 18 2001
For immediate
release
Warren Ellis' statement on the provision of a new tool for
comics enthusiasts:
Pre-ordering
is the act of ordering your comics at the same time as they
are solicited for comics stores to order, two months or so
before publication.
Pre-ordering
comics shows the retailer that there is a committed audience
for the work.
It offers
the retailer a guaranteed sale.
If enough
people at your store pre-order a book in this manner, the
retailer will likely order an extra couple on top to put on
the shelf for general sales. Which means pre-ordering creates
the opportunity for other people to discover the work.
If it's
just you, then chances are good that the retailer will take
a look at the thing themselves when it arrives. You've placed
the work within the retailer's awareness. This is an important
achievement. I don't sell books because I'm the greatest writer
since Dickens. I sell books because the majority of comics
retailers know my name.
It obtains
a firm sale for creators of independent and marginal comics.
This is crucial. Ordering comics is guesswork from both ends.
Neither the retailer nor the creator actually know how a book
will sell. But you've just given a deserving creator one guaranteed
sale. And one will lead to another. And therefore you're building
the way towards that creator DEFINITELY being able to continue
working.
Okay:
pre-ordering is a pain in the arse. No, it shouldn't be necessary.
Yes, it validates the behaviour of what a retailer friend
of mine calls "catalogue shops" -- stores that just order
Spider-Man for the racks and make their customers pre-order
from PREVIEWS if they want any other damn thing. Yes, in a
perfect world, we should be able to walk into any comics store
and get what we want off the shelves. But you may have noticed
that this isn't a perfect world. And when you tell me that
you won't pre-order because what you want should be on the
racks -- then you're guaranteeing a continuation of that situation.
And helping us all slip further down the spiral.
Should-be's
are killing us.
Orderingcomics.com
is designed to provide you with as much information as possible
on what comics are being solicited for order in any given
month. It aims you at the Previews orderform, solicitation
materials provided by publishers and creators, information
provided on each months' offerings at the major comics websites,
and also includes a personal guide to each month's more interesting
works by myself.
Last month
I ran a beta test of the site to run out the kinks. The first
general-release version will go live next Friday.
Over the
last ten years, I've seen a hell of a lot of talented people
and wonderful books choked off because no-one knew about them
and I couldn't shout loud enough to make anyone listen. Now
I can.
So I'm
going to.
http://www.orderingcomics.com
WARREN
ELLIS is the writer and creator of TRANSMETROPOLITAN, PLANETARY,
THE AUTHORITY and LAZARUS CHURCHYARD among others. He is a
World Horror Guild award winner and currently has a development
deal with MTV Animation.
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