What really really frightens me in looking back at some of these old columns is how I could make a few word substitutions, and I could run it today, and it would still be just as valid and just as fresh.

None of you fucks have really learned anything over the last 10 years, have you?

The marketplace has changed dramatically in the last ten years. One of the most significant changes is the sheer quantity of publishers and titles to choose from. With the majority of comics shops having a very limited amount of floor space, it is a very difficult proposition to carry all the material available, let alone the bulk of it.

There was a time when a publisher could simply solicit the books, and expect a reasonable amount of orders to continue publication. This is far from true today. Many wonderful, creative comics are coming out today that get orders of less than 2000 copies on the first issue, and drop far below that on subsequent issues. I believe that comics such as Cerebus, Love & Rockets, and Elfquest would not survive for long, if they were launched today, in today's market. How many of tomorrow's Wendy Pini or Dave Sim's are being discouraged and run out of business by this turn of events? Where will the next group of unique voices come from?

A lot of effort is being put towards (rightfully so) helping retailers get their acts together -- cleaning the store, keeping accurate records, being courteous to customers -- in short, being responsible businesspeople. It's quite easy to see most of these flaws -- just walk into any comics shop, and you'll notice it right off. But these surface problems mask a much more serious flaw: some (hell, most) people just aren't suited to be businesspeople.

And it's not just limited to retailers.

It is my contention that most publishers, and agents thereof, haven't got a clue as to the reality of life in the trenches, and are, at best, poor businessmen.

If they were good businessmen, they'd advertise and promote the titles they produce; they'd actively keep in contact with retailers, trying to meet our needs in format, price point, UPC codes, and packaging; and they wouldn't blame their poor performance on other companies’ actions.

Too many publishers produce more books than they can maintain. In today's market, without a surefire license, or big-name creators, too few publishers advertise or promote their titles on a regular basis. Then they act surprised that their titles do not sell.

There is so much material available on the market that without a well thought-out, and focused advertising campaign, both directed at retailers and consumers, no publisher can expect their material to do gangbusters business.

Retailers must order the first few issues of new titles blind. Unless publishers supply us with sufficient information, we're going to be conservative. I feel that when soliciting all new first issues, or significant changes in a books direction, all publishers (from Marvel, right down In-Our-Basement comics) should be sending out full-issue previews (so we are aware of what exactly it is we're buying), promotional posters we can display in our stores, and an outline of the marketing plans for the title. If the publisher can not provide the retailer (who pays the direct consequences of the publisher’s poor business sense) with these items, then they are probably not suited to being publishers.

How many times have we heard publishers grouse about their poor sales, and lay the blame at the marketplace. I try to be one of the most pro-independent retailers, and even I will only order "onesies or twosies" on items that I know nothing more than a one paragraph description of from the distributors catalog.

I want to stress, as well, that promotion should not end after the first issue. It is imperative that you continue telling the consumer about your material well past the first issue, as word of mouth often moves slowly. Promotion is not a one-time affair -- it must be an ongoing concern

Obviously, I don't believe that publishers must solely bear the burden of promotion alone. However, if they have plans/ideas of how to work with retailers, they must communicate it to us, as well as how we can get in touch with them. I cannot tell you how many time I have to go out of my way to track down the address and phone number of some publisher, so I can tell them that I want to promote their books! Obviously, this is bad business.

Among others things a publisher should bear in mind, is the packaging of the comic, so it is salable by us. The is the only point of comic production where I feel marketing needs must overturn artistic desires. As a rule, comics should always have a logo on the cover (Comics without logos are not "distinctive looking" on the rack, they are invisible -- often even when someone is specifically searching for it!), and that logo should be understandable from both the left 1/3 (only) of the cover, as well as the top 1/3 (only). Very few stores have the floor space to give full cover display to every title available. In my store, all I have the room to display is the left 1/3, and if the customer can't scan and spot your comic from that much display, it will not sell. Additionally, the price of the comic should be prominently visible on the front cover, as this aids in speed of ring-up, and ease of pricing for the after-market.

Publishers that produce (for example) 8 titles in a month, should not ship all 8 titles in one week. This dilutes the effectiveness of any given title’s promotion, and often forces the customer into an all-or-nothing situation. Often they will choose nothing.

The timely shipping of material is absolutely essential. Deliver a book when you promise it, or don't promise it in the first place. Never solicit for a title that you don't have completed work for. Nothing will destroy potential customer interest (and stick retailers with unsalable merchandise, and resentment towards a publisher) faster than late shipping material. Unfortunately, many customers labor under the impression that we create the comics in our own living rooms (this goes for Marvel's and DC's, as well), so the bad feeling that are generated, are directed towards us. Timely shipping goes double for limited series. More times than I want to count, I have been successful with the first issue of a limited series, yet get stuck with vast quantities, when the subsequent issues are weeks and months off-schedule.

Publishers must also make sure that reorders are conveniently available. More often than not, distributors are lax about reordering material that is not sure-fire. Go direct to the retailer if you have to, but create a plan for ensuring constant availability, and let retailers know how you plan do handle it.

My final suggestion for today is that publishers should take pains to contact a large cross-section of retailers, and not depend solely on information from the store down the block from your offices. There are many needs that retailers have, to sell your material, only a few of which I've touched upon here. Most retailers are happy to answer questions, give input, and otherwise aid you in selling your books. If you do not take every chance that you can to sell your material -- use every avenue to advertise, promote, and expand your audience -- then you don't avail yourself of the diversity of experiences that retailers have. Whether you are in the ivory towers of Marvel & DC, or a fledging publisher, just opening your doors -- you are a poor businessperson.

And you've got no one to blame but yourself.