My inbox is an odd place
I've been reading the ICV2 email newsletter since high school. HIGH SCHOOL.
ICV2 is an industry website, mostly aimed at comic book realtors. Back when all I wanted in life was to intern at DC Comics (high school) someone recommended I sign up for their email list and I haven't looked back.
It's fascinating stuff. The background is really my most favorite part of media a lot of the time, and it gives me a different view from the fan-based stuff I'm reading otherwise. Plus, it gives me another place to keep track of the comic book industry despite that fact that I haven't been collecting on a monthly basis in over five years.
Anyway, they've been publishing these articles by this guy named Rob Salkowitz, and I'm finding myself nodding along to everything this guy says.
This week he put up an article about how brick-and-mortar stores can combat internet price wars for comic sales and he said the ~*magic words*~.
First and foremost, comics retailers are not just selling comics; they are selling the experience of comics culture--and that experience is one of the hottest commodities on the market.
YES. YES YES YES YES YES.
I can't figure out why my LCSs don't seem to tap into that, or at least not frequently. They have occasional signing or promo events, but why don't they have a weekly comic round up meeting? Or a "Comic Collectors Anonymous" support group? Or "let's complain about what DC is doing this week!" meeting? SOMETHING. ANYTHING.
(A space focused on getting the women crowd could do a "tea and comics" weekly meeting, with focuses on fanfic. The batslash fans are EVERYWHERE.)
When I was wandering around in Toronto at the beginning of the summer, I stumbled across a comic shop with a CAFE inside. And I was like "THIS IS THE BEST THING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD CAN I GIVE YOU MONEY?"
I don't know if they used that cafe space well, but the potential was breathtaking.
___
In conclusion, the OTW posted the best guide on "How to be a fan" I have ever seen. Check it out!
(This entry is also posted on Dreamwidth.org. Feel free to comment on either site. Although my dreamwidth background has space! Spaaaace!)
ICV2 is an industry website, mostly aimed at comic book realtors. Back when all I wanted in life was to intern at DC Comics (high school) someone recommended I sign up for their email list and I haven't looked back.
It's fascinating stuff. The background is really my most favorite part of media a lot of the time, and it gives me a different view from the fan-based stuff I'm reading otherwise. Plus, it gives me another place to keep track of the comic book industry despite that fact that I haven't been collecting on a monthly basis in over five years.
Anyway, they've been publishing these articles by this guy named Rob Salkowitz, and I'm finding myself nodding along to everything this guy says.
This week he put up an article about how brick-and-mortar stores can combat internet price wars for comic sales and he said the ~*magic words*~.
First and foremost, comics retailers are not just selling comics; they are selling the experience of comics culture--and that experience is one of the hottest commodities on the market.
YES. YES YES YES YES YES.
I can't figure out why my LCSs don't seem to tap into that, or at least not frequently. They have occasional signing or promo events, but why don't they have a weekly comic round up meeting? Or a "Comic Collectors Anonymous" support group? Or "let's complain about what DC is doing this week!" meeting? SOMETHING. ANYTHING.
(A space focused on getting the women crowd could do a "tea and comics" weekly meeting, with focuses on fanfic. The batslash fans are EVERYWHERE.)
When I was wandering around in Toronto at the beginning of the summer, I stumbled across a comic shop with a CAFE inside. And I was like "THIS IS THE BEST THING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD CAN I GIVE YOU MONEY?"
I don't know if they used that cafe space well, but the potential was breathtaking.
___
In conclusion, the OTW posted the best guide on "How to be a fan" I have ever seen. Check it out!
(This entry is also posted on Dreamwidth.org. Feel free to comment on either site. Although my dreamwidth background has space! Spaaaace!)