Image decision to drop second prints

[HarryRod]

So what is your opinion of the decision by Image to drop second printings?

I think it will be a good thing from a collecting point of view, especially if you are a completist.

 

[techvoodoo]

i hadn't heard about this. what are they going to do about issues with low print runs that turn out to be popular, and people want to read/catch up on the story?

[oakman29]

i hadn't heard about this. what are they going to do about issues with low print runs that turn out to be popular, and people want to read/catch up on the story?

They become more popular on the secondary market. (thumbs u

[lscomics]

i hadn't heard about this. what are they going to do about issues with low print runs that turn out to be popular, and people want to read/catch up on the story?

They become more popular on the secondary market. (thumbs u

And if you want to read it you buy the TPB.

[miraclemet]

i hadn't heard about this. what are they going to do about issues with low print runs that turn out to be popular, and people want to read/catch up on the story?

They become more popular on the secondary market. (thumbs u

 

I think getting rid of later printings will drive more sales to trades over increasing value of the 1st prints. I think it will increase the sales some, just not moreso than it will affect people hearing about a good book, looking for it, not finding it on the shelves or it being 2x/3x retail and deciding to just wait for the trade. Remember most of Images 1st volume trades are $10-12 and thats just $5-6 when you preorder with some of the big retailers....

[HarryRod]

Apparently this is a business decision by Image to get retailers to order more of 1st printings of issues, rather than wait for a second printing, but i see this backfiring.

I just can't imagine that your average LCS is going to double the order of Saga #12 based on this. Just too much risk of getting stuck with stock they can't move

[TSwift25]

i hadn't heard about this. what are they going to do about issues with low print runs that turn out to be popular, and people want to read/catch up on the story?

They become more popular on the secondary market. (thumbs u

 

I think getting rid of later printings will drive more sales to trades over increasing value of the 1st prints. I think it will increase the sales some, just not moreso than it will affect people hearing about a good book, looking for it, not finding it on the shelves or it being 2x/3x retail and deciding to just wait for the trade. Remember most of Images 1st volume trades are $10-12 and thats just $5-6 when you preorder with some of the big retailers....

 

This was my first thought, too. BIgger for TPB and digital sales.

[miraclemet]

Apparently this is a business decision by Image to get retailers to order more of 1st printings of issues, rather than wait for a second printing, but i see this backfiring.

I just can't imagine that your average LCS is going to double the order of Saga #12 based on this. Just too much risk of getting stuck with stock they can't move

 

Agreed, though I think it hurts most for the first few issues... by #12 the buying trends are pretty well established and there's usually not a spike unless something big happens.

[gyro-1]

or replace 2nd prints with endless variants ?

[brendanb438]

Or replace 2nd prints with Image Firsts.

[miraclemet]

Apparently this is a business decision by Image to get retailers to order more of 1st printings of issues, rather than wait for a second printing, but i see this backfiring.

I just can't imagine that your average LCS is going to double the order of Saga #12 based on this. Just too much risk of getting stuck with stock they can't move

 

Agreed, though I think it hurts most for the first few issues... by #12 the buying trends are pretty well established and there's usually not a spike unless something big happens.

 

Thinking about it more, this could actually hurt the speculator market most because retailers will be more apt to buy plenty of #1s because they know there will be no second print... so more #1s on the market, lower prices, especially with those #1s that dont take off...

[mikephoen]

Another stupid decision by Image. They're finally printing books that people want to read, and now they're making it harder for them to get them.

 

If I order 20 copies of a new #1 and we sell out, the absolute most copies of #2 I will order is 20. Almost no-one will buy #2 if they can't get #1 and a few of the people who bought #1 won't buy #2 anyway. They might not have liked it, or they might have only bought it in case it's the next Walking Dead or Saga. Even 20 copies of #2 might be too many, no matter how much hype the book gets.

 

If I could order 2nd prints of #1, then I might order 10-15 of those and 30 #2s.

 

Of course the brilliant people at Image have set the FOC for their second prints before the first print even comes out lately, so their second prints have been useless anyway. How would I know how many second prints I need when I haven't even had a chance to sell the first print? insufficiently_thoughtful_persons.

[Prince Namor]

Image isn't talking about doing this with #1's.

They are saying its 'known over performers'. Like Saga and now Revival.

Once a book is on issue #7, and it continues to sell out, yet the next issues orders are LESS...

It makes it lool like some retailers aren't paying attention.

[DiceX]

Another stupid decision by Image. They're finally printing books that people want to read, and now they're making it harder for them to get them.

 

If I order 20 copies of a new #1 and we sell out, the absolute most copies of #2 I will order is 20. Almost no-one will buy #2 if they can't get #1 and a few of the people who bought #1 won't buy #2 anyway. They might not have liked it, or they might have only bought it in case it's the next Walking Dead or Saga. Even 20 copies of #2 might be too many, no matter how much hype the book gets.

 

If I could order 2nd prints of #1, then I might order 10-15 of those and 30 #2s.

 

Of course the brilliant people at Image have set the FOC for their second prints before the first print even comes out lately, so their second prints have been useless anyway. How would I know how many second prints I need when I haven't even had a chance to sell the first print? insufficiently_thoughtful_persons.

 

Dumb idea, IMO. For the reasons stated above.

They'll miss out on people picking up the title through word of mouth a few issues into the series.

I predict they'll change their minds in a year, else they'll watch Rome burn.

 

 

[mikephoen]

Image isn't talking about doing this with #1's.

They are saying its 'known over performers'. Like Saga and now Revival.

Once a book is on issue #7, and it continues to sell out, yet the next issues orders are LESS...

It makes it lool like some retailers aren't paying attention.

 

Ok, I guess I missed that...

 

It's still dumb though, what about when something like Walking Dead 100 ramps single issue buyers up and 101 sells out the first week? Now we can't get more 101s so there is no point in ordering more 102s either.

 

And as I said, they are currently doing FOC for 2nd prints before the 1st print has shipped, which is useless anyway.

[Wall-Crawler]

Bleeding Cool has an article on this from a retailer perspective...

 

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/12/retailers-respond-to-images-decision-to-drop-second-prints/

 

Also, would this decision to not do 2 or more prints potentially take money out of the creator's hands? If they could sell more product but don't because of this policy, would someone like Vaughan be pleased with this decision? Interesting to know of any financial implications for the actual creators too.

 

I guess though they could get off with a technicality...Oh yeah, we said no 2nd prints but here is a variant cover...

[Mr.Diggler]

So what is your opinion of the decision by Image to drop second printings?

I think it will be a good thing from a collecting point of view, especially if you are a completist.

Variant covers next?

[AnhDepTrai]

If you just want to read, there is always Digital option, cheaper than regular cover price and publisher can sell unlimited copies. Not the first option to read comic book for many of you but if it is $1 for each issue, I'll go with that first and see how it goes with the story.

[Mr Wiggles]

This also doesn't stop Image from printing double feature issues or collected editions (in addition to variants as mentioned). It'll just make for a different way to do the same thing that a second printing does. I think it makes sense for Image as the current publisher of highly speculated books (at least the publisher that the collector market seems to watch their every move). Why not stand out more by saying "we don't reprint" while still being able to reprint.

[Transplant]

Bleeding Cool has an article on this from a retailer perspective...

 

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/12/retailers-respond-to-images-decision-to-drop-second-prints/

 

Also, would this decision to not do 2 or more prints potentially take money out of the creator's hands? If they could sell more product but don't because of this policy, would someone like Vaughan be pleased with this decision? Interesting to know of any financial implications for the actual creators too.

 

I guess though they could get off with a technicality...Oh yeah, we said no 2nd prints but here is a variant cover...

Good point. I think creators typically get a smaller cut on trades. Could be a way to drive sales to trades.