Why Aren't Title Runs Marketed Like This?

[Davenport]

On one of the daily-bargains sites I noticed this: The Complete National Geographic on 7 DVD-ROMs (29.95)

 

So why don't comic publishers market title runs like this? It seems kind of an obvious way to do it, from a consumer standpoint

 

"Browse 123 years of National Geographic magazine—more than 1,400 issues, 8,000 articles, 200,000 photographs, and hundreds of maps exactly as they appeared in print."

 

Full title runs with all their old ads and letter columns, "exactly as they appeared in print". Wouldn't that be sweet.

 

"To download an update, simply register with National Geographic, select your update, and complete your purchase. Each update year is only $9.95! Your new issues will download and install right away!"

 

Plus they could sell yearly update add-ons for so much a pop, up-selling their buyers for years to come.

Seems like a no-brainer for publishers. And comics did start down that marketing-path with those "40 Years Of" boxed sets. Not sure what happened, but it's a shame.

[joecgcmaniac]

On one of the daily-bargains sites I noticed this: The Complete National Geographic on 7 DVD-ROMs (29.95)

 

So why don't comic publishers market title runs like this? It seems kind of an obvious way to do it, from a consumer standpoint

 

"Browse 123 years of National Geographic magazine—more than 1,400 issues, 8,000 articles, 200,000 photographs, and hundreds of maps exactly as they appeared in print."

 

Full title runs with all their old ads and letter columns, "exactly as they appeared in print". Wouldn't that be sweet.

 

"To download an update, simply register with National Geographic, select your update, and complete your purchase. Each update year is only $9.95! Your new issues will download and install right away!"

 

Plus they could sell yearly update add-ons for so much a pop, up-selling their buyers for years to come.

Seems like a no-brainer for publishers. And comics did start down that marketing-path with those "40 Years Of" boxed sets. Not sure what happened, but it's a shame.

 

Digital Piracy.

 

That's why they stopped doing it.

[Davenport]

 

Digital Piracy.

 

That's why they stopped doing it.

How could it be "Digital Piracy" if the comic's publisher is producing it? Those "40 Years Of" sets were authorized by Marvel, sold in Best Buy and elsewhere.

 

Seems like the opposite would be true: If consumers could buy attractive collections at an attractive price point, there'd be less 'piracy' filling the void.

[mackenzie999]

I'm guessing people cracked the legitimately purchased versions and made them available for free downloading.

[joecgcmaniac]

I'm guessing people cracked the legitimately purchased versions and made them available for free downloading.

 

+1

 

This is exactly what I meant, and exactly what happened.

[dupont2005]

Because comic publishers want to charge $4 for 22 pages of digital content.

 

Kind of the same reason you can subscribe to a magazine for pennies on the dollar but get zero discount with comics. Even comic magazines like Heavy Metal can be subscribed to for a fraction of the cost of an equal amount of 22 page comics. You can subscribe to GQ or Esquire for a handful of bottlecaps. Rolling Stone has a six month subscription for a dollar.

[miraclemet]

Because comic publishers want to charge $4 for 22 pages of digital content.

 

Kind of the same reason you can subscribe to a magazine for pennies on the dollar but get zero discount with comics. Even comic magazines like Heavy Metal can be subscribed to for a fraction of the cost of an equal amount of 22 page comics. You can subscribe to GQ or Esquire for a handful of bottlecaps. Rolling Stone has a six month subscription for a dollar.

 

I think the ratio of ads vs content is in favor of comics though...

 

 

[dupont2005]

Because comic publishers want to charge $4 for 22 pages of digital content.

 

Kind of the same reason you can subscribe to a magazine for pennies on the dollar but get zero discount with comics. Even comic magazines like Heavy Metal can be subscribed to for a fraction of the cost of an equal amount of 22 page comics. You can subscribe to GQ or Esquire for a handful of bottlecaps. Rolling Stone has a six month subscription for a dollar.

 

I think the ratio of ads vs content is in favor of comics though...

 

Marvel and DC comics? That's hard to believe. Every time I fool myself into thinking I can handle it, I'll buy one of the very few Marvel comics that isn't super heroes, and be absolutely bombarded with ads, every other page is an ad. In an issue of Heavy Metal there may be more ads total, but there's like ten times as many pages total, and pretty sure I've gone about 40 pages without seeing an ad.

[Davenport]

Thought this was an interesting article: Essex County library offering digital comics

 

"...is the first library worldwide offering access to 7,000 titles, said Janet Woodbridge, the system’s chief librarian. Patrons can use tablets or smartphones to view the comics, graphic novels and manga."

 

Maybe other counties across the US and Canada will adopt Essex's lead. Broader access to new content, no thumb dents

[dupont2005]

That is pretty innovative.

 

I went into the Santa Monica library a couple months back and was blown away with their graphic novel selection. They know exactly what I like. I could live in that library.