Interesting DC sales #s

[batman_fan]

Interesting to look at.

 

DC Numbers

[Davenport]

I wish someone would post a rant explaining comic book sales figures. When I look I can't wrap my mind around them. The figures seem so low.

 

What's a typical magazine do? 200,000 a month or so? Comics are throwing every gimmick and reboot and variant they can and that's the monthly numbers?

How many actual readers are there after you strip away the multiples and chase-card stuff? Steady reliable monthly consumers. How many? Enough to fill a high school stadium?

[zosocane]

Do these figures include digital downloads?

[Doktor]

Sales figures don't include digital downloads. These numbers are reported by Diamond, not the publishers. And Diamond has nothing to do with digital distribution.

 

Also, comparing comics to magazines is apples & oranges because magazines are returnable (rip off the cover or even just the label on the cover & send that back in for a refund/credit on those number of copies) whereas comics are not returnable in the direct market.

 

There's literally no risk to over-ordering magazines while there's a major risk in over-ordering comics.

[RCheli]

Plus, this same content is repackaged as trades and hardcovers as well as republished all over the world. DC makes good money on comics, even with low print runs.

[Doktor]

Exactly. These figures also don't include non-Diamond distribution overseas. I don't know all the details of how all overseas & non-North American distribution is handled, but it's not all Diamond. Digital, TPB, hardcover, foreign-language reprints, etc. None of these things are taken into account. Nor are reprints & planned scarcities of certain issues.