Episode 3: The Fundamental Flaw of the Direct Market
It’s nothing personal, it’s just business.
I’m amazed at how often people take it personally when you point out the flaws in the comic book industry. There are plenty of those flaws, and they exist at every conceivable level of comics, from the readers to the retailers, on through to the distributors, the publishers, and even the creators.
It’s a miracle this industry is still standing. Truly a miracle.
Today’s podcast is about, ultimately, the one fundamental characteristic of the Direct Market that led to its creation and led to it being an economically viable business model, but that doesn’t square up to the realities of today.
In this podcast, I’ll explain what that is, why it’s broken, and how it might spell the end of all comics kind.
Ok, maybe not that last part, but it could prove deadly to a once thriving industry. We’ll see.
Read more about my thoughts on the Direct Market in “The Inevitable Direct Market Implosion.“
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I’m just crazy enough to have plans to take this podcast to five days a week if the Patreon campaign hits a high enough number. To be fair, it’s a really high number, but there are also levels for three and four podcasts a week.
Problem is, in north America, no one really wants to topple the boat by trying something new or radical.
Prompted by some article a few weeks ago on BleedingCool or somesuch I got into a heated debate with some retailers about the absurdity of maintaining a pull list for free to some people who don’t have the basic respect of picking it up for months or just disappear. In Europe if you order something you pay up front at least a percentage of it.