Previews Barcodes- Is it effecting small publishers?

Jessie Garrett

As of January 2008 Diamond requires all comics to have barcodes/UPC's on them.
This is for there new Point of Sale system that is still being developed.
It seems it is starting to affect the smaller presses. Has anyone else noticed this? I have to say I have not received my Previews catalog's yet but looking over my retailer order form for February Previews it just seems to be allot shorter than usual.

Servo

well, february is the shortest month. maybe that's it.

Jessie Garrett

I wouldn't really think the length of the month would make a difference for Previews. Does the actual catalog seem smaller this month?

Servo

i dunno, man. why would adding a barcode push out the smaller businessman?

DarkPrimus

Servo wrote: »

well, february is the shortest month. maybe that's it.

Doesn't it still have the same number of Wednesdays?

Servo

jesus guys it was a joke

The Lovely Bastard

don't fret servo, I got your joke

I understand you

ZombieAsuma

Dude you are slowly becoming like my favorite poster on these boards. I may just send you that O.J. & Nicole Simpson story comic soon enough.

Garlic Bread

hahahahaha

man you like tlb?

dang what is wrong with you he sucks

KVW

It costs more money to get the little UPC code on your book. Indies struggle to make as much money as they do. Putting more money out just to get the book published because Diamond has a stranglehold on the industry and is flexing their muscles hurts the little guys.

However, I don't know all the details, so I can't judge how much it will affect any specific indie book, but it does hurt more than not having to be forced to use it.

Also, I don't have Previews, but January had 5 Wednesday's, so it might seem like there's less because of that. Also, winter has less books than the event driven summers with their numerous tie-ins and event books, which may affect it as well. But, again, I don't have Previews, so I don't know how it looks compared to usual.

Mai-Kero

how much more money can it possibly cost to put a UPC on your book?

Zeromus

"Affecting."

Jessie Garrett

KVW wrote: »

It costs more money to get the little UPC code on your book. Indies struggle to make as much money as they do. Putting more money out just to get the book published because Diamond has a stranglehold on the industry and is flexing their muscles hurts the little guys.

However, I don't know all the details, so I can't judge how much it will affect any specific indie book, but it does hurt more than not having to be forced to use it.

Also, I don't have Previews, but January had 5 Wednesday's, so it might seem like there's less because of that. Also, winter has less books than the event driven summers with their numerous tie-ins and event books, which may affect it as well. But, again, I don't have Previews, so I don't know how it looks compared to usual.

I'm not sure of the actual pricing. I have heard $750 and I think thats each issue.
And yeah you do have a point about the slower winter months too.

The Muffin Man

I'm failing to see how a barcode affects/effects/iffects/ee-fekts a preview book. Anyone wanna help?

Jessie Garrett

The Muffin Man wrote: »

I'm failing to see how a barcode affects/effects/iffects/ee-fekts a preview book. Anyone wanna help?

If there are less Indy books (due to requiring a barcode) then the Previews catalog will have less pages and less Indy titles in it. I was asking if anyone had noticed that for February's catalog as my retailer form seems a lot shorter this month. (I haven't received my previews yet)

The Lovely Bastard

Keith wrote: »

hahahahaha

man you like tlb?

dang what is wrong with you he sucks

I am going to have to agree with Keith here.

I am pretty terrible.

Douglas

Why would there be less indy books because of a few hundred dollars more to print it? For any comic that can afford to be printed in a large enough run to be in Diamond, a few hundred books more to print each issue is not really going to hurt anything.

ZombieAsuma

The Lovely Bastard wrote: »

Keith wrote: »

hahahahaha

man you like tlb?

dang what is wrong with you he sucks

I am going to have to agree with Keith here.

I am pretty terrible.

Thats why I like your posts though. Just the random italicized sentences for emphasis almost as if somehow you are leaning in closely to say something even though its online. Maybe my sense of humor is just strange.

Mark Andrew Smith

I think it will have some kind of an effect but for a small publisher to even get into previews is very difficult. So if they make it past that initial hurdle it would cost them a bit more cash but I bet it's factored in. Most of those books just break even so I think they'd be operating at a loss per book and with singles it's very difficult to get anything past four issues with a small publisher. So I think it will make it harder for the really smaller guys and have an effect, but not for say, Image or Oni probably.

Jessie Garrett

Mark Andrew Smith wrote: »

I think it will have some kind of an effect but for a small publisher to even get into previews is very difficult. So if they make it past that initial hurdle it would cost them a bit more cash but I bet it's factored in. Most of those books just break even so I think they'd be operating at a loss per book and with singles it's very difficult to get anything past four issues with a small publisher. So I think it will make it harder for the really smaller guys and have an effect, but not for say, Image or Oni probably.

Yeah it wont make any difference for Image or companies like that. I think its the guys who are already operating at a loss that are really gonna feel it. I mean usually just to cover printing costs an Indy will have to make around 3000 sales. And looking at the Top 300 comics per month sales, those comics are usually around the mid to late 20's on the chart. So when you factor in another cost for the UPC, what will be the new break even for JUST for that, another 500 to a 1000 sales per month?

Jordyn

God imagine how expensive it's gonna be when we all have to get those on our necks, huh?

Jessie Garrett

Jordyn wrote: »

God imagine how expensive it's gonna be when we all have to get those on our necks, huh?

I'm sure the government will issue them free of charge. LOL

Mr Pink

I thought they would be on our wrists, for ease of scanning.

PantheraOnca

its gonna be little chips like you can have put in pets so that they can be ID'd by a scanner.

probably several in different areas. just incase you lose some bits and pieces along the way.

DJ Eebs

PantheraOnca wrote: »

its gonna be little chips like you can have put in pets so that they can be ID'd by a scanner.

probably several in different areas. just incase you lose some bits and pieces along the way.

when I was dissecting a cat in a biology class we found one of those chips

it was a major "oh shit" moment, let me tell you

PantheraOnca

The Geebs That Is A Mod wrote: »

PantheraOnca wrote: »

its gonna be little chips like you can have put in pets so that they can be ID'd by a scanner.

probably several in different areas. just incase you lose some bits and pieces along the way.

when I was dissecting a cat in a biology class we found one of those chips

it was a major "oh shit" moment, let me tell you

that horrifies me.

i mean, i like cats, and i understand dissection is a good teaching tool. but like, stick to frogs. leave the mammals alone!


anyway.


yeah, i would probably drink heavily for weeks if that happened in my class.

Garlic Bread

a girl in one of the anatomy classes (not mine) at my HS opened up her cat and found kittens

she cried

i would have, too

DJ Eebs

we opened up a toad and found poop and that basically sums it up

Servo

i dissected a cow's kidney one time. the inside just looked like more kidney

Angry

pig fetus is the way to go.