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There’s a new Facebook group called Plan C Distribution that started after the Diamond’s announcement to suspend distribution on new titles. A member in Argentina, while recognizing the didferences in geography, floated the idea of publisher/creator coops.
I’ve tried on a few occasions to organize small press/self publisher coops for the purpose of pooling ad money, having a larger catalogue presence, etc, but it was like hearding cats.
Creatives aren’t the most organized/business savvy and they’re often broke. So, you can imagine the myriad stumbling blocks.
I found the idea of distribution coops interesting. Actual small press publishers, with ( one assumes) an organizational structure might be more able to get their ducks, if not their cash) in a row.
Georgraphy still being an issue-America is big- so the original poster floated the idea of regional coops. On its surface, this seems unfeasible, because it limits the market, but it got me thinking about regional beers and record labels.
I’m far from convinced comics could work like beer or music, but it’s an interesting exercise. It would take a shift in marketing, and most likely editorial.
I’m reminded of the old comic Brother Man. It was self published by a black man, starring black characters and specifically marketed to a black audience. If memory serves (it’s been a lot of years) he eschewed the traditional promotion at convention route and instead focused
On fairs/festivals/conventions catering specifically to black interests. He did extremely well for a self-publisher despite largely ignoring the comic shop market.
It might, MIGHT, be possible to tweak that for a regional approach, bu adding regional non Comics events to your regioal comic convention appearances and selling it as a point of regional pride.
It might require an adjustment to the kind of material published. I’m not saying produce anything so transparent as OZARK MAN or Great Lakes champions. I just mean something less specific to the typical comics.
If more ideas come to me I might add to this thread. Maybe, not. I just think, in these uncertain times, it’s good to think about doing it a different way.
