Post by BIGKEV on Sept 4, 2007 18:46:14 GMT -5
Last week's story about the possibility of Diamond announcing at Baltimore that they will be dropping or reducing their reorder penalty for retailers ordering from non-Premier publishers has shaken out all sorts of interesting things.
Some wonder how can Diamond afford to cut reorder penalties? Well, because more and more independent comics product is offered to retailers at 50% discount, as opposed to the 57% that some of the smaller publishers enjoyed during the Distributor Wars TM, there has been a defacto penalty on independent publishers anyway. There's talk of a move to online-only reorders. And of course, there's competition.
Diamond have enjoyed an effective direct market monopoly on comics distribution by brokering exclusive distribution deals with the four largest "Premier" comics publishers.
But I understand that there are one or two companies interested in entering the direct market distribution system right now, who will be making themselves known at Baltimore next week. Initially they are interested in working with high profile independent publishers who don't feel best served by Diamond, first in bookstores, then into comic stores. But their interest may extend across the independent publishers and to Premier publishers whose exclusive contracts with Diamond may be up for renewal.
Could this be the beginning of the end of the Diamond monopoly? Are Diamond's upcoming announcements the sign of them fighting back?
And will Baltimore be the perfect setting for a bunch of distribution hoodlums to make a grab for Stringer Geppi's territory?
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Last week's spoiler regarding "The Dark Knight" was erroneous and is blamed on
poor eyesight. The man in the coffin is not Morgan Freeman but Colin McFarlane, playing Commissioner Loeb.
I hope the veil of irony is large enough to cover this one.
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Some wonder how can Diamond afford to cut reorder penalties? Well, because more and more independent comics product is offered to retailers at 50% discount, as opposed to the 57% that some of the smaller publishers enjoyed during the Distributor Wars TM, there has been a defacto penalty on independent publishers anyway. There's talk of a move to online-only reorders. And of course, there's competition.
Diamond have enjoyed an effective direct market monopoly on comics distribution by brokering exclusive distribution deals with the four largest "Premier" comics publishers.
But I understand that there are one or two companies interested in entering the direct market distribution system right now, who will be making themselves known at Baltimore next week. Initially they are interested in working with high profile independent publishers who don't feel best served by Diamond, first in bookstores, then into comic stores. But their interest may extend across the independent publishers and to Premier publishers whose exclusive contracts with Diamond may be up for renewal.
Could this be the beginning of the end of the Diamond monopoly? Are Diamond's upcoming announcements the sign of them fighting back?
And will Baltimore be the perfect setting for a bunch of distribution hoodlums to make a grab for Stringer Geppi's territory?
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&spoiler&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Last week's spoiler regarding "The Dark Knight" was erroneous and is blamed on
poor eyesight. The man in the coffin is not Morgan Freeman but Colin McFarlane, playing Commissioner Loeb.
I hope the veil of irony is large enough to cover this one.
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