Well this seems like a lot of deja vu, but Diamond Comic Distributors and iVerse have come up with a plan to get retailers in on the digital comic age by encouraging customers to visit the store to buy digital redemption codes and digital-only editions.
“As more and more comic books and graphic novels have become available digitally, we’ve determined it’s very important to help the retailers we serve sell digital content, in addition to print, should they so desire,” said Diamond President & CEO Steve Geppi. “In pursuing this goal, we’ve been very fortunate to work with iVerse Media to design a system which gives comic book fans a way to enjoy digital content while still supporting their favorite comic book retailer.”
Starting on Monday, July 23, a weekly cycle will begin whereby retailers can log on to www.diamonddigital.com with their Diamond username and password and generate digital redemption codes for sale in their stores. These codes will be redeemable by fans starting on Wednesday, July 26. In-store, retailers will have the choice of selling codes for day-and-date digital editions of new comics, usually at the same SRP as their print equivalents, and/or digital “Plus” edition codes, which will typically be priced at $.99 with the purchase of a physical copy. Codes can be redeemed at retailers’ websites, or at www.digitalcomicsreader.com. Customers can also purchase Diamond Digital content directly from participating retailers’ websites and access the comics immediately on the web or in the Apple iOS or Android app.
On the 23rd, retailers will also find more details about the online aspects of the Diamond Digital program at www.diamonddigital.com, including three different options for easily integrating Diamond Digital sales into their websites. The Easy Link option enables any Diamond retailers with a Business PayPal account to add a link from their website, newsletter or Facebook page to their custom micro-site hosted on www.digitalcomicreader.com to begin making sales. The Plug & Play option gives retailers greater flexibility by allowing them to add Diamond Digital functionality into their existing websites. The API option is a fully-customizable solution for retailers already expert in e-commerce. Diamond Digital functionality can also be integrated into existing search, shopping cart and payment systems on the retailer’s site. Any retailer can also participate simply by selling codes in-store and directing their customers to www.digitalcomicsreader.com to redeem the codes and read their comics.
At launch, over 4,000 digital comic books and graphic novels will be available, with new releases being added each week. Participating publishers include: IDW, Image, Archie, APE, Arcana, Bluewater, BOOM!, Broadsword, Hermes, Sea Lion, Top Shelf, Viper Comics, and Within Temptation, with more to be added in the coming weeks and months.
This is a little bit different than the comiXology digital store front, but the thought process is still the same – keep the brick and mortar stores happy and give them a chance to cash in on the digital comics distribution model.
via Diamond Comic Distributors
2 Comments
But aren’t they getting into the game a little late? Not that I want to see the brick and mortar stores leave by any stretch of the imagination. ComiXology has been doing this for years now with a model that works, plus they distribute things that are only available through them. Now if this little plan had been being worked since 2007 when ComiXology started I would say go for it. But personally I think it would be a lot smarter to partner with ComiXology to do the same thing. Split the profits right down the middle and go from there. It would be a win-win-win for everybody. Even better have majorspoilers be the avenue they use for an exclusive release of the announcement.
Why would I want to go to a comic book store to by a digital comic?
Diamond is very much like the record companies when Mp3 music began to threaten their physical media business model. They are a middle man, a distributor, and their distribution is now being threatened as digital comics and non Diamond digital distributors provide an end run around their business model. Why would I want the hassle of dealing with coupons, codes, and having to go to a shop, plus be charged a dollar for the opportunity when I can just directly purchase the digital copy from my mobile device? It is all needlessly complex.
I understand that people love their Local Comic Shops, much like we loved out local record stores, but the Direct Market has been consistently shrinking, and there will be no growth in brick and mortar comic shops. Digital comics, direct through Comixology etc. will eat away at physical sales over time making the brick and mortar stores harder and harder to come by as tablets penetrate more and more of the market. Just like CD players gave way to Mp3 players and iPods.
Inserting unnecessary middlemen like Diamond (and the LCS) into the transaction needlessly serves to make the comics themselves more expensive. Diamond and Direct Market shops get angry if the price of a digital comic undercuts the cost of the physical comic by any significant margin, keeping the price of digital copies artificially high.