Comixology's growing influence on the industry

[Ryan 'gobo' C.]

It doesn't really bother me because the vast majority of the books I buy monthly I'll only read once, so if they disappear I'm not REALLY losing much aside from minimal resale value. If I was more diligent about rereading things over and over again it might bother me, but really I'd rather just upgrade to trade at that point.

I love love love not having boxes of paper sitting around anymore.

[Nojfotra (Jonathan D. Gordon)]

I am no expert and have purchased exactly one thing from Comixology but I know one factor for people like me is not only price but the question, what exactly am I buying?  As near as I can tell, I am getting permission to look at their comics subject to many conditions.  This was raised in more detail here:
http://4thletter.net/2012/06/who-benefits-from-drm-not-the-consumer/

I remember finding out that I was only "leasing" my DVR from DirecTV even though I paid a hefty chunk.  I naturally prefer paper anyway but I would feel better if I was actually buying something when I got a digital comic.  I do have a bunch of pdf comics (from Kickstarter and other sources).  I don't have the fancy comixology viewer but I own it.  Does this issue bother anyone else or I am only crank in the bunch¹.  


¹And not for the first nor last time.

I'm sort of OK with that part of it. If you read into the ULA on Itunes it says the same thing for music you download on there. They have to say this because technically someday Itunes and or Comixology can go under and they reserve the right to stop paying to host these downloads.  Its ten years after I started using Itunes and I still have songs by one hit wonders I bought in 2002.

I read digital issues the same way I read floppies. If I like what I read I buy it in trades cheap on amazon as a backup. All ULA's have such scary language and then people freak out over the worst case scenario that may happen twenty years from now instead of using an amazing subscription service that will bring endless art and entertainment into their life.

I love love love not having boxes of paper sitting around anymore.

   THIS !!!!!!!!   Thank you Comixology for giving me back countless square feet in my abode.

[Dean S.]

I think it's early in the game to make that kind of statement. The DM wasn't going to crash in a year or two. Keep in mind that when email first started being widely used, and the Internet was in its infancy people were talking about becoming paperless. Twenty years later it's only starting to happen. You're really talking about a cultural/societal change. That takes a generation or more.

Of course....the other thing is that if Comixology grows like this for another year, it will supplant the DM.  The slow roll-out of digital was largely related to fears over crashing the DM and then being left with a $2MM digital industry that can only support a handful of comics.  Now, Comixology is in spitting distance of being big enough to sustain the current publishers on its own.....so it matters less if the DM dies.  

The publishers won't want the DM to die, but they'll now be able to run the digital side of the business without worrying so much about whether the DM will implode and take the entire comics industry with it.

[Nojfotra (Jonathan D. Gordon)]

The publishers won't want the DM to die

I know they will say this, but I am not so sure they mean it. Marvel makes so much more from the Avengers movie than they will make of of the comic side of the business in the next 5 years.  You look at free comic book days and it all the same people who show up every year. Most LCS are more filled with gamers and magic players as  much as comic creators. Comixology allows the comics to get in the hands of buyers who already can afford a digital reader and have a credit card. They can reach markets poorly served by an LCS or without an LCS to begin with.

DM goes under marvel and dc cut out the single issue printing bill. They get to lay off anyone involved in printing/ preparing to print those issues.  They can also lay off anyone who is involved in managing Diamond/ LCS delivery and relations.

Marvel and DC *cough* Disney and Warner brothers don't care about the DM. If they can make the personal I.P. farm run smoother with less moving parts , they will jump all over that.  I cant stress enough how little comics sales have to do with DC and Marvels profit margin.

[jdudley]

The exponential growth is pretty damned impressive. Not at all crazy for digital sales figures to start surpassing print by next year.

And I echo the sentiment that digital really is ideal for issues. Only buy physical copies of trades now and will never look back.

[Ryan 'gobo' C.]

I also like (correct me if I'm wrong) that it's grown so well without really making a noticeable dent in the DM.

Either the existing base is buying a lot more digitally or we've got a bunch of new readers.

[evaD]

Of course....the other thing is that if Comixology grows like this for another year, it will supplant the DM.  The slow roll-out of digital was largely related to fears over crashing the DM and then being left with a $2MM digital industry that can only support a handful of comics.  Now, Comixology is in spitting distance of being big enough to sustain the current publishers on its own.....so it matters less if the DM dies.  

The publishers won't want the DM to die, but they'll now be able to run the digital side of the business without worrying so much about whether the DM will implode and take the entire comics industry with it.

It won't die until they aren't making any money on it. And then it still won't die, because there will still be the indy creators who love to create printed comics and mini comix, etc. There will be the whole nostalgia thing, like with records. This will drag on for years. Records stopped be viable in the early to mid 80's, almost 30 years ago. And they're still being made, for many of the same reasons I think printed comics will still be made. I think it will become an artistic choice for a niche audience. Smart/fortunate retailers will adapt.

[JoeyN]

I also like (correct me if I'm wrong) that it's grown so well without really making a noticeable dent in the DM.

Either the existing base is buying a lot more digitally or we've got a bunch of new readers.

The second seems more likely. I know at least 8 people who started reading comics again, because of comixology.

[Brennok]

I'm sort of OK with that part of it. If you read into the ULA on Itunes it says the same thing for music you download on there. They have to say this because technically someday Itunes and or Comixology can go under and they reserve the right to stop paying to host these downloads.  Its ten years after I started using Itunes and I still have songs by one hit wonders I bought in 2002.

The big, big difference though is with iTunes you have a digital copy you can use on multiple devices, make your own backups, use via other apps, etc.

Try doing that with a Comixology comic. You are locked to their app. Yes your comics are in the cloud so any device that supports Comixology has access, but you will also always be dependent on Comixology improving the reading experience.

Personally I find their reader extremely limited. It just doesn't seem designed to handle large collections. Where is the option to group by Publisher? Where is the option to separate preview copies from full issues? Where is the option to build custom reading lists? I haven't even bought anything from Comixology and get somewhat overwhelmed when I browse the free comics I have picked up looking for something new to try.

I would love to go digitally, but the market just isn't the way I want it. Like others have said prices would need to drop. With a bottom limit of $.99 set by Apple I don't see it happening since once at $.99 you can't do a sale. This of course takes me to the next reason. I also don't see them switching to a MP3 model where the content isn't tied to a specific app even though this would open up the number of places that could sell copies.

[Splatoon]

I would love to go digitally, but the market just isn't the way I want it. Like others have said prices would need to drop. With a bottom limit of $.99 set by Apple I don't see it happening since once at $.99 you can't do a sale. This of course takes me to the next reason. I also don't see them switching to a MP3 model where the content isn't tied to a specific app even though this would open up the number of places that could sell copies.

You could easily do a sale at $.99 the same way you do with $.99 music: by making the album (or in this case, story arc/volume) cheaper. I do agree that the locked platform does have its problems does raise certain doubts (part of the reason I buy my Mp3s from Amazon, DRM free), but at the same time if Comixology can grow into a versatile unified platform along the lines of Steam, I can see the advantages of having a single unified "library." Hell, with Amazon now letting you do that Cloud Save thing with your digital purchases, why can't it be both?

[Dean S.]

I know they will say this, but I am not so sure they mean it. Marvel makes so much more from the Avengers movie than they will make of of the comic side of the business in the next 5 years.  You look at free comic book days and it all the same people who show up every year. Most LCS are more filled with gamers and magic players as  much as comic creators. Comixology allows the comics to get in the hands of buyers who already can afford a digital reader and have a credit card. They can reach markets poorly served by an LCS or without an LCS to begin with.

DM goes under marvel and dc cut out the single issue printing bill. They get to lay off anyone involved in printing/ preparing to print those issues.  They can also lay off anyone who is involved in managing Diamond/ LCS delivery and relations.

Marvel and DC *cough* Disney and Warner brothers don't care about the DM. If they can make the personal I.P. farm run smoother with less moving parts , they will jump all over that.  I cant stress enough how little comics sales have to do with DC and Marvels profit margin.

I think they won't be actively trying to kill the DM, but it will become less important and become more of a, "We're publishing content focused on the digital side.  If you guys want to pre-order, 3-months in advance some paper copies of these digital comics......knock yourself out.  We'll definitely take your money for as long as you are willing to pay."

We're not there yet, but probably will be in a year or two.

[JimN]

I think they won't be actively trying to kill the DM, but it will become less important and become more of a, "We're publishing content focused on the digital side.  If you guys want to pre-order, 3-months in advance some paper copies of these digital comics......knock yourself out.  We'll definitely take your money for as long as you are willing to pay."

We're not there yet, but probably will be in a year or two.

Perhaps, although I recall hearing the same thing 5 years ago. Maybe it's true this time...

[BobBretall]

Of course....the other thing is that if Comixology grows like this for another year, it will supplant the DM.  The slow roll-out of digital was largely related to fears over crashing the DM and then being left with a $2MM digital industry that can only support a handful of comics.  Now, Comixology is in spitting distance of being big enough to sustain the current publishers on its own.....so it matters less if the DM dies.  

It will take more than a year.  Comixology is projecting $70M of sales, but the direct market (just via Diamond, and just the top 300 comics/trades) sold ~$318M of printed material in 2011.   That's 4x the Comixology sales.  Bit of apples-to-oranges as I'm comparing different years, but we don;t have final sales for 2012.  The Comixology 2012 estimate is just a guess, and they sold a lot less in 2011.

I think Comixology is doing great, but they are certainly more than 1 year away from supplanting the Direct Market.  3-5 years would possibly be a more reasonable estimate.

[Hassan T]

Somewhat related to this thread is a great article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about how with e-readers publishers have better information on what people like to read and habits.

The benefit of e-readers isn't just easier access for the reader but easier access for the publisher.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304870304577490950051438304.html

[Dean S.]

It will take more than a year.  Comixology is projecting $70M of sales, but the direct market (just via Diamond, and just the top 300 comics/trades) sold ~$318M of printed material in 2011.   That's 4x the Comixology sales.  Bit of apples-to-oranges as I'm comparing different years, but we don;t have final sales for 2012.  The Comixology 2012 estimate is just a guess, and they sold a lot less in 2011.

I think Comixology is doing great, but they are certainly more than 1 year away from supplanting the Direct Market.  3-5 years would possibly be a more reasonable estimate.

Yes....you are correct.  Even as I was reading your response, I was scanning back thinking, "Dammit Bob, I KNOW I said 'a few years'".....but I clearly didn't.  Ha. 

But, my general point is that digital has grown rapidly from being, "Meh....so they made a few incremental sales.  Yawn.  Who cares?" to being a big deal.

Think of any other business in a mature business.  I think monthly, paper comics are a lot like the panty hose business.  Powerful brands (Leggs, Marvel/DC), former glorious heights, but a declining business without any impetus for growth.

Imagine if Leggs suddenly found at new way to generate a 25% revenue bump by selling panty hose in a new channel that was enabled by a tablet-based app.  You'd instantly see the traditional Leggs model of selling panty hose in those eggs at brick-n-mortar stores go onto autopilot while all the smart people in the business were redeployed to growing/optimizing the new business. 

I don't know what the means for comics, but this is the first light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel the comic publishers have had in years.

[BobBretall]

But, my general point is that digital has grown rapidly from being, "Meh....so they made a few incremental sales.  Yawn.  Who cares?" to being a big deal.

I agree.   They've made great strides.

[jdudley]

There is now no doubt that digital sales WILL surpass print. And the fact that publishers can no longer deny this rapidly approaching eventuality it a big deal. Comixology stands poised to make the most bank off of it and is (or may already) going to affect sales trends.

[jdudley]

http://m.wired.com/geekmom/2012/07/comixology-ceo-interview/

[SilverBulletKY]

Interesting news.

However digital comics, IMO, drives a wedge between the potential audience and the medium. Not to decry digital comics as bad, but the pricing and proliferation of digital readers. We may not like $3-4 comics, but $3-4 is still cheaper than $199 (Kindle Fire) or $350 (ipad).

Most people already have a tablet or at least a computer and you can read from the comixology app on either.  Also factor the .99 sales, the fact that most comics are 1.99 after a month or two and that you can usually find itunes cards on sale makes that entry price quickly recovered if you are buying it just to read comics.

[Dean S.]

Most people already have a tablet or at least a computer and you can read from the comixology app on either.  Also factor the .99 sales, the fact that most comics are 1.99 after a month or two and that you can usually find itunes cards on sale makes that entry price quickly recovered if you are buying it just to read comics.

Yeah....tablets are going to be at the point where it's assumed the people have them before long.  Kinda like 10 years ago, you would have to make special allowances for the odd person who didn't have a cell phone or an email address, but now it's assumed that everyone has cell phones and email.

Tablets will be the same way....