Source Point Press, publishers of The Plot, Skylin, Broken Gargoyles, Bug Bites, No Heroine and The Fuhrer And The Trampannounced the below on Facebook this morning. UPDATE: Despite this including the phrases "we don't need a traditional distributor at all" and "we are switching our business-to-business offerings (publisher to retailers) to the marketplace provided by Corner Box", Travis from Source Point says they are just adding to Diamond rather than replacing them. The original statement read,
Source Point Press Quits Diamond For Corner Box. Image from eBay.
As comics distribution, business practices and efficiencies has been a hotly debated topic for the last few decades, it's come under renewed scrutiny due to the pandemic. As such, we've investigated multiple different means to get our books into stores and, ultimately, customer's hands.
What we've found is that, while there is nothing inherently wrong with the traditional distribution model, it is outdated. It is inefficient. This is not news. What might be news to some is that we don't need a traditional distributor at all.
Our conversations with businesses in other industries have put a spotlight on the cracks in our system—and again, these cracks aren't new. But as an industry, we've largely failed to solve them.
That's why Source Point Press is taking this first step. We are embracing a new model. We are switching our business-to-business offerings (publisher to retailers) to the marketplace provided by Corner Box (powered by D6 Publisher Services).
As a retailer, you can order all of our products directly from us, through the marketplace. Those orders are fulfilled by Corner Box. Signing up is easy. Viewing product offerings is easy. Seeing and tracking inventory is easy. Contacting the publisher directly is easy.
Better yet, when your order arrives, claims of damages are handled quickly and easily. Returns are handled quickly and easily and are controlled by the publisher. Reorders ship within 72 hours as long as the books are in stock. Your cash flow is enhanced, and we believe that's more important right now than ever before.
On the publisher side, you're in the driver's seat more than ever before. You can control your pricing; you can offer discounts and coupons directly from your Corner Box dashboard to retailers. You can contact Stores directly. You can see which retailers are ordering which items and at what quantities—all in real time. That, in turn, can help you create better and more targeted content for your retailer partners.
While Corner Box may be new to you, the marketplace solution is already a proven success story in the games industry. D6 has been a game-changer. Corner Box is simply taking what works better for one industry, something built with retailer input, and applying it to an industry that has been craving for positive change for years.
For that reason, Source Point Press is proud to announce that we're the first publisher going live on Corner Box with our new books available to order very soon.
If you're a retailer, please check out: https://corner-box.com/my-account/ to create an account. If you're a reader encourage your store to look into https://corner-box.com/. If you're a publisher reach out and see how you can make a stronger, more transparent, and more profitable industry. Ordering for our Feb-March-April-May solicits are going live in roughly one week!
In later commentary, they stated that even though D6, the company behind Corner Box is a Canadian company, they won't be shipping to Canada yet. So I presumed the UK was also right out. But Source Point Press tell me "we have a deal in place with both an Australian and UK fulfilment/warehouse that D6 already works with. Again, it will roll out slightly after the US, but it IS coming."
They are not the only publisher to have taken such measures. DC Comics created their own distribution network alongside Diamond, Alterna left Diamond entirely and went to just mail order, Allegiance Arts launched in Walmart, and now Source Point Press is making their move. Along with Scout Comics, they distributed directly to comic book retailers during the Diamond shutdown and seem to want to keep that going.
Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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