Monday, April 19, 2010

I do not want my comics to be sold out

That is right, you read it right. I really do not want my comics to be sold out during any comics event. It is a little bit weird hearing those words at first. And being sold out is a very flattering feeling because it means that many people loved your comics.

But to me, being sold-out means lost in sales, and lost also in opportunity. Because (for example) instead of having a total sales of 75 pieces. You only sold 50 pieces of comics because you only printed and brought along 50 pieces. Sayang yung 15 or more pieces na benta.

One thing that I do not like is that a buyer would come to my table and ask an issue that is already sold out. It is obviously a lost in sales. Kahit sumobra naman ang dala mo at hindi ito naubos sa isang event. That is just okay because you can still sell it on another comics event. Specially now that there are multiple comics convention and related events happening in a year. You can also consign it to a comic book store such as Sputnik or Comic Odyssey after the event. So there is no wasted copies. So if you brought along 100 copies(for example) and you sold 75 there are still 25 copies that you could deliver and consign to these stores.

You must also know how to asses your sales. If you are a first timer, it is very much okay to be sold out. But always remember the number of copies that you have sold on the first day so you have an idea of how many copies that you must bring along on the next event. You also do not want to over produce your inventory. The second time you sell a comics to an event, you do not want to bring along 200 copies but you only sold 10 copies in the previous event. You should know how to asses your sales. Average it and add a little more from the average quantity just in case.

It is also a lost in opportunity if you got sold out, because you could never tell that the one that you said "sorry po, sold out na ang comics ko eh", is a publisher scouting for a new comics to be publish. A company just like Forex DKM, my publisher in U.S. (Forex first saw my work during Komikon of 2008 in U.P. )

We must try to take full advantage of these comics related events that is happening only a few times a year. Dati kasi ay wala nito, pasalamat tayo sa mga organizers nito na pilit binubuhay ang industria. So as a comics creator, we must not waste these opportunity to showcase our stuff and make the most of it. Samantalahin na natin ito habang meron. Strike the iron while it is hot, ika nga.

Being sold out is something to be proud about. But I am much happier if I come home from an event that I still have a few extra copies on my bag. And I am proud to say that ever since that I started selling comics in Komikon 2007, unit now. Hindi pa ako na so-sold out. :-)

10 comments:

Hazel Manzano said...

tama ka gio. Ayoko na masold out. Ang hirap lalo na pagmay maghahanap pa tapos nagsasara ka na. Kaya almost 200 copies ang dala ko last komikon. Maganda rin yung punong puno ng display ang table mo at hindi paisa isa.

Gio Paredes said...

Yung iba kasi Hazel, tanghali pa lang eh sold out na. Ako ang nanghihinayang sa benta nila eh. :-(

Jon Zamar said...

I actually understand the sentiment. It only means you didn't bring enough to sell, though if I brought around 5k units and sold out before lunchtime I'd be extremely happy none the less. Its a way to gauge how many readers you have, you bring 35 copies and it sells out before lunch, it means you have more readers than that so bring more units next con. If it still sells out next con continue adding more units to your inventory eventually it will come to a point you are bringing enough to satisfy your old readers and enough for more new ones to sample. On the other hand if by not selling out means you only managed to sell 2 out of 50 units you brought, I think you have to rethink your marketing strategy or figure out why people are not buying. It's really a balancing act, one an independent publisher should learn or research about.

Gio Paredes said...

Tama ka dyan Jon.
Continues research and marketing on how we can sell out more comics is one of the thing that a comics creator/publisher should always do if he only sells a very low number of copies.

kc cordero said...

Gio,
masarap pa rin ang sold-out, magaan ang bitbit pag-uwi, he-he.
what happens between you and forex is providential. 'ika nga ay nakaguhit na 'yun sa palad mo kahit pa sold-out o hindi ang komiks mo. mahal mo ang komiks at seryoso ka sa ginawagawa mo, forex coming along the way is god's way of showing all and sundry that every good deed is justifiably rewarded.

Gio Paredes said...

Salamat po boss KC for the kind words.

Nakakahinayang nga lang po talaga ang opportunity at Sales kapag na sold out na ng maaga. Just imagine being sold out around 1 or 2 pm. That is 4 to 5 hours of selling time lost. You will have to wait for many many more months para sa susunod na event. :-(

macoy said...

dapat may photocopying booth sa komikon para sa mga nanganganib ma-sold out :)

Gio Paredes said...

Ang galing mo Macoy, di ko na isip yun ah. :D

Mike Kanoy said...

Out of your print run to be sold...ilang percent usually ang sold at Komikons? 50 percent?

Ilan percent sa Sputnik, Comic Odysey?

Gio Paredes said...

Mike... Top Secret.. hehehehe