Image Comics has announced they’re exclusive with Simon & Schuster for their North American distribution. The deal starts January 2024 with on-sale items for book market distribution. This deal includes bookstores like Barnes & Noble, Indigo, Books-a-Million, as well as Amazon, independent bookstores, libraries, and non-comic shop brick-and-mortar and online retailers where physical books are sold.
“For the past 20 years we have been able to establish a foothold for our trade paperbacks and graphic novels in the book market thanks in no small part to the support and efforts of Diamond Book Distributors,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “Over time, our needs and backlist of titles have grown and our increasing footprint in the marketplace has us excited to take this next step with Simon & Schuster to build a more robust infrastructure for our titles there.”
The shift away from Diamond Book Distributors is not new in the comics world. Image Comics joins Viz Media, Boom Studios, and many other graphic novel publishers on the Simon & Schuster distribution client list. Earlier this year in May, Image announced an exclusive global distribution deal with Lunar, further moving away from Diamond Distributors.
Image will continue to utilize Diamond in the UK and International book market.
“We are delighted to welcome Image Comics to our family of distribution clients,” said Michael Perlman, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Simon & Schuster Publisher Services. “We look forward to partnering with them to help share their graphic novels with readers throughout North America.”
For more on this news, read the official press release below.
PORTLAND, Ore. 08/04/2023 — Image Comics is pleased to announce an exclusive North American distribution deal with Simon & Schuster, effective with January 2024 on-sale titles, for Book Market distribution.
Previously exclusive to Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics will join Viz Media, Boom Studios, and many other graphic novel publishers on the Simon & Schuster distribution client list.
Image Comics will continue its relationship with Diamond Book Distributors to serve the UK and International Book Market.
“For the past 20 years we have been able to establish a foothold for our trade paperbacks and graphic novels in the book market thanks in no small part to the support and efforts of Diamond Book Distributors,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “Over time, our needs and backlist of titles have grown and our increasing footprint in the marketplace has us excited to take this next step with Simon & Schuster to build a more robust infrastructure for our titles there.”
“We are delighted to welcome Image Comics to our family of distribution clients,” said Michael Perlman, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Simon & Schuster Publisher Services. “We look forward to partnering with them to help share their graphic novels with readers throughout North America.”
Simon & Schuster offers a full range of distribution services to independent publishers and client publishers benefit from all advantages of the Simon & Schuster infrastructure, including sales, fulfillment, production, digital support services, and more.
The “Book Market” comprises chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble, Indigo, Books-a-Million, as well as Amazon, independent bookstores, libraries, and non-comic shop brick-and-mortar and online retailers where physical books are sold.
Image Comics’ “Direct Market”/comic shop distribution is currently serviced by Lunar Distribution and is unaffected by this change.
Image Comics’ Digital/ebook distribution is currently serviced by IPG and is unaffected by this change.
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