Should Comics Have Pre-Order Exclusive Content Like Video Games?

by Tito W. James

If you follow comic creators on social media, you are bound to see a post like this.

Then like a good fan you share the post before completely forgetting about it after 30 seconds.
It’s hard to get readers to go the extra mile of driving down to their local comic shop and filling out paperwork to pre-order a comic. I honestly don’t think most readers are going to pre-order comics unless it’s as easy as clicking a button.
Fortunately, there’s a model to follow when it comes to preordering with the click of a button. Video games have been doing pre-ordering for years, by incentivizing buyers with exclusive content.

Diamond Comic Distributors announced that they were working on an app called PullBox to help readers pre-order comics from their local comic shops. This could be a great first step to making pre-ordering comics as easy as pre-ordering games.

Comics could also offer exclusive content for pre-ordering the books. The benefits could include a limited print cover, some stickers, or even a deluxe hardcover with a vinyl figure.
Please take this idea with a grain of salt. I don’t know all the factors in terms of comic book production and distribution. However, I believe getting people to think about what it would take for this system to work is the first step towards progress.

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