CBM #2 ...Actually up TODAY!
Welcome to all who surfed over today from Newsarama!!!
In wanting to learn a bit about making an anthology I contacted Ape Entertainment's Mike Hall. Mike is the Managing Editor at Ape, the company that produces the anthology 'Ape Omnibus'. The Omnibus works a little differently as if you put your story together and then pay to put it in the anthology, the story makes it in. If there is a profit, you reap the fortunes later. Here's the interview I did with Mike.
RYAN MCLELLAND: So how has your anthology been received thus far? Was the first issue a decent seller?
MIKE HALL: We won't have the Diamond figures in for issue #2 of Ape OMNIBUS for a few weeks, but the sales on issue #1 were definitely satisfying. The reviews have been very positive, it performed just as well as our other books in its initial solicitation, and it continues to sell well at conventions. Of course, we're always hoping to increase our sales with each new book we release, so we've tried to position #2 to outsell #1 by dropping the cover price while keeping the same page count. We wouldn't have done that if we didn't have faith in the book's ongoing sales potential.
RM: I know you do something a little different, as those who want to be in the omnibus pay and then they make profit later...how has that worked out thus far?
MH: The pay-to-play plan works out pretty well. It enables us to feature the kinds of stories that aren't generally seen in mainstream books without any one financier taking a huge risk on whether or not the market will support such an eclectic book. This publishing model isn't anything new; it's been around in the small press for decades. We're just trying to take it out of Artist's Alley and into comic book stores. Thus far, it's working!
RM: How do you target buyers for such an anthology?
MH: Targeting buyers for an anthology is a tricky proposition, especially when you mix genres with the same reckless abandon that we at Ape Entertainment pride ourselves on. The fact that Ape OMNIBUS bears a "Mature Readers" label actually helps us, since it alerts the older readership--generally the readership that likes a broader variety of genres--that we're setting our sights on them. We like making books for kids, and we've got a superb kids' book scheduled for next summer, but the target audience for Ape OMNIBUS is definitely an older crowd looking for a change of pace.
RM: Is there any genre within the anthology that you have had better responses to from fans?
MH: Thus far the most enthusiastic responses regarding the stories we've run in Ape OMNIBUS have been in praise of our comedy and fantasy features. As an editor, I couldn't be happier...comedy and fantasy are two genres that just don't get enough attention on the modern spinner rack, and we're reaching the audiences who enjoy that stuff. We've got more comedy and fantasy features in the chute, too, so we'll keep reaching that audience while continuing to reach the horror, sci-fi, superhero, and crime audiences as well. Everyone wins!
In wanting to learn a bit about making an anthology I contacted Ape Entertainment's Mike Hall. Mike is the Managing Editor at Ape, the company that produces the anthology 'Ape Omnibus'. The Omnibus works a little differently as if you put your story together and then pay to put it in the anthology, the story makes it in. If there is a profit, you reap the fortunes later. Here's the interview I did with Mike.
RYAN MCLELLAND: So how has your anthology been received thus far? Was the first issue a decent seller?
MIKE HALL: We won't have the Diamond figures in for issue #2 of Ape OMNIBUS for a few weeks, but the sales on issue #1 were definitely satisfying. The reviews have been very positive, it performed just as well as our other books in its initial solicitation, and it continues to sell well at conventions. Of course, we're always hoping to increase our sales with each new book we release, so we've tried to position #2 to outsell #1 by dropping the cover price while keeping the same page count. We wouldn't have done that if we didn't have faith in the book's ongoing sales potential.
RM: I know you do something a little different, as those who want to be in the omnibus pay and then they make profit later...how has that worked out thus far?
MH: The pay-to-play plan works out pretty well. It enables us to feature the kinds of stories that aren't generally seen in mainstream books without any one financier taking a huge risk on whether or not the market will support such an eclectic book. This publishing model isn't anything new; it's been around in the small press for decades. We're just trying to take it out of Artist's Alley and into comic book stores. Thus far, it's working!
RM: How do you target buyers for such an anthology?
MH: Targeting buyers for an anthology is a tricky proposition, especially when you mix genres with the same reckless abandon that we at Ape Entertainment pride ourselves on. The fact that Ape OMNIBUS bears a "Mature Readers" label actually helps us, since it alerts the older readership--generally the readership that likes a broader variety of genres--that we're setting our sights on them. We like making books for kids, and we've got a superb kids' book scheduled for next summer, but the target audience for Ape OMNIBUS is definitely an older crowd looking for a change of pace.
RM: Is there any genre within the anthology that you have had better responses to from fans?
MH: Thus far the most enthusiastic responses regarding the stories we've run in Ape OMNIBUS have been in praise of our comedy and fantasy features. As an editor, I couldn't be happier...comedy and fantasy are two genres that just don't get enough attention on the modern spinner rack, and we're reaching the audiences who enjoy that stuff. We've got more comedy and fantasy features in the chute, too, so we'll keep reaching that audience while continuing to reach the horror, sci-fi, superhero, and crime audiences as well. Everyone wins!
posted by Ryan McLelland at 7:21 AM
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