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comix-biz-digest       Wednesday, June 24 1998       Volume 02 : Number 041




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Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 17:07:20 -0400
From: "Donald D. Markstein" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (cbiz) Comics in Libraries

TO EVERYBODY HERE WHO HAS ONE OR MORE GRAPHIC NOVELS IN PRINT --

I've been working on a project for about three or four months, aimed at
getting graphic novels  into libraries. I'll be the editor of the magazin=
e,
and probably the main reviewer at least at first. I'm hoping to have the
first issue out in just a few weeks.

This springs from a local retailer's attempts over the past year or so to=

sell graphic novels to libraries. The one stumbling block he kept running=

into was "Where was it reviewed?" It seems librarians are interested in
shelving comics-related items, but don't do so because they basically don=
't
know anything about the field.

So the deal is, we're going to put out a magazine reviewing comics, aimed=

specifically at librarians -- i.e., instead of telling the reader why
they're likely to enjoy a given book, we'll tell them what type of reader=

is likely to check it out, and how it's likely to rate in the estimation =
of
that type of reader.

I do NOT think I need to tell you how this sort of thing can benefit our
industry.

YOU CAN HELP.

Send me review copies of your books. The ultimate goal is to have the
entire industry's backlist (of appropriate books -- see below) reviewed, =
so
librarians can simply look up any title and have a good idea whether or n=
ot
it's right for them. So as many books as you send, that's pretty much how=

many will be reviewed.

Books for review should meet the following criteria:

1. They must BE books -- librarians aren't likely to put 32-page pamphlet=
s
on their permanent shelves.

2. They should have ISBNs -- librarians sometimes order books that don't
have them, but it's a big help if they do.

3. They must be in print and orderable as backlist. (Obviously.)

4. They should not be the sort of thing that is likely to freak out libra=
ry
patrons. This doesn't mean they must necessarily be suitable for all ages=
,
but those that go overboard with the graphic sex and violence will do us
more harm than good. Naughty words are probably not a detriment, because
most novels these days have them. Librarians are educated people, and mos=
t
are fairly tolerant toward people's varied taste in reading matter -- but=

many of their patrons are not.

If you'd like to contribute to the success of this project -- and, to som=
e
extent, ride its coat-tails -- material can be sent to me at:

Don Markstein
P.O. Box 55148
Phoenix, AZ 85078

Thanks.

Quack, Don


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End of comix-biz-digest V2 #41
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