Questions for Distro Owners

[Mab]

I've thought about starting a zine distro before and I'm not 100% sure that I'm organized enough to run one, so I'm giving this a lot of hard thought and research before I even consider it. I tried starting a review zine in high school that BOMBED and I don't want to start a distro just to have to close it a few months later. This is probably a down-the-road kind of deal, but I'd like to ask questions of some of the distro owners here if you don't mind...

* How many hours per week do you spend doing distro tasks (reading zines for consideration, mailing out orders, organizing inventory, etc.)?

* How do you keep track of payment coming in, orders going out, what you're paying to zinesters, and other important information?

* Is it better to run on consignment or pay up front?

* What is the typical start up cost for a distro?

* How do you keep your physical inventory organized?

* Do you do most of your promotion through the internet, paper catalog, zine events...?

* Most distros I've worked with accept assembled zines only, but does anyone have experience with accepting flats to photocopy?

Sorry for the numerous questions, and I'll probably come up with more! Any other tips or ideas are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[Erica S.]

* How many hours per week do you spend doing distro tasks (reading zines for consideration, mailing out orders, organizing inventory, etc.)?

It really, really varies, depending on how many descriptions I have to write, covers I have to scan, how many orders (if any) came in that week. Lower limit of one, upper limit of maybe 20-30. One of my resolutions next year is to start taking things more seriously and not be so all or nothing when it comes to working on the distro. (Although, I've had a full time job for most of the time I've been running the distro... that really slows things down.)

* How do you keep track of payment coming in, orders going out, what you're paying to zinesters, and other important information?

Excel spreadsheet. Entries listed in order, with color coding indicating whether the listing is an incoming order (and what zines they bought), zine order (of course, # of copies and price per copy are also listed, as well as if it was paid for in money or trade), postage (I save my receipts and enter this monthly), or "miscellaneous" (web hosting, equipment, supplies). Money coming in is in one column and money going out is in another column and they total on the bottom. There is also a column for reader names and email addresses and cities, so I can track who is ordering. Although now that I type it out, it sounds a little creepy to put it that way.

* Is it better to run on consignment or pay up front?

Up front! Because I admit to not being very good at remembering what has and hasn't been paid for. I have one consignment item in my distro, a book done by a friend, and I can remember it because it's my friend. I couldn't remember multiple items upon multiple items.

* What is the typical start up cost for a distro?

Mine was about $600, but that includes a scanner and two years' web hosting and domain name purchase. Without those two things (which are very nice but not 100% necessary), it would be $400. I haven't made "profit," but the distro is self-sufficient.

* How do you keep your physical inventory organized?

Ikea magazine files stocked on my bookshelf. Mostly alphabetical but all the really small zines and stuff I'm almost out of are in one file together. I used to use crates but kept having to take all the stuff on top off to get to the bottom.

* Do you do most of your promotion through the internet, paper catalog, zine events...?

Promotion is the one thing I'm really bad at, with EVERYTHING. (This is another new year's resolution, to get better at it.) For the month after I left little flyers at the local comic book stores (my distro is largely concentrated on minicomics) I got a half dozen orders from the Pittsburgh area. But when I put flyers out the second time, it didn't work. That's the only direct positive marketing experience I've had. But I want to put ads in the Comics Journal, maybe some "punk publications" although my distro is not very punk oriented.

* Most distros I've worked with accept assembled zines only, but does anyone have experience with accepting flats to photocopy?

Personally, I wouldn't do this, because there aren't any really cheap copy shops around here. The first time I considered opening a distro I wanted to do an all-flats distro because I got free photocopies at school. That would have been the time to do it, rats. But if you have a sweet free/cheap hook-up it would be a great idea!


Note: I think that, especially with so many distros opening lately, you really want to specialize somewhat in order to make yourself heard. I don't stock ONLY comics (the two descriptions I'm working on now are both for non-comics perzines), but it's maybe 50% of the catalog, and I'd like to think that it makes my distro stand out maybe a little bit. There are other comics distros, but they are all run by dudes and carry largely dude-written zines; almost everything in my catalog is written by women (not by design, but, I carry what I like to read). Plus, think about what you want to carry: a lot of zines are carried by multiple distros, because they're great zines, but personally I've found that the "popular" titles don't sell as well as the zines/comics that aren't carried by any other distro except mine. So I've been shaping the catalog with that in mind, although sometimes I just carry something because I think it is great and like the writer.

[Mab]

Well said, Amber! And thanks for the advice Erica!

[Danny Olda]

I had a question that was sorta related to this: If you you (as a distro) buy zines wholesale from a zinester, about how many zines at a time would be normal? I'm thinking about distributing some local zines here in the Tampa Bay area to people here in the area. I'm just not sure what a normal' amount of zines to purchase from zinesters is. Any advice? Thanks you

[ciaraxyerra]

it totally depends. some distros buy three copies at a time, others buy fifty. it just depends on what you think you can reasonably distribute. i generally buy twenty copies at a time, but i sometimes buy more than that for zines that are proven hot sellers. sometimes zinesters will offer bigger wholesale discounts if you buy more copies at a time too, which is something to consider. (for example, $1.20 a copy for up to twenty copies, $1 for up to fifty, 90 cents each if you get more than that, etc). you just have to go with trial & error a little until you figure out who is buying from you & what they want.

[Danny Olda]

That makes sense. I think I was really mostly afraid of buying a weirdly small amount, asking the zinester if I can pay her or him a wholesale price, then seeming like I'm trying to scam them to save some money. I think I got it, though. I'll feel it out. Thanks for the help

ciaraxyerra said:

it totally depends. some distros buy three copies at a time, others buy fifty. it just depends on what you think you can reasonably distribute. i generally buy twenty copies at a time, but i sometimes buy more than that for zines that are proven hot sellers. sometimes zinesters will offer bigger wholesale discounts if you buy more copies at a time too, which is something to consider. (for example, $1.20 a copy for up to twenty copies, $1 for up to fifty, 90 cents each if you get more than that, etc). you just have to go with trial & error a little until you figure out who is buying from you & what they want.

[ciaraxyerra]

it seems like a lot of new distros only buy like five copies at a time. most zinesters are just psyched that someone wants to help out with distribution. they understand that a brand new distro isn't going to be able to buy twenty or fifty copies at a time. as long as you are timely about paying people & communicative, you'll be fine.

[Brittney]

I had some questions related to this too:
Where do you buy the envelopes that you package your zines in?

How do you do the postage when sending them out? Do you use the computerized kiosk at the post office? Or stamps?

What do you think the best way to promote your distro is?

[zeraph dylan]

I take packages to the post office. Figuring out the logistics of postage on larger packages is a bit daunting to me. :)

I use regular manila envelopes, full size and half size. That said, I find them a wee bit too small.

[Brittney]

Where do you get the envelopes? Like Office Depot?

Zeraph said:

I take packages to the post office. Figuring out the logistics of postage on larger packages is a bit daunting to me. :)

I use regular manila envelopes, full size and half size. That said, I find them a wee bit too small.

[NicoleIntrovert]

Sorry if this sounds completely rude... but if you don't know where to purchase envelopes and you don't know how to mail a package, do you really think starting a zine distro is a good idea?

Brittney said:

Where do you get the envelopes? Like Office Depot?

Zeraph said:

I take packages to the post office. Figuring out the logistics of postage on larger packages is a bit daunting to me. :)

I use regular manila envelopes, full size and half size. That said, I find them a wee bit too small.

[kit feral]

I think she probably wanted to know where the best place to buy envelopes is. They're usually more expensive at the post office than, say, at Walmart, at least around here.

Of course, there are a lot of people around that don't know how to mail things, and still want to start a distro... so you never know.

NicoleIntrovert said:

Sorry if this sounds completely rude... but if you don't know where to purchase envelopes and you don't know how to mail a package, do you really think starting a zine distro is a good idea?

Brittney said:

Where do you get the envelopes? Like Office Depot?

Zeraph said:

I take packages to the post office. Figuring out the logistics of postage on larger packages is a bit daunting to me. :)

I use regular manila envelopes, full size and half size. That said, I find them a wee bit too small.

[Brittney]

I know how to mail a package thank you I was wondering if there were cheaper places, because I just get my envelopes at Wal-Mart. And I just go to the Post Office to mail it, I was just wondering if there were some people out there who use stamps.

NicoleIntrovert said:

Sorry if this sounds completely rude... but if you don't know where to purchase envelopes and you don't know how to mail a package, do you really think starting a zine distro is a good idea?

Brittney said:

Where do you get the envelopes? Like Office Depot?

Zeraph said:

I take packages to the post office. Figuring out the logistics of postage on larger packages is a bit daunting to me. :)

I use regular manila envelopes, full size and half size. That said, I find them a wee bit too small.