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first chapters of various books in a stellar .pdf format, both for readers and retailers, as a tasty sample of the wares they produce.

And that’s not to mention all the other websites which have .jpgs of comic book pages available for download and viewing.

The point is, these things are getting pretty widespread, but it all seems to me like two cats in a city backyard mirroring each others’ moves because they have to stay competitive. I’d recommend that publishers see the utility of this format and use it like a movie trailer, where the audience can sample a bit of the entertainment, and then make a better-informed decision as to whether or not they’re gonna plunk down their hard-earned cash on the funny books that are offered for sale. There’s all sorts of reasons why publishers might not choose to do this. The way deadlines are structured now, comics are rarely completed before they are solicited. There just wouldn’t be story and art ready in time to have readers make informed decisions. The free-milk-and-a-cow story comes to mind, as well. "Why pay for something you’ve seen some of already" seems like it might be conventional wisdom.

Well, if you’ve been a faithful reader of these online missives I craft just for you, you know what I think of conventional wisdom.

Why not release a .pdf file of, say, the first seventeen pages of an eighty eight page book, before publication and during the ordering cycle? Three months before it’s in shops, so retailers, customers, and the whole wide world can read a fifth of your project and see if they want to preorder the book?

I mean, at this point, it’s not hype, right? It’s turning over a couple of cards and letting the other players know you’re working on an inside straight.

It’s using the benefits of the .pdf file format to the project’s advantage, by putting out a teaser when there's still a chance to positively effect the orders, rather than releasing it after the book has shipped and just metaphorically crossing the fingers in the hopes that it spurs backlist sales.

This seems like a no-brainer, to me.

So, in the spirit of putting one’s money where one’s mouth is, I offer up to you a fifth of Brian Wood and Brett Weldele’s CousCous Express , for your reading enjoyment and perusal. If you like it, tell your retailer to order it

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