when TKO Studios debuted at the end of last year with some genuinely ambitious ideas for publishing and distribution, the industry took notice. TKO says it wants to be “the first modern comic book company,” meaning it wants to create a publishing and distribution model that is tailored to how contemporary audiences engage with media. In regards to publishing, TKO is experimenting with a binge-reading model, giving readers complete six-issue stories all at once in three different formats: digital copies, box sets of single issues, and paperback collections. The first issues of each series are all available to download on TKO’s website, making it easier to commit to the multi-issue model by giving readers and retailers a free sample...
TKO’s CEO and co-publisher, Salvatore Simeone, comes from the world of tech start-ups, and while the details of TKO’s seed money aren’t public, the company has enough funding that it can handle distribution itself and bring in big-name creators for its titles. The distribution angle is perhaps the most intriguing...
TKO is side-stepping Diamond entirely, putting a retailer portal on its website where comic-shops can order books. TKO offers retailers a 50 percent discount on all purchases with free shipping to U.S. stores. International vendors pay for shipping, which varies on a case-by-case basis depending on weight. Books shipped in the U.S. typically arrive within two to five business days instead of weeks or months—eight to 12 business days for international shipping—and TKO uses its Twitter feed to promote stores that stock its books. Even though the publisher sells directly to readers, it recognizes how important it is to have its titles in comic shops and the role they play in marketing to new customers.