So you want to buy the Love and Capes: Do You Want to Know a Secret? collection. I can't blame you. I have them here, and they're just so pretty. IDW did a bang-up job with them.
I'm offering a premium edition here at the Love and Capes website. For $25.00, you can get the collected edition, including a special customized Love and Capes sketch bookplate. The bookplate will be autographed, include a sketch of one of the characters, and be personalized From the library of (your name).You can even request a specific Love and Capes character.
Some of you may have correctly guessed that I do make more money off of issues sold directly. And I know that there's a mindset of "let me give the money directly to the artist". I do the same thing. It's how I got my first two Gaelic Storm CDs, among many other things.
But, while the money's great, it doesn't translate into trackable sales. I can tell a comic shop, "I sell X number off of my website", but what's important to them is how many they sell at their store. They order from Diamond, and Diamond tracks the numbers. Diamond also requires a minimum number of sales to continue carrying the book. Similarly, bookstore and online bookstore sales are tracked, too. If Abby's Books and Coffee sells a lot of copies, she's going to order more of the next one, too. And having good sales figures allows me to keep publishing the book.
I also try not to compete directly with comic shops and stores. That's why the books on my site are generally a little more expensive, especially once shipping is included, here on the site and never go on sale early. Retailers are the front line of my sales, and I want them to have every advantage. Now, I want you to get the book, too. So if for some reason a shop can't reorder an issue, or if you live somewhere without a retailer or whatever, I want to make sure you have a channel to get it.
So, here's the upshot: order it wherever works best for you. If there's a good deal at Amazon, get it. Got a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble? Use it. Have a local retailer? Buy it from them. Want to buy it from me? You go right ahead. It's not about me, it's about you.
You can order online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and Khepri. And you can find your local retailer here. Whatever you do, feel free to leave some commentary or reviews up on the Amazon site. And thanks for your support.