Image Comics Inks Distribution Deal With Simon & Schuster

Beginning in January, Image Comics will partner with Simon & Schuster for an exclusive international distribution deal in the bookstore market, the publisher announced today. The deal will go into place in January 2024, for titles on sale that month (which will be solicited in the direct market beginning in October). Previously exclusive to Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics will join Viz Media, Boom Studios, and many other graphic novel publishers on the Simon & Schuster distribution client list. Image Comics will continue its relationship with Diamond Book Distributors to serve the UK and International Book Market.

Simon & Schuster offers a wide range of distribution services to independent publishers, including sales, fulfillment, production, digital support services, and more. The "Book Market" comprises chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble, Indigo, Books-a-Million, as well as Amazon, independent bookstores, libraries, and non-comic shop brick-and-mortar and online retailers where physical books are sold.

"For the past 20 years we have been able to establish a foothold for our trade paperbacks and graphic novels in the book market thanks in no small part to the support and efforts of Diamond Book Distributors," said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. "Over time, our needs and backlist of titles have grown and our increasing footprint in the marketplace has us excited to take this next step with Simon & Schuster to build a more robust infrastructure for our titles there."

"We are delighted to welcome Image Comics to our family of distribution clients," said Michael Perlman, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Simon & Schuster Publisher Services. "We look forward to partnering with them to help share their graphic novels with readers throughout North America."

Image, founded in 1991, is the largest creator-owned publisher of comics and graphic novels in North America. It is the publisher for titles like Spawn, Invincible, Savage Dragon, The Walking Dead, Saga, and Nocterra. Image Comics' "Direct Market"/comic shop distribution is currently serviced by Lunar Distribution and is unaffected by this change. Image Comics' Digital/ebook distribution is currently serviced by IPG and is unaffected by this change.

Simon & Schuster, a Paramount company, is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world's most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Adams Media, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio.