Marvel Now Exclusive With Penguin Random House For Bookstores As Well

When Marvel Comics signed an exclusive contract with Penguin Random House, it was for comic book sales to comic book stores in the direct market – but also expanded that direct market to include bookstores that previously hadn’t had access to it. However, Marvel’s graphic novels and collections distributed to the sale-or-return bookstore market were still behind handled exclusively by Hachette. So we were left with the word position where comic shops and bookstores went to Penguin Random House for most of the comics but to Hachette for most of the collections.

Well, that will all change in April next year, as Marvel will go all-in to the returnable bookstore market with Penguin Random House. Though, as before, comic stores will still be able to order through third-party distributors such as Diamond Comic Distributors if they so wish. And it seems of late, more and more are wishing just that, even though it costs them a larger chunk of potential profits to do so. Diamond is offering greater reliability it seems, as well as a one-stop-shop for all publishers aside from DC Comics. And Artist Elite Comics.

However, might the new distributor deal with Penguin Random House encourage any comic book stores to change their mind on this one? They may be becoming a one-stop-shop all of their own.

MARVEL AND PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHER SERVICES ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE SALES AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

PRHPS begins distribution of Marvel collected editions and graphic novels to Book Market retailers starting April 2023

New York, NY – June 8, 2022 – Marvel Publishing and Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), a division of Penguin Random House, today announced an exclusive worldwide multi-year sales and distribution agreement for Marvel’s newly published and backlist collected editions and graphic novels to bookstores and major retailers across the Book Market. PRHPS officially begins its distribution to Book Market retailers for all Marvel titles beginning in Spring 2023.

Following the successful transition of Marvel’s Direct Market distribution to PRHPS in 2021, Marvel’s book distribution will now continue with PRHPS in the Book Market. PRHPS will begin distribution for books going on sale beginning April 1, 2023. Up to that date, books will continue to be distributed by Hachette Book Group.