The comics industry can be one of the most difficult to succeed in. The target audience isn't as large as other forms of entertainment and monthly sales reflect this. Specialty shops are becoming more and more scarce. Albany is lucky enough to have at least one of these classic stores, J.J.'s Comics & Cards. I recently interviewed one of the store managers to get a better idea of the many processes involved in running their business.
The amount of work required to manage the store can be dizzying, especially with only three employees on staff. Orders for books must be placed at least two months advance, which means meticulously reading through previews for every book ahead of time. Even the best laid plans can go awry though. Scheduling issues can prevent orders from reaching the store on time and as a smaller business J.J.'s may be shorted, receiving less than the specified amount, on their orders if a larger establishment requires more of the product.
Owning a business also means making hard decisions. No store can carry every book that comes out, sometimes they are required to favor some books over others. J.J.'s chooses to keep their audience broad, avoiding the extremely mature or childish titles in favor of more marketable choices that anyone can enjoy. It is a difficult balance to strike, but choices have to be made. In spite of the hardships their business may face the employees remain optimistic about the future of the industry.
"Every business moves in an arc. We started at the top and we've ridden it to the bottom. Pretty soon the arc will start moving up again."- Store Manger
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