Thread by @GunnComics

I thought I’d create a thread that highlights the wonderful way comic books are promoted and sold in bookshops in Tokyo. They are such wonderful places that make browsing for books such fun/creative.
This a large but typical store of the type of things I see.

Lovingly displayed books not just shoved onto shelves. This title is placed on a table with books arranged at angles with example copies of the original page on display.
Looks wonderful! Almost as if you are at a crafts fair.

Many new titles display large copies of the page art to go alongside their books. This makes for a very attractive browsing experience.

Also page art examples in shops can hang vertically down from the ceiling at the ends of aisles. This create a sort of gallery space within the browsing experience of the shop, it’s not seperated but a part of the main floor of the shop.

Sometimes a publisher or a creator will create little standups to sit ont he shelves alongside a book promotion. This creates an attractive space as you’re not just staring at book spines or comics shoved onto spaces at the same angle.

Attractive floor standing banners set around tables of books also create eye catching promotions for new titles and creates a sense of excitement as you wonder into a shop.

An example of an end of aisle - banners hang at different angle so that shoppers can always see a book promotion at different perspectives to the shelves. Many promotions feature character line ups from a book.

Another very attractive display for a new release - books on display - cover out with nice big page art examples behind them. Note the nice patterned wall paper - such attention to detail in these shops! Creating a wonderful viewing experience for books.

Shop standing banners can come in all sizes and shapes, this one is cut to follow the lines of the art which creates movement within a 2D promotion. It also draws you towards the books that it is promoting.
Also - lovely drawing too! Simple but attractive.

This is another nice touch, some bookshops have DVD players/screens set into the shelves surrounded by books. These play promotional trailers for comic titles and I found them to be VERY engaging - creates excitement through moving 2D images + music.

Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world so they don’t have to worry about things being stolen (unlike in the UK - this is why we can’t have nice things too!).

These are fun additions to shelves that are mostly made up of books displayed with only their spines showing - promotional cut outs that guide a shopper to a titles or a section of books. They grab your attention as you walk down aisles and look fun too!

This book shelf had a promotion created and signed by the artist(s) and they had even included a plastic gun taped to the promotion! Again the creativity of publishers on display in a mainstream book store is really nice to see (if a little dodgy).

And because the Japanese are obsessed with wrapping everything in plastic (including books AND fruit) they have these demo books of titles hanging from strings for grubby fingered customers to browse through. They also made the shelves look attractive.

So all in all - Japanese bookshops are THE BEST in the world but I still think that we can learn a lot from them. Instead of just piling books onto shelves these shops feel like they LOVE books and the customers, creating a great visual/friendly experience.

Anyway, I typed all of that because who knows, it might give you some ideas when it comes to selling books - either for a shop, a publisher or an individual creator.

Just show love and respect for the medium and hopefully you’ll attract the right fan base.

PS- you might notice that most if not all of the page art examples on display are black and white. Most (9/10) Japanese comic books are designed to keep print costs down - B&W printed on standard matte paper at low cover prices. Mass market at low entry cost.

I feel that in the West, particularly in the hip indie publish’ markets have become obsessed with high production/high cover price hardback comics that only cater to a boutique market over mass market youth appeal.
It’s refreshing to see teens reading comics.