IDW Announces Participation in Diamond's Final Order Cut-Off Program
IDW Publishing and Diamond Comic Distributors have announced that the publisher will implement a new Final Order Cut-Off (FOC) program, effective with products scheduled to go on sale September 7 and 14 and now carrying an FOC Date of Monday, August 22.
“We’re very pleased that, with IDW's addition, all of our Premier Suppliers have now joined the FOC system,” said Diamond Vice President of Purchasing Bill Schanes. “The change is a welcome one for retailers who rely on FOC to adjust their orders and manage their purchasing and buying decisions in a timely manner.”
The system allows retailers greater flexibility to increase, decrease and even cancel orders up to the FOC date, which will be Mondays at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. (The same date/time as other participating publishers.) IDW comics will generally reflect FOC Dates with a 18-day adjustment window, meaning that an item carrying the August 22 FOC Date should be scheduled to go on sale Wednesday, September 14.
Due to first-time FOC implementation, August 22 will also be the FOC for items scheduled to go on sale September 7 as well. However, going forward, IDW's FOC list will contain only one week's worth of items.
It's always been important to us to make sure that our valued retailers aren't the ones holding most of the risk," said Dirk Wood, IDW's Director of Retail Publishing. "We feel strongly about our books, hope you do too, and we want to share in the responsibility."
The weekly IDW Insider e-newsletter will now include an attachment with a list of the publisher's respective titles on FOC that week, customized to each retailer. Retailers will then be able to adjust orders for either publisher on the My Account page of Diamond Online’s Retailer Services Area, or by contacting their Diamond Customer Service Representative. The IDW products with an FOC for a given week will also be reflected in Diamond Daily's regular Last Call article, which runs every Friday.
To make an adjustment online, sign in to Diamond's secure Retailer Services site, visit the My Account page, and click the FOC & Order Adjustment Weekly Items link at the top right. Then navigate to the IDW Publishing section of this online resource. While on the My Account page, also be sure to verify that you are signed up to receive the IDW Insider at a valid email address, which can be done by clicking on Preferences and scrolling down to the Email Preferences section of that page.
The September 2011 PREVIEWS Retailer Order Form will be the first order form with items carrying IDW FOC Dates.
Retailers with further questions about this announcement should contact their Diamond Customer Service Representative.
IDW PUBLISHING FOC AT A GLANCE
1. When do the IDW FOC program go into effect?
The FOC program goes into effect with products scheduled to arrive in stores September 7 and 14. (Note: This is the only anticipated instance when one FOC week will contain two weeks worth of product.)
2. What day of the week will the IDW FOC fall on?
Monday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the same time that Dark Horse, DC, Image, and Marvel FOC adjustments are due.
3. Will older products be eligible for FOC adjustments?
No, only products scheduled to go on sale September 7, 2011 and after will be eligible for FOC adjustment. Case-by-case exceptions may, however, occur at the discretion of the publisher.
4. How late in each solicitation cycle can I adjust my orders up or down?
For periodicals, orders may be adjusted up or down approximately three weeks before a title’s scheduled in-store date. For trade paperbacks and hardcovers, retailer will be able to adjust their orders up or down generally five weeks before a title’s scheduled release date. This allows retailers the chance to budget closer to actual on-sale dates, and better judge potential reader interest.
For example: A comic book scheduled to arrive in stores on September 14 may be order adjusted up or down until August 22.
5. How will I know what books are on FOC in a given week?
The weekly IDW Insider e-newsletter will now include an FOC attachment customized for your account. The IDW products with an FOC for a given week will also be reflected in Diamond Daily's regular Last Call article, which runs every Friday, and you will be able to find IDW products included in the weekly FOC list at the FOC & Order Adjustment Weekly Items page of the Retailer Services website, accessible from the My Account page.
6. How do I adjust my orders up or down?
To make an adjustment online, sign in to Diamond's secure Retailer Services site, visit the My Account page, and click the FOC & Order Adjustment Weekly Items link at the top right. Then navigate to the IDW Publishing section of this online resource. You can also contact your Diamond Customer Service Representative.
7. Will a reorder fee be applied to orders for IDW product increased through its FOC?
No, Diamond will not charge retailers a reorder fee for increasing orders for any IDW products prior to the close of their FOC dates.
