In this episode of "Meanwhile...at Manage Comics," host Brian Garside talks with special guest Atom Freeman, a seasoned professional in comic sales and operations, about the Fan Confidence Rating (FCR).

We talk about trends this data already shows, how healthy the single issue market is, privacy measures, and the full roll-out plan for 2025 and beyond!

We also discuss the critical reception to the FCR, including the press that it's recieved.

• DSTLRY Cracks the Top 10: A Revolution in Comics Publishing
• NYCC ’24: Day 0 – Retailer Day surges despite bathroom breakage
• The comics industry hasn't had an actual health check in five years - but Prana is aiming to change that
• Will Prana DMS's New Data Tool Shine Some Light on Comic Sales Trends?
• “There’s a Huge Opportunity”: Prana Direct Market Solution’s Atom Freeman on the Power of Data and the New Fan Confidence Rating

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Listen to the Meanwhile...at Manage Comics podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/managecomics/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

• About Manage Comics - https://info.managecomics.com/
• Set up the perfect shop - https://pages.managecomics.com/manage-comics-reboot/
• The Manage Comics Roadmap - https://roadmap.managecomics.com
• Get help with Manage Comics - https://help.managecomics.com

We're back, and boy do we have some awesome stuff to share with you. Not only do we have this great podcast for you to enjoy, but we're sharing a project that is a pretty big deal.

We've wanted to add product reservations to Manage Comics since we began and had to originally create a hack as a way around Shopify's limitations...but thanks to recent upgrades by Shopify, we can introduce this great new feature.

We'll explain what you can expect, how this will work, and what this means for YOU.

All this, and so much more.

This one's not SUPER long as we get back at it, but it's super cool for sure!

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Listen to the Meanwhile...at Manage Comics podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/managecomics/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

• About Manage Comics - https://info.managecomics.com/
• Set up the perfect shop - https://pages.managecomics.com/manage-comics-reboot/
• The Manage Comics Roadmap - https://roadmap.managecomics.com
• Get help with Manage Comics - https://help.managecomics.com

This week we review ComicsPRO, talk about all of the great people and presentations we saw, discuss the city of Pittsburgh, dive deep on the COMET Standard, and give away our grand prize of 2 months free Manage Comics as well as a 1-on-1 meeting, and Theme support from the team at Manage Comics!

You can learn more about the COMET Standard here - https://cometstandard.com

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Listen to the Meanwhile...at Manage Comics podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/managecomics/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

• About Manage Comics - https://info.managecomics.com/
• Set up the perfect shop - https://pages.managecomics.com/manage-comics-reboot/
• The Manage Comics Roadmap - https://roadmap.managecomics.com
• Get help with Manage Comics - https://help.managecomics.com

In this very special episode, we dive deep into orders, what are they, how are they handled in Manage Comics, and what should you be doing with them?

• What if you don't use Shopify to process your orders?
• How should you be closing them out? What if you're a BinderPOS or Lightspeed User?
• What can you do with Manage Comics to sync up your inventory?

All this and so much more on this episode of Meanwhile...at Manage Comics.

• Workflow: Invoicing Orders - https://help.managecomics.com/help/weekly-task-invoice-orders
• Customer Orders - https://help.managecomics.com/help/customer-orders
• Manage Comics Order Helper - https://help.managecomics.com/help/manage-comics-order-helper

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Watch the video of this episode - https://youtu.be/4VEURvlwqhY?t=139

Listen to the Meanwhile...at Manage Comics podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/managecomics/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

More than 100 updates have been added to Shopify with their latest "Editions", code named "Foundations" with a theme of foundational underpinnings of Shopify.

We'll look at changes including product variants and large catalogue management, a standardized product taxonomy, and new developer features.

Online store customizations are improved, including reusable and nested blocks.

There's over 100 new updates, and we'll go over the ones most important for Manage Comics shops, along with a look into our crystal ball on where we see things going next.

Shopify Editions 2024 - https://www.shopify.com/editions/winter2024

Manage Comics Launches International Distribution - https://roadmap.managecomics.com/announcements/65bc016967bbf3de062bc3cc

Manage Comics Updates Winter 2024 - https://roadmap.managecomics.com/announcements/65be5fc667bbf3de06378427

Listen to the Meanwhile...at Manage Comics podcast at https://rss.com/podcasts/managecomics/ or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Episode 28 of "Meanwhile at Manage Comics," where we wrap up an exciting year of growth and innovation! Join our host, Brian Garside, the President of Manage Comics, as he dives into the highlights and accomplishments of 2023.

🚀 In this episode we look at:

• A month-by-month breakdown of what we accomplished in 2023
• How we are giving back to the industry
• Some of the things that we're wrapping up RIGHT NOW before the new year gets underway
• Some of the places we visited in 2023

A heartfelt thanks to our subscribers, partners, and the comic book community for their support in 2023.

🔗 Useful Links:

Website:

• https://info.managecomics.com

Social Media:

• https://facebook.com/managecomics https://instagram.com/managecomics
• https://youtube.com/@managecomics
• https://x.com/managecomics

👍 Call to Action:

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more episodes!

Follow us on social media for weekly updates and comic book fun. #ManageComics #ComicBookRetail #YearInReview #ComicBooks

✨ Stay tuned for more episodes of "Meanwhile at Manage Comics" and join us in shaping the future of comic book retail

🌟 🔔 Subscribe to our podcast to get notified about new episodes and exclusive content.

🎬 Remember, your feedback is important to us! Please leave us a five star review on your podcast app of choice!

Thank you for watching, and see you in the next episode! 🎉📚🎥

This week we delve into a rich discussion centered around the latest data-related topics. We'll also give you an insider's view of our current projects with Manage Comics, providing an exciting glimpse into what's happening behind the scenes.

PLUS we reveal a surprising secret, a lie we've been telling for so long we don't even know when it started! Tune in as we finally come clean and share this revelation with you.

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• About Manage Comics - https://info.managecomics.com/
• Set up the perfect shop - https://pages.managecomics.com/manage-comics-reboot/
• The Manage Comics Roadmap - https://roadmap.managecomics.com
• Get help with Manage Comics - https://help.managecomics.com

This week's Meanwhile...at Manage Comics is an AUDIO EXCLUSIVE!

See the full article on ManageComics.com - What's Wrong with the Comic Book Industry in 2023

There has been a lot of talk recently about what's wrong with the comics industry, spurred on initially by an opinion piece on ICv2 - It's Nearly 2024 and I'm More Than Concerned - authored by Phil Boyle of Coliseum of Comics in Florida (also a Manage Comics shop).

This week Brian takes up the cause of what's wrong with the comics industry by looking at it through the lens of both a software provider who deals with hundreds of comic stores each month, AND a consumer as a person who visits comic shops with the intent of buying new books, and the challenges that come with that in 2023.

Warning dear listener, there are some assumptions here, Brian is NOT a comics retailer and has not been one for more than a decade, he has been a regular comic book consumer since 1976, and has regularly been on both sides of the counter, so there may be some insight he can provide.

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• About Manage Comics - https://info.managecomics.com/
• Set up the perfect shop - https://pages.managecomics.com/manage-comics-reboot/
• The Manage Comics Roadmap - https://roadmap.managecomics.com
• Get help with Manage Comics - https://help.managecomics.com