How quick does a Trade Paperback come out?

[tyron1995]

Hey, I was just wondering how quick TPBs come out after an arc or a few issues end. For example, DC is going to start the "Throne of Atlantis" story which crosses between Aquaman and the Justice League. After the last issue of that story, how long does it take until DC publishes the TPB?

Thanks!

[FHIZ]

DC takes their time with trades. Don't expect that trade to come out until late summer/fall next year.

[DonC]

The general rule with DC is six months after the final issue in the collection ships. If there's a hardcover collection, the trade comes whenever DC sells out the hardcover. Usually another six months. Sometimes more. It depends on the title. If the hardcover is still selling well, that's what they'll keep putting out.

[Mace Dolex]

If there's a hardcover collection, the trade comes whenever DC sells out the hardcover. Usually another six months. Sometimes more. It depends on the title. If the hardcover is still selling well, that's what they'll keep putting out.

I thought the softcover was released regardless if the hardcover sells well or not.

[DonC]

Eventually, I'm sure. However, if you're a publisher still selling copies of a $24.95 book then why would you release a $16.95 version of the same book?

[glennsim]

Eventually, I'm sure. However, if you're a publisher still selling copies of a $24.95 book then why would you release a $16.95 version of the same book?

I know next to nothing about the process, but I would think they would know that there were people who were waiting for the softbound (no matter how long it takes), so they would need to eventually get that out on the market for those people.

[reubs]

And there's also the deluxe hardcover that sometimes gets released. I'm thinking that must be sometime after both the hardcover and the TPB, and it might only be for big arcs. With the hype they're putting behind "Throne of Atlantis" and it being a Johns book, I imagine it'll get a deluxe at some point, too.

[DonC]

I know next to nothing about the process, but I would think they would know that there were people who were waiting for the softbound (no matter how long it takes), so they would need to eventually get that out on the market for those people.

I'm not saying they would never publish certain trades, just that if that book continues to sell well as a hardcover, it makes good business sense to continue to make more of those hardcovers. I can't think of any comics examples, but The DaVinci Code, for example, took three years to get published as a paperback because the hardcover was still selling so well.

[tyron1995]

Ohh, i didnt know it would be 6 months. I am just going to stick to the singles for now lol

[ShQQta]

There's quite a simple formula to estimate when a given tpb will be available:

First, let
x = how much you want the tpb on a scale of 0 - 10
eg 0 "not all" ; 5 "quite a bit" ; 10 "I would kill for it (again)"

Then, there will typically be
y=4e^(0.4x)
weeks until you will get a chance to buy it

here ^ is "to the power of" and e is Euler's number (approx 2.718)

So for a typical trade that want "quite a bit" you will wait
y=4e^2
= 29.6 weeks (1dp)

So more like 7 months.

However, if you don't want it all, it will be on the shelves about 4 weeks after the singles arc concludes.