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Diamond Employee Quits, Launches Comic Store Consultancy Using Their Contact List

whisper

Last week, an employee of Diamond Comic Distributors quit. Happens all the time. However, as he left, he emailed around a thousand stores to offer them his services as a consultant. We have a copy of the e-mail, though have removed his name, and identifying phrases.

Hello Retailers,

This is XXXXX, your former XXXXX at Diamond Comic Distributors. Friday was my last day at Diamond, and I hinted previously at what my next move might be.

So now I'm here to tell you what it is: I want to help new and struggling retailers with their business. I now have 7 years of retail experience and 3 years of distributor experience under my belt, and I think that's a valuable resource for a new, developing comic shop, or one that has seen a lull.

I'm still working out the details, and I still have things to learn myself. I'm not professing to have all the answers, or to be able to save your store. All I'm offering is my passion for the business, my experience in the business, and my knowledge of Diamond, their systems and the products that are out there.

I love comics. I think we all do, otherwise we wouldn't do what we do. And if I can help in any way, I will.

My newer accounts will know that I say this all the time, but it's true, it's something I believe: when I was in XXXXX, I wasn't looking to make the big splashy sale, I wanted to make incremental progress, and ensure my newer stores were here a year, two years, 10 years from now. The more stores that are open, and healthily selling, means the industry is doing well.

With all of that said, I need your help. 

I've created a Facebook Page that is my current hub for this venture.

On that page, you'll find a survey, if you can't see it on Facebook.

Basically I want to know what kind of services you may need from me, and what you think those services would be worth to you.

I'm not looking to bankrupt anyone, your honest answers are appreciated.

If you could take the few minutes out to fill that out, I'd really appreciate it.

If you don't want to hear from me again, that's completely fine as well, please tell me and I'll remove you from the list.

Again, I want to thank you for three years of great memories, and I hope this next chapter of my life can be as helpful to you!

XXXXXX

The Comics Whisperer

Comics and Pop Culture Retail Solutions

Plenty forwarded the e-mail to Diamond customer services, who were inundated with messages. Which didn't go over too well with Diamond execs. The Facebook page and survey were swiftly removed.

Diamond doesn't have non-disclosure contracts in place or non-compete clauses, so he broke no rules. But he certainly does know the distributor business from the inside and, faced with a monopoly like Diamond, it could be useful for stores to know exactly which levers to pull. But it seems Diamond aren't too happy with that right now.


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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