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Beginning in September, Marvel Comics will switch to the Hachette Book Group to distribute its hardcover and paperback titles into the domestic and international book trade market. Marvel book titles are currently distributed to the book trade by Diamond Book Distributors, the book trade distribution division of Diamond Comics Distributors. Marvel has also extended its contract with Diamond Comics Distributors to distribute its titles into the domestic comic shop market, also known as the Direct Market.

Marvel v-p, book sales, David Grabriel said the decision to switch its book distributors was "difficult" and credited Diamond Book Distributors with "nearly tripling our sales in the book market over the last five years." However, Gabriel pointed to "Hachette's overwhelming success in the book market," and said, "Teaming with Hachette allows us to even more aggressively grow our presence in the book market, exposing new readers to Marvel's great library of characters and stories. We can't imagine a better partner as Marvel looks to expand its presence in the book market."

Ken Michaels, Hachette COO said Hachette was "thrilled to be partnering with Marvel," and said the reach of Hachette's distribution business, "combined with Marvel's outstanding brand and product line, is sure to be a powerful combination."

While Marvel Comics main business continues to be the publication of traditional comic book periodicals, the growth of the popularity and sales of book format graphic novel titles in the general book trade has begun to rival Marvel's periodical business. The move comes in the wake of the acquisition of Marvel by Disney last September,and there has been speculation that Disney might move Marvel to HarperCollins, which distributes the titles of Disney Publishing and Hyperion. And Marvel was careful to highlight the continuing importance of the comic shop market: Diamond Comics Distribution, the dominant distributor of traditional comic book periodicals as well as book product in the comics shop market, will continue to distribute Marvel titles in that channel.

Last year, Marvel released more than 500 book titles in the general bookstore market and the loss of its business has to be a blow to Diamond Book Distributors. However, DBD v-p, sales and marketing, Kuo-Yu Liang, said DBD has been "preparing for it." Liang said DBD still has over 50 clients and has just extended its contracts with Image Comics and IDW Publishing, two major independent graphic novel publishers. "We'll be fine even without Marvel," Liang said. "We expect to have a very good year.

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