Final Order Cut-Off (FOC)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Welcome to the FOC FAQ! If you’ve never heard it, the term “FOC” is specific to the comic book industry and short for ”Final Order Cut-Off.” Basically, it’s the very last chance for us (your local comic shop) to place our guaranteed orders for new comic books and graphic novels. So, we like to give you (the customer and reader) an opportunity to let us know what comics you want just before the crucial moment when we place our orders!
HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM “FINAL ORDERS DUE”?
The phrase “Final Orders Due” is the customer-facing version of the same idea. The page on Previews World that we send you to each week is public and published by the same people who do the Previews magazine. We invite you to look at the list, and if there’s anything you would like us to order for you please let us know!
ARE THESE THE COMICS THAT ARE COMING OUT NEXT WEDNESDAY?
Nope. New comics on the FOC are usually on a THREE-WEEK CYCLE... but other items like trade paperbacks, statues, etc., will take longer. And if you're curious, the actual shipping dates are included at the bottom of each item.
DO I HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY WEEK??
You don’t have to do it at all! And yes the process does happen every single week, but IT IS COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY. If you're not interested, don't have time, whatever, you don't need to do anything differently than you've been doing before. The Final Orders process is mainly used if there are specific issues, covers, or other items that you want to be sure you get.
We’re just trying to get our orders in (and correct) as early as possible, so you can get your books the Wednesday they ship and don’t have to wait on a reorder!
SO THE COMICS ALREADY ON MY PULL LIST ARE GOOD TO GO, RIGHT?
Yes, indeed! Every subscriber (you) has a pull list, from which we order and then pull specific comics for you. It is not necessary to respond to the FOC email with comics that are already on your pull list. Those are already being ordered for you.
That said, please let us know if you see something you would like that is not already on your pull list or something you are unsure about, so we can both order a copy for you and also ensure that we have enough copies for everyone!
ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW?
As we said, this is a process that occurs every week. (Comics come out every week!) The list is not finalized until Friday and we send an email every Friday to remind you. We need to have your responses by MONDAY AT NOON to guarantee the order. It’s a quick turnaround!
Once again, you do not have to participate. And if nothing catches your eye this week or next week, so be it and you can delete the email with no remorse. It’s just another tool we’re trying to make sure you get your comics!
If you have any questions about any of the above, or if we can help in any other way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!