When to announce a POD??

[malladin]

I've just completed sorting out our first product for POD run at RPG Mall. It's been interesting putting it together and I've learnt a lot from the process.

However, It appears that it takes at least 2 weeks for the print run to be completed, perhaps longer given GenCon's looming on the horizon.

So I was wondering - at what point do you 'announce' the product?

Should I wait until the books are in the warehouse, or should I gamble on a week or two from now and let people have a slightly longer wait (I'd make sure people knew there wouldbe a wait, of course).

What have you lot who've already done a POD run done about announcing it?


Cheerio,

Ben, Malladin's Gate Press

[jgbrowning]

James'll probably have the best info, but I'd personally wait until the books were at the warehouse.

IMHO, the people ordering first are the people you least want to discourage because of some technicall/printing issues. They're most likely the ones who'll talk up your work to others. A good impression is important.


joe b.

[HellHound]

I used to pre-release by 1 week on RPGmall.

But then I had a MAJOR printing hitch in a product, delaying release by a full month.

Now I wait until the books are at the warehouse.

[rpghost]

To be fair, we have done some 20+ POD's and only 1 or 2 have missed the 2 week mark. Most come in before then. Jason's probelm was a big one I admit and might have jaded everyone involved on the process of pre-announcing.

My general opion and based on feedback/complains of users, is that 1 week ok is ok. More then that is a pain. Less then that is best if you can wait on the release. Or in the case of RPGObjects he doesn't even bother to co-release them anymore.

I really comes down to TELLING the customer what to expect. If you plan to release a POD within a week after the PDF, tell them. If you plan to release the POD at the same time as the PDF and don't really have the POD in stock at the moement, TELL THEM in the description the expected ship date. They get the PDF to review while they wait and it's usually never a problem.

So, it's your call till I get more data on the whole subject. But those are my thoughts.

Oh, and I think I'll have your book in time for GenCon

James