If there was ever a thread worth resurrecting every now and then, this is it.
Individual title sales -have- significantly slowed for us since this thread was launched. There are more and more PDF titles out there, and because this part of the industry isn't entirely front-list heavy, a new product is not just competing against other new releases, but is also competing against everything already out in PDF.
The good news is that PDF sales continue to climb month-to-month if you are lookig at total sales at RPGnow. What makes this particularly impressive is this is happening even with successful competition in the market.
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I know from my own view point being very new to this side of the industry, it has become very interesting on a day by day basis. Watching where information will get posted about your product and then seeing the effects of that. I can say this, I was shocked over the entire initial experience, what I expected to sell in the first month or two months ended up being accomplished in the first week.
Though things are very young at RPGAttitude, there are some interesting trends already starting to form; being on ENworld news is worth a few sales everytime thus far. From talking with people it would seem money is not even an issue, my real goal is how to not just effectively but quickly get person to understand that NPC Designer is not JB's NPC Generator (Don't laugh because I am quite serious). The 3 main sources of NPC Generation have tainted the market to a point where people have become blinded that there can be another way to do this.
One of the key things my users state about buying habits, they are not worried about something that they can do themselves but the end results is does it save them time and is it of a quality they can trust. PDF or Software does not matter, gaining that trust takes time and effort. Hellhound made a good comment which lends to this, people learn to trust a product line and therefore buy it.
Teaming up has helped RPGAttitude, we cannot say if it has helped UKG Publishing yet because we are not that far along in our combined efforts. They have d20 rules and we have a way for GM's to quickly insert them into their game. I think over time we will be able to gain some ground on marketting but also lend to the trust factor. For UKG Publishing, NPC Designer becomes more then a tool for their products it becomes a marketting engine not to mention their own designers now have a tool they can use to develop new material in shorter time with consistant solid results.
The good news is that PDF sales continue to climb month-to-month if you are lookig at total sales at RPGnow. What makes this particularly impressive is this is happening even with successful competition in the market.
And at this point, has anyone seen an increase in POD sales? I can't judge yet because I have only one POD product, that's 5 weeks old. (out of 3 products total) We've sold twice as many pdf versions than POD, but I'm not complaining yet.
As an aside, we ordered a proof copy of the POD and holy cheez-whiz! Very nice print quality.
Our peak products would sell 10% of the initial offering in PoD format for large releases. Smaller releases result in less PoD sales, in my experience.
On final count, well under 3% of our sales are PoD. Some months this is skewed by an interesting release or two, but typically, PDF is becoming more accepted and thus print seems to be a lot less important than it was two years ago.
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The man they said would cause too much controversy for the ENnies - now running for judge!
www.DREADGAZEBO.com
One site with all my gaming stuff
CyberPunk, Star Frontiers, HeroQuest, deadEarth and GunPorn
typically, PDF is becoming more accepted and thus print seems to be a lot less important than it was two years ago.
That may be true, but I still believe people enjoy a printed book that they can add to their collection. It just takes a higher standard of pdf-turned-printed book to get them to buy our offerings in POD form. I also believe that standard is being reached now more often.
Don't get me wrong - I'm thankful for the pdf market, and I believe the convenience and flexibility of pdf will keep that market going for a long time. If it weren't for the pdf rpg market there's no way I could have started a company on as little seed money as I did.
A poster with a single post bumps a thread that's 2 and a half years old?
Odd.
Well, I've been accused of worse, but the topic seemed important to me. Though, if it makes you feel better, I've been working dilligently to get my post count up above 5.
Last I heard, the few companies that were still putting out 3.5 material were doing reasonably well, but not excellent. Companies that stopped putting out 3.5 material altogether saw there sales plummet.
But that information is a little old.
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Well, I guess I'll add my info to the pool. I've sold 21 copies of The Deft Fighter, and 9 copies of The Coward .
Deft Fighter is a rules expansion for fighters, and the Coward is a single page class (you can see the whole thing before you buy). Both are OGL 3.5.
Both were put out after 4th edition, from me (a complete unknown).
The hardest part I had was getting reviews. I sent emails offering comp copies of Deft Fighter to websites that do reviews and even "smaller" review sites didn't bother responding back. I've got several personal emails and they were all good, so that was nice.
My next project is a bit more ambitious (and a LOT more tedious to work on ). I'll keep you posted, but I'm hoping to hit 100 copies with it .
Our 4th Edition stuff, hitting the virtual shelves out of the gate, continue to do well. Our 3.5 slumped off, but I see a little perk here and there. Our paper tiles/figs do better since the release of 4th. So, I really don't know - but 4E seems the way to go for us.
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Thank you to everyone for posting to this thread. I read the whole thing today. I've bought a handfull of things at RPGnow, but nothing since the release of 4E. I've not been in a RPG since 4/2007.
The hardest part I had was getting reviews. I sent emails offering comp copies of Deft Fighter to websites that do reviews and even "smaller" review sites didn't bother responding back. I've got several personal emails and they were all good, so that was nice.
I'll agree with that! I even went so far as to ask folks publically to let me know if they wanted copies of PDFs to review. A flood of people replied, and I sent out roughly $5000 worth of products (or nearly 1000 PDFs); in exchance I got three reviews. Lesson learned: don't send out review copies!
In addition, as far as I can make out at least, the "send copies to reviewers" button on RPGNow basically means "give free copies for no reason to these people you don't know". It's certainly never resulted in any reviews!
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Last edited by Morrus; 10th August 2009 at 05:30 PM..
Well despite the mentioned slow down of 3.5 PDF products, I'm really hoping Pathfinder will cause a change in this trend. With the apparent sell out of Pathfinder RPG Handbook, I really think that's a good sign.
My product line for Kaidan: a Japanese Ghost Story setting is depending on it. Currently the adventure is being rewritten once again, so it may be published a few days later then August 13, our last goal for getting it out, but I want the best possible product before it hits the "PDF shelves."
From the limited views by various people outside the publisher, I've been told my products have a very high production value, aside from having great base material for the setting and adventure line.
I am hopeful. As soon as sales begin and I start getting return numbers on sales, I will post here my results.
My question to the floor would be, "How does one become a RECOGNIZED reviewer for EnWorld?" I would assume that one would have to demonstrate that they can churn out a quality review in a reasonable amount of time, each and every "period" (a week, 10 days, whatever). I would think that one might almost have to submit a successful application to be "recognized"... and I recommend that Morrus et al consider this. Imagine... having the thumbs-up as an official reviewer for a website, backed by the website's owner, with a slew of loyal readers as your critics, for free (or maybe for credit towards other pdf's from the EnWorld Store or RPGNow). I know that it isn't a "feel-good" voluntary basis, but I do read the reviews (if any) of any products I plan on purchasing on EnWorld before any other sites, and I note when I see names cropping up over and over.
Thoughts?
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My question to the floor would be, "How does one become a RECOGNIZED reviewer for EnWorld?" I would assume that one would have to demonstrate that they can churn out a quality review in a reasonable amount of time, each and every "period" (a week, 10 days, whatever). I would think that one might almost have to submit a successful application to be "recognized"... and I recommend that Morrus et al consider this. Imagine... having the thumbs-up as an official reviewer for a website, backed by the website's owner, with a slew of loyal readers as your critics, for free (or maybe for credit towards other pdf's from the EnWorld Store or RPGNow). I know that it isn't a "feel-good" voluntary basis, but I do read the reviews (if any) of any products I plan on purchasing on EnWorld before any other sites, and I note when I see names cropping up over and over.
Thoughts?
It should be someone who steps up and simply starts putting out those kind of reviews WITHOUT being hired, promoted, or anything. Any film reviewer worth their salt got to that point by actually doing the work and establishing their reviews as timely, reliable, and fair. I'm not talking about the guy from the Hartford Gazette-Recorder or whatever, but those critics whose name we know. Chris Gath became known not because he was given the label of "official reviewer," but because he simply put out a lot of reviews in a professional manner. Jack99 seems to be headed in the same direction.
I'd rather see someone rise through the ranks and become a reviewer than just having someone placed up there. You can give someone the official title, but they don't earn it until they've proven it.
There are a couple of reviewers for OBS who are fairly reliable, just not timely (and that's not to rant, just that they have their hands full). Megan Robertson is one (and she sends emails to let you know they are posted) plus one other name which escapes me right now.
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). I'll keep you posted, but I'm hoping to hit 100 copies with it 
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