Retailer's Stance on PDF Deals

coyote6 said:

I keep hoping OBS, e23, or someone will team up with retailers, and offer some kind of program where my FLGS can sell me a physical copy of a book plus a PDF copy (from OBS/e23/etc.) for a few dollars (e.g., $5-10) more. I don't know why they haven't figured out a way to do that yet.

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That would be neat. But in the meantime, there are at least some places online where a similar kind of service is offered:

IPR
paizo.com - Paizo Publishing

The latter, I believe, offers subscribers to [some of?] their Pathfinder products cheaper or possibly free PDFs to go with. I'll have to check up on that one, but I'm pretty sure I read something like that only yesterday or the day before. At their site, which makes it seem more likely.

The former seems to sell a lot of books bundled with the PDF, for no extra cost. In some cases, it might only be a discount - not sure. And in still other cases, it's probably no go at all. Still, great idea that I would also like to see more of elsewhere.

Not quite what you're after, I know, but it's along the same lines.

The first time I read that, I genuinely thought it was satire. I was shocked to learn the guy was serious.

Here's a nice response from an RPG company:

Green Ronin's Nicole Lindroos responds.

And I think that WW is giving the 2nd ed Exalted corebook out as a free PDF means Exalted 3d edition is looming ahead. I'd recommend retailers to take this as a sign to get enthusiastic about selling the 2E Exalted supplements that are sitting on shelf. Somehow i bet most stores that stock Exalted have more dollar value in Supplement books than in core books. Use that fact that the corebook is free to push sales of the Supplements.

Aus_Snow said:

That would be neat. But in the meantime, there are at least some places online where a similar kind of service is offered:

IPR
paizo.com - Paizo Publishing

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Yeah, I subscribe to Pathfinder (at least for a little while longer; it's looking like I won't be using 'em soon, so I may cancel after the current path is done) & get PDF copies for free, and I've bought from IPR before, and probably will again (Dresden Files is a definite possibility, especially since my FLGS can't/won't stock IPR stuff).

Others do similar things -- Catalyst usually does preorder of print + PDF through their online store, though you only save a little bit ($5-10, IIRC) over buying the PDF & print separately, which is why I haven't done it. 93 Games Studio (makers of Twilight: 2013) did a hardcopy + PDF preorder (which got me to buy); and Cubicle 7 had the killer deal at Gen Con in 2007 (Starblazer Adventures softcover, PDF, plus hardcover shipped for $60).

That's all in the right direction, but it doesn't really let the retailers get in on it; it encourages direct sales from the company. Which I'm willing to do, because it's not like I'm rich & can afford to pay 150% price on everything to get PDF+print.

But it seems like it should be feasible for retailers to sign up with some online PDF store, in cooperation with publishers, and set up a deal where when a registered customer buys a hardcopy from the FLGS (with a small premium), the FLGS could give/email a download code to the customer.

It would require trust between participating retailers, publishers, and some PDF vendor, though.

frankthedm said:

And I think that WW is giving the 2nd ed Exalted corebook out as a free PDF means Exalted 3d edition is looming ahead. I'd recommend retailers to take this as a sign to get enthusiastic about selling the 2E Exalted supplements that are sitting on shelf. Somehow i bet most stores that stock Exalted have more dollar value in Supplement books than in core books. Use that fact that the corebook is free to push sales of the Supplements.

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They had the "graduation" promotion last year, too, so they could just be taking the opportunity to promote their fantasy RPG.

OTOH, Infernals just came out, so they seem to be running out of obvious material to publish. If they are nearing the end of "the treadmill" of supplements, a 3e might not be out of the question. Who knows?

Besides Ryan Dancey.

Aus_Snow said:

The latter, I believe, offers subscribers to [some of?] their Pathfinder products cheaper or possibly free PDFs to go with. I'll have to check up on that one, but I'm pretty sure I read something like that only yesterday or the day before. At their site, which makes it seem more likely.

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I'm a subscriber to their Pathfinder Adventure Paths and as a result I get, a hardcopy of a AP chapter and the PDF for about $20 and that includes shipping. SO basically I get the hard copy cheaper than I would in a store, plus the PDF for FREE.

THIS is one of the reasons I buy this from Paizo and not from my LGS.
I support my LGS in other ways but for the most part if it's not a PDF or a PDF option isnt available? I'm not interested.

Wulf Ratbane said:

Consider me shocked, shocked that a brick-and-mortar store owner shares WotC's backward paranoia about PDFs.

I don't know if I can handle any more shocking revelations this week.

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Did you know that bacteria can communicate:
Bonnie Bassler on how bacteria communicate | Video on TED.com

*hopes that he didn't break Wulf*

I don't know if I'm typical or not, but here's my stance on .pdf and print.

Physical books are reading copies, and .pdfs are working copies. I use the pdf of an advenutre to print out maps and relevant creature stats for use at the game table (I do not have a laptop). I can then write on them, change them, and whatnot without messing up my printed copy. I can also print out pictures or players maps for player use without ripping my printed book or having to make photcopies. I can select text to give to the players in another document. If I'm simply reading an adventure, I do it in print form because it's easier on my eyes.

I downloaded the free Exalted RPG book. I gave it a brief look through and will likely read the first two chapters on line. If I like what I see, I will buy the print book because I ceratinly don't want to read 400-ish pages on a computer screen.

Bottom line is, owning a pdf has no bearing for me on whether or not I'll own the physical copy. To me, .pdf is a wonderful way to preview stuff and to use as a working document, but print is my preferred medium for reading.

Filcher said:

In response to the White Wolf announcement that their Exalted 2nd Edition book will be free on PDFs -- I want to know, can they please send my store four free copies of the actual printed book? I mean, if the PDF is free, why would anyone ever need the printed book? And although I have several copies on hand, in stock at both my stores, evidently I am just a schmuck for stocking this title! Golly, thanks White Wolf!

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If you believe that there is no market for printed books because electronic versions of the books exist, then you probably shouldn't be trying to run a brick-and-mortar bookstore.

If you're just now discovering that e-books are generally less expensive than printed books, then you're painfully unaware the reality of the market in which you are doing business.

If you're truly unaware of the history of giving away free digital copies of core rulebooks in this industry, then you haven't been paying attention. (If you had been paying attention, you might have learned that many such efforts resulted in an uptick in sales of the printed books and supplements for that game.)

If you're claiming that the concept of a "sale" is unknown to you, then I have difficulty taking you seriously.

Rechan said:

Here's a nice response from an RPG company:

Green Ronin's Nicole Lindroos responds.

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I kinda don't love that response.

Mind you, I don't know that I love the original complaint, either. But there are responses made in the heat of the moment, and there are responses made after you've had a chance to calm down. This response read like the former, to this reader.

-O