Ed Cha
Community Supporter
Small Publishers Band Together To Start “RPG Revolution”!
SMALL PUBLISHERS BAND TOGETHER TO START “RPG REVOLUTION”!
INDIE PRESS REVOLUTION OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES TODAY
New York, NY – December 1, 2004 – Seven small press companies have joined forces to launch Indie Press Revolution (IPR). Adept Press, Anvilwerks, Blue Devil Games, Bob Goat Press, Galileo Games, Open World Press, and SloeBrownWolf have all signed on to join this new cooperative sales project founded by Ed Cha of Open World Press and Brennan Taylor of Galileo Games. IPR expects to have a dozen companies signed on by the end of the year.
“We’ve been amazed at the response from the RPG publishing community. People have been asking for something just like this… and now here it is,” says Brennan Taylor. According to Taylor, there are several well-known names in the industry he is currently talking to about joining IPR soon.
The fledgling organization has already gotten the attention of one well-known figure: Ron Edwards of Adept Press. The author and creator of the award-winning RPG Sorcerer, Ron was one of the first people to sign on and says, “It seems to me to be literally what I’ve been calling for over two years now: effectively a very competent service highly specialized for the independent grass-roots publisher.”
So what exactly is IPR? Is it a retail site? Is it a distribution company? Is it a co-op? Is it a community?
“IPR is a radical new way of selling RPGs and RPG-related products,” says Ed Cha who first came up with the idea after a chat with Taylor earlier this year at I-CON. “It’s, what I like to call, a ‘direct sales first’ network of top-quality creator-publishers. That means IPR only carries the best of the best in the independent press, selling directly to the customer first.”
“This approach serves two purposes,” says Taylor. “First, customers know that whatever they order from us meets a certain standard of quality because we selectively recruit the creator-publishers listed on our site. Second, creator-publishers receive a greater portion of a sale on our site than almost anywhere else because we sell direct. They also have greater control over pricing and better access to direct communication with customers.”
And what is the goal of IPR?
“We founded IPR as not only a business venture, but an artistic endeavor as well,” says Cha. “Our goal is to provide the right business model, a profitable business model, for creator-publishers, so they can continue publishing their work. We’ve seen far too many great creator-publishers come and go and we want that to stop! By providing not only the right plan, but also the right place, to sell their products, we want to establish a community in which creator-publishers can flourish and share their ideas and visions together in a cooperative environment.”
“In addition, we want to help anyone with the right manuscript and funding get their work published and into the hands of as many people as possible,” says Taylor. “Since we both have ‘hands-on’ experience in the publishing business, we can help you along the process as you get started. By joining our network, you will also have access to some of the brightest minds and experienced souls among today’s creator-publishers.”
The two founding partners say that IPR is committed to bringing their customers “great products directly from the people who create and publish them.” They ask everyone to help IPR continue to do this by supporting the independent creators on the site and join in spreading the word.
Welcome to the Revolution!
About Indie Press Revolution
Indie Press Revolution (IPR) is a radical new way of selling RPGs and RPG-related products. Founded by Ed Cha of Open World Press and Brennan Taylor of Galileo Games, IPR is a “direct sales first” network of quality creator-publishers. That means IPR only carries the best of the best in the independent press selling directly to the customer first.
http://www.indiepressrevolution.com
About Open World Press
Ed Cha’s Open World Press, based in New York City, is dedicated to publishing high-quality RPGs and supplements. Nominated as The Most Exciting New Company to Emerge in 2003 by GameWyrd, its latest release, World of Whitethorn 1B: The Village of Oester, was nominated for a 2004 ENnie as Best Adventure of the Year.
http://www.openworldpress.com
About Galileo Games
New Jersey-based Galileo Games is run by Brennan Taylor, author of the critically-acclaimed Bulldogs! and creator of the RPGs The Legend of Yore and Mortal Coil. Silven Crossroads recently called Bulldogs! “the best damn sci-fi d20 book on the market.”
http://www.galileogames.com
About Adept Press
Adept Press is the solo publishing venture of Ron Edwards, the author and creator of the Diana Jones Award-winning RPG Sorcerer as well as RPGs like Elfs and Trollbabe. He is also the co-founder of the indie RPGs site, The Forge.
http://www.adept-press.com
About Anvilwerks
Anvilwerks is a new project of Clinton R. Nixon, co-founder of The Forge. His beautifully illustrated post-apocalyptic fantasy RPG, Shadow of Yesterday, is scheduled for release on December 6 at Gen Con So Cal.
http://www.anvilwerks.com
About Blue Devil Games
Blue Devil Games, run by Justin D. Jacobson and Michael W. Ruiz, is the publisher of the double 2004 ENnie-nominated Poisoncraft: The Dark Art. An attorney by trade, Justin started Blue Devil Games as an outlet for his gaming passion and to produce quality RPG products.
http://www.bluedevilgames.com
About Bob Goat Press
Illinois-based Bob Goat Press is managed by Keith Senkowski, the author and creator of the critically-acclaimed paranoia and horror RPG, Conspiracy of Shadows. Characters risk their lives to seek the truth and thwart demonic forces and their co-conspirators.
http://www.bobgoat.com
About SloeBrownWolf
SloeBrownWolf, founded by Spencer Sloe, Aaron Brown, and Josh Wolf, is devoted to those who enjoy everything nerd. Their t-shirts reflect that mission with various nerd designs, including many gamer-oriented themes.
http://www.nerdnyc.com
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SMALL PUBLISHERS BAND TOGETHER TO START “RPG REVOLUTION”!
INDIE PRESS REVOLUTION OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES TODAY
New York, NY – December 1, 2004 – Seven small press companies have joined forces to launch Indie Press Revolution (IPR). Adept Press, Anvilwerks, Blue Devil Games, Bob Goat Press, Galileo Games, Open World Press, and SloeBrownWolf have all signed on to join this new cooperative sales project founded by Ed Cha of Open World Press and Brennan Taylor of Galileo Games. IPR expects to have a dozen companies signed on by the end of the year.
“We’ve been amazed at the response from the RPG publishing community. People have been asking for something just like this… and now here it is,” says Brennan Taylor. According to Taylor, there are several well-known names in the industry he is currently talking to about joining IPR soon.
The fledgling organization has already gotten the attention of one well-known figure: Ron Edwards of Adept Press. The author and creator of the award-winning RPG Sorcerer, Ron was one of the first people to sign on and says, “It seems to me to be literally what I’ve been calling for over two years now: effectively a very competent service highly specialized for the independent grass-roots publisher.”
So what exactly is IPR? Is it a retail site? Is it a distribution company? Is it a co-op? Is it a community?
“IPR is a radical new way of selling RPGs and RPG-related products,” says Ed Cha who first came up with the idea after a chat with Taylor earlier this year at I-CON. “It’s, what I like to call, a ‘direct sales first’ network of top-quality creator-publishers. That means IPR only carries the best of the best in the independent press, selling directly to the customer first.”
“This approach serves two purposes,” says Taylor. “First, customers know that whatever they order from us meets a certain standard of quality because we selectively recruit the creator-publishers listed on our site. Second, creator-publishers receive a greater portion of a sale on our site than almost anywhere else because we sell direct. They also have greater control over pricing and better access to direct communication with customers.”
And what is the goal of IPR?
“We founded IPR as not only a business venture, but an artistic endeavor as well,” says Cha. “Our goal is to provide the right business model, a profitable business model, for creator-publishers, so they can continue publishing their work. We’ve seen far too many great creator-publishers come and go and we want that to stop! By providing not only the right plan, but also the right place, to sell their products, we want to establish a community in which creator-publishers can flourish and share their ideas and visions together in a cooperative environment.”
“In addition, we want to help anyone with the right manuscript and funding get their work published and into the hands of as many people as possible,” says Taylor. “Since we both have ‘hands-on’ experience in the publishing business, we can help you along the process as you get started. By joining our network, you will also have access to some of the brightest minds and experienced souls among today’s creator-publishers.”
The two founding partners say that IPR is committed to bringing their customers “great products directly from the people who create and publish them.” They ask everyone to help IPR continue to do this by supporting the independent creators on the site and join in spreading the word.
Welcome to the Revolution!
About Indie Press Revolution
Indie Press Revolution (IPR) is a radical new way of selling RPGs and RPG-related products. Founded by Ed Cha of Open World Press and Brennan Taylor of Galileo Games, IPR is a “direct sales first” network of quality creator-publishers. That means IPR only carries the best of the best in the independent press selling directly to the customer first.
http://www.indiepressrevolution.com
About Open World Press
Ed Cha’s Open World Press, based in New York City, is dedicated to publishing high-quality RPGs and supplements. Nominated as The Most Exciting New Company to Emerge in 2003 by GameWyrd, its latest release, World of Whitethorn 1B: The Village of Oester, was nominated for a 2004 ENnie as Best Adventure of the Year.
http://www.openworldpress.com
About Galileo Games
New Jersey-based Galileo Games is run by Brennan Taylor, author of the critically-acclaimed Bulldogs! and creator of the RPGs The Legend of Yore and Mortal Coil. Silven Crossroads recently called Bulldogs! “the best damn sci-fi d20 book on the market.”
http://www.galileogames.com
About Adept Press
Adept Press is the solo publishing venture of Ron Edwards, the author and creator of the Diana Jones Award-winning RPG Sorcerer as well as RPGs like Elfs and Trollbabe. He is also the co-founder of the indie RPGs site, The Forge.
http://www.adept-press.com
About Anvilwerks
Anvilwerks is a new project of Clinton R. Nixon, co-founder of The Forge. His beautifully illustrated post-apocalyptic fantasy RPG, Shadow of Yesterday, is scheduled for release on December 6 at Gen Con So Cal.
http://www.anvilwerks.com
About Blue Devil Games
Blue Devil Games, run by Justin D. Jacobson and Michael W. Ruiz, is the publisher of the double 2004 ENnie-nominated Poisoncraft: The Dark Art. An attorney by trade, Justin started Blue Devil Games as an outlet for his gaming passion and to produce quality RPG products.
http://www.bluedevilgames.com
About Bob Goat Press
Illinois-based Bob Goat Press is managed by Keith Senkowski, the author and creator of the critically-acclaimed paranoia and horror RPG, Conspiracy of Shadows. Characters risk their lives to seek the truth and thwart demonic forces and their co-conspirators.
http://www.bobgoat.com
About SloeBrownWolf
SloeBrownWolf, founded by Spencer Sloe, Aaron Brown, and Josh Wolf, is devoted to those who enjoy everything nerd. Their t-shirts reflect that mission with various nerd designs, including many gamer-oriented themes.
http://www.nerdnyc.com
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We really do have great stuff, though. 
I'll actually second that. Really, IPR is aimed at getting more bang for the buck for publishers without the size and reach of companies with annual revenues measured in millions, regardless of any official definition of "indie." The Indie part of our name isn't as important as being able to get these books out there and have publishers earn enough in sales to keep publishing.
