Welcome to Arbor Productions

[BeaumanEnterprises]

I saw blurb saying your M&M campaign setting is coming out at the end of the month but that it might be several months before a print version becomes available. If you are not going to make a print version immediately available I do hope you offer a PDF/POD package. A PDF of that size can be tiring to read from the screen. A PDF/POD package would give us access to the color artwork but still give us a book to hold in our hands.

I am looking forward to this setting. Not because I do not like Green Ronin's Freedom City setting but because I like to see other takes on the superhero world whenever possible. Not having as many setting choices is one of the few weakness of M&M when compared to the fantasy or science fiction OGL games. The more ideas the merrier I always say.

Good to hear you are looking forward to it. There is a ton of information in it (it took me a while to edit . . . while only 200 pages . . . there is A LOT of information ). And Legends of Autumn Arbor, the campanion book already advertised at the products page at www.arborproductions.com and in production, looks like it might run closer to the 250+ mark.

The reason the print takes longer is because after the final layout version is done (which is about a week before the PDF release in the case of AACS, as production ran over schedule), we have to go to the distributor and have it listed in their next catalog (we have to have the product done and ready before they will list it for us). Once that catalog goes out the next month, there is a month where orders are taken. Then they come to us for what is needed (plus the extra "stock order" print they require), we go to the printer, get that done, it ships to Diamond/Alliance, then to stores. If orders are too low, then there is the corporate issue of: is retail print worth the expense at that moment in time? Something Diamond/Alliance will also consider.

Now . . . there WILL be a POD version of the campaign setting (unless something derails that in the 11th hour). However, there will probably be a 2 week lull in-between the PDF version and the POD . . . which accounts for needing to verify the proof copy, et cetera. There will be a PDF/POD package, and the discount offered on "just" the POD for those that purchased the PDF before hand will equal out to the same price as the actual package. So . . . you early bird PDF buyers won't be spending any more than those that end-up getting the package deal at once.

However, due to the cost of printing a color POD book that weighs in at 200 pages . . . well . . . we'd have to charge upwards of $55.00 for the POD to make it color, pay RPG.com their 20% off the cover price, and be able to turn even a minimal profit. Color is 0.15 a page, whereas b/w (greyscale) is 0.02 a page. Insane, but that's just about any POD printer I have looked at.

Therefore . . . the PDF is color, but the POD has to be a high-quality greyscale for art. I've seen some proofs of the transfer thus far . . . honestly, I think it looks good (otherwise, I would have scrapped the POD avenue).

 

[Krolik]

I know it takes time to become established enough to print full color books since full color demands higher volume sales. I am perfectly happy to have a black and white version of the book as long as I have access to the color version in the PDF. If you are going to pay for the full color artwork it might as well be utilized by the fans in some manner.

Will the POD be hardcover or soft? I am perfectly fine with either, though usually a book that size has a hardcover.

 

[BeaumanEnterprises]

I am shooting for hardcover in POD. I am still waiting to hear back from RPGnow on that. I know they use LuLu, and I know LuLu was going to be doing hardcover soon (when I checked a while back). I agree . . . a book that size should be HC.

Alas, I haven't had the time to check personally this week, and the woman that handles that department is on 2 weeks vacation.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Lulu is doing hardcover now according to their site.

 

[BeaumanEnterprises]

From the Hardcover Section at LuLu.com regarding ISBNs: Global Distribution for hardcovers is in development.

So . . . as much as I would have prefered a HC POD prior to the eventual (color) HC retail release, whether or not it is softcover or hardcover at this stage will be left to the V.P. of Marketing & Finance for the parent corporation: Beauman Enterprises, Inc. If the greyscale POD is something she would want distributed by Amazon.com or BN.com as well as RPGnow.com, then we'll have to go softcover in order to obtain an ISBN to get onto those sites. Especially since the POD ISBN would be free via RPGnow.com (in association with LuLu); as opposed to using one of our normal ISBNs for a POD (given that it is required that we buy ISBNs and the barcode in bulk via the normal channels). I know what I prefer as President and Chairman of the corporation, but that is really their department to decide.

I am strict as hell on product quality, though. So a softcover would have to have good binding.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Bah, they have other pages that conceal that. Sorry!

 

[Krolik]

If the greyscale POD is something she would want distributed by Amazon.com or BN.com as well as RPGnow.com, then we'll have to go softcover in order to obtain an ISBN to get onto those sites.

If it is your intention to distribute a black and white book through the channels then I would suggest you bypass Lulu or any another POD printer and go directly to a volume printer. I have not obtained print quotes for quite some time but I believe it would be far cheaper for you to print 250 books through a regular printer then it would to print even 100 through a POD service. I would be happy to purchase a book through the system even if it was black and white. That way I get the book right away rather then waiting 2 weeks for the POD to arrive.

 

[Urizen]

I thought you can print HC in color at lulu, (for a larger cost of course)?

I need to check the FAQ's again.

It's also my understanding that going through lulu makes it easy to simply order the POD directly, foregoing a bulk print run. This seems to be more cost effective than doing a bulk print run, especially with the print market being less than optimal. Plus, going through other channels means dealing with a distributer, adding to the cost. Even with distribution, there's no guarrantee you'd get the book in a store near you.

I've heard horror stories about distributors not fulfilling their end of agreements with publishers. Also it's my understanding that big distribution companies are less likely to go with a smaller publisher than they are with say, Green Ronin or Mongoose.

If he's not ready for that step, then, again, lulu is probably a better route.

just my .02 copper.

I could be wrong on all counts.

 

[BeaumanEnterprises]

Autumn Arbor Campaign Setting has three formats.

Color PDF (RPGNow.com)

b/w POD (RPGNow.com, coming very soon)

Color Hardcover (Diamond Books/Alliance Games, printed by Quebecor World Inc, Winter 2006).

 

[Krolik]

The setting is interesting. I have only read/skimmed about 30 pages so far but I like what I see here very much. The world has a late Bronze/Early Iron Age comic book feel with to it. The artwork is very good in most places. I am generally not fond of the head-shot pictures for characters but the full-character art was quite good so I will forgive you this.

I will be waiting for the full-color version rather then buying the pod but I find myself looking forward to the book because there are always things you miss when you read pdfs. I am looking forward to your next work as well.