D&D 5E Are hardback AP's a waste?

[delericho]

Where does this 1 bigger book is more profitable than 2 smaller ones comes from? If those two smaller books are more popular than the one then the two are clearly better.

Because while it costs more to produce a 200 page book than a 100 page one, it costs less than twice as much. Because they get a greater margin on each copy sold of a larger book than a smaller one. Because they know that sales drop off the further you get into a series (that is, sales of "Rise of Tiamat" were never going to equal those of "Hoard of the Dragon Queen"). And because a customer being offered 2 100-page books at $30 each may well feel ripped off, while one being offered a 200-page book for $40 is less likely to.

There isn't a single, simple reason why the bigger book is better. But there's a reason that the trend has very much been towards larger, full-colour, hardback books. Unfortunately, while dropping each of these things will reduce the end cost, it's only by a little each time.

(As for why Paizo are able to produce monthly 100-page Pathfinder AP volumes for $23 each time where WotC cannot, one word: subscriptions.)

 

[Sailor Moon]

Because while it costs more to produce a 200 page book than a 100 page one, it costs less than twice as much. Because they get a greater margin on each copy sold of a larger book than a smaller one. Because they know that sales drop off the further you get into a series (that is, sales of "Rise of Tiamat" were never going to equal those of "Hoard of the Dragon Queen"). And because a customer being offered 2 100-page books at $30 each may well feel ripped off, while one being offered a 200-page book for $40 is less likely to.

There isn't a single, simple reason why the bigger book is better. But there's a reason that the trend has very much been towards larger, full-colour, hardback books. Unfortunately, while dropping each of these things will reduce the end cost, it's only by a little each time.

(As for why Paizo are able to produce monthly 100-page Pathfinder AP volumes for $23 each time where WotC cannot, one word: subscriptions.)

It's not that simple because the bigger book is not always better. The quality of the contents of the book are what will sell no matter if it's hardback or softback. The only way the theory works is if you have a set number of sold copies. Let's say there are two softback books that go for 25 each and a big hardback book that sells for 35. What happens when you sell 100,000 of each of those softback books and only 100,000 of the hardback? You are clearly better off with the softback. But we aren't talking about books like the PHB. We are essentially talking about once or maybe twice off AP's.

 

[delericho]

It's not that simple because the bigger book is not always better.

Of course. But if the choice is between packaging "Princes of the Apocalypse" as one 200-page book or as two 100-page books, then quality is a constant.

The only way the theory works is if you have a set number of sold copies. Let's say there are two softback books that go for 25 each and a big hardback book that sells for 35. What happens when you sell 100,000 of each of those softback books and only 100,000 of the hardback?

You probably make more profit from the hardback. Because the production costs for the two books is higher than the one book and because the margin from the one book is higher than for each of the two.

And besides, you don't sell 100,000 of each. "Hoard of the Dragon Queen" sells 120,000 copies, "Rise of Tiamat" sells 60,000, versus 100,000 for the (hypothetical) compiled version. (Because lots of people buy "Hoard..." and conclude that is sucks, or they start the campaign and suffer a TPK, or they lose interest, or they move away, or their finances contract, or... Regardless, they then don't bother with "Rise..." Conversely, very few people skip "Hoard..." and jump straight to "Rise..." because who really wants the confusing sequel to a story they haven't read?)

 

[Jester David]

"The Divinity Drive" has 15 full stat blocks printed in the 50 pages of adventure.

(I would add that each of these 15 takes up about half a page. It is worth noting, of course, that this is a high-level adventure which means the length of the blocks is unusual. However the number of full stat blocks presented is not.)

There are 6-pages of monsters and NPCs in Hoard of the Dragon Queen and 5-pages in Rise of Tiamat. That sounds not too far off.

 

[Jester David]

(As for why Paizo are able to produce monthly 100-page Pathfinder AP volumes for $23 each time where WotC cannot, one word: subscriptions.)

Paizo has said that the first volume of an AP sells best and sales drop for each subsequent volume. Switching to single hardcovers or two big hardcovers would likely increase their total sales and profits and fix some other problems with the line.
But they can't. Because that'd be a change, and change is usually seen as bad, and it wouldn't work as well with the subscribers who expect something every month.

 

[Morrus]

Paizo has said that the first volume of an AP sells best and sales drop for each subsequent volume.

As someone gearing up to release #10 in an AP, I can confirm that. It's a killer.

 

[delericho]

Paizo has said that the first volume of an AP sells best and sales drop for each subsequent volume.

Yes, I know. I'm sure it's bad enough for Paizo who have subscriptions, which at least means they know they'll break even on the print run. Without them, I'm sure it would be a complete non-starter.

Switching to single hardcovers or two big hardcovers would likely increase their total sales and profits and fix some other problems with the line.

... it wouldn't work as well with the subscribers who expect something every month.

That, and also that it's much easier to budget for $16 (plus shipping) coming off my credit card every single month than for $34 once every three months.

 

[Tormyr]

As someone gearing up to release #10 in an AP, I can confirm that. It's a killer.

That is too bad. I am looking at both War of the Burning Sky and Zeitgeist after my Age of Worms campaign wraps up.

 

[Matthan]

That is too bad. I am looking at both War of the Burning Sky and Zeitgeist after my Age of Worms campaign wraps up.

I know this is ridiculously off topic, but I purchased the WotBS deluxe edition a month or two ago in a bundle with some of the initial Zeitgeist adventures. I haven't looked over the Zeitgeist stuff yet, but WotBS is honestly some of the most exciting adventures that I've ever read. Seriously, every adventure has a killer hook (an ever-burning forest, fighting cultists in a hurricane, storm a castle that is covered in an unending fire storm) I'm sure converting to 5E will get a little tricky with higher levels, but I'm still incredibly excited to run this path. It will be a shame if the economics of APs means that ENworld stops making them.

 

[Tormyr]

I know this is ridiculously off topic, but I purchased the WotBS deluxe edition a month or two ago in a bundle with some of the initial Zeitgeist adventures. I haven't looked over the Zeitgeist stuff yet, but WotBS is honestly some of the most exciting adventures that I've ever read. Seriously, every adventure has a killer hook (an ever-burning forest, fighting cultists in a hurricane, storm a castle that is covered in an unending fire storm) I'm sure converting to 5E will get a little tricky with higher levels, but I'm still incredibly excited to run this path. It will be a shame if the economics of APs means that ENworld stops making them.

Yeah, I read just the intro story that sets up the AP and thought, "Yes, please." It was such an enjoyable read on its own that the story could have been continued and been a regular book.

Only [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] knows, and I imagine there are lots of factors to consider. He did mention that Zeitgeist was the last AP they would do, but mayber if En5ider takes off and sustains itself, a new AP might eventually make its way in there.