DMs Guild Pay What You Want on the DMs Guild - An Analysis and Explanation

[Jimbro]

Hey all. I've got six Pay What You Want products on the DMs Guild and a lot of people have been asking me how it's been going and why I chose to go PWYW. I have an answer to both in my latest blog post. It's sort of interesting to see how the DMs Guild is doing for at least one creator a month in.

What are other people's opinions about PWYW products? I've seen everything from, "They're great!" to "Only creators who don't value their work make that garbage." Let's keep it civil, but I'd love to get a feel for what most people think.

 

[delericho]

Hey all. I've got six Pay What You Want products on the DMs Guild and a lot of people have been asking me how it's been going and why I chose to go PWYW. I have an answer to both in my latest blog post. It's sort of interesting to see how the DMs Guild is doing for at least one creator a month in.

Indeed. Thanks for sharing - and I'm glad it's going well for you.

What are other people's opinions about PWYW products? I've seen everything from, "They're great!" to "Only creators who don't value their work make that garbage." Let's keep it civil, but I'd love to get a feel for what most people think.

FWIW, I think you're on the right track, and your "I'm trying to be noticed" is probably the right way to go about it. Unless you already have a 'name', it's unlikely you'll ever see enough sales from DMguild to ever make any significant money from it. So it's probably best to use those products to try to get noticed, get yourself a 'name', and then you can hopefully make some more money on your "real" products.

Then again, I'm not a creator, so what do I know?

 

[FrogReaver]

Hey all. I've got six Pay What You Want products on the DMs Guild and a lot of people have been asking me how it's been going and why I chose to go PWYW. I have an answer to both in my latest blog post. It's sort of interesting to see how the DMs Guild is doing for at least one creator a month in.

What are other people's opinions about PWYW products? I've seen everything from, "They're great!" to "Only creators who don't value their work make that garbage." Let's keep it civil, but I'd love to get a feel for what most people think.

The general population does not view pay what you want as a bad thing. I'd wager that pretty much the only people that tell you to not do it that way are developers that charge money for their products. Seems like they may have a motive in trying to sway people to believe such products are inferior, less competition for them. IMO.

 

[Jester David]

I like PWYW, but so often they equate with "free". Which is easier to dismiss.
When I opted to price my products, I wanted them behind a pay wall to avoid the "free" stigma. I also wanted them priced low, as PWYW often asks people to throw in a buck or two and I didn't want people paying that much for my content. I wanted them to pay... but not that much.

 

[wedgeski]

Nice article, thanks for sharing and happy to be part of your ongoing "getting noticed" campaign.

 

[Morrus]

I haven't used DMs Guild specifically, but my experience with PWYW on OBS in general has been pretty abysmal. It definitely hasn't made money for me. I find a low price works much better.

 

[Morrus]

The general population does not view pay what you want as a bad thing. I'd wager that pretty much the only people that tell you to not do it that way are developers that charge money for their products. Seems like they may have a motive in trying to sway people to believe such products are inferior, less competition for them. IMO.

Interesting conspiracy theory, but I've never heard of a publisher suggesting that PWYW products are inferior. In fact, most publishers I know, including myself, have tried the model and certainly don't consider their own PWYW products to be inferior.

 

[Mercule]

I generally look at PWYW as a trial version. I haven't done a lot of PWYW, but I'm not buying a lot of any product, right now (adult responsibilities and all). For example, I used the FATE PWYW PDF to get a free preview the full rules, then I purchased the hardcover at full price. Other products, I've done a free PWYW and discovered that I'd overpaid.

Maybe not the answer you wanted, but it's information.

 

[Jimbro]

This is all really helpful information. It's great for a entry-level dude like myself to hear opinions of creators and consumers alike. Really, really great stuff. I love hearing people's opinions.

I think one of the things I'm really learning is just how small the industry really is. How do we get more people to play the game and pay for products is another question I want to explore.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I have a few PWYW as well. They are usually for things that are smaller in size, although I do have one that is a complete RPG rulebook. They are for things that I don't intend to make money on, but it's nice when you get something to help recoup the costs. I like to create my stuff not for the income, but because I want to share my ideas with others. PWYW is a great way to do that. Also, PWYW and free do have value with OBS, because if you release something bigger, you have a mailing list to send coupon codes to (or any other message).