A PDF store without a publisher fee or royalty cost?

[GMSkarka]

Without some serious marketing dollars behind a new storefront, I don't think it would make a serious dent the market share of the existing stores, and therefore wouldn't really represent any significant increase in sales for publishers.

(...and to head off the obvious counter-argument-- I don't think that "association with ENWorld" meets the level of marketing weight I'm talking about -- I mean ad pushes into other geek media, an effort to bring brick-and-mortar retail aboard, etc.)

Without attracting a new audience segment, all you're doing is cutting a miniscule slice off the same pie, and I'm sorry -- but there is such a thing as diminishing returns.

 

[Morrus]

Without some serious marketing dollars behind a new storefront, I don't think it would make a serious dent the market share of the existing stores, and therefore wouldn't really represent any significant increase in sales for publishers.

(...and to head off the obvious counter-argument-- I don't think that "association with ENWorld" meets the level of marketing weight I'm talking about -- I mean ad pushes into other geek media, an effort to bring brick-and-mortar retail aboard, etc.)

Without attracting a new audience segment, all you're doing is cutting a miniscule slice off the same pie, and I'm sorry -- but there is such a thing as diminishing returns.

Well, part of the beauty of the model is that, without additional costs, it doesn't have to meet any kind of benchmark.

 

[Morrus]

The bandwidth and colocation costs then would piggyback on ENWorld? A website that traditionally has required aperiodic fan donations to stay afloat?

I don't know if I'd be comfortable as a publisher knowing my virtual storefront was being supported by random donations. And as a ENWorld user (whose community support lapsed apparently when I wasn't looking) I don't like the idea that my future donations might be supporting a virtual store. All those folks who just a few months ago donated to help with the server issue -- you didn't inform them that part of that upgraded server would go toward opening a store, did you?

Bandwidth isn't even a slight issue; it never has been.

The problems we've ever had have been database queries; and, frankly, someone on a store page rather than a messageboard page will involve significantly fewer queries and thus contribute to reducing EN World's server load.

It's an additional free service: like messageboards, like blogs, like groups, etc. Giving EN World users free services is hardly an immoral thing; the ads show on the blogs, groups, and boards as it is.

EN World will always continue to increase in functionality, primarily with free features. This is no different to adding a blog section.

 

[GMSkarka]

Well, part of the beauty of the model is that, without additional costs, it doesn't have to meet any kind of benchmark.

Well, the thing is, my comment about diminishing returns also refers to time. I can't see the free shop carving off enough sales to return for the additional time spent uploading and managing inventory on yet another site.

I don't know about you, but I don't have enough hours in the day as it is.

 

[Morrus]

Well, the thing is, my comment about diminishing returns also refers to time. I can't see the free shop carving off enough sales to return for the additional time spent uploading and managing inventory on yet another site.

I don't know about you, but I don't have enough hours in the day as it is.

Nah, you misunderstand me. My point is that with a default minimum profit level of zero on my part for no additional cost (i.e. it can't "fail" as long as it makes a penny), I don't have an incentive to worry about market share.

Basically, with it there, I can make extra ad dollars for, essentially, nothing. If I make no ad dollars with it, it has cost me nothing. I can't possibly lose out, even if it only sells ENP stuff.

Worst case: status quo, with no significant server overhead.

Best case: EN World has an additional revenue stream, with no significant server overhead.

And, whatever happens, publishers have another choice. And this one is free! I don't mind if they don't make that choice, as I have no financial investment in the "business". Nobody loses.

 

[Bardsandsages]

So would this shop be able to support print products? Obviously, the publisher would have to handle the shipping of the product to the customer. Just wondering if that option would be on the table.

 

[Morrus]

So would this shop be able to support print products? Obviously, the publisher would have to handle the shipping of the product to the customer. Just wondering if that option would be on the table.

I don't see why not. Using the eBay model, the pubisher would be responsible for delivery of the product after the customer has paid for it. As long as it's clearly understood by everyone that the customer is paying the publisher, not the store (like at eBay), the store has no direct interest in what's being sold, whether a download, a physical object, or a service. A feedback system could be used for delinquent publishers.

There'd be a big "EN World is not responsible for private transactions" disclaimer. In fact, my using the words "store" and "shop" is slightly misleading; it's a publisher-customer interface, with an attached free service for publishers to provide automated downloads of digital content.

 

[jmucchiello]

There'd be a big "EN World is not responsible for private transactions" disclaimer. In fact, my using the words "store" and "shop" is slightly misleading; it's a publisher-customer interface, with an attached free service for publishers to provide automated downloads of digital content.

Then, what would distinguish it (in terms of marketing) from the existing EN Marketplace?

 

[Morrus]

Then, what would distinguish it (in terms of marketing) from the existing EN Marketplace?

The attached free service for publishers to provide automated downloads of digital content.

You are correctly surmising that it's tying together the Marketplace and the Downloads section in a combined interface and a different direction of presentation. It would be remarkably easy to do.

 

[Tinner]

I'm tentatively interested. But at the risk of sounding cynical, is this going to get sold off to RPGNow and shut down with minimal notice to publishers too?
Sorry, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the last ENWorld PDF store.
Not trying to poo-poo the idea, because it does sound like a solid concept. I'm just playing devil's advocate.