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Message: <blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 9692400" data-attributes="member: 6779310">I'm a couple decades out, but the major issues are still the same. I was doing publications on a local level, 500-1000 copy level stuff, for a non-profit. Every other month periodical, annual client resources guide (5k copies), annual state lobbying materials (150 copies)... for a 3 year period where I was doing it full time, and a 2 year period part time.It's quite possible Amazon bought out some distributor's stock.That's SJG; SJG also mostly prints boardgames and cardgames; RPGs are their side business, and they're not top-10 with either (GURPS and TFT), and TFT cannibalized some of GURPS fanbase. Kromm has been very clear that RPGs are a side hustle because SJ loves his own games... and while they need to show a profit, they're not optimizing for profits.Note that other companies have larger or smaller shares. EG:the Arkland & Book of Magic for Dragonbane have >4500 copies each of the two books sold before printing... and they're going to open for late pledges in a couple weeks, so it's quite likely to cross 5000 ... and they're probably at a point where an 8k to 10k run for a supplement makes sense. Kickstarter is where they find out how big a run they need.That's incredibly dependent upon if there are gaps in the print-house's schedule, and upon the print house retaining the plates. If both are true, it's just send them the money to print it. If the plates weren't retained, may as well update, and that can add hours to weeks.  And the opening might be days to months away.If there's not an opening anytime soon, it can take from a few days to a couple months with a different print house.  And differences in pricing scheme.For a big enough order, several print shops will call in part timers for extra shifts, and/or run overtime for the main crew, to make slots... in 1999, the printer we used in Anchorage had that magic number at (IIRC) 80k pages in the run... and a 10% increase in cost for priority run at that size. We got bumped a day one month; a major run for an oil company preempted us. We were a mere 250 copies at 40 pages, so 4000 pages, 1/20 of the priority size. For us to have had priority, we'd have doubled our cost... the other shops were more expensive.It's quite likely that Amazon saw the sales and prioritized nabbing distributor copies.I can't find the KS page for the original KS on Daggerheart, but it will tell you the minimum size of the original run. Total it up, round up to next 1000.My FLGS had only two people looking hard enough to ask the manager... she got caught off-guard, and the distributor didin't have any. Books a Million doesn't actually have any... hasn't for over a week. They notified me monday that they're getting some in and I'm on the next batch in. So, essentially they didn't order a copy for me (or anyone else) for a week after running out.  I won't use them again. they won't even confirm if their distributor is on backorder or has shipped... just that they've ordered my copy from their distributor.</blockquote>

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