Does a publisher/author's interaction here influence your purchases?

[Mark CMG]

As with a lot of you above, I've had some good experiences with a lot of publishers, through EN, and because of it I'm a loyal customer, too.

Phil and Monte really stand out, for sure, as does CMG and MEG, as both people and publishers.

OTOH - I bought 3 or 4 products from Ronin Arts just because I had seen you around and saw how quickly you responed to posters who had issues. Other purchases have been motivated by much the same reasons (Magic Medieval Society, CMG stuff, Game Mechanics stuff). These are purchases that I would not have otherwise made. Maybe a total of $100.00 to 200.00

Thanks.

 

[rowport]

...For example, when John Nephew gave out those free books on his birthday, I thought that was a really kind gesture, and so I bought Dynasties and Demagogues for someone for the holidays, whereas I probably wouldn't have thought of that particular book otherwise.

I will second this example. I was so pleased with John's wonderful gesture that I picked up Nyambe: Ancestral Vault the day following, and plan to get Northern Crown soon! In a sense, I feel like, since he gave me the Fantasy Bestiary (which is excellent, from what I read so far) it is as if I am getting the other books at a bargain price, to boot!

 

[Wolv0rine]

I'll give you a concrete example:

There are two .pdfs about hacking and cyberspace for sale on RPGNow. I wrote both of them. One of them is from mean old Gareth Michael Skarka's company and the other is from ENPub member, and all-around outset of nice guys, Dark Quest games. Neal Levin sure is a nice guy! He always sounded calm and even tempered in email. Smmoth guy, for sure.

Skarka on the other hand . . . he says all kinds of things. He's blunt and makes no promises. He sometimes gets confrontational. I once saw him at Gen Con while I still didn't like him and nearly went off. Only the sedate manner of Mike Mearls kept me from making a dumb mistake.

What's the difference between those two guys? Well, it's that Gareth paid me what we agreed on. Neal didn't. Gareth paid me from deadline one. Neal released a first draft without my consent, didn't notify me and didn't pay me for a full year. Gareth sent regular statements and breakdowns. Neal didn't respond to multiple emails until I unilaterally offered a kill fee at an incredible discount for my services.

Oh -- and Gareth pays other people. Other people feel they've been screwed by Neal.

But Neal's nice, so who cares, right?

Wow, you know I never would have guessed that these stories existed. While I've never worked with Gareth Michael Skarka, I have worked with Neal Levin on a number of occasions. And your post did reflect half of my experience with Neal; he's a really nice guy.

But, oddly enough, the other part doesn't reflect my experience with Neal OR DQG. While I have been paid slightly late (granted, DQG was pretty young at the time. This was well before they hooked up with EN Pub), but on the other hand, I've had Neal go seriously above and beyond the call of duty to make sure that payment got to me within a certain timeframe when I was in a bad situation.

So, in answer to the topic itself, yeah the public face a publisher/writer/artist/etc gives affects my willingness to buy their stuff, or even to give their stuff a look to see if I'm interested. On the other hand, a Publisher/writer/whatever (primarily publisher, in my case) who I had a positive working experience with can do the opposite. I'm inclined to at least take a close look at stuff done by people I've worked with and enjoyed working with.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

While there is a point at which I would not buy a product because of an author, I rarely find that I meet that threshold. GMS and Wulf, for example, are very blunt/harsh at times, and I disagree with them often on many issues; however I'm not going to punish them (such as it is) by withholding sales. I'm generally against sales boycotts of any kind, for what that's worth.

It would take something really significant, and probably in the realm of illegality for me to not purchase solely based on author's rep. I'm not likely to be buying any Michael Jackson or Gary Glitter CD's anytime soon, for example. Not that I would anyway...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

For me, it only makes a difference if the publisher is a giant buttmonkey or amazingly cool, but most of the time, I can't be swayed into picking up a product I don't want or dissuaded from a product that I do. (Heck, I listened to Guns N Roses despite Axl Rose.)

 

[Ghostwind]

It is certainly a complex situation from my standpoint. As a consumer, I take notice the first few times an author or publisher lights into another person without due cause. That response may modify my reaction to him (interested to neutral or neutral to disinterested). But those are usually first impressions taking hold. If the buzz is largely positive about a product, I will be more inclined to take a look at it even if I don't care for the author/publisher and then make a better informed decision.

Having said that, there are some individuals with whom I have gotten in very heated discussions with in the past (Wulf and Gareth come to mind). However, I also know that both are just as passionate about what they do and actively defend it on many counts (and rightfully so). What they say on a forums board is one thing, but it doesn't diminish the fact that I respect their opinions (even if I disagree at times) and even like them. I met Gareth about 3 years ago and we not only got along quite well but I also found him to be quite likeable once you got him away from the online politics that so often get blown out of proportion. Meeting an author or publisher in person will likely change one's negative impression about that person by simply putting a face on the whole situation.

On the reverse side, meeting someone before getting involved in online forums also has lead me to see the person for who they are and not make a snap judgment about them based on their posts. I met Sean K Reynolds in 2001 and found him to be not only very articulate and well-mannered, but also very focused in his design methodology and approach. So when he says something in a post that is blunt or a bit brass, I know it is more of Sean's direct nature and not some mean-spiritedness within him.

My experiences as a freelance author/designer has also allowed me to get to know fellow freelancers who post here and as a result be on the watch for new material from them because I've gotten to know them and know the quality of their work. But even then, there are times when something slips under the radar that I would not have known about if it were not for the author talking about it (Mouseferatu's Doom of Listonshire is a good example). Strictly because of their involvement with EN World and other forums, people with whom I've met and now actively watch for new material include (in no particular order and I'm sure I am forgetting someone):

-Ari "Mouseferatu" Marmell
-Bret "Naptor" Boyd
-Darrin "Whisperfoot" Drader
-Jason "Hellhound" Parent
-Michelle Lyons
-Sean K Reynolds

These folks have proven themselves to me as freelancers in that they deliver top notch material on a consistent basis as much as the more known names of Gareth, Wulf (who are both excellent game designers), Monte, Mike Mearls, Steve Kenson, Matt Forbeck, and Chris Pramas (to name a few). So yeah, being active on the internet does influence my purchasing but only as a tool to make me want to examine the product in question further and make my own decision.

 

[BryonD]

Meeting an author or publisher in person will likely change one's negative impression about that person by simply putting a face on the whole situation.

That is a very valid point, and well worth keeping in mind.

You know, it may be funny, but Sean has come up a lot. I disagree with many of his conclusions. But you mentioned his methodology. That has always come through in his positions. He demonstrates a clear difference betwen being strongly opinionated and being simply hot-headed and rash.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I've never had a problem with your representation of yourself and your work, but you have serious biases where other industry folk are concerned, and rise to their defense quite aggresively, too aggressively usually.

You obviously have some specific incident in mind and it's driving me crazy that I can't place it.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Absolutely, and both in a positive and negative manner.

Example: Once upon a time (1992) I was a HUGE Todd McFarlane fan. I snapped up everything the guy put out, Spider-Man, Spawn, you name it.
Then I went to the Chicago Comic Con in 1992 and actually got to see the way McFarlane interacted with his fans. Suffice it to say I was not impressed. He came across as a pompous jerk, and I haven't given him a dollar since then.

On the flip side .. well, you're a good example Phil.
Seeing the way you interact with fans here on ENWorld, and the manner in which you promote and support your products is one of the big things that convinced me to purchase PDF's in the first place.

'Bout says it all.

And sometimes reading what someone has to say can tell me if he knows anything at all about the subject of his own products. One person, who has a series of PDFs for modern handguns, was unaware that, yes, a pistol can be fired in a vacuum (demonstrated by Robert Goddard, father of rocketry). He got scratched right off my list. So it is not alway the personality that is the dominant factor.

And sometimes it works the other way, Mr. Browning has impressed me both on this board and in his Megical Medieval Society books as having a great deal on the ball. If I had not encountered him here it might have taken me days longer to buy his books. (I read Monte Cook's review of MMS:WE after I already had a copy, but would likely have bought it after reading that review regardless...)

The Auld Grump

 

[mythusmage]

There's a side of the internet, where people will say stuff they never would in person, simply because the internet gives them that measure of anonymity.

The Internet also means your target can't reach out and pummel you for being a snarky twit.