{DRAGON] Will there be a DRAGON Annual this year?

[ColonelHardisson]

At Paizo Publishing, we pay a lot of attention to what people have to say about our products. Last year, it was very clear that our subscribers did not appreciate the annual because it was published as a d20 Special. Since it had cost us something like $37K to send it to subscribers with no additional revenue, it was extremely disconcerting to read comments by people who said that they were "ripped off" by our approach to the special. Since it sold better than our annuals usually do at the newsstand (almost twice as many as Dragon Annual #5), we didn't feel like we had ripped anyone off.

Last year, I posted messages on the WotC bulletin board stating that there would be no more annuals as part of the subscription and that there would be no 13th issue this year. After I posted the message, several commented that they had a three-year subscription and were promised an annual every year. In the first place, NO magazine pubisher promises THREE subscription premiums for a multiple year subscription. Some may have read the existing offer (that predated my time as group publisher at WotC) as an annual per year when the ad really meant to subscribe for one-year and get the annual. Since the option to get a three-year subscription was on the same page/card, they may have read it as an implied promise, but even so, those subscribers should have expired by now.

If you miss the annual, you should thank the complainers from last year. After watching Erik Mona and the Dragon staff work their tails off to get the d20 Special out last year, the last thing I needed to do when they saw the avalanche of complaints on the boards was to schedule a special for this year. So, I cancelled it.

I'm sorry to respond to this message late. My staff informed me of the thread last week and I threatened severe retribution if any of them was to respond. Then, I was sidelined by the flu and am back in the office, today. I know that no one will be happy to read this note, but that's the way it is and that was the rationale behind my unilateral decision (made while we were part of WotC, but implemented at Paizo).

I've subscribed to Dragon for a few years now, after buying it one the newsstand for about 20, and I really liked the Annual. Last year, I remember defending the d20 Special, but I also would like to have seen a return to the Dragon Annual in subsequent years. Simply cancelling it altogether seems rather precipitous. I can't imagine that it had to do primarily with the online community, because the online community certainly doesn't come even close to the numbers of people who read Dragon and never go online. I'm sorry, but your message here comes across as being spiteful. There are plenty of us out here who didn't trash the Special, and, in fact, praised it, and it does a disservice to effectively punish us all for the complaints of a few. Will you cancel the April issue because of the incessant complaints about it? I've also been a steadfast defender of the April Fool's issue from long back.

I guess there's no need to complain. Or maybe there is, since a vocal minority got their wish over the desires of the satisfied majority. Again, I'm sorry to come off sarcastic, and I think you guys have done a good job since taking over Dragon, but this just seems unfair to me. Those who complained so vociferously are probably going to be blissfully unaware, in large part, of the absence of the Annual, while many more of us will be keenly aware of that absence.

I really do mean this all respectfully.

 

[JoeGKushner]

At Paizo Publishing, we pay a lot of attention to what people have to say about our products. Last year, it was very clear that our subscribers did not appreciate the annual because it was published as a d20 Special. Since it had cost us something like $37K to send it to subscribers with no additional revenue, it was extremely disconcerting to read comments by people who said that they were "ripped off" by our approach to the special. Since it sold better than our annuals usually do at the newsstand (almost twice as many as Dragon Annual #5), we didn't feel like we had ripped anyone off.

This post confuses me. It sold twice as many as Dragon Annual #5 but you cancelled it because there was no additional revenue from the subscribers?

Please clarify.

 

[CBS Brian]

I think what Mr. Wilson meant was that the issue in question sold twice as well as standard Annuals on the newsstand, but the fact is that there was no revenue from subscribers as it was essential given to them for free.

 

[Johnny Wilson]

Brian is exactly right.

At the newsstand, we sold twice as many d20 Specials as we sold Dragon #5 annuals. That helps the bottom line, but it doesn't make up for the postage, printing and paper JUST to send it to subscribers who paid no more for their subscription to get an annual than not to get one.

I apologize if the decision sounded spiteful. To some degree it was. Here, our company took a $37K hit to show subscribers that we valued them and, in response, all we heard were complaints. We decided that if that subscription premium was not perceived as valuable, we would try another strategy. We started phasing out the advertising on the annual as premium soon after I arrived as group publisher.

If we do another annual, it will be newsstand only. There is nothing spiteful in that. It's simply that it's hard to dig out of negative you start with on the subscriber copies on the thing.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I'm not trying to throw gasoline here and I understand these figures may break down a bit over 60,000 or so subscribers, but:

--Estimated cover price of a Dragon Annual: $5.99
--Cover price of Armies of the Abyss: $14.95

Now, let's assume you were able to get "wholesale" prices on the copies of Armies of the Abyss that were used as giveaways for new subscribers.

--Estimated actual cost of Armies of the Abyss: $5.24
(assumes a 65% discount from cover price)

Now here's where I'm completely pulling a figure out of a portable hole. Let's also assume half of a Dragon's cover price is its production cost.

--Estimated actual cost of a Dragon Annual: $3.00


Now what I'm seeing here is that it's worth $5.24 to get a new subscriber. At the same time, it's not worth $3.00 to give existing subscribers something they believed (correctly or not) was part of the deal.

I'm not complaining about not getting a copy of AotA from Dragon. I bought one right when it came out. Besides, all magazines run promos like this. At the same time, I always thought, and I may have been wrong, that the Annuals were part of a Dragon subscription.

<armchair quarterbacking> Personally, I think if I'd gotten a large number of complaints about one particular issue, I'd make sure the next issue was more like the ones people didn't complain about. Cancelling the whole thing seems like throwing out the baby with the bath-water.</armchair quarterbacking>

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Brian is exactly right.

At the newsstand, we sold twice as many d20 Specials as we sold Dragon #5 annuals. That helps the bottom line, but it doesn't make up for the postage, printing and paper JUST to send it to subscribers who paid no more for their subscription to get an annual than not to get one.

I apologize if the decision sounded spiteful. To some degree it was. Here, our company took a $37K hit to show subscribers that we valued them and, in response, all we heard were complaints. We decided that if that subscription premium was not perceived as valuable, we would try another strategy. We started phasing out the advertising on the annual as premium soon after I arrived as group publisher.

If we do another annual, it will be newsstand only. There is nothing spiteful in that. It's simply that it's hard to dig out of negative you start with on the subscriber copies on the thing.

Fair enough, but I'd like to stress again that you would have heard more than complaints; I know I was positive about it, as were a number of other folk. I've noticed that on message boards that the best way for someone to get continued close attention is to start a flame war. Positive posts are ignored in favor of responding to the negative, even if the positive posts outnumber the negative ones. In the end, all that's remembered is the flame, and not the praise. So, from my perspective, it is effectively useless to praise something like Dragon - which I've been doing very steadily - because my praise will be ignored or forgotten in lieu of catering to complainers. I have given very specific thoughts in the past on what I have liked in Dragon, and what I wish to continue seeing. Have my comments been heard (and I don't really mean just mine, but the comments of all who are positive)? Saying that all you heard were complaints seems to indicate that maybe they haven't. I don't know what I can do to be heard, besides posting here, at the WotC boards, writing directly to Dragon, or by continuing to buy the magazine - all of which I've done.

 

[Ranger REG]

If you miss the annual, you should thank the complainers from last year. After watching Erik Mona and the Dragon staff work their tails off to get the d20 Special out last year, the last thing I needed to do when they saw the avalanche of complaints on the boards was to schedule a special for this year. So, I cancelled it.

Johnny Wilson,

With all due respect, sir, I can understand the numerous complaints. People expect D&D content in Dragon Annual. Period.

I bought the last Annual (full price at the FLGS), and even though I am very open-minded about d20, I too felt it is not appropriate to put a lot of d20-heavy articles with little or no content for D&D.

That is like putting Magic: The Gathering material inside Dungeon.

You cannot based your decision to cancel it because of last year's complaints without looking at the reason for their complaints.

I commended Erik Mona and the staff for the d20 articles, but as I said, not appropriate for Dragon nor Dragon Annual. HOWEVER, they are very appropriate for Polyhedron, should you decided to turn it into an official d20 Modern magazine (with d20 product coverage sans D&D).

Unfortunately this year you have missed the opportunity to put out the Annual but I strongly suggest you reconsider your decision next year, and this time...

DO...
IT...
RIGHT.

Stick to D&D.

Sincerely,
Ranger REG

 

[coyote6]

With all due respect, sir, I can understand the numerous complaints. People expect D&D content in Dragon Annual. Period.

Not me.

I first subscribed to D&D in the wondrous days when it included new Champions powers; I quit the first subscription around the time it quit covering other games. Nowadays, I buy it for the D&D stuff -- but 90% of "d20" stuff is for D&D, anyways, and functionally indistinguishable from a Dragon article.

There wasn't anything in that last annual that wasn't usable in D&D, anyways, IIRC. Most of it struck me as being, in fact, intended for use in D&D; the only thing that comes to mind as being otherwise was the Wheel of Time beasts. And yet their stats were all pretty much directly usable in D&D; all you need is a numeric CR rating.

 

[Jayster Fett]

I first subscribed to D&D in the wondrous days when it included new Champions powers; I quit the first subscription around the time it quit covering other games. Nowadays, I buy it for the D&D stuff -- but 90% of "d20" stuff is for D&D, anyways, and functionally indistinguishable from a Dragon article.

OKay...first of all, I'm not sure if by "D&D" you're referring to Dragon and Dungeon, or just Dragon, but I'll answer anyway. Sine 3E, WotC has said that DRAGON will ONLY have D&D material....and I think that's great! For those who want other content, there's the WONDERFUL sister publication Dungeon/Polyhedron. D/P has excellent d20 content and several usually excellent modules for D&D each issue. In fact, Star Wars material will be added in the near future, and I'm sure there's lots of d20 Modern content to be featured as well! If you subscribe to both, you get the best of ALL worlds...literally!!!

I think the d20 Special as a DRAGON annual might not have been a great idea, perhaps it should be a Polyhedron Annual next year and it will be perfect.

Leave Dragon all D&D, and put the other content in Dungeon/Polyhedron and I think that rocks!! Personally, I've upped my subscriptions on both magazines in the last year to full three year runs....and I expect that renewal will be the same again when it comes due!!

Jayster Fett

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

i personnaly like the d20 annual, it was a change of pace. Things like that are nice once in a while. I liked the regular annuals better though.

That said i would say i find the cancelling of the annuals because of some nay sayers on the net to real crappy. I have been a dragon subscriber for quite a few years now and not only was the annual one of the best issues every year but the fact that it was free reflected dragons appreaciation of the subscribers. Which was very nice, concerdering anyone that subscribes is essential give you money every year on faith that they'll get a quality product. I would think that would be good enough reason to give a little back to these people. As oppose to the newstand were sales can be hit or miss, they're giving you garanteed revinue. I really think the reasoning behind the cancelation is probably just as offensive as any negative feed back you got on the d20 special.

If we do another annual, it will be newsstand only.

And i'd say this is a real kick in the pants. If you were to use this tactic i'd truely be offened. I know i wouldn't buy it on princeiple and would have to seriously concider not renewing my subscrition. Not that that would bother you, after all i just give you garanteed money on an annual bases. Maybe i am wrong to assume that talking with my wallet is enough, i guess i should try going a small group of poeple on the net and make some negative commentary, thats seems to be of interest to you.


If that comes across a little harsh, i'm sorry. I have enjoyed Dragon for a long time and up entill today i felt that my susbcription was apprecaited by those who publish it. Based on your reason for discontinuing the dragon annual i'm not so sure now.