Getting a book you write published?

[Dragongirl]

Ok, lets assume the following :
1) You have written a book or are close to finishing a book.
2) You would like to have it published as a PDF.
3) You would like to keep all rights to the material published in the book (other than the OGL parts).

What company or companies would you approach to help get it published and in the public eye?

 

[tensen]

Well your #3 limits your market considerably.
Almost all rpg writing is done under work-for-hire.

 

[Gez]

Hmmm. I don't know much in this domain, but as far as I know, 3 is unlikely in anglosaxon world, where the rights usually belongs to the publisher (whereas IMC, the rights usually belongs to the author, main difference between author's right and copyright if I'm not completely confused -- which is probably the case anyway).

 

[Terath Ninir]

Number 3 is the hard one. I think you'd have to work out a special deal with someone, and you'd have to find someone willing to make such a special deal.

Now, if you had it published in some other form -- like a book -- then you'd have a position to bargain from, like Wheel of Time or the Elric novels. But, as is, I don't know of a publisher who does what you want.

 

[trancejeremy]

If it's just a PDF, why not simply sell it yourself via RPGNow? You don't really need a publisher.

 

[HellHound]

dragongirl: did you get my email? blackhammer@dreadgazebo.com

 

[MacPhail]

Publishing Options

Dragongirl-

I opted not to do any marketing on my d20 site (paypal, etc.) or I'd be in a better position to help you out. I do have a contact for you, someone who can help with PDF layout and graphic design for d20 game products. If he did your PDF for you, I think you could easily market it yourself on RPGNow. In my experience, the big expenses come if you want to do print publishing... electronic publishing is more a matter of legwork.

Email me via my site if you're interested, and I'll put you in touch.

 

[Darrin Drader]

My understanding is that Aaron Loeb holds the copyright for the Book of the Righteous, which was published by Green Ronin. I'm guessing that in order to make this arrangement work, GR is paying Aaron a decent (though not necessarily great) amount for the right to publish the book and he probably doesn't see any royalties from the sale of the book. I would also think that in order for this type of arrangement to work, the book would have to cover a topic not already covered in D20 (slim pickings these days), and it would have to be well written, and it would have to be picked up by a larger publisher willing to take the risk on it. Liberal rights to reprint the book over a certain period of time would have to be included in the contract with the publisher as well.

Or, as was said earlier, you could just pay for some art, do a nice layout or hire someone to do it, publish it to PDF yourself, and then sell it through RPGNow!

 

[Brudewollen]

I used to work in publishing and film so I got to know a thing or two about how rights work and how businesses handle such things.

If you want another publisher (and I mean a more major one, not some small "fly by night" operation - though I'm working on starting one of those myself myself ) to publish your work, you will have to sign the rights away, most likely. If you are looking for a small press to go with you may get lucky. I'd be willing to bet many of them either don't know the right way to do these things, don't have the money to pay an advance and so will make other arrangements as compensation, or are simply so keen to get decent product out under their lable they'd be willing to make all sorts of unusual deals. Bigger presses are probably turning people away, so they can dictate their terms - it would make no sense for them to not acquire rights to something they think have value - thats where there's an annuity in the future, especially if the publication proves to be successful. That being said, you are most likely to get more real money from a big press as an advance they you will ever see from a small press - small companies seldom sell enough to make real money for themselves or you - but one never knows.

If you publish it yourself, you will control all the rights to non-OGL stuff, obviously, but self publishing is a whole other ball of wax and can get expensive, though with printing on demand, this business model becomes a far less expensive proposition then it once was. Promotion and your initial promotional stock (to send to stores, Chessex, etc. so they know you exist) becomes your major expense. Pdf publishing has very little expense save the personal investment in time (and maybe a layout person) to put the thing together, but you are not likely to sell very much either, so everyone says.

 

[JoeCrow]

What trancejeremy said.

If you're planning on doing it PDF, just do it yourself. That's what I'm doing. Actually, you might be in a better position than me, since you've got no small bit of name recognition on the boards, and as we all know, these boards are 95% of the gaming population, right?

Once you've actually got some sales in PDF, you're in a better position to bargain. Thing is, the rpg publishing market is still in the dark ages when it comes to creator rights. It's even worse than the comics publishing market, which is saying something. The only advantage we have is the PDF market. Use it.