Getting reviews

[J-H]

Aside from getting play-testers to review modules/campaigns after you post them, how does everyone who isn't a well-known publisher get people to read and review your work? The very few review blogs I have found are either not 5e any more, not updated any more, or are backlogged and not accepting anything new.

I had the thought of getting a group together to review each others products, but that either turns into a "we have to give good reviews to maintain the group" or could run afoul of some sort of anti-collusion rules (like gaming reviews on Amazon).

I've also seen a "work with other publishers to make a bundle to promote your product," but I don't know how you get started building those relationships.
I am not on social media or Reddit (except for work), and I have a feeling that may be a big missing piece of the puzzle.

 

[Zaukrie]

Not being on social media makes it hard. Frankly, I could never break this part of the code. I think it requires months/years of effort to build an audience on Youtube or other platform before you get stuff like this....

 

[Morrus]

If you figure it out let me know! We haven’t cracked that one either.

 

[Belen]

Aside from getting play-testers to review modules/campaigns after you post them, how does everyone who isn't a well-known publisher get people to read and review your work? The very few review blogs I have found are either not 5e any more, not updated any more, or are backlogged and not accepting anything new.

I had the thought of getting a group together to review each others products, but that either turns into a "we have to give good reviews to maintain the group" or could run afoul of some sort of anti-collusion rules (like gaming reviews on Amazon).

I've also seen a "work with other publishers to make a bundle to promote your product," but I don't know how you get started building those relationships.
I am not on social media or Reddit (except for work), and I have a feeling that may be a big missing piece of the puzzle.

Crothian

The man is a machine and also an long time Ennies judge.

Honestly, I find it very difficult to find RPG reviews these days outside of big names and youtube. Maybe @Morrus should start a subscription or paid review service for publishers and post a reviews section on ENWorld.

Peer reviewers are starting to get paid in the academic space. It is an idea though....a TTRPG academic journal review journal that peer reviews and publishes reviews. It could be a nice journal for a non-profit society dedicated to gaming and I specialize in peer review systems....

 

[Tigris]

You pay people for reviews. For most parts nowadays reviews are just advertisement. Or at least for "previews".

The only other way is to get lot of friends to post reviews on your stuff on websites where your product is sold (drivetheu rpg etc.)


This is in computer games pretty common practice, thats one reason why there its so important to be connected with other designers on twitter etc.


The "trick" is that you only post reviews of the stuff which you like. Then its also not really "fraud".


Most shops like drivetheu rpg also have some kind of push feature of highlighting naterial. Thats why its important to have a mailing list of 10 000+ people to mail when you release a new product to get an initial sales spike such that its shown to more people and more sales come in. (Steam has for this exactly "wishlist".



For computer games you can also buy lists of enailaddresses of youtubers and streamers (sorted according to their liked genres). And you normally use those to send your game for free to 100s of potential reviewers. And sometimes you are lucky and a big youtuber randomly makes a video of your game.


Searching for reviewers yourself is inefficient and unprofessional.


For computer games you also have normally a website with "press package" with main infoemation and some images which press can use to write articles about it with minimal effort. (Again you use mailing lists bought to get email of potential usefulnpress to write).




Then another common trick in computer games is to try to profit from another game which is a big release, by optimizing your store page and tags, such that your peoduct shows up as "similar products" when people go to the storepage of the big new release game. (If possible also have then a sale and be quite a bit cheaper than that product, such that people who dont want to affoed the big product can buy your game).

 

[J-H]

If you figure it out let me know! We haven’t cracked that one either.

How many fully backed kickstarters and team projects do you have under your belt again?

 

[Morrus]

How many fully backed kickstarters and team projects do you have under your belt again?

And yet even so, try and find reviews of them! It’s nigh impossible!

 

[Brendan Byrd]

Send a free review copy to those authors who are/have been writing books about gaming history and requesting a review? (No obligation).
???

 

[Morrus]

Send a free review copy to those authors who are/have been writing books about gaming history and requesting a review? (No obligation).
???

Sending out review copies has a less than 1/10th of a percent success rate if you don’t have a big brand behind you. Like the OP says, it’s damn hard getting people to even reply let alone review your stuff! Even DTRPG reviews from people invested enough to have actually bought your game are scarce these days—we’ll get one comment (not a review) and a star rating every couple of months on there on average. And that’s with 600 products up there!

 

[Brendan Byrd]

Sending out review copies has a less than 1/10th of a percent success rate. Like the OP says, it’s damn hard getting people to even reply let alone review your stuff!

Ah! Then that is an excellent reason not to.