GOD RULES: Player's Guide (5e) Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page

[Upper_Krust]

Kickstarter question.

With Drivethrurpg handling Fulfillment, I charge my 'profit' in the Kickstarter and then Backers get either the PDF or the PDF PLUS the Discounted POD (Print on Demand) code for them to order the Print version of their choice.

So is there any reason why I should have a separate tier for the PDF only?

If a Backer only wants the PDF then they can just ignore the Discounted POD code and not order a Print Copy of the book via Drivethrurpg.

It seems to me that a separate Tier for PDF and Print version (which is a Discounted Code at time of purchase) is unnecessary.

However, will that be too confusing to backers used to separate PDF and Print version Tiers?

Tier 1: Colour Version (Cover A) PDF & BOOK BOOK (via POD discount code) = £30
Tier 2: Kickstarter Exclusive cover Colour version (Cover B) PDF & BOOK BOOK (via POD discount code) = £35
Tier 3: Black & White Artists Sketch version (Cover C) PDF & BOOK (via POD discount code) = £25

Tier 4: Kickstarter Exclusive version + Artists Sketch version, 2 PDFs & 2 BOOKS (via POD discount code) = £55 (save £5)

Tier 5: All Three versions, 3 PDFs & 3 BOOKS (via POD discount code) + Both STLs = £80 (save £25)

Tier 6 (Retailer): 6 Books (Cover A x 4, Cover B x 1, Cover C x1) = £90 (save £90)

 

[Morrus]

Kickstarter question.

With Drivethrurpg handling Fulfillment, I charge my 'profit' in the Kickstarter and then Backers get either the PDF or the PDF PLUS the Discounted POD (Print on Demand) code for them to order the Print version of their choice.

So is there any reason why I should have a separate tier for the PDF only?

If a Backer only wants the PDF then they can just ignore the Discounted POD code and not order a Print Copy of the book via Drivethrurpg.

It seems to me that a separate Tier for PDF and Print version (which is a Discounted Code at time of purchase) is unnecessary.

Is the message you're sending that the discounted PoD code has no value? Presumably it has an actual value of the retail price less the print cost.

Because if somebody is paying for two things but only wants one of them, why would they not pay less unless the item they want has no value?

If I were to have a $1,000 car and a $100 cake for sale and I offered them to you for $1,100, and you said you didn't want the car, just the cake, and I said "well just give me $1,100 and ignore the car then", you would quite rightly say "But I just want to pay $100 for the cake".

The exception is that if you offer a print item, its generally customary these days to give them PDF for free. Which admittedly does run into some perceived value problems. A PDF + book isn't the same as a book + PDF. But that's the world we live in!

 

[Alzrius]

Kickstarter question.

With Drivethrurpg handling Fulfillment, I charge my 'profit' in the Kickstarter and then Backers get either the PDF or the PDF PLUS the Discounted POD (Print on Demand) code for them to order the Print version of their choice.

So is there any reason why I should have a separate tier for the PDF only?

If a Backer only wants the PDF then they can just ignore the Discounted POD code and not order a Print Copy of the book via Drivethrurpg.

That's...not a good idea, U_K.

"Buy both and ignore the one you don't want" is a message that I don't see going over very well. Nobody likes to feel as though they're paying full price for something when they only want part of it.

If I only want a single scoop of ice cream, and the seller says that I have to pay for two scoops but should just "ignore" the second scoop, that creates the perception that my only option is to pay for something I don't want, which is off-putting.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Is the message you're sending that the discounted PoD code has no value? Presumably it has an actual value of the retail price less the print cost.

Exactly.

Because if somebody is paying for two things but only wants one of them, why would they not pay less unless the item they want has no value?

I understand there is a Psychological Aspect (and indeed that may trump the Practical Aspect in this case) but on Drivethrurpg I typically try to price my PDFs and Books so that I make the same profit from each, with the books naturally costing more due to Printing Costs.

If the PDF is $17.50 then whatever $17.50 + Print Cost will be: $34.95 for example (typically rounded to the nearest $2.50) is how I set my Prices.

For this 400+ page book I was initially thinking $35 (PDF) and $70/$90 for the Book (Standard/Premium Quality).

But with Printing handled via the POD Discount Code using Drivethru's Fulfillment model Backers are paying Drivethru aprox. +$34 (Standard) +$56 (Premium). Thus I'm realistically looking for about the same amount for either within the Kickstarter itself.

If I were to have a $1,000 car and a $100 cake for sale and I offered them to you for $1,100, and you said you didn't want the car, just the cake, and I said "well just give me $1,100 and ignore the car then", you would quite rightly say "But I just want to pay $100 for the cake".

The exception is that if you offer a print item, its generally customary these days to give them PDF for free. Which admittedly does run into some perceived value problems. A PDF + book isn't the same as a book + PDF. But that's the world we live in!

I'm slightly confused as to what I should be charging then, given Backers must pay twice (once to me and once to Drivethru) for the Print Version.

Do I just charge Backers more for the book (or book + pdf)? Is it that simple? I mean the difference is likely to be negligible, £2 or so.

PDF only = £27
Hardcover Book (+ PDF) = £29* (+$34 or $56 to Drivethru for Printing)

*Read one of the articles you linked to that suggested ending Prices in a '9' was 24% beneficial, so now thinking £19, £29 and £39 for the 3 different versions of the book.

 

[Upper_Krust]

That's...not a good idea, U_K.

"Buy both and ignore the one you don't want" is a message that I don't see going over very well. Nobody likes to feel as though they're paying full price for something when they only want part of it.

If I only want a single scoop of ice cream, and the seller says that I have to pay for two scoops but should just "ignore" the second scoop, that creates the perception that my only option is to pay for something I don't want, which is off-putting.

Yes I can see the psychological turn off amigo. Maybe I just have to charge more for the book/less for the PDF.

 

[Morrus]

Exactly.



I understand there is a Psychological Aspect (and indeed that may trump the Practical Aspect in this case) but on Drivethrurpg I typically try to price my PDFs and Books so that I make the same profit from each, with the books naturally costing more due to Printing Costs.

If the PDF is $17.50 then whatever $17.50 + Print Cost will be: $34.95 for example (typically rounded to the nearest $2.50) is how I set my Prices.

For this 400+ page book I was initially thinking $35 (PDF) and $70/$90 for the Book (Standard/Premium Quality).

But with Printing handled via the POD Discount Code using Drivethru's Fulfillment model Backers are paying Drivethru aprox. +$34 (Standard) +$56 (Premium). Thus I'm realistically looking for about the same amount for either within the Kickstarter itself.



I'm slightly confused as to what I should be charging then, given Backers must pay twice (once to me and once to Drivethru) for the Print Version.

Do I just charge Backers more for the book (or book + pdf)? Is it that simple? I mean the difference is likely to be negligible, £2 or so.

PDF only = £27
Hardcover Book (+ PDF) = £29* (+$34 or $56 to Drivethru for Printing)

*Read one of the articles you linked to that suggested ending Prices in a '9' was 24% beneficial, so now thinking £19, £29 and £39 for the 3 different versions of the book.

I’m not telling you what to do. But the usual way of doing it is:

PDF $x

Print + PDF $y

y is usually around 2x, but if it’s just a coupon probably better positioned at 1.5x.

But of course you should price it how it makes sense to you. This is just what your backers will
likely expect to see.

(As a side—the coupon thing is another thing, in addition to the AI, which would stop me backing. I want to buy a book not a coupon to buy a book. So if it were me, and the way I do it, is just charge for the actual book. You can process all those pledges with a single spreadsheet exported from KS and uploaded to DTRPG, and DTRPG will just change you one lump sum for them all. But that’s just me.)

 

[Upper_Krust]

I’m not telling you what to do. But the usual way of doing it is:

PDF $x

Print + PDF $y

y is usually around 2x, but if it’s just a coupon probably better positioned at 1.5x.

But of course you should price it how it makes sense to you. This is just what your backers will
likely expect to see.

(As a side—the coupon thing is another thing, in addition to the AI, which would stop me backing. I want to buy a book not a coupon to buy a book. So if it were me, and the way I do it, is just charge for the actual book. You can process all those pledges with a single spreadsheet exported from KS and uploaded to DTRPG, and DTRPG will just change you one lump sum for them all. But that’s just me.)

The latter would simplify the Pricing Structure certainly.

I'll drop Drivethru an email and see the pros and cons of the lump sum deal - on paper it sounds better.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Going over the math, switching from Discount Code to Print version necessitates 12 tiers:

PDF only
TIER 1: PDF only (colour art version) = £30
TIER 2: PDF only (B&W Sketch art version) = £25

Hardcover (Standard Quality)
TIER 3: Book (standard quality, colour art: Cover A) + PDF = £55
TIER 4: Book (standard quality, colour art: Cover B Kickstarter Exclusive) + PDF = £60
TIER 5: Book (standard quality, B&W Sketch version, Cover C) + PDF = £50

Hardcover (Premium Quality = Glossy Pages)
TIER 6: Book (premium quality, colour art: Cover A) + PDF = £75
TIER 7: Book (standard quality, colour art: Cover B Kickstarter Exclusive) + PDF = £80
TIER 8: Book (standard quality, B&W Sketch version, Cover C) + PDF = £70

Bundles (Standard Quality)
TIER 9: 2 Books (Any 2 versions at standard quality) + PDFs = £100
TIER 10: All 3 Books - 1 x Cover A , 1 x Cover B, 1 x Cover C B&W Sketch version (standard quality) + PDFs = £145

Bundles (Premium Quality = Glossy Pages)
TIER 11: 2 Books (Any 2 versions at premium quality) + PDFs = £140
TIER 12: All 3 Books - 1 x Cover A, 1 x Cover B, 1 x Cover C B&W Sketch version (premium quality) + PDFs = £205

Too many tiers?

I also had to remove the Retailer Tiers as the 50% cut had me in a negative for both the Premium and the Standard quality print versions.

 

[ArcanistDragonborn]

I think everything looks great! On a slightly different note, since I just watched the most recent Death Battle between Kyle Rayner and Simon the Digger, what Divine Rank would Simon/Kyle be in the 5e rules?

-Arcane