How Many Product do you plan to release this year?

[Justin D. Jacobson]

I expect Ronin Arts will release 200-300 PDFs in 2005. I was slow last year due to a day job and building up speed and a publishing system.

And let's not forget that pesky carpal tunnel syndrome. Honestly, Phil, I think you have the most famous wrist in the world.

For our part, Blue Devil Games is shifting more to the print side of things, but we'll release most everything in pdf first followed by a traditional print run. Things get kicked off with Dawning Star: Operation Quick Launch. Considering the product was supposed to be released in September, I know the subtitle is growing more ironic by the day. But we are back on track and should released in pdf format on February 1st followed by a full print run. We have 8 more products slated for the Dawning Star line this year.

We will also be introducing our new adventure-driven OGL RPG, Thrilling Passages, at GenCon Indy with one or two adventures for it by the end of the year. We are also starting up our new AEvolutions line of support products for Monte's AE system and should have at least three products in that line released this year. Antimagic will roll out the door in a couple of months. I still haven't decided if we'll be doing more straight d20 supplements. We'll see. Finally, we have a few more M&M Superlink products scheduled for the 1st Appearance line.

 

[Warden]

Our goal is to double last year's efforts and release at least 15 PDFs this year -- each of them will be at least 20 pages in size.

Modern Campaign Options: Treasure Hunter
Campaign Options: Alignment
Campaign Options: Apocalypse
Campaign Options: Mazes II
Combat Options: Defence
Combat Options: Hit Points
Combat Options: Improvised Weapons
Character Options: Evolution
Character Options: Gender
Living Nights Campaign Setting: Somaris
And one Nation Guide for each of Living Night's core nations: Sovreigh, Errinath, Kelland, Ysmir, and Ta Yinse

As time progresses, of course, this list could change, expand, or whichever, and there will likely be additional material for the Living Nights Campaign Setting, such as racial supplements, adventures, and extra material provided by the Overlords that created it.

 

[GMSkarka]

Now that Adamant Entertainment is up and running, we're shooting for somewhere in the neighborhood of between 5 and 10 PDF releases per month, which would put us at 60-120 products for the year. We'd also like to produce at least one print product, but we'll see if we have the time.

Honestly, though, we don't really plan out our year that far in advance...the benefit of PDF publishing is that we can move quickly in developing and releasing product. We can stay fluid that way, without being locked into something for months in advance.

 

[philreed]

And let's not forget that pesky carpal tunnel syndrome. Honestly, Phil, I think you have the most famous wrist in the world.

I'll happily give it to anyone that wants it. Maybe I can put it on eBay.

The drugs and brace have been helping, though.

 

[lmpjr007]

Honestly, though, we don't really plan out our year that far in advance...the benefit of PDF publishing is that we can move quickly in developing and releasing product. We can stay fluid that way, without being locked into something for months in advance.

For us , we have a "rough" idea of what we want to do and normally go from there. I have to admit, Phil Reed is really the persons that go me interested in doing PDF publishing as a serious business. All of the great advice Phil has given me helped out more than he will ever know. I personally believe the PDF publishing market also needs to branch out to On Demand Publishing like Lulu.com. For small guys like us to complete with the big boys, this looks like the only way. Plus is Lulu.com ever finds a "solid" way for us to sell books to store directly this is going to change the world of RPG publishing.

 

[D_Sinclair]

For us , we have a "rough" idea of what we want to do and normally go from there. I have to admit, Phil Reed is really the persons that go me interested in doing PDF publishing as a serious business. All of the great advice Phil has given me helped out more than he will ever know. I personally believe the PDF publishing market also needs to branch out to On Demand Publishing like Lulu.com. For small guys like us to complete with the big boys, this looks like the only way. Plus is Lulu.com ever finds a "solid" way for us to sell books to store directly this is going to change the world of RPG publishing.

There is one way via Lulu.com to sell directly to a store with their current configuration. The idea occurred to me while reading their forums, a post about separating the downloads and print offerings into two separate storefronts.

The trick is to establish two Lulu.com storefronts. The two storefronts list the same products, except the one you advertise is for consumer use to buy stuff at retail price, and the other one is for retailer use with discounted prices. One a group of publishers has done this, they can band together and publish a retailer pamphlet which lists their wholesale storefronts, then mail the pamphlet out to a database of retailers. The retailer can then go in, start a Lulu.com account to buy, and just order from the various wholesale storefronts. They'd get charged for everything from multiple publishers all at once and their order would show up in one package, just as it would if they had ordered from a regular distributor. Only significant differences would be the lack of the "x-Day Net" payment grace period and a smaller discount.

Anyway, to answer the thread topic, ARP did 22 products last year, including two by freelancers. This year, we're aiming to do at least 25 in-house products and 10 freelancer-driven products. We also plan on putting 15 of the products in our current lineup (and an undetermined number of 2005 products) into print via Lulu.com as well.

 

[GMSkarka]

There is one way via Lulu.com to sell directly to a store with their current configuration. The idea occurred to me while reading their forums, a post about separating the downloads and print offerings into two separate storefronts.

The trick is to establish two Lulu.com storefronts. The two storefronts list the same products, except the one you advertise is for consumer use to buy stuff at retail price, and the other one is for retailer use with discounted prices.

RPGMall tried to do this, and RPG specialty retailers didn't really bite.

Unless you get the products available through the distributor that they're already using, most gaming retailers won't bother to look at you, no matter how much you might sweeten the pot for them. It's simply too much of a "hassle" for them, supposedly. There are a minority of sharp retailers who go out of their way to take advantage of such things and run their businesses like a business, but unfortunately the overwhelming majority of retailers are barely more than a way for the owner and his pals to get gaming material at cost.

The main reason that I made the switch to PDF this year is that I've worked in this business since 1988, as a retailer, a distributor, a publisher and a freelancer. I've done it all, and what I'm seeing, filtered through my experience, tells me that specialty niche gaming retailers are going to go the way of the ice-delivery man...probably in the next 10 years, as delivery of niche product direct to the consumer becomes more widespread.

Right now, superstores like Borders are examining the feasability of Print-On-Demand kiosks on-site, in the store. You go in, find the title you want, and it prints and binds it for you right there. Once that happens, kiss the gaming store goodbye, unless the tech is cheap enough for a small business to afford a similar system.

 

[lmpjr007]

Right now, superstores like Borders are examining the feasability of Print-On-Demand kiosks on-site, in the store. You go in, find the title you want, and it prints and binds it for you right there. Once that happens, kiss the gaming store goodbye, unless the tech is cheap enough for a small business to afford a similar system.

I think if they would try this, but burn to CD or DVD it might work great. And better yet you could sell this idea to video game makers and you would really role in the bucks by having a kiosk in every Game Stop. No more asking when you favorite game will be back in or games selling out. Just jump on the kiosk and like lightning you got it.

 

[GMSkarka]

I think if they would try this, but burn to CD or DVD it might work great.

Um....no, it wouldn't. A CD or DVD would be too pirate-able.

The POD thing is what they're looking at because:

a) People still want physical books

and

b) Physical books aren't convenient to rip and upload to P2P networks.

 

[lmpjr007]

Um....no, it wouldn't. A CD or DVD would be too pirate-able.

You mean like how secure it is now. People who are going to steal are going to steal no matter what is going to be used as security.