PDF Chat -- For Further Questions

[annadobritt]

Customers complaining that your page count in "inaccurate" based on their views on whether or not cover pages should be counted, OGL should be counted, etc., etc. really isn't something major to concern ourselves with. It's been said before and will be repeated again: there are just some complaints where you nod your head and say "Okay, I hear you. I just have to walk in the opposite direction from you now." I've worked in customer service management for most of my professional life, so you have to do this a lot without saying words such as "waste," "devoid," and "frivolous."

But the idea of adding page counts, printer friendly, and possibly more to RPGNow itself is a great idea. I'll send an email to James to get his thoughts on the matter and get him to post them here.

When a product contains a lot of maps, each on an individual page and a list of the maps are included in the product description, would a page count still be needed?

 

[Warden]

Why not? It's material that is beneficial to the product, so maps should be included in the page count.

Something else to be pointed out in this particular discussion: RPG products aren't exactly like books. While some may be inclined to read through the whole thing from front to back, it's not like a novel in that it is required. For a PDF in particular, there is a very likely chance that each customer will use on certain pages in particular and print them out, cut and paste, or whatever.

That being said, this is why I've never truly understood including page counts with product descriptions for this very reason. As far as I'm concerned, file sizes tell you just as much if not about the amount of content in the file. But, if the masses say include page count and one of those masses is RPGNow, page counts there shall be. I just don't worry about including them on the page layout itself.

 

[jmucchiello]

Why not? It's material that is beneficial to the product, so maps should be included in the page count.

Or you could forgoe a page count and have a MAP count.

That being said, this is why I've never truly understood including page counts with product descriptions for this very reason. As far as I'm concerned, file sizes tell you just as much if not about the amount of content in the file. But, if the masses say include page count and one of those masses is RPGNow, page counts there shall be. I just don't worry about including them on the page layout itself.

File size is more indicative of how much compression was done on the embedded images. Personally, given the vaguarities of font and margin size, I'd prefer a word count. But that's just me, I think.

 

[jmucchiello]

So what sort of chat am I going to miss this Monday? (And if I do make it I can be pleasently surprised.)

 

[Warden]

The main thing to discuss on Monday is a big PDF sale between each of us and who is willing to do what to promote it. Picking out a name for the sale, how to promote it ahead of time, and what the general savings will be -- that kind of thing.

I'm sure there will be other branches such as the page count issue and such that will pop up as well, but since we were discussing the launch of this sale for February, it'd be best to talk about it ASAP.

 

[annadobritt]

The main thing to discuss on Monday is a big PDF sale between each of us and who is willing to do what to promote it. Picking out a name for the sale, how to promote it ahead of time, and what the general savings will be -- that kind of thing.

I'm sure there will be other branches such as the page count issue and such that will pop up as well, but since we were discussing the launch of this sale for February, it'd be best to talk about it ASAP.

I'll dig up the log from the last chat and put the pertinent summary here this evening.

 

[annadobritt]

Here's a brief summary of the discussion concerning a publishers' sale of pdfs for February 14th. Collecting publisher logos, creating a commercial (Warden's idea), need to decide the type of discount for the sale, how to get the word out, etc....

Suggested tag lines:

Get the Gift you really want this Valentine's Day. An rpg pdf.
Give the gift you'll really want this Valentine's Day. Yours.
Nothing says I love you like a romantic dinner, a roaring fireplace, and the latest version of the SRD.
Buy the gamer you love their favorite pdf on Feb. 14.

Create an animated banner using the tag lines.

 

[annadobritt]

Here's a reminder for the PDF chat Monday evening, January 3, 8pm EST

#PDF at psionics.net

 

[HellHound]

Thanks for the reminder, Anna. I'll be there again tonight, and I'll try REALLY hard to actually stick it out instead of running away part way through like I did last time (had a major family emergency, so I couldn't stick it out).

 

[arwink]

Just to help out someone who'se having time-zone issues, this should be starting in about an hour, yes?