PDF Industry - How do we help it grow?

[Cecil]

Many of the publishers include teasers in the downloader monthly. Perhaps some of the publishers are also willing to toss in an adventure or two that didn't make it through their editting process.

Tweak the content to contain something more readers will want and then continue to focus heavily on e-product reviews. Now you have something that can be sold in the stores. Provide it at close to cost (printing and distribution, a little labor) for the gaming stores and you may have something to have a go with.

If you're willing to add in a bit more labor costs...

You have your own POD ability---is it possible to allow a store owner to tailor the cover of downloader monthly to put his logo in the top corner of the cover or as a footer across multiple pages? Granted, you'd be doing small print runs---balance this by having a store owner order a minimum number.

Suddenly the store is providing a service to it's customers and it has a reminder on it every time the customer picks it up.

 

[pigames.net]

Just to throw my 2 cents in as the current editor in chief of the RPGNow Downloader Monthly, it would be a lot more productive if I could get more sumbissions (as previously mentioned) in the form of previews, adventures, and other add-ons from publishers to push their products. I currently have to pull teeth to get people to send me stuff when they should be excited about getting the exposure.

If a publisher would like to contribute, send me ( editor@rpgnow.com ) an email describing what it is that you have to offer and I'll discuss it with you (along with how to submit it; do not send any files before contacting me please). This can only help sales and your exposure.

Thanks.

 

[V_Shane]

Here is an alternative. Local Gamestore owners could register with RPGnow and have a special numerical/code ID for thier store, and have business type cards displayed with this code on it with an RPG downloader monthly at thier store (printed out of course). When the customer uses this ID with thier order they get a discount on the product AND the Gamestore owner with its vender account gets a % kickback from the code that was used. That way you have two winners, the customer gets money off and the Gamestore owner gets a check just like all the other venders from the RPGnow purchase. Now this wouldn't be mandatory for all PRGnow venders, it could be voluntary and you could charge a small amount to be listed in this type of Gamestore service, that way you also don't lose your percentage, and the Vender/RPGnow gets greater exposure and more sales. In this way EVERYONE makes more money. And most importantly the Gamestore owner could be provided this service with no cost to him and he makes money without any risk on his part.
just an idea

 

[Jraynack]

Give them browsing material in addition to a preview

In order to grow as an industry, we must put confidence into the consumers that the product they are downloading sight unseen is going to meet their expectations. We, Alea Publishing Group, are introducing a free download of our entire book so that potential customers can get a feel for what they are about to buy as they would thumbing through a book at a game store. This is inaddition, to a demo or preview copy we put out for our product.

Their are a lot of mediocre .pdfs, and though most .pdfs are inexpensive, customers want more bang for their buck instead of feeling their were cheated even if only for a few dollars.

So let us show our hands and invite potential customers to thumb through our books. You wouldn't buy a book from a shelf without thumbing through it, so why should it be any different with .pdfs?

An example of what I am talking about is found right here.

This is the entire page layout for A Question of Honor: A Guidebook to Knights. This is addition to the normal demo we released.

If RPGNow and other hosting sites advertising publishers and .pdfs have a teaser or page layout button in addition to the demo button so consumers can "thumb" through the products before they purchase it. This will also encourage .pdf publishers to step up their game and put time into a decent product so that consumers on a whole will not feel shafted if they buy a below average .pdf and maybe become disgusted with the whole idea of .pdfs.

Just something to consider,
Joshua Raynack

 

[Jraynack]

Give them browsing material in addition to a preview

In order to grow as an industry, we must put confidence into the consumers that the product they are downloading sight unseen is going to meet their expectations. We, Alea Publishing Group, are introducing a free download of our entire book so that potential customers can get a feel for what they are about to buy as they would thumbing through a book at a game store. This is inaddition, to a demo or preview copy we put out for our product.

Their are a lot of mediocre .pdfs, and though most .pdfs are inexpensive, customers want more bang for their buck instead of feeling their were cheated even if only for a few dollars.

So let us show our hands and invite potential customers to thumb through our books. You wouldn't buy a book from a shelf without thumbing through it, so why should it be any different with .pdfs?

An example of what I am talking about is found right here.

This is the entire page layout for A Question of Honor: A Guidebook to Knights. This is addition to the normal demo we released.

If RPGNow and other hosting sites advertising publishers and .pdfs have a teaser or page layout button in addition to the demo button so consumers can "thumb" through the products before they purchase it. This will also encourage .pdf publishers to step up their game and put time into a decent product so that consumers on a whole will not feel shafted if they buy a below average .pdf and maybe become disgusted with the whole idea of .pdfs.

Just something to consider,
Joshua Raynack

 

[jmucchiello]

Re: Give them browsing material in addition to a preview

This is the entire page layout for A Question of Honor: A Guidebook to Knights. This is addition to the normal demo we released.

But it's a 4 meg download for an illegible image of the PDF. You should warn anyone on dial-up as to the length of this "thumbnail" sketch before they download it. How does it improve the confidence of someone who has NEVER downloaded a PDF? Couldn't they get the wrong impression that PDFs are out of focus and hard to read from it?

Also, all this tell me about your product is that it looks nice. I don't know if it really adds anything to the demo. Let us know if anyone ever tells you that this layout demo was the clicher for anyone. I'd be curious as to why it was.

 

[Jraynack]

I do not think it will be a clincher to them buying the product but use it as an additional tool with the already used demo could help. When I thumb through a product a product at a store, I think the aesthetic quality is important, and getting a feel for the product is also important.

As for the size, that will be an issue to work one, however, I have dial-up and the time is minimal (about ten minutes) to which I do other things on-line while I wait. As for the clarity, I do not want to give away a free .pdf, however it is possible to get good clear headers and pictures. This is the first test run so room for improvement is always a welcome.

I also believe that consumers are critical though I also believe they are not ignorant and would realize they would understand that it was only a preview of the page layout. However, I have needed in the past to state the obvious.

With this all said and done, I believe we must experiment and see for ourselves what is going to work and not going to work. But the mission is out there: to expand the .pdf industry and build consumer confidence. I appreciate your imput and will take your considerations in mind when improving on my theory. It took many failed attempts to create the lightbulb, but only persistance allowed it to succeed.

Thanks,
Joshua Raynack
Alea Publishing Group

 

[rpghost]

Well I'm hopefully going to stick my foot where my mouth is... or was that money were my mouth is?

Anyway, We'll be opening a Brick and Mortar gaming store in the Milwaukee, WI area shortly and it will feature not only all the standard fair of products but also the POD / RPGMall.com products as well as a Kiosk for burn-on-demand purchases from RPGNow in the store.

Granted we make all the money from the transactions (being both the distributor and retailer) so it doesn't bother us at all to do this... but what it will do is gage the "interest" of the general public in such products.

The store is large (3000 sq ft) and clean... no dive hole in the ground. Our grand opening will host Gary Gygax and many more names in the industry. We will have some of the largest selections of products around as we use our vaste inventory from our RPGShop.com stores.

So, wish us luck
James
Minion Development Corp.

 

[jgbrowning]

Well I'm hopefully going to stick my foot where my mouth is... or was that money were my mouth is?

Anyway, We'll be opening a Brick and Mortar gaming store in the Milwaukee, WI area shortly and it will feature not only all the standard fair of products but also the POD / RPGMall.com products as well as a Kiosk for burn-on-demand purchases from RPGNow in the store.

Granted we make all the money from the transactions (being both the distributor and retailer) so it doesn't bother us at all to do this... but what it will do is gage the "interest" of the general public in such products.

The store is large (3000 sq ft) and clean... no dive hole in the ground. Our grand opening will host Gary Gygax and many more names in the industry. We will have some of the largest selections of products around as we use our vaste inventory from our RPGShop.com stores.

So, wish us luck
James
Minion Development Corp.

Congrats James, best of luck!

joe b.

 

[philreed]

The store is large (3000 sq ft) and clean... no dive hole in the ground. Our grand opening will host Gary Gygax and many more names in the industry. We will have some of the largest selections of products around as we use our vaste inventory from our RPGShop.com stores.

So, wish us luck
James
Minion Development Corp.

When is the opening? I may be able to get there and, even if I can't, I can send Christopher Shy over to do signings.