RPGNow Sales Numbers Update

xrpsuzi · Feb 26, 2003

banners

For those of you who only or predominately sell PDFs, do you find that purchasing advertisments (banner images on ENworld etc...) help sales? Or is it really only helpful for book sellers and online stores kind of thing?

Thanks,
Suzi

HellHound · Feb 26, 2003

Suzi - I've found the price of advertising on most sites is well beyond the budget of e-publishers. It SERIOUSLY cuts into the small profits you see on a release.

But the fact that Morrus gives us free advertising via the front page news and this forum makes up for it QUITE well.

Storminator · Feb 26, 2003

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: USA vrs. Non-US?

jgbrowning said:
**I haven't taken the time to see how many people who got the preview actually went on to buy the book... i'll probably do that sometime when my mind is utterly numb... It'd be boring to do, but useful information**

So far I'm very happy with the sales, but i'm trying to figure out how to get the word out to a larger market. Part of me wants to just pop up on every thread and go..
"Hey you! buy my book! You'll like it. Its really good. No, really" But that's uhum... rather poor form.

I'm also trying to figure out how to increase my view to sales ratio, but that seems even a more arcane process.

I imagine that once i get a few reviews from people here on ENworld who's opinions are highly valued i'll see sales pick up a bit. Anyone have suggestions? I'm always willing to learn to do better...

thanks!

joe b.

For what its worth, I got the preview and bought the book.

Haven't read it yet...

I've thought about how to increase the market a bit, and it seems really hard. I can go tell my FLGS to get a print book, and they're happy to spread the word about new products. What do they get for advertising a pdf tho? Good will? They can't really sell it, not easily and efficiently.

Not seeing any easy answers.

PS

jmucchiello · Feb 26, 2003

Re: banners

suzi yee said:
For those of you who only or predominately sell PDFs, do you find that purchasing advertisments (banner images on ENworld etc...) help sales? Or is it really only helpful for book sellers and online stores kind of thing?

This is just a guess, but I would say based on Natural 20 Press' sales rankings that advertising in banners on EnWorld is valuable. Of course, I doubt they have to pay the fees though.

jgbrowning · Feb 26, 2003

Re: Re: banners

jmucchiello said:
This is just a guess, but I would say based on Natural 20 Press' sales rankings that advertising in banners on EnWorld is valuable. Of course, I doubt they have to pay the fees though.

hehe, i'd imagine not.

we'll have to think about it. its nice in that, if nothing else, it helps support this site.

if we decide to do it, we'll provide what information as to its effects we can.

joe b.

Krug · Feb 26, 2003

For those publishers that have print versions of PDF Products, how have sales been?

RangerWickett · Feb 26, 2003

Re: Re: banners

jmucchiello said:
This is just a guess, but I would say based on Natural 20 Press' sales rankings that advertising in banners on EnWorld is valuable. Of course, I doubt they have to pay the fees though.

Little question: When was the last time you saw a banner ad for a Nat20 Product? We figured that since the entire site is pretty much an ad for Nat20 stuff, the banner ads were not helping sales too much, and they just meant Russ could sell fewer slots to people the banners would help more. Which kinda sucks, because we had some cool banners way back when.

Krug · Feb 26, 2003

> Does anyone want to see D20 Comics?
Why not?

jmucchiello · Feb 27, 2003

Re: Re: Re: banners

RangerWickett said:
When was the last time you saw a banner ad for a Nat20 Product? We figured that since the entire site is pretty much an ad for Nat20 stuff, the banner ads were not helping sales too much, and they just meant Russ could sell fewer slots to people the banners would help more. Which kinda sucks, because we had some cool banners way back when.

Well, I just did a few dozen reloads. So there aren't any Nat20 books advertised. (When did they stop?) What was the latest Nat20 release? In the saddle, I think? It hasn't sky-rocketed into the top 30 like most of the other Nat20 books. Perhaps it should have a banner? Or maybe I'm wrong. Russ can even tell how many of his impressions result in click through so my speculation is just silly.

In any case, I still find the banner ads too expensive for my budget. At this point I'm still trying to funnel funding into artwork. I guess we'd have to have people using the ads chime in to tell us if sales are up.

Dextra · Feb 28, 2003

Krug said:
For those publishers that have print versions of PDF Products, how have sales been?

Are you talking Print on Demand, or larger print runs?

We just did our first POD for Three Arrows, and in the first two days we sold 8 copies. It amazes me that more people don't buy POD. You pay more money, and have to wait to get the printed product, but you get the PDF in your mailbox while you wait. It seems like a win-win situation: save on toner and paper, secure in the knowledge that in a week or two a lovely book will appear in your mailbox while you still get to read the electronic copy.

As for print versions, GarUdok sold just over 350 copies in the PDF. I think the print run of Necromancer's Legacy was around fifteen hundred to two thousand copies (not sure really, Doug???) and sales have been decent. I think there were over a thousand pre-orders. Not bad for the little guys, I figure.

Which reminds me, does anyone still care to see sales figures? We have one product #2 on the Best Sellers, then our next one jumps down to #19, then #21, and #27. Wow. That means we have three products not on that chart. How disappointing. I was certain that the Colouring Book was going to at least beat out Everyone Else! (sigh... guess that pony'll wait a little longer!)