Surprise 4CTF print version just dropped through my mailbox!

[Morrus]

Guess what dropped thorugh my mailbox? A beautiful printed version of 4CTF!

This was a suprise - our layout guy, Duncan, very kindly went out of his way to print out a copy and send it to me.

The printed version is much nicer than I thought it'd be, and 100 times nicer than MEG's print version of WS. It's a big, thick softcover book with a decently thick card cover - basically, it's a book! I was expecting it to look like a printed out PDF, but it's an actual book!

The cover look beautiful, professional....shiny...

And looking through it - Duncan, your layout skills are wonderful! It's harder to tell on a computer screen, but holding it in my hands, this looks more professional than many softcovers that other companies have put out!

We'll loko into the print on demand service and see if we can pull it off. If it does turn out to be possible, I have to say, those with the PDF should definitely consider upgrading! If we do it, we'll make sure you don't lose out.

 

[Blacksad]

I don't know if it will cost too much, but would it be possible to ask Duncan to edit a special version of 4CTF which would include everything that is in the big book of superpowers, and some stuff(table with variant cost for different setting ala skill cost in BESM etc...) for the print version?

It would be nice to have all powers in a nice book in alphabetical order.

 

[Morrus]

It's probably possible, but it would cost you a lot. The problem with print-on-demand is that per-unit it is very expensive to print. Just the first book, if we were to do it, would cost you about $20 plus postage - so we're tlaking WotC softback prices here.

That's my main concern about doing it.

 

[Blacksad]

It's still less than AEG softback, and if the postage is from UK, it would be even greater cost-wise (for me at least).

For a book like Tournaments Fair and Taverns, it isn't really interesting to have a printed book, you just need to print the game you want to play and voilà.

But for a book like 4CTF, which necessary info on several pages, I'm really interested in a printed version, even if it is costly.

Another question: was the book in full color, bichrome or monochrome?

If it is full color, you might consider to hire some colorist (Spain, Italia, France and Belgium use a lot of them for comics book, I think that they would be cheaper and quicker than most artist own coloring, and the quality of there work is on part with the work of most artist on coloring, if not better in many cases).

 

[tensen]

Print on demand probably isn't justifyable for more than a small printrun. Although it is possible as a means for PDF publisher to possible pull themselves up through sales. Although I doubt most people would want to spend the money on the POD product unless it had good art, and was really well designed.

 

[Blacksad]

Although I doubt most people would want to spend the money on the POD product unless it had good art, and was really well designed.

I'm not that sure, many people do not buy pdf, because they consider them to be hardly usable, especially without a laptop (I have one, for some pdf it is fine, but when you have 2 or 3 books open at the same time, it becomes hard to navigat through them).

and I think that they would be more sales throug POD than through PDF, perhaps Morrus should run a poll on the main website to have a better idea of the potential market?

 

[tensen]

I'm not that sure, many people do not buy pdf, because they consider them to be hardly usable, especially without a laptop (I have one, for some pdf it is fine, but when you have 2 or 3 books open at the same time, it becomes hard to navigat through them).

Well I'm always strange. I have a ton of printouts.
I do like to have the book on my shelf for actual reading. But if there is a PDF form of the same thing, I want that too, so I can print it out and have just the particular relavant notes I need for a session.

 

[novyet]

I hope that you're able to go through with a print version of the book. I usually hold off on pdf's because they are a pain some times to print or access. But I made an exception for 4CtF.

 

[Horacio]

Morrus, I will pay 20$ for the print version, without hesitation, and even 25$ if it has the big book of powers also on it. Postage from the UK would be cheaper for me too.