Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bardsandsages" data-source="post: 3001842" data-attributes="member: 28771">In a perfect world, publishers would automatically know which books are worth producing and which ones are not.  And in a perfect world, consumers would instinctively be able to identify said books and would buy them.The fact is, publishers DON'T know.  The reality of publishing (not just RPGs, but in general), is that you will make your money on about 10% of your products.  The balance are produced because: a. Some editor made it a pet project and honestly thought it would be big.  Editor was wrong.b. The product was created for public relations reasons.  Poetry chapbooks don't make money for a publisher, but producing them keeps the good will of universities and libraries that often are key to driving sales of other products.   A publisher accused of only publishing misogynistic work might suddenly publish a feminist collection of essays to show they support women's rights, even if they know it won't make money.  Or a product that has high artistic value that will receive nods for awards and create the perception that the entire line is that good.  In short, you produce a product not because it will actually generate a lot of revenue, but because it will give you a positive boost in the eye of the public you.c.  You need to produce new products in order to sell backlist.  I can tell you right now that whenever we release a new product, sales of our backlist items spike briefly as well.  You can product one reallllllllyyyyyyyyyyyy good product a year, but if you only product one nobody remembers you by the time you get around to the next one.  New products get the prime shelf space in stores.  New products get the push in magazines and websites.  New products remind people who you are.</blockquote>

Verification