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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mroberon1972" data-source="post: 1696057" data-attributes="member: 5148">You know, I have wondered about the act of publishing settings.  You have a vision, you want other people to see it, and you write up a wonderful world...Let's be honest guys: Only a rare few want to see it.No, your idea isn't bad.  Nor is it just a tired rehash of the same old thing.But they don't know that, and they really ain't interested in learning about it for 5-10 dollars a pop.Why? A good reason that may not seem obvious at first glance:  Only a Game Master is going to buy a setting book, and he probably won't unless he has already been hooked into that setting though a form of popular media.  Books, movies, TV, comics...If it's no something he already knows he wants, then your not going to sell it to him for a very good reason:  He already is making a world.  His own...Sorry, guys.  We can't fight the truth.Every game master I have ever met has created at least one world, and most old-timers have created dozens...  For us to make a setting book that is worth of them putting aside their own is a wonderous dream.  Not very likly though...How can a publisher make a setting that can actually push through the wall into our customer's heads?  I think I've narrowed the needs:1. You need to be a 'name' publisher/writer that has a proven track record.2. You have to have normal publishing capabilities, because POD cannot setup a decent print/cost ratio right now to support distributors.  (They want a 50% discount before even looking at a book.)  This is because setting books need to be BOOKS, not digital PDFs.  Don't ask me why, but it seems to be true for the moment.3. No matter how much people want them, they buy other books first. This hurts sales of setting books in the short and long run.  This can be helped by releasing 'crunch books to support the setting, enticing customers to buy the base setting book as well...4.  It needs to be supported with media and advertisments.  The dragonlance novels were one of the greatest marketing campaigns for an RPG ever created.  Dragonlance probably helped to teach more non-gamers about D&D than anything else.  Heck, I even think it helped to make gaming more (not alot, but more) respectable to non-gamers...Keep in mind, if a publisher has the money to produce enough setting material, including novels and other media, then they MIGHT take off well enough.  Backing and a good campaign can work wonders.Overall, though, It looks like I'll be leaving the settings to the Game Masters, and designing things that help in other ways...Side thoughts:On a side note, I love Mutants and Masterminds!  It seems to have all the best features of DC, Marvel, and HERO!  And the fact it really is a d20 system!  Funny AND great!  I may look into publishing a little for this onceI have absorbed the rules.Ya know, It might be better for an anime game than Anime d20...  Mebe...  Even my five year old daughter could play this without getting bored...Keep on gaming!John BowdenThe Fool</blockquote>

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