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Message: <blockquote data-quote="philreed" data-source="post: 1319121" data-attributes="member: 5968">ObservationsI've been sitting back quietly watching the effects of this sale for a few days now and have some observations I'd like to share. I'd also like to ramble for a bit so if you're not interested in that please move along.When I first saw the sale advertised I knew it would have a positive effect on my own sales. I remember GM Day last year and that was a wonderful event that drastically increased my sales. My first action upon seeing the sale was to rush over to RPGNow and place some of my own products on sale. Some at half the list price but nothing like $1. I saw -- and still see -- no reason to try to go head-to-head with ENPublishing's $1 products. Instead I chose to try and catch some of the wave of customers I knew would be flooding RPGNow.This worked. The products I've seen selling the best since this sale started were those I placed on sale _and_ the often-times complained about Forbidden Arcana series. I've seen other publishers complain about the Forbidden Arcana series, the primary complaint being that they're priced low and could be viewed as chapters of a much larger PDF. Well, the people attracted to this current sale are looking for low-priced items and they found them in the Forbidden Arcana series. I have greatly benefited from this price point for months now and in the last few days the benefits have become strong enough I'm reconsidering some of my thoughts behind PDF sales.Next we see complaints that the ENPublishing products are knocking other products off of the lists. This is how the lists are built and the way they've functioned since I joined RPGNow. I see no reason any of us should complain about this. I do have an idea I'd like to throw out for these lists, though.   Keep the lists we currently have and add some new ones to the rotation. Just as we have best D20, best non-d20, etc. let's add top ranked d20, top ranked non-d20, top ranked publisher, and etc. RPGNow already has a top/bottom ranked utility so why not use it? By mixing it with the current rotation of right-hand side lists we give it more value than it currently has. And a top ranked publisher listing would be a fabulous way to award those who consistently release good products.The RPGNow front page has recently changed. At about the same time the ENWorld ad banner price was reduced. The morning the ENPublishing sale started I had intended on buying banner ads at ENWorld. Knowing I couldn't compete with the sale I decided to wait to buy banner ads. Now the last time I bought a banner ad at ENWorld I didn't make enough in sales to cover the cost of the banner. This could happen again but it's a method I want to try and try it I will. Just not right now.Is the change to the RPGNow front page a bad thing? Not really. I would think the only people that it really hurts are those new PDF publishers who have no existing fanbase or reputation . . . the guys who feel that "if you release it, they will come." This new page forces them, as well as more established PDF publishers, to _work_ at advertising and marketing products. RPGNow has been spending money for years to run ads in Dragon and Dungeon . . . maybe it's time we did the same. Hell, I'd be willing to go in on a co-op ad with some other PDF publishers.Now I'm really rambling. I'll keep quiet.</blockquote>

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