Using PDF sales to raise money for printing costs

[BigBastard]

I have several game ideas for game settings for science fiction and modern settings. I have enough money to get the art work done but not the printing and avertising. Would it be viable for me to use the profits of PDF sales on RPGHost to raise the money for my printing costs?

If I go this route I would be able to do two main core book or a core book and at least two supplements.

Thanks a whole bunch.

 

[Mongoose_Matt]

Frankly, no. You would likely need to sell thousands of PDF copies in order to make up just one print run (never mind any marketing or additional costs) and the amount of PDFs that have sold in that region can probably be counted on one hand. . .

You would be better off raising the money elsewhere.

 

[Mystic Eye]

I completely agree with Matt here. If you have a TOP selling PDF title (unless you are Monte who could announce the sale of his 10 year old shoes and get a bundle-he screws up the average with PDF sales-hehe) you will probably only raise 1/3 to 1/2 the capital (note-I did not say profits) of the print run alone.

In my limited experience it appears you need to print at least 2k-3k units to hit a reasonable "cost per unit" point and to make a reasonable return. Any thing less seems a waste of time and money. Unless you have cash to throw away and just want to get a book out there. If you are using PDF sales to finance that I would guess you do not have cash to throw away anywho.

You can use a PDF to raise a little capital but you would be lucky if it paid for art, layout, and writing. If you are making a print quality production it probably won't even cover that.

Not to be a downer but this is how I see it.

 

[JoeCrow]

What might work better is to put out your product in PDF form and see how well it does. With a reasonable sales record, you've got a chance to see if one of the larger companies will license your books and get them into print. Ambient did it with Thee Compleat Librum ov Gar'Udok's Necromantic Artes, which is now in Diamond Previews as Necromancer's Legacy, printed by none other than Mystic Eye Games. I'm hoping to do something similar in a few months, once I finish the freelance stuff I'm contracted for now.

 

[MEG Hal]

Do not make a pdf to raise money, it will not happen. You may make some money but not enough to pay for a print run, then ship it to a distributor (if you are lucky enough to have one). Joe has a good idea you can make a name for your item in pdf and see if you can become an imprint of a larger company or just enjoy what money you make from the pdf and use it for more game supplies! We could not function as a pdf company alone, BUT our pdf of Interludes: Sands of Pain is a print quality pdf. Will we do more .pdf's yup, will we be able to show profits, yup, will it pay any major bills-maybe.

 

[BigBastard]

I have close to $7000.00 saved up. I look to spend around $3500.00 for art work which will leave me a little under $3300.00. If I keep the page count under 250 pages would this be enough for printing?

 

[MEG Hal]

IMHO spend less on art more on printing and you may be OK, it all depends on your print run, also very important-----get a distributor BEFORE you print, do research on them so you know they are good, if no one brings your product to stores no one will know it exists and buy it.

Get distributor (we use Osseum, Adam has been great)
Get quotes from printers
Get a printer you can trust
Print
Pray

 

[Krug]

Advice

BB, look here for advice on starting a game company:
http://www.wizards-attic.com/Publishers.html

I would advise caution. I think you should go the PDF route first to gauge interest in your product. Many d20 publishers have started out this way. You might also ask for playtesters from rpg.net's forums who would tell you straight whether your product has a chance.

All the best!

 

[BigBastard]

Re: Advice

BB, look here for advice on starting a game company:
http://www.wizards-attic.com/Publishers.html

I would advise caution. I think you should go the PDF route first to gauge interest in your product. Many d20 publishers have started out this way. You might also ask for playtesters from rpg.net's forums who would tell you straight whether your product has a chance.

All the best!

I heard science fiction does not sell well on PDF through RPGHost. Is that true. Do you you know any publishers doing sci-fi that sells well on PDF? How does Darwin's World do in your opinion?

 

[Krug]

I have no idea of the sales of sci-fi PDFs. Hopefully the publishers of these systems will come forth with some numbers.