What kind of Sales can you expect from PDF?

[HellHound]

So that means there are thirty users out there that are responsable for 8.7% of revenues.

Thank you, oh top thirty users!

 

[Krug]

Well I think the glut was inevitable, and it's not getting better. Look at the margins for PDF products; which publisher wouldn't kill for 70-80% margins with little risk?

The main problem seems to be the customer base isn't growing anywhere as fast as the supply of products. PDF Publishers, as well as RPGnow, need to reach this customer base. When it launched Monster Manual II reached #63 or so on amazon.com's bestseller list, and I'm sure that translates into the thousands.

The key question: How to get more gamers to purchase PDFs? What about those who don't have access to a credit card?

All I can say is RPGNow's ad in the WotC magazines isn't particularly outstanding. For $10k there are other avenues that might give you more mileage, and also a better non-standard fantasy woman-with-sword-and-magic ad.

I think the most interesting stat was how many time Portable Hole Full of Beer has been downloaded. Imagine those numbers buying a $5 PDF! The Customer Sources breakdown has been interesting as well. Are the stats similar for non-Natural 20 products?

 

[Morrus]

The main problem seems to be the customer base isn't growing anywhere as fast as the supply of products.

Succinctly put, sir! That's exactly how I see it.

I think the most interesting stat was how many time Portable Hole Full of Beer has been downloaded. Imagine those numbers buying a $5 PDF! [/quote

Yeah - for example, some Asgard mags have far exceeded 10,000 downloads. I don't have the exact figures anymore, unfortunately, as every issue so far was released on the old server.

But that's a lot of people who download large PDFs.

 

[HellHound]

Because of the registration process, only 1200 people have downloaded Portable Hole from RPGnow. (I've had complaints at having to sign up for an account just to download a free product - personally, I find it hard to believe that people aren't downloading it for that reason, and well, too bad for them).

We also had almost 800 downloads in the first day from the Ambient Inc www.dreadgazebo.com server, but we can't afford that kind of bandwidth.

We also have it available for download from www.mortality.net which has accounted for somewhere between 300 and 400 downloads (I haven't checked lately).

All in all, we have given away over 2000 copies... I'm sure the number would be doubled or more if we were offering it for direct download without requiring an RPGnow account.

Also, just for the record, we will be taking Portable Hole Full of Beer off-line March 31st, 2003. So that will be your last chance to get a copy yourself.

 

[rpghost]

Umm... if that is the case, then, basically, I pretty much sell all of RPGNow's PDFs for them?

James, we need to talk....

Hee... You could say that about any number of publishers out there. You are THE d20 new site after all

But thank you never the less

James

 

[ced1106]

The key question: How to get more gamers to purchase PDFs? What about those who don't have access to a credit card?

I'm a demo monkey for various "beer and pretzel" game companies, and while rpg companies have a poor demo system compared to these companies, IMO, PDF companies are in a very good position for this sort of promotion, since the marginal cost of providing promotional product is far less than a "non-electronic" company.

Specifically, go through your review comp lists (you do have one, right? and solicit reviewers who are interested in running games (game demos) at their local game conventions and clubs. Just by **seeing** a printed out PDF, gamers will a) realize that PDFs **can** be as useful as hardcopies and b) **can** be printed out! And, of course, you will have exposure for your product which would be otherwise unavailable. Heck, even if you don't publish PDFs, contact your reviewers and see if they'll promote your products as a game convention rpg event.

And, of course, b/c the PDF has been printed out, you don't have to worry about pirating electronic copies for friends (particularly since most attendees of a game demos are strangers to the volunteer).

Not sure about the credit cards. I guess checks are that difficult to process?


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

 

[rpghost]

I wonder how many transactions include multiple products. Do customers go to the site and buy two or three products at a time, or are the sales more focused? i.e. Find the one product you are looking for and leave.

Ok, since everyone is in the mood for numbers...

The average number of products per order is just about 2 (1.89)

Of course I would like to see that number as large as possible as it cuts down on our costs. With paypal.com and credit cards charging 35cents just to submit a transaction, that eats up a large portion of a $5 order. Paypal even charges more for foreign members and costs for Discover and American Express are also higher. So if I can get that to 3 items per order average that would be great news for everyone. But how?

I'm open to site orginization suggestions - just keep in mind I have a framework I must live inside as I can't re-write the whole system.

James

 

[Gargoyle]

Here are our numbers as of 13 Nov. Interesting thread.

Beyond Monks - The Art of the Fight is at 351.
Call of Duty - A Paladin Sourcebook is at 87.

Beyond Monks is still selling steadily, Call of Duty is somewhat sporadic, probably because it's more of a niche, and because there are so many other products out there now.

Most of our customers are from ENWorld as well.

Beyond Monk referrals:
105 customers from ENWorld.org
90 customers from Unknown
17 customers from Friend
17 customers from Search Engine
12 customers from Wizards.com
10 customers from Dragon Magazine
10 customers from MonteCook.com
10 customers from Website Refferal
5 customers from RealmsofEvil.net
4 customers from Banners
4 customers from RPGNews.com
3 customers from Dungeon Magazine
3 customers from google
3 customers from RPG.net
2 customers from Ambient
2 customers from chainmail bikini games
2 customers from dnd-l mailing list
2 customers from Mongoose Publishing
2 customers from net
2 customers from roleplayingtips.com
2 customers from RPGhost.com
2 customers from RPGObjects
2 customers from Yahoo.com
1 customers from Aaron Jones
1 customers from Aldo Ghiozzi, via WZL Mailing List
1 customers from An Ad
1 customers from at work, of all the strange places.
1 customers from Chain Mail Bikini.com
1 customers from darkquest
1 customers from Dont Remember
1 customers from Dumb luck.
1 customers from Dunn
1 customers from Email
1 customers from everywhere
1 customers from http://www.chainmailbikini.com/index.shtml
1 customers from I don't remember
1 customers from Internet
1 customers from ironkingdoms.com
1 customers from just happened to find it
1 customers from malavoc press
1 customers from Me
1 customers from mongoosepublishing.com
1 customers from Moongoose Site
1 customers from Mortality.net
1 customers from on the web
1 customers from Online
1 customers from Publisher's site
1 customers from rpg forum
1 customers from rpg net
1 customers from rpghoard
1 customers from RPGNet Review of one of your products
1 customers from RPGShop.com
1 customers from Thunderhead Games
1 customers from Thunderheadgames.com
1 customers from ummmmmmm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,online
1 customers from While reading Reviews for Wild Spellcraft
1 customers from www.hirstarts.com forum
1 customers from www.rondaksportal.com
1 customers from www.seankreynolds.com

Call of Duty Referrals

29 customers from ENWorld.org
24 customers from Unknown
6 customers from Search Engine
6 customers from Website Refferal
4 customers from Friend
3 customers from MonteCook.com
2 customers from RPGNews.com
1 customers from -
1 customers from chatboard
1 customers from Dungeon Magazine
1 customers from EN World (d20reviews.com)
1 customers from everywhere
1 customers from From the Web
1 customers from Malhovic Site
1 customers from Mongoose Publishing
1 customers from Moongoose Site
1 customers from net
1 customers from RPGNet Review of one of your products
1 customers from RPGObjects
1 customers from spam
1 customers from Thunderhead Games

 

[rpghost]

No, James. They don't. I'm not sure why you keep saying this, but all of us publishers seem to agree that sales are down by a long way.

Maybe I see things from another angle and don't notice recent trends. I see that RPGShop.com and RPGNow.com are doing more business then ever, but there are also MANY more products then ever. Problem is you guys are stuck splitting the pie smaller and smaller- that's probably what is happening. At least at a faster rate then I can get new customers to buy more. I hope to work harder on that very soon with some new promotions coming up.

You can help with this by adopting some of the suggestions for your storefront

I'm very egar to do this... just have to make sense to me and not cause a rewrite.

you know - you probably make as much from each copy sold as any given vendor).

I hardly doubt that a publisher sees about .35-65 cents per product sold. That's all we get and that doesn't even count for staff payroll or bandwidth/servers.

James

 

[tensen]

With this small a difference between being on the list or off it....

any publishers willing to 'fess up that they bought a few of their own copies just to make it on the list?

It did spur a lot of tell two friends, who tell two friends, and so forth. Come on man, get me a few more sales. be proud of me, you can spare some change for a down and out game designer. Erm.. maybe something like that.