Why not SV Games?

[Bloodstone Press]

I don't use SVG because:
a: I was only marginally aware of it.
b: I knew they charged 50%.
c: RPGNow has a policy of not providing a link to your website if you sell your products in other places.

I could go on and say that I am very pleased with the service that RPGnow provides and I expect that same level of service from anyone who would attempt to compete with them.

Besides product recognition, I don't think there is much to be gained by seeking another storefront unless you are either trying to sell the d20 system in general (to nongamers) or trying to sell the idea of buying PDF game books to people who game but don't shop online.

Do you think there is anyone who shops on SVG who has never heard of RPGnow?

Perhaps there is. And if so, James has some work to do. I tend to doubt it though....

 

[Col_Pladoh]

[snip]

Anyway, we'll gladly sell LA stuff on RPGNow.com (as we did in the past) when you're ready Gary! Oh, and see you at the Game-Universe.com grand opening!

James

Heh, James!

Thanks for reminding me. I get really absent-minded when I am immersed in a creative project, and I am just that for the next few months. Do email me at least a week ahead of the time I am to be at the Game Universe GRand Opening, or ...

Cheers,
Gary

 

[rpghost]

c: RPGNow has a policy of not providing a link to your website if you sell your products in other places.

Not exactly true. We won't link to your website if your website has links to any other stores or sells direct. You can sell wherever you like as long as your website we link to only points back to us. So in the case of EN Publishing, they still get links from us because all their links to buy their products point back to RPGNow anyway.

So, we don't mind if you use or try other venues. Hell we're not afraid of competition. We are though, concerned when other distributors are given an unfair advantage by providing the same product at a lower cost to them.

James

 

[Nellisir]

The only value to selling in multiple locations online is to get the customers that aren't aware of your site, the unique customers. The internet doesn't have a geographical bias -- one "e-storefront" isn't any closer or further than the next, and it's just as easy to direct customers on your site to Vender A as Vendor B. Unless SVGames generates a large number of unique customers, there doesn't appear to be a benefit to listing with them compared to RPGNow.

Cheers
Nell.

 

[Swiftbrook]

Speaking as a customer, I don't shop SVGames anymore. Since RPGNow started carrying the old TSR modules PDFs, I don't need SVGames. I had a bad experience with them with their "blowout" chainmail sale; their site is hard to navigate; and their prices are ever changing (for example their "blowout" sale prices keep going up).

RPGNow is not perfect -- it's slow to load -- but I've never had a problem with them and they have a great selection.

By what I've read here, I dislike SVGames even more.

-Swiftbrook

 

[Ghostwind]

I've done business as a customer twice with SVGames and had zero problems. Would I do business with them again? Not unless they offered something that I could not get anywhere else. I find their site hard to navigate, unattractive to shop and simply a pain overall.

As a publisher, I would not consider doing business with SVGames for the above reasons. If I am selling a product, I want the site that is marketing the product for me (especially since I am 'paying' them by giving them a percentage of my sales) to be consumer friendly. If a potential customer has to spend more than a few minutes searching to find my product, then I've lost a sale because they will likely give up.

Furthermore, I want the ability to mail comp copies to reviewers or anyone else, price control of my product and the ability to make changes to product in a timely manner if the need arises (such as errata). From everything I can see, SVGames does not offer this option and RPGNow does. That is why my zines are listed there and that is why future independent pdf projects I am developing will be listed there. In short, RPGNow does it right and until someone else comes along and does it better and can prove the stability that James has shown, he gets my business.

 

[Vascant]

I really have nothing against SVGames.. Though I would like to add this..

I have been a RPGNow customer for over 15 months now I think and have purchased well over $500 worth of material from them. Not once have I had an issue and in fact, everytime I purchased an item, no sooner did I click pay in Palpal.. the item was sitting in my mail box. To be honest, RPGNow has brought me from a person who used to dread PDF books to a person who now really doesn't wish to be bothered with hard copies anymore. I have been over to SVGames website a few times in the past year and never been impressed as a user. I do see Morris's point, more places to sell an item means more sales but as with anything in life, there is a matter of principle or as my father tried so hard to educate his children about.. How much is a dollar really worth to you. Took me 15 years to figure that out. I am just now moving into the e-publishing business though instead of figuring out how many places I can sell my books, I will put my energy into, directing people to RPGNow for one major reason, from my own experience I know the customer will get quality service.

 

[rpghost]

Awe, shucks [kicks pebble on ground]... thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback and support.

But the real issue here is wether the PDF industry is big enough and strong enough YET to support fragmenting the sales.

If RPGNow is to get reduced sales and be undercut, it will have no choice but to raise it's rates.

I am sure SV Games is not stupid, they will lower their rates and add some services (as we're the trend setter they'll probably copy us)... Then things will look much nicer on their side of the grass then they do now. All I ask is that you look at their history of ignoring publishers and customers and be cautious of signing up with a new distributor.

Hell, I wish everyone could sell everywhere and that there was enough sales to go around everywhere. We have spent the last 2 years helping build this industry (promotions, advertising, programming, etc) and we're just now starting to show a profit off that effort. So, now is when the competitors (SV Games, Steve Jackson, etc) look at us and say, hey I can do that and also make money. If everyone is so willing to jump ship, they probably will - but it'll be 3 people sharing the pie instead of RPGNow getting the majority. That will have an effect I assure you.

But RPGNow is a progresive thinker. We'll be one step ahead of them as much as we can. We have a proven track record. All I ever ask is to be judge on performance, not promises.

James
RPGNow.com

 

[annadobritt]

Awe, shucks [kicks pebble on ground]... thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback and support.

....All I ever ask is to be judge on performance, not promises.

James
RPGNow.com

RPGNow gets five gold stars from me, both as a publisher and a customer.

 

[jgbrowning]

Not once have I had an issue

Unlike you, I have had a few issues with RPGnow.com. And it's under these circumstances that you see the real worth of a business relationship.

Everytime we've had a problem, communication was quick, and the problem was always resolved expeditiously. That's what I value more than having no problems at all because I don't have to wonder what's going to happen when a problem does occur. I know James will take care of it quickly. We're completely statisfied and don't have plans to move our PDFs anywhere else, unless the target audience of the new site is different than rpgnow.com's (ie. mostly non-gamers).

joe b.