[UA] Bizarre text distribution model

[Saul]

That bad, huh? Still, a product sold only as a pdf might do quite well, assuming the price was relatively low, and it probably wouldn't end up on kazaa unless it got to be a 'big thing', in which case you'd probably make back your money regardless (not having to make back book production costs). Perhaps White Wolf should downsize, and go the pdf-only route for all but their core rulebooks?

The key (and again, I have no idea what I'm talking about, so correct me if I'm being naive) is probably to mix-and-match: if you go with the ransom idea, release some small freebies along the way to keep people interested. You could also do some scenarios/one-off games and sell them for $5 or so to keep you going. If its something that could build into a game line, release the core book in print, but all the sourcebooks as pdfs or print-on-demand. Also, I think novels are a great way to get to a wider audience, especially if you could get one published by a more mainstream non-game publisher (well, it *could* happen). 

I quite like the way deep7 games (www.deep7.com) have gone about their publishing: They have a couple of major games in print, some also available online. They do a regular free 2-page newsletter with material for their main product (Arrowflight). They also have several medium-length and one-off games available exclusively online (mostly in the $4-$10 range). Add to that their licensed Red Dwarf game, and they have their eggs in quite a number of baskets. I have no idea whether they are actually making any money, but still, it seems like the right idea.

Saul

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris Cooper 
  To: The Unknown Armies RPG Mailing List 
  Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 1:39 AM
  Subject: Re: [UA] Bizarre text distribution model



  --- Saul <gorbag at swiftdsl.com.au> wrote:
  The question I have is: do small-time game
  > writer's really lose much from Kazaa?

  Yes.

   I realise that
  > you can easily find mainstream D20 or White Wolf
  > stuff on there, but is there even enough of a market
  > in the first place that the little guys' stuff shows
  > up in searches?

  Locally, before KAZAA, White Wolf games sold three
  copies of each new release to any other game.

  That has dropped to nil. White Wolf games now return
  less than 1% of the market cost of bringing them in
  and giving them shelf space. The games come in and
  don't sell. And if it's a reasonably decent product
  (like the Players Guide to Changing Breeds), people
  are now quite open about downloading copies - some
  even sport a bit of pride spreading this about (one
  guy told me he had every copy of the Vampire Revised
  edition and he hadn't paid a sent. He thought the
  stuff being sold was overpriced and this was him
  "teaching" the retailer a lesson).

   You may know more than I do, but in
  > my limited experiments, it's pretty hard to find
  > anything but the big guys.

  Most game stores used to experiment. The only reason
  why the local store used to get in Unknown Armies is
  because I would sell it. All copies of the core
  rulebook have been sold.

  The problem is that small press games are
  downloaded/traded as "favours" and tidbits for the
  bigger, more popular games.
   
  > If you did do it, it would be good to release bits
  > and pieces as you go along, whether extracts or
  > other random stuff you have lying around. Also,
  > don't let people SELL the book without paying you
  > (once it's out) letting them give it away for free
  > would be quite sufficient.  Make them pay you more
  > if they want to try and sell it.

  There's a guy at work how is a KAZAA limpit. He sucks
  that place dry for porno shit. Of course, he uses his
  home computer, which he brings to work (this is
  hideoously unethical, but he's the boss' chum).

  I'm waiting until something I wrote or illustrated is
  found floating in his hard drive. Then my anger finds
  a place to vent.

  Cheers,

  Chris.




  =====
  The little bird that is the song in my heart
  is too tired to be carried
  by its battered wings.

  It falls, crashes...
  ... and is still in its bone cage...

  Dead Inside from Atomic Sock Monkey press.


                                        www.atomicsockmonkey.com

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