Author: Ralph Mazza (---.aol.com)
Date: 11-24-2003 05:51
Couple of things I'd add.
There is actually a third publishing option other than electroninc or print through distribution. Print direct is also a viable and quite profitable distribution method. One can use a POD service like RPGMall, or one can get a print run from a printer and sell direct from a website handling fullfillment and promotion ones self. Direct sales can also get you on the shelf of those select retailers who want to stock something other than d20 and are willing to buy direct from the publisher. Many will not, but IME, the best stores are often amenable. Conventions are a good place to make such contacts, retailers who've sold alot of what they brought with them, often have the room to pick up inventory to take back to the store, with a good (50%) retailer discount.
Handling fullfillment yourself is a bit of a pain in the tuckas, but at the quantities a small press game sells at (typically south of 1000) it's not too onerous. Almost all of my Universalis sales have been direct, as well as several other small press companies who've had good success going this route. I believe Luke Crane's Burning Wheel is also primarily sold direct.
Also there is such a variance in printer costs that it pays to get many quotes. Plus its best to air on the conservative side and up your per unit cost a bit rather than be stranded with a ton of inventory.
The key to getting print quotes is to ask for quotes for several different run sizes. Every printer has their own break points where they start charging less, and the printer who looked expensive for 1000 copies might look durn cheap at 500. Also for the first print run of a game its not a bad idea to stick to under 500 copies to see whether there really is a demand and interest for the game before betting the farm. I went with a 100 copy print run of Universalis initially and sold out in just a couple of months. That enabled me to guage the size of the demand and go back for a 750 unit run. I'd have been farther ahead financially if I'd gone with the 750 run from the first, but this way there was less risk of getting stuck with unsold boxes. A good trade off to consider.
Keep the run size reasonable, and REALLY shop around and you can pick up all the inventory you need for less than $2000...unless you're really going full gloss and hardcover, which IMO would be rather foolish for a small press company (except for perhaps a subsequent print run after demand has just been off the charts).
Also, I don't know how far along they are in ramping up their service yet, but Key20 is another potential source of representation if one wants to go the full distribution route.
|
|
