Marvel's SIEGE Trailer

PATHFINDER ADVENTURE WRITERS NEEDED .. like badly!!!

Louis Porter Jr. Design is looking for writers to work on Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rule based PDF adventures. The rate we pay will for these type of projects will be between 1.5 to 3 cents a word, dependant on your writing experience. If this sounds like something that might interest you and your schedule is not that busy, please feel free to contact us at LMPjr007@aol.com at your earliest opportunity.

Robert Herjavec: Top 10 tips for budding entrepreneurs

Something every smart buisness person should read. Enjoy and Talk to you later...

[LPJ Design] Obsidian Twilight to be released as 100% Open Game Content

Well after many personal debates on what I want to do with Obsidian Twilight and what I want it to be, I have decided to make an important decision on the issue of Obsidian Twilight.

Obsidian Twilight is to be completely 100% Open Game Content for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. For most people it is no big thing, but this was a big one for me. I created the concept of Obsidian Twilight and I wanted to make it my own little “playground”. But after thinking about it for a while, Obsidian Twilight really works better as a setting that any gamers, fan and even publishing company wants to use as they see fit. I hope this will inspire other RPG companies that support the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game to make product for this project. This is a labor of love and I want everyone to enjoy it.

For those that are still interested, the Obsidian Twilight Help Save a Life Blood Donation is still ongoing (see here for more info). So if you wanted to participate and get a free copy of Obsidian Twilight and help save a life, now is your chance.

We still have no official release date, but we are planning for a Summer 2010 release. This may be changed to due to specific factors (The birth of my first child is one of these factors) but we at LPJ Design will do our best to keep you updated on Obsidian Twilight current status. Thank you for your support on this project.

Which is the better to sell RPG PDFs at: RPGNow or Paizo?

Here is a little experiment I have been researching of late with some interesting results. RPGNow has always been the site where I make the most sale of my PDF products that I sell. Well that was true until the introduction of 4E by WOTC and WOTC withdrawing from RPGNow. Plus with Paizo releasing Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, my sales on it have jumped amazingly. As of right now, my sales at Paizo are twice what they are with RPGNow. They are lots of reasons for this and one important factor to think about is LPJ Design have over 400 products to sell on RPGNow and only 160 products on Paizo. So what is going on?

So let’s do the math: if I sell $100 on RPGNow, then based on the statement above on Paizo, I would sell $200 worth. Now let’s subtract the percentage each company take for their services of placing my product up and hosting it. RPGNow is 35% while Paizo is 25%. Using the numbers stated above:

RPGNow = $100 ($65 for LPJ Design; $35 for RPGNow)

Paizo = $200 ($150 for LPJ Design; $50 for Paizo)

With all these facts you realize that I am paying more of a percentage of my sales for RPGNow because of their marketing, behind the scenes coding and impressive back end support. But as anyone can see, for every $1 I make at RPGNow I make $2 at Paizo. On top of that, Paizo charges me less of a percentage for what it does. Now they don’t have all the impressive bells and whistles that RPGNow has, but I think if a site can double your sale is pretty much impressive enough.

So what is the better site to sell at as a PDF publisher? Well the answer is obvious, BOTH OF THEM!!!!

While Paizo sales are hot NOW this might not last and vice versa with RPGNow. Your job as a publisher is to sell you product. Today, Paizo might be the big seller and tomorrow it might be someone else. Just sell in as many places as possible, check your numbers and you will do fine. Talk to you later…

Help your customers avoid taking responsibility...

I read this topic, "Help your customers avoid taking responsibility" on Seth Godin's Blog.  I though many of you might think it was as important as I thought it was.  Talk to you later...

Coming Monday at Paizo.com: Arsenal of Arcane Might

With arcane might that is yours to command, what will you do with it: create, destroy or even both? If magic is the most powerful force in all creation, then Arsenal of Arcane Might for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game will make a powerful ally for you. It has everything an arcane spall caster would want. Arsenal of Arcane Might the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game sourcebook for all things arcane, features:

• Over 30 interesting and creative Metamagic feats like Agonizing Spell , Arcane Strike, Contagious Spell, Deceptive Casting, Energy Familiar, Infuse Reality and Shadow Familiar which will add all kinds of interesting and creative magic to your game.
• More than 65 inventive spells including Brimestone, Curse of Years, Eldritch Maelstrom, Flesh to Ice, Flaying Darkness, Hellfire, Mask Scent and Prismatic Arrow for Wizards and Sorcerers of all levels that you can add to any campaign.
• Over 10 imaginative magic items of all types, from rings to wondrous items.
• Plus Character Sheet, Initiative Card and much more.

Available exclusively only at Paizo.com.

Left 4 Dead 2 Trailer

Question of the day...

Are you doing anything of value today? If not, why? Talk to you later...

Moving closer to the release of GRAMMAR: The Sentence Creation Card Game

I have been behind the scenes working on GRAMMAR: The Sentence Creation Card Game and have signed a few deals that will help make the actual planned launch of the game in March 2010. I plan to have the mock up ready by December and start showing product as soon as I get it. Just a little something to help expand LPJ Design. Talk to you later…

Always take mutant healing...

Great defination of the term, Loss Leader...

You might want to check out Webcomics.com for a great defination of what a Loss Leader is and what it can do for your business.  Talk to you later...

Ultimate Spell Decks: Cleric Spell Cards for Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Now available!

Wish you didn't have to flip through books or searching PDFs every time you want to cast a spell? You can't see to remember the range, duration or Save of a spell off the top of your head? Wish you could introduce unique and new spells to your campaigns in an easy format. Help is coming for you in the form of Ultimate Spell Decks: Cleric Spell Cards. For use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game players and GMs! Ultimate Spell Decks: Bard Spell Cards are printable forms for players and GMs alike which makes managing a spellbook simple and easy. Now your storehouse of magical power will fit right in the palm of your hand with these easy to use, convenient spell decks. Each card contains the significant and relevant rules and description of a different spellcaster's arsenal for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. If you play a Cleric, then you have to have this product. Created by LPJ Design. Available now at RPGNow.com.

Undefeatable 8: Druids Available at RPGNow.com!

Undefeatable is the new supplement line for fans of The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game who are looking to add more interesting and different feats to their gaming sessions. Undefeatable 8 which focuses on Druids has over 30 feats including Call of the Wild, Child of the Wilderness, Fey Blood, Resistant Shapeshifter and Sunder Natural Weapon that are perfect to be used in any game setting. This 6 page PDF is just the sort of thing needed for GMs to add depth to any great Pathfinder Roleplaying Game gaming session. Written by Simon Rocquette and Louis Porter Jr.  Available Here!!!

Talk about customer support from Paizo

I guess LPJ Design is still doing good work since Paizo did a little write up on the Paizo Store Blog.  It is simple and to the point.  Best of all, Paizo is showing real support for the 3rd party publishers by doing something like this.  Support the people who support you by helping them make money and everyone wins.  Talk about a cirlce of life or a great symbiotic relationship or just smart business. Take your pick.  Talk to you later...

Monsters by Design: A Project/Contest for Fans of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game by Fans of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game!

What makes a monster cool? Is it the cold and boring mathematical stats it possesses OR is it the vibrant, energetic, highly descriptive and exciting back story of the monster themselves? Of course it is the back story! One of the toughest things about making a good monster is making and creating an interesting and exciting back story. Drow Elves have interesting stats but it is their back story that makes this interesting, the same way that a Beholder, Mind Flayers, Githyanki, Yuan Ti and other memorable monsters are.

So LPJ Design has decided to do is created a project/contest called Monsters by Design. In this contest, LPJ Design will supply contestants with three (3) different stat blocks of monsters to use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The contestants of the Monsters by Design Project/Contest will create the cool and interesting parts like appearance, back story, combat tactics better known as “The Fluff” for these stat blocks. Anyone is eligible to submit an idea for the Monsters by Design Project/Contest. The fans of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game will be able to vote direct in the forum thread at Paizo.com to determine the top three winners of the Monsters by Design Project/Contest.

The top three winners will have their monsters re-created with a professional layout and profession artwork and best of all LPJ Design will be paying you for winning this contest. (Not a lot of money. I remind you, we still are a small 3rd party publisher). This in turn makes the winners all officially professional published RPG Game Designers!!! If you have every wanted to be a professional RPG writer, well know is your chance!!!

Best of all, the winning three monsters will be able for sale exclusively at Paizo.com. The winning three monsters will be 100% Open Content and anyone can use in their home games or even professional products! Don’t miss the opportunity to live out your dream as a professional RPG writer.

The official start date and deadline is coming soon. Stay tuned in to this form post. Talk to you later…

What do you do with the money your RPG Business generates?

No one really asks this question because …well I don’t know why but let me tell you what I do with the money my RPG Business generates: I use my money to make me more money. What often happens in new RPG companies is they use the money to buy silly things like a McDonalds Happy Meal or a pack of gum. But when you have been at this for a while, you should think long term about what to do with your money. I have a motto at LPJ Design that I got from the rapper Jay-Z: If it doesn't' make dollars, it doesn't make sense. Fans of the American TV show Shark Tank  know this is very much the same personal motto of Kevin O’Leary. It is very simple. As a RPG Publisher you need to follow that also.

Cashflow is the life blood of what we do in business. If you spend your cashflow on things that don’t help generate more cashflow, it might dry up when you most need it. Like in the middle of a global recession. You should only spend your money after you have answered the following two questions:

• Will spending this money help grow my company’s sale?
• How long and how many sales will I need take to get back the money I am about to spend?

If it does not help grow your company, then don’t do it. Buying the Adobe Creative Suite is a good idea, only if you are going to learn the program to help save you money by doing the layout work yourself. Don’t get it just to get it if you don’t plan to learn how to use it. Hire a professional layout person to do the work for you and it will save you money in the long term plus help you increase your cashflow. Don’t spend your hard earned money on silly things. Making money is tough, hard work and you should not waste it. Remember, it doesn't' make dollars, it doesn't make sense. Learn it, love it and live it. Talk to you later…

[Devil’s Workshop] Undefeatable 6 & 7 for The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Released

Louis Porter Jr. Design, in association with Devil’s Workshop, has released its all new product line for use with The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game called Undefeatable at RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG.com. Here is information on this product:

Undefeatable is the new supplement line for fans of The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game who are looking to add more interesting and different feats to their gaming sessions. Undefeatable 6 which focuses on Rangers has over 30 feats including Archer’s Coup De Grace, Critical Aim, Enchant Arrow, Killing Shot, Ranged Trip and Swords as a Shield that are perfect to be used in any game setting. This 6 page PDF is just the sort of thing needed for GMs to add depth to any great Pathfinder Roleplaying Game gaming session. Written by Simon Rocquette and Louis Porter Jr.  Undefeatable 7 which focuses on Paladins has 25 feats including Aura Of Courage, Divine Protector, Fist Of The Gods, Instinctive Healing and Sense Corruption that are perfect to be used in any game setting. This 5 page PDF is just the sort of thing needed for GMs to add depth to any great Pathfinder Roleplaying Game gaming session. Written by Simon Rocquette and Louis Porter Jr.
Available at RPGNow.com here:

Undefeatable 6: Rangers - http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=65220
Undefeatable 7: Paladins - http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=65221

Pathfinder and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under license. See paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

What I Learned From the Food Channel About Developing a Niche

Saw this over at American Express OPEN Small Business website and I though many of you might find this interesting.  Lots of useful information that can help you build your business. Enjoy!

I used to shop there, but now their customer service sucks so I get it online instead…

This is the tagline I normally use for Best Buy. They have gone from a very well run professional store with great customer service, to a mega-giant store where you can never find a service person who knows about any of the products they sell or you find them clustered together in a group ignoring customers. Why does that happen? People used to take actual pride in the work they did. But now they don’t even care about anything going on in the business they work. It is like you are bothering them by asking a question.

This also carries over to comic and game stores too. Basic customer service 101, greet ever customer that comes to the store. Then you ask them if they have ever been to the store before. These two questions are the corner stone of retail customer service. Some of you are thinking, how can you do that same thing to people online? Simple, you build a friendly website for people to come to. Something that is not only welcoming but something that is very interesting. Disney got it right. Everything they do is about customer service. Do you know how many complaints it takes to get fired at Disney? One. A Bad customer service experience just once time can get you fired. People at Disney understand and live the credo of Good Customer Service. Also a simple little thing you can do online is change you images on your website once and a while. For LPJ Design, we change the main image on the website once a month. We really need to change the image once a week. See everyone can improve what they are doing. Every time someone comes to your website or retail location they need to see something new. If you don’t do this then you will see something new, no customers and then a closed or out of business sign.

Ask yourself this, “What can I do to make customer’s feel better about the product they have purchased from me?” You answer that question, you are half way to creating a successful business. Talk to you later…

PDF Business Focus: Customer Service

Due to several CRAPPY dealing with companies including Comcast and Stanley Steemers (NEVER USE THEM!!!!!) and two great companies; Cisco and Hart's Painting; I have decided to start talking about customer service and how can I and you do it better for my own business.  I don't know how long I will talk about this but I would like to get the opinions of people who read this blog, good opinions and especially the bad ones.  The best source of customer serives I have heard of is Zappos.com. According to the company, their core value is to "deliver 'wow' through service". Who wouldn't want to work with a company that makes that it core vaule.  What is your business' core value and do your potenial customer know what it is?  Made they do and that is why they don't purchase from you.  Guess you need to step up your game.  Talk to you later... 

Done with the move, now back to Pathfinder projects...

Now that we are in the new house / LPJ Design Headquarters, I can go back to focusing on my Pathfinder projects that have been on hold due to the move. Two of them are in a state of flux and might be changing very much in the near future, so I can't talk about them. Sorry. I have also come up with a great Pathfinder Roleplaying Game product that I am not really to announce. Sorry. But this one will be perfect for those looking to break into the business of RPG writing. So if you have hopes and dreams of writing RPGs this is for you. Lastly, I have completed Undefeatable 6: Rangers so you will be seeing that later today Tuesday at the latest. This one is only 99 cents so get your dollars bills out. See not all bad news. Talk to you later...

Move to new house/ New LPJ Design headquarters almost complete..

The move to the new house is almost complete just a few more things that we need to bring over from the old apartmrnt and that will be it.  The LPJ Design headquarters (My office) still needs some work, but it is about 70% done.  I hope to have a few announcements for you soon, including what are our plans for the Black Friday / Cyber Monday Sale Weekend over the US Thanksgiving holiday.  Talk to you later...

If Kaga is what a “good” Arcane Intelligence is, then what is a “evil” Arcane Intelligence is like?

Good question, here is better answer. Since I first came up with Kaga I always thought, “What kind of Arcane Intelligence would the First Ones come up with?” Well in the back in mind I answered that question via of comic book inspiration. And that inspiration came in the form in of Brainiac.

Brainiac is what I like in a villain, a simple idea expanded to the maximum effect. So if Kaga was all about being a location where all the arcan information could be accessed and used by all then this First One Arcane Intelligence would be get all the arcane knowledge and keep it for itself. And arcane knowledge that it could not control and take, it would destroy. Plus the skull shaped spacesuit is BAD ASS COOL!!!!!!!

This sounds like the villain you would like to add to your home NeoExodus: A House Divided games doesn’t it. I guess I have some work to do then. Talk to you later…

Just some artwork for you to look at...

Just another piece of art from our new artist.  Don't know where this is going, but I do like it.  Talk to you later...

BLAMIMATION's Glengarry Glen Ross by Halfpixel

Here is the BLAMIMATION that Kris Staub and Scott Kurtz did for the 2009 Harvey Awards. It features a parody of the famous Alec Baldwin monologue from Glengarry Glen Ross featuring Prince Valiant and a cast of other syndicated comic stars. Kris Staub did all the voice acting, Blamimating and background art. Scott Kurtz did all the character art.


Harvey Awards Animation from Monkey and Tiger on Vimeo.

Dragon Age: Origins Trailer

Back from Baltimore…

The Baltimore Comic Con was a great convention both business-wise and just for old fashioned fun. Here is the list of some of the people I spoke to and talked to this time.

Laura (DePuy) Martin - I have met Laura several times at MegaCon, so now she recognizes me. Always interesting to speaking to her about color theory and digital coloring in general. I have a secret “comic geek” crush on and her my wife thinks it is cute.

J. M. DeMatteis - I have been a fan of his works since I first started reading comics. It was a profound pleasure to meet him and he gave me some incredibly inspiration words about writing.

Kris Straub, Dave Kellett, Scott Kurtz and Brad Guigar from Half Pixel.com, Webcomics Weekly.com and Webcomics.com - All were all great guys to talk to. Brad is even funnier in person. Best of all, they all signed my copy of How to Create Webcomics. Real nice guys.

Jamal Igle -  This was one of the big ones, because Jamal has actually read my Suicide Squad 8 page pitch I did and gave me great comments on it. We talked a while about comics, having children, what is it like to have Geoff Johns kill a character you created and lots of cool stuff. I hope to pitch him something that we could work together on. That would be great.

Jim Chueng - Told him that my wife had a crush on him and I loved his work. He told me that there "should be" an announcement about Young Avengers soon.

Matt Fraction - Really a nice and funny guy. For some reason I thought he might be an assclown. Very wrong about that. Lots of good writing information and inspiration. He gave me the best reason why he writes: “I have a 2 year old who needs to be feed.” Funny part of me talking to him, Brian Michael Bendis is his the booth behind him Fraction reading emails in his IPhone looking up to see what we were talking about.

Steve Ellis - Very cool time. Got his card and looks like we might be talking and doing some business together. Still very hush-hush and in beginning stages, but it is nice to know that he is really interested.

Like I said, a great con. Can’t wait until next year. Talk to you later…