For me, absolutely no!
I think it is a waste of time as a RPG publisher to go after store and begging them if they will sell my product (at a MASSIVE discount). I think my time would be better served actually selling direct to my customers. I see RPG retail stores like the newspaper industy and PDF RPG Industry as Webcomics. Most gaming stores are like dungeon pits, dark, dank and let’s not even talk about the smell. There are some that are not this, but I can remember a lot more that were like this then not. “Satisfy my customer” is my mantra. I don’t care what retail stores do. They don’t sell my product, so why should I care?
I sell direct to the customer so I can cut out the “middle man”. If you had 1,000 hard core fans that purchased once a month from you, you could do OK. Maybe not quit your job OK, but this could pay for your car note (mine did), by new computer software and hardware (mine did). So when a retail store tell you that PDF publishers are not real business, ask them why every RPG companies have seem to jump to them? With Amazon.com, Lulu.com, esty.com and many others you really don’t need retailers. You need loyal customers you can service. Talk to you later…
Yes because the amount of money in it is still 100x greater than in the pdf market,with Indie Press Revolution and a preorder model you can minimize your risk and create another source of cashflow, otherwise your missing the huge section of the market who don't buy PDFs, and especially rural areas that don't have broadband internet.
ReplyDeleteSteve
People say this ALOT, but then I think I have over 10,000 peopl on my email list who have purchased something from me in the past. Wouldn't it be easier to focus on people that already know of me and service their needs, then chasing after people in a retail location that I might never get to?
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the true print-on-demand revolution. At this point it hasn't quite achieved what I need. I like brick&mortar gaming stores for the discount bins. But I have found many good deals online as well. I make it a point to visit gaming stores whenever I go to a new city. You never know what treasures you will find in those bargain bins...
ReplyDeleteNo one is saying stop chasing the 10,000 people. I am saying you need to chase both and a middle man like IPR is going to do the chasing for you.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like the opposite of the B&M guys saying that PDF sales take away from Physical sales.
I have a plan for a print product, that I have been working on for a while that is zero sum risk, I will let you know how much extra cashflow comes in.