Making Small RPG PDFs into small POD RPG books...

With the advent of print-on-demand (POD) publishing, I am doing something I always thought about doing but couldn't due to pricing issues, and that is make small (18 to 24 pages) RPG printed books for a reasonable selling price.  After checking my numbers and figures I have discovered that doing a POD book that short so little it is VERY profitable for LPJ Design.  For example, Trade Routes: Expanded Caravan Rules Sourcebook (PFRPG) has a PDF sale cost of $2.99 and a POD sale price of $7.99. Better still, if you want both the PDF and POD it will only cost you $8. A whole penny more than the POD version will get you both.  An 18 page sourcebook for only $7.99 is more than just a good thing, it's a GREAT thing.

Think back to old school Dungeon & Dragons module adventures, how many pages was White Plume Mountain? 16 pages. How about Slave Pits of the Undercity? 16 pages. How much did they cost back then? $5 I think.

Here is a thought for 3PPs, imagine what is would be worth to be able to do four 18 page adventures and sell them for $7.99 each. Then collect them together together in a "super adventure edition" with an all new 18 page adventure built exclusively for this edition.  You sell the "super adventure edition" for $19.99 as a POD  book and no one blinks an eye at the price. Why? with a page count of 96 pages and $19.99 is reasonable. Better yet, if you do this right and keep cost down, you can sell these POD books directly to RPG retailers and cut out the middle man of the distributor looking to get a large percentage for doing what you could do yourself. You get new customers buying your product; plus the retailer gets unique and (sometimes) exclusive products to bring into their store to help bring more customers in.  We call that in the business world a WIN- WIN. Small is the new big in the new economy.  Talk to you later...