Top Tenp Post at In The Mind of Mad Man from December 11, 2009

 I thought you find it interesting what are the top topics that have been at this website since I started tracking it with Google Analytics.  Enjoy!

1. Sounds like the 4E gravy train has slowed: Goodman Games may support The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game?
2. Working with RPG Writers - A look behind the curtain to see how some really feel about you...
3. The Red Skull Ultimate Avengers Version
4. My name is death and the end is near...
5. Hot Artist of the Week - James Ryman
6. I might have to kiss Erik Mona in the mouth over this...
7. A Father's Day Gift from LPJ Design...
8. Pirates of the Bronze Sky to be released July 4th, 2011...
9. Sounds like Marcus King is trying to make excuses for RPG retailers' lack of sales
10. What your future Big Bad Evil Gal for your Pathfinder game looks like... 

Sounds like Marcus King is trying to make excuses for RPG retailers' lack of sales

Here I go again attacking RPG retailers.  The said part is that they are so easy as targets.  This time it is Marcus King who is making it easy for me.  Recently in ICv2, Marcus made some comment about Industry Relationships. This was also picked up by ENWorld, who also gave the comments by Greg Leeds of Wizards of the Coast on Marcus King's Industry Relationships. To me is was time for Greg to shill the "Glory of WOTC" to the retail stores, while at the same time in the shadows developing their own PDF devilery system to get some of that PDF money they are missing out on from companies like RPGNow and Paizo. 

Marcus, I hate to break it to you, but the good old days of sitting on your ass and just collecting money from customers are OVER.  You need to up "your game" in the area of delivering service to your customers.  I would suggest you pick up and read The Speciality Shop, Rules for Revolutionaries, Tilting at Windmills and True Facts.  These books should provide you with a solid basis to deliever exceptional customer service to you customers like my buddy Tate does at his 2009 Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award winning retail store. And just in case you need to see it with your own eyes, check this out...

That is what a retail store should be like. Oh by the way, here is Tate's Gaming Satellite. This is Tate's 2,000 sq. ft. store that is a few doors down from the main store.  I hope you find this useful to help motivate you to be a better retailer.  Good luck, looks like you need it. 

Green Ronin is NOT a PDF publisher and here is why…

Green Ronin is a well respected and loved RPG publisher. Their staff is top notch and some of the best minds in the RPG industry and publishing business. Fans have supported their various gaming line in local retail stores for years. They have won awards in the field of RPGs and proved themselves to be a great RPG publisher and a top company to retail stores. And that is why Green Ronin is not a PDF publisher.

Green Ronin is a RPG Publisher who makes PDFs, but they are not PDF publisher. They do love PDF sales, but they are not it core focus of their business. The problem that most people seem to forget that there is a distinct difference between what a RPG Publisher is, and what a RPG PDF Publisher is. While they are very similar in just about every fashion, but here are some points that specially separates them:

1. RPG Publishers what to sell to retail locations who in turn sell to consumers. RPG PDF Publishers want to sell direct to the customer. Simply put, RPG Publishers is Barnes & Nobles; PDF Publishers are Amazon.com.
2. RPG Publishers put together manuscripts that are sent layout then to printers who print them. The RPG company pays for the print run, the printers sends them to the RPG warehouse that ships the product out to their distributor for sale. PDF publishers put together manuscripts that are sent layout then PDFed and uploaded to sell online. In some cases the create of the PDF can be done for free by the use of free PDF creation programs like CutePDF or PDF 995.
3. Due to printing cost, RPG Publishers need to do larger page count products to make the product cost effective, since the large the book the more you can charge. While PDF Publishers can do this also, they can also take a larger book and separate it in into smaller individuals PDF products. Green Ronin seemed to do this with their Advanced Race Codex series.
4. Pricing is normally the real difference between RPG Publisher and PDF Publishers. Often RPG Publisher will use the guide of 50% of the printed cost and that is the price PDF version. Originally the “accept” pricing structure for PDF was 10 per page, but that has changed over the years but pricing for PDF fall in the range of $2 - $8 each.

As I said before, Green Ronin is a RPG Publisher who just happens to make PDFs. Their main goal is to get the physical product in to retail stores. Monte Cook with Malhavoc Press is a PDF Publisher, who just happens to make books. Monte started off testing the PDF waters with The Book of Eldritch Might and went on to do collected bookshelf version of his PDF products with Sword and Sorcery and now with Paizo. Monte’s main goal is to get the information out to the fans no matter the format. DungeonADay.com is a great example of that.

Now with all this said, Green Ronin has release M&M Caper #1: Little League, the comments of Marcus King during the WOTC PDF fiasco more than proves they are fans of the format and see it future potential to help them become a stronger company. Adamant Entertainment, Malhavoc Press, Rite Publishing even LPJ Design are PDF Publishers. Green Ronin is a RPG Publisher who makes PDFs. Remember, there is a difference. Talk to you later…