Ian Cooper wrote:
>The problem with print is distribution. Book publishers, like music
publishers before them, made their money
>because they had the capability to distribute music.
Yes, all too true.
>Just because Rick decides to print 1000 copies of HQ does not mean
that the stores will ask him to send them copies of it.
Hell, it took me MONTHS to get "Champions of the Red Moon" (and ended up ordering it online) because despite me repeatedly bugging my FLGS for it, their distributor refused to ship it to them. (Or they never ordered it and were lying to me. Either way.)
> So I suspect that the move to electronic formats for niche products
like RPGs is inevitable. How fast?
>I suspect it depends on how fast readers that are practical at the
game table spread.
Well, the Kindle has been hot, and I suspect we will be seeing knock-offs and cheaper versions in the not-too-distant future. I can't read PDFs easily on notebooks, I find it trying, but I have heard nothing but good about the ease of Kindle use.
>Of course the terms have to be attractive. I can see the use of POD
services like Lulu being viable for groups like Moon Designs.
>But beware, the cost of product will rise for all of us through POD
because we no longer benefit from economies of scale.
>Cheap, printed, small press product may not be a viable option.
The question I have here is whether or not LuLu lets you decide to print on your own. i.e. - You can buy the PDF, and then individual customers decide to print it up, so they absorb the cost?
>Another option may be to only print certain core books, such as the HQ
rules for distribution to stores, and then rely on electronic sales for
supplements.
I could see this being a solution.
>Early Access programs are popular in the IT industry. I have two early
access program (EAP) books on my computer now. I get notifications when
new versions are produced, >and I tend to accept the early draft format
to get usage of the material or ideas early. Usually you can purchase
either PDF + early access, or PDF + Print + early access. The >pricing
usually makes it low cost to add the print (i.e. its a high price for
the PDF).
Yes, something like this would be *very* attractive to me. (Hell, I'd kill for an EA version of HQ2 rules.)
>As consumer we may well have to adjust our attitudes. RPGs may not be
produced in anything like the way that they were in the 80's or 90's.
Those days have gone.
Indeed.
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