Re: July 1st Worldwide Release of HeroQuest 2nd Edition from donald_at__lpWuRzZBttPF5ESbKLd1E9Cu3mDSOcfSNh2jzvRXV8uEWHOhxbKR762KNc2YSXt-ZrDL on 2009-06-05 (World of Glorantha)

From: donald_at__lpWuRzZBttPF5ESbKLd1E9Cu3mDSOcfSNh2jzvRXV8uEWHOhxbKR762KNc2YSXt-ZrDL
Date: Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:48:10 GMT

In message <4A28AAB6.8000801_at_YRonSfYV7xfmYFHZFgdDENcZgctIPK7DDPIw1L_LgEjiput12BKgRYxLGrdSzTEIAKiFKUw7NYMB_1kh7lmGDQm8Gc0.yahoo.invalid> L C writes:
>This got sent direct to me, although obviously meant for the list.
>
>--- Forwarded message---
>
>Actually, in the US, the lead time is usually several months. My
>distributors ask me for pre-order information months in advance so
>that they can plan their own orders of the product.
>
>I've asked my distributors (the two biggest in the country) and my
>sales representatives there haven't heard of the books...
>
>This makes me think that the books, if carried at all, will be ordered
>late and in very small quantities... This worries me since I would
>very much like to carry the books in my store.
>
>- ShopKeepJon

It sounds like the big US distributors have a proper system for handling pre-order information to assess demand which does not appear to be true for the UK.

However I suspect it concentrates on the major publishers products. Publishers who have a production schedule which they keep to fairly well and a marketing department who push information at them on a regular basis. Neither of which applies to Moon Design. Of course that has a converse effect of delaying publication even more. A delay of a year or even two from completion to publication is not uncommon.

HQ may be important to us but in terms of the market as a whole it is insignificant. So distributors are not going to spend much time or resources on it.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/