Re: Re: status of hq publications

From: nick_at_...
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:05:21 +0000

markmohrfield_at_... wrote:
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com, "markmohrfield"
> > <markmohrfield_at_> wrote:
> > >
> > > Given this, would switching to all-PDF publishing be viable, or
> would
> > > it just make the situation even worse?
> >
> > You tell me - have you bought the PDF versions of HHP, MSE, and the
> > other Moon Design products available through DriveThru RPG? :)
> >
> > Jeff
> >
>
> I bought the "Champions of the Reaching Moon" PDF, but decided to
> wait for the hard copy of "Blood Over Gold". I may give in on BoG. I
> haven't (at least not yet) bought any PDFs of earlier works, but have
> bought two copies of those works that I use most frequently and
> suspect that I would have gotten a PDF instead had they been
> available at the time.
>

I bought BoG and CoRM as PDFs and then decided that I didn't like being tied to a computer to read them. I tried putting the PDFs onto my PDA, but it was horrid. I'm very happy using Microsoft Reader or Vade Meachum for novels, but the PDFs either involved requiring a microscope or having to scroll sideways to read every line. I am unlikely to buy PDFs again unless we get into a 'unless there are 200 PDF sales in the next week there will never be another printed Glorantha book' situation.

The thing that it has always seemed to me that PDFs fail at utterly is attracting new or returning readers. The FLGS always had a handful of people who'd buy anything Gloranthan immediately and a crowd of RuneQuest gronards who'd browse and buy some of the time. As far as I can tell a PDF will only ever sell to someone who knows a book is coming out, who knows that they want it and is prepared to actively go look for it. Most of the people reading this list probably fall into that category, but I don't think we're enough to rebuild the market without getting some people to join us.