Just a quick rant:
When somebody offers business advice for free (especially via a gimmicky format like podcasting), you can be reasonably sure that the advice is worth what you’re paying for it.
I was going to keep mum about this, but the fact that this guy (who has directly ripped off my IP in the past and has copied the business model and trade dress of other publishers, while continually demonstrating a lack of understanding of the licenses that his products are released under) is offering advice on being an RPG Publisher is LAUGHABLE….if it wasn’t for the fact that I know there’s going to be a bunch of newbies who’ll decide to use his “insights” to create their own companies, further flooding the market with enthusiastic incompetents. Just what we need.
His post about Hollywood is particularly painful…guy gets his RPG property optioned, without apparently knowing what that means, and also apparently never figured out that the connection was his chance to get some screenplays seen by producers. Talk about wasting an opportunity….
If you’re somebody who is seriously considering starting an RPG publishing business, or you’ve started one and you’re looking for advice….contact me. My rates are pretty reasonable, and I can provide references.
Or, you can choose to just listen to MP3s from somebody whose idea of insight is to recommend that RPG publishers emulate the porn industry.
Just sayin’.
I went podcast hunting the other day, and came across that.
Uh, yeah. The porn thing, IMAO, was a real stretch.
How has he ripped off your IP?
CU
Oh. Him. I had no idea those crappy M&M products were from one of his imprints.
I’m suddenly reminded of an SCA story I overheard once. The King and his court herald (who happened to have a Persian persona and was Shia Muslim mundanely, and also a crafty political maneuverer) were looking at the class schedule for a collegium and saw a class on “SCA Politics” being taught by one of those sorts who actually thinks he’s good at it, but mainly only serves to distract peoples’ attention while the real shakers and movers do stuff. The conversation went something like:
“So, Hossein, I see that Viscount Galen is teaching an introduction to SCA Politics. What do you make of that?”
“It is as it is written, My Prince, the blind shall follow the blind and both shall plummet into the chasm. Inshallah.”
He asked if he could do a tie-in project with CORSAIR.
He showed me the work.
It was ass.
I said “no, there’s no way I can sign off on this.”
He released it anyway, using Adamant Entertainment’s name and the CORSAIR title to advertise it.
I went ballistic, and he removed the references…although the product is still out there (since it was based on Open Content, there’s nothing I could do about it).
That ain’t right.
I was considering looking into some of his cliparts for art savings on T&J followup projects.
Not now.
CU
Is “publing” some new slang you kids are using today, or does he have a typo in his animated GIF? I’m not even being snarky here, I’m honestly curious.
Uh hmmmm. As usual, ya gets what ya pays for.
Heh. Well, he also offers a chance to check out his “Adverting Rates”, so ya never now….maybe he just has a thing against the letters I and S…(and perhaps H, too).
It’s somewhat comforting to know his website is as well edited as his products.
Surely no one actually pays attention to him. I mean, he’s a parasite on the industry, no one in it actually takes him seriously, do they?
Unfortunately, I think a lot of would-be PDF tycoons will see his relative success in that niche of the industry as a sign that his advice is worth listening to.
And he showed such promise at the start.
He has good ideas, he just falls flat on the execution. I’m interested in his Shakespeare d20 stuff, but after hearing about his M&M Superlink stuff I have little hope for it.
For what it’s worth my advice is …
Playtest.
Edit.
Proofread.
Learn the basics of layout.
Be hardass and picky about your art.
Be adaptable with your release dates, and open with your customers about delays.
Most important, play the damn game.
On Proofreading
A comment earlier in this thread got me to thinking about proofreading. I’m making progress through Privateer Press’ Iron Kingdoms: World Guide and I’ve run across a few typoes. Wrong word, mispelling, that sort of thing. They’re jaring. But, they don’t ruin the book for me.
Why?
Because overall it’s a well done work. It’s an engaging work with much in the way of information one can use when running a game in the Iron Kingdoms. All in all it does a good job of presenting background information. The typoes that are there are not so prevalent or so outrageous as to lessen the book’s value. One can hope that the PP staff gets better, and from IK:WG it looks like they will.
That said, there are books etc. out there that look like they were edited and proofed by a second grader with a bad case of dyslexia. As a matter of fact, they would probably read better if they had been edited and proofed by a second grader with a bad case of dyslexia. So the industry gets a bad rep because all too many people are first exposed to it by these clowns.
There are publishers who release product that is just good enough according to their opinion. We need more publishers willing to put the effort into products that are actually good. Who will take the time and effort needed to produce works of quality.
So let folks know about low quality work and high quality work, and urge they invest their money and time into the latter.
(Got wordy there, didn’t I? :) )
Meh.I listen to them.
I figure you never know where you might find a nugget of wisdom. Though mostly I just end up shaking my head in amusement.
There is one thing he’s all hyped up on, that pisses me off quite a bit. That’s his advice to only use foreign artists as a way to save money. (He’s even getting some otherwise sane people buying into the idea) What the hell is the point of that? Just set the price where you can afford it, and see who bites. I mean, as a publisher, what the hell do you care where I live as long as I can meet your price? Not every American artist has a mortgage on a condo in LA, we don’t all have the same cost of living or addiction to expensive junk, so why not let us decide if we’re getting paid enough or not?
Stupidity, just… stupidity.
(aka: madelf)