Re: new and upcoming

- hi; in rgfg article, <PcCrj.13816$xm6.10964@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
timpollard@xxxxxxxxx "Tim Pollard" wondered, and wisted:
"Charlton Wilbur" <cwilbur@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
Ben Finney <bignose+hates-spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

SJ Games (again, quite reasonably) point out that if a PDF
sells well, they're more likely to release it as a short-run
hard copy. This, too, is no good to me, because if I pay for
the PDF and *then* pay again for the hard copy when it
eventually comes out, it's obviously more expensive than just
buying the hard copy which is all I actually want anyway.

- hard copy, or hardcover? - because there doesn't seem
to be a great difference between pages printed out on
modern computer printers and those "short run" editions
i've seen so far (which look like good pod productions,
rather than traditionally printed and bound editions).

Seconded. The content in the PDFs is extremely high-quality,
but I want to buy my books as physical objects, not as elec-
tronic downloads. So I have to choose - do I buy the PDF and
print it myself, or do I wait and hope it comes out as a POD?
Thus far, buying the PDF and printing it myself seems to have
a causal relationship with SJG deciding to release a POD. And
this *does* tick me off.

I'm hoping for POD technology to advance quickly to the point
where SJG can offer their entire e23 catalog as either POD or
PDF download. Until then, I doubt I'm going to be buying any
more PDFs.

I'm at a loss about PDF buying too, because the stuff I buy seems
to be the stuff that turns up as POD books anyway, so should I
wait and hope a PDF that I like the look of eventually becomes
a POD and then get it (and then pay even more because as a UK
customer it's much more expensive to get them), or just get the
PDF and give up on the professionally produced tactile book I'd
much prefer to have, especially as a GURPS completist?

- assuming you're not being bugged by the sjg editorial
and production team in order to achieve this effect, is
it that sjg're looking to publish real, "dead tree" ed-
itions of all their pdf publications; or rather that you
've so far happened to've chosen their most popular pdfs?

- if sjg make their short-run/pod titles available through
the hobby games wholesalers, every games shop *should* be
able - and happy - to supply them to their customers.

It's be nice if having bought the PDF gave some form of discount
on the POD, but whether this would be a viable business move I
have no idea.

- as a business move, yes; but it might be rather more
complicated to administer, than sjg're prepared to con-
template: they'd have to keep records of customers and
their purchases, and attempt to keep them up to date
with changes of address - potentially for _decades_...

Alternatively, maybe SJG could consider produce a 'All Stars'
style hardback annually with a selection of the best selling PDFs
in them?

- hmm; i've not been able to sell a single copy of the
_GURPS All Stars_ title i've stocked - which if it's
indicative of its sales generally, doesn't augur very
well for such a project.

- love, a ppint. happy to have even half a shop open again
[please drop the "v", and change the "f" to a "g",
should you wish to cc. to, or email, me]
--
"never trust a man with shaved buttocks"
- jim darby, 2/9/96 (9/2/96 for merkins)

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