Hi chaps
I've approved the proof from Fidlar Doubleday for L&L which means the game is finally going to go on general release. Don't you just hate getting printing sorted, always so much hassle.
Another thing I hate is marketing, I love games design but when it comes to pimping my stuff, I'm a bit lost. It's very alien to me, I've never even worked in retail or the private sector. I need to redo my website, which I'm working on slowly with my limited skills...
So what advice do our top tier sellers have for me?
Does anyone even know?
Is it just a heady mix of fate and geekgasm that gets results?
Do I need to spam fora like it's going out of fashion?
Go to more Cons? (Difficult when you work weekends).
What makes a good press release and which sites should I fire it off to?
I'm considering running a competition with a cash money prize for the best AP post, opinions?
Cheers
Joe
Merwin (DoN's coauthor)
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Thu, 09/07/2009 - 12:41.
Merwin (DoN's coauthor) tried to offer money-back for reviews/APs of Dead of Night. In the year or so he ran the offer, he didn't get a single bite! I think the idea of paying someone for that makes people uncomfortable.
Playing games yourself, and then posting up the results seems to work well. Likewise encouraging fellow Collectivites who have played L&L to post their APs too.
Going to (choice) cons is always a good idea. For every copy sold at a con, another 4 or 5 people will see/hear your game and might go away and buy it later.
Fate and geekgasm, mainly.
Submitted by Tim Gray on Fri, 10/07/2009 - 08:30.
Buzz on forums etc is the best thing, but there's no sure way to get it.
Post around, make polite and contructive replies to people's threads, and have the game mentioned in your sig.
Get high-profile people to mention it in their blogs, columns, forum posts, etc.
If on OBS, use the free promotion points for banners and featured product messages. It only makes a small difference, but it is free.
(Aside: have the CE guys on OBS considered setting up a footer for mutual promotion? See my Questers product page to see what I mean.)
Be Fred Hicks. That seems to work.
Post to the Ads/Promo forum on RPGnet. You probably won't get any bites, but you might.
Oh, I'm sure you weren't serious about spamming forums, but don't!
On IPR there's not much you can do to promote a product. It goes on the front page, which gets sales for the new and shiny factor, and usually gets a mention in the podcast.
OBS and IPR are the best online sales channels and you should use them if you can. You probably know that.
You could try asking Pookie if he'll add it to his review pile. I know he posts reviews on Pyramid and one or two other places.
Have a community of supporters, who are genuinely enthusiastic about the game, so that when a forum thread etc comes up where it makes sense to mention your game (eg Jaws in a sword and sorcery thread) they can do it. Looks much better than you doing it yourself. I know a few of the CE guys already do this.
PS - you asked what makes a good press release. It applies less online, but is still a good principle: editors cut from the bottom, so put the essential information in the first paragraph and then supplemental stuff afterwards, and keep the whole thing very concise. So para 1 might give the name of the game, where people can get it, and a snappy version of the selling hook to tell them why they should be interested. The next para might expand on how the game is good at doing what it sets out to do. The final para might be an engaging quote from you - or maybe somebody else expounding its virtues. Then you make sure you give contact details for follow-up.
Tim Gray
Silver Branch Games
www.silverbranch.co.uk
Buzz
Submitted by Neil Gow on Sat, 11/07/2009 - 09:40.
The key would be getting people talking about the game - generating that all important 'buzz' that creates the momentum for sales. There are three ways that are easy to do it - many of which Tim has touched on already.
1. Announce the game is released.
Really basic stuff, but you need to let everyone know that it is here. You have some great in-roads into various communities through some of the 'name' artists that have worked on the book, so use them. Put something in the Announcements section of UKRPG and Dave will usually give it front-page status. Cover all the bases. Be present on selected fora and field questions about the game.
2. Get AP and Recommendations
If you look at a game like Hot War (correct me if I am wrong Malc?) the sales were OK off the back of the launch but didn't pick up until people actually started playing the game and posting excellent APs. With D&H and 3:16 and of course, to a greater extent with your own Contenders, it was very much a case of certain people championing the product and giving it an independent seal of approval that takes the promotion out of the publishers hands. Thats what you need to get going. It's what you did with me for P&P btw!
3. Presence
I am wholly of the opinion that no-one (except maybe a really talented GM like Scott Doward) sells a game better than the creator. They are the one that truly understands the game, can play it in the way that it was designed to be played and has that spark of enthusiasm and geekness that can really fire the experience. That means that to get the game sold, you have to do some of the selling and that means getting to at least some cons. Or making the game someone else's bestest fave game in the world (see #2)
Neil
Take the King's shilling at http://www.omnihedron.co.uk/dutyandhonour/