Release Question

[Domini]

I don't know if this should go here, or the F.A.Q., but I've decided on here, so you can move it if you like.

My question is, is there a more precise release date than "early 2006"?

[Solarious]

I shall second this worthy question. I wish to know when I can get my grubby hands on this book and denu... err...

>_>

I mean... devour the contents of the book! INTELLECTUAL CONTENT! YES, I MEANT INTELLECTUAL CONTENT! I'M NOT MAD!!! :shock: DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! :shock:

STOP MOLESTING MY HHHAAAIIIRRR!!!!

*runs off into the darkness raving and ranting*

[Felix]

I don't have exact details on this, the book is finished, we're hoping to rush it to the press at the end of February (clock's ticking, kids) How long it'll take to have the first batch of cookies for your needy little fingers is iffy. We're still exploring all of our means of distribution.

Roughly Translated - Yeah, it's 'Early 2006', deal with it ;)

[Christopher Ashe]

Felix pretty much has it, the book is pretty much laid out and ready to go. We need to proofread it and slot in some final art and we're planning on going to print in march. Now the book is going to run Hardcover (only way to do a core book IMO) so generally a full print run will take up to 2 months so I'm shooting for May this year.

I'm still indecisive on who to go with for print so that may be the only setback. I need a good price but also I'm very uncompromising on the quality of the book.

[Christopher Ashe]

I went ahead and moved this to FAQ because it's nice to have some ;)

[Domini]

Do you know where you're planning to have it carried? Which stores?

[Anonymous]

Well originally I was going to go with Key20 distribution, but they needed a 90-day heads up before release to promote (and I believe that was after the book was printed) so that was going to push the release date back to far.

I still may talk to Alliance distribution and find out what their terms are, but often they will not accept you if you dont already have several titles out.

So currently the plan is to self-distribute from the site (which will by then have online ordering) to retailers directly. We're planning a country-wide tour to get the word out as soon as release hits.

Printer and distributor are still the two things i'm not sure of, but the idea is to try and get it carried at any bookstore that will take it. While that may not be possible with Borders or Barnes n Noble, it can be accomplished with most gaming stores and comic shops.

One of the main reasons we're going to tour is the fact that the retailers are probably only going to order the game from us if the gamers ask them to, so we want to generate interest in it as much as possible.

--edit--

This was supposed to be Ashe, I forgot to log in.

[Solarious]

Oh. This is... both bad and good news, I guess.

I'll speak with my local retailers and see what they say. Maybe even with my downtown hobby store and ask them to keep an eye out. Spread the news of S13 far and wide through word of mouth! :twisted:

In the meantime, I'll deal with the withdrawl symptoms.

*goes to have a bath with Mr. Toasty again*

[Domini]

Will we be able to direct order from the site as well? I'm pretty sure the HobbyTown by my house won't stock it (they have maybe twenty books, most of them DnD or old WoD books that haven't yet been purchased).

Also, is there a tenative price yet?

[Christopher Ashe]

Wow you have a hobbytown? I bought my first RPG bxed set at a hobbytown back when i was 10 or so, most of the ones here in TX dont even stock RPGs anymore.

As for your question, it really all depends on who they use for distribution and how many people they have come in for RPG books and whether or not they'll give independents a shot. One of the primary ways I'm gonna try to get the word out is by making promo appearances and running Demos, so if people game there let me know and I'll try to schedule one. While it is likely that I will give everyone the ability to order the books individually on the site, its carriage from retailers that really gets our company recognized in the industry and gives us the promise of repeat orders, which in turn keeps business turning and helps me pay the costs to get more books made for future releases, so if yiu have a game store or comic shop in your area tha's the best way to go for the long run.

As far as cost, most hardcover core books these days I've seen running $35-40 but I'm shooting on getting mine out for the old $28-29. This isn't a guarantee though as it really all depends on what it costs me to run, but I'm trying to keep under the standard market price.

[Domini]

Yeah... it mostly focuses on models and Warhammer/LotR WH. Even their cards, which used to be a huge section, have shrunk to a little glass case. How far the mighty have fallen...

There is another independant shop a few miles from where I live that I could probably get it from if they ordered it. I haven't been there in a while, so I don't exactly know. You might be able to schedule a demo there, they have events every now and then for stuff like new games and WH painting. They get a lot of the area's gamers, so you would be reaching quite a few people.

[Coroidan]

So, i can't expect to see this in Australian stores any time soon? :P

[Christopher Ashe]

Actually I am currently talking with distributors who will ship the product worldwide, and at the very least stores will be able to order directly from Broken Doll (at least that's the plan). So there are definitely factors in place that should help get it out there.

[Coroidan]

ah, well in that case... awesome :D

[Domini]

Actually I am currently talking with distributors who will ship the product worldwide, and at the very least stores will be able to order directly from Broken Doll (at least that's the plan). So there are definitely factors in place that should help get it out there.

Will regular, non-distributor people be able to buy the books online?

[Coroidan]

while it is likely that I will give everyone the ability to order the books individually on the site

[Domini]

Right... sorry about that lapse in memory... I guess a more appropriate question would be what are the methods of payment you're going to be accepting for online orders?

[Christopher Ashe]

I'll be setup for pretty much every major credit card and I may look at paypal as well but i'm not sure.. My bank handls most of that stuff for me.

[Domini]

Would it be possible to send cash to you, or something along those lines, for those of us who have no access to credit cards/paypal?

[Christopher Ashe]

well you'd never want to send cash in the mail no matter what man, so i'm gonna have to say we dont accept cash, but i might be able to swing a money order type thing or something...i'm also looking into the online check thing

[Anonymous]

Hi, just found out about this place (dl the first chapter right now), now you said you may be distributing worldwide, but would for example non-English-speaking countries be included? (I live in Spain, which I love, but is mighty hard on this kind of things.) Or will I have to buy online? *fears shipping feas*


*poofs*

[Christopher Ashe]

I will do my best to make sure that anyone who wants to order the book can get a hold of it. If the monks in Nepal want a copy, I'll find a way to get it to them.

Now the main problem I'll run into with non-english speaking countries is that, as of now, I do not have the budget to get the book translated into more than one language. Of course that is a general statement, you obviously seem to understand english just fine ;). But for people who do not, they may have to wait until I can get the budget to translate the book into a few languages.

[Solarious]

Just make sure they are good translators. Languages don't line up nicely and neatly for our convienience, ya know. A perfectly innocent paragraph (is there even one in that book? :shock: ) can become some sort of hideous blasphemy when poorly translated.

Worse, you can become the butt of internet jokes worldwide: imagine it, the Wing Zero fiasco, but a thousand times worse!

All your Base are belong to Us. You have no chance make your Time. Hahaha.

:!: :shock: :!: :shock:

That isn't quite the publicity you're looking for.

[Felix]

Maybe and maybe not, my young friend...

I'm sure you are all aware of those billboards sporting young, attractive women with a line of sour-cream smeared across their upper lip with the subtle innuendo of "Got Milk."

However... on their first attempts of migrating the billboards south of the U.S. borders into Mexico... they were roughly translated as "Are You Lactating?"

I don't know about you.. but I'm betting that increased sale of milk amongst the horny male populous of Mexico... Thus a terrible error in their favor.

[Solarious]

Maybe it will be a benevolent error, maybe not. But I do know is that only people with reserves to fall back on can take chances.

I'm not privy to the Broken Doll finances, but I'm pretty sure you don't fall into this particular catagory. ;)

[Domini]

A perfectly innocent paragraph (is there even one in that book? :shock: ) can become some sort of hideous blasphemy when poorly translated.

I think that if someone were to become upset by a "blasphemy" from poor translation, they aren't the kind of person who would buy a book with agnostic/atheistic/pagan themes on top of being about how the world might end soon.

[Solarious]

Domini, you are innocent in the ways of the media. They need no reason, only the fact that it exists shall provoke them into mindless, ill considered, and insensitive reporting. They shall spread the news, and book burnings ensue, and ignorance will reign supreme.

Which, looking back at S13, is strikingly similar to New Worlders' and the Old Worlders' situations. Only we know the dark truths, and they all shall be steadfastly blind to the reality which surrounds them.

[Domini]

I honestly don't see why people hold mass book burnings. They can't steal the 5-10,000 books that they burn, so they're only supporting the people who they are trying to hurt because a lot of the population doesn't care and writes them off as weirdos.

[Felix]

I honestly don't see why people hold mass book burnings. They can't steal the 5-10,000 books that they burn, so they're only supporting the people who they are trying to hurt because a lot of the population doesn't care and writes them off as weirdos.

Fat people drink diet coke with their fried chicken and chocolate cake...

nuff said

[Domini]

True... but it could just be because Diet Coke tastes better than regular coke...

[Solarious]

I honestly don't see why people hold mass book burnings. They can't steal the 5-10,000 books that they burn, so they're only supporting the people who they are trying to hurt because a lot of the population doesn't care and writes them off as weirdos.You tell that to the first Emperor of China.

He united several warring nations into a single titanic empire, and his most infamous acts, ever, are book burnings and live burial of scholars. Knowledge is power, my friend, and who has access to that knowledge.

[Domini]

But back in 1st century China, the Emporer could just walk into the bookshop and kill the scholar who owned it and burn his books. In the modern age, we have a capitalist society and murder is illegal. And the president doesn't generally run to the nearest book shop to bury the owner and burn all of the D&D books.

[Solarious]

No ruining my analogies with modern sensibilities.

*uses a Giant Rubber Skanky Leg brought from the Warehouse to bludgeon Domini*

[Domini]

Ewww... skankyness!

[merlynsphoenix]

Please tell me you don't actually believe that people in power actually abide by the law if they think they can get away with it in the modern age.

[Domini]

Nah... I break the law all the time. I'm just saying, it's kind of hard to steal enough books to have a bonfire.