Of course, Play Unsafe was only released in mid-November. So it's about six weeks of sales.
When I started the blog about improvisation, I hadn't intended to turn it into a book. But then the blog started getting attention and I thought a book might do OK. Improvisation gets a lot of attention, especially on Story Games, and it's a niche nobody else had explored.
I'd decided that, if I sold 100 copies over the lifetime of the book, I'd be happy.
So from the release date, 18th November, to 31st December 2007:
Lulu: 101
Dragonmeet: 12
Thieves of Time website: 2
Total: 115
Very happy with that. (For interest, there's been about another 25 since then).
Just for vague interest, I'm going to break the Lulu sales down week by week.
18th Nov: 36
25th Nov: 20
2nd Dec: 19
9th Dec: 14
16th Dec: 10
23rd Dec: 2
So, a huge flurry in the first week, then about two a day for a while, then everyone went on holiday.
Oh, and of course, that's just on Lulu, really. I'll try some other sources, next.
Graham
Good stuff
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 00:50.
That's some really solid sales there, nice work. It's good to see a work that is game related, but not a game, being successful.
Just a quick question: where did you promote the book? Was it simply on the 'usual suspects' of Story Games, here, etc, or were there other avenues that your explored?
Cheers
Malcolm
Contested Ground Studios
Usual Suspects
Submitted by Graham W on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 01:52.
I'd been talking a lot about it on Story Games. There was some real enthusiasm for it there.
It became a bit of a roll for a couple of weeks: people would post saying they'd enjoyed the book and how it affected their roleplay. That'll have been the main source.
The other source was the blog itself, of course. I'm unsure how many people read it, but people comment who I haven't seen on Story Games.
Paul Tevis reviewed it on Have Games, Will Travel, and that seems to have an impact on sales. It wasn't so much a review, as a short piece where he was very excited about it.
(There was an RPG.NET review, this January, for comparison, which didn't seem to have much impact on sales.)
I have other things to say about price points and PDFs and so on, but I'll tell you those when I see you.
Thanks for the support. It's very much appreciated.
Graham
Break Even
Submitted by Neil Gow on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 09:28.
If you don't mind me asking Graham, what was your break even sales figure for the game?
Neil
Take the King's shilling at http://www.omnihedron.co.uk/dutyandhonour/
Sixth Level
Submitted by Pelgrane on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 09:38.
You've reached sixth level on the RPG achievment table.
"well respected author" Graham
Simon Rogers
http://www.profantasy.com
Blog - http://sjrlj.notlong.com
Neil...
Submitted by Graham W on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 13:06.
Three copies. Maybe four.
I laid Play Unsafe out myself, on Scribus, which is free.
The only real expense was the art, for which I used stock photos (from bigstockphoto.com, as I remember). They cost 2 quid each in high resolution. That big pile of dice, on the front, is just a stock photo used very large: perfect for what I needed. Total expense was about 14 quid.
Arguably, another expense was a draft copy, to make sure everything was all right, which cost another fiver.
So, total expenses for Play Unsafe: 19 quid. Profit per book: 5 quid. Break even figure: four copies.
It was deliberate. I was seeing how cheaply I could do it.
Graham
Are the copies you sell
Submitted by David Donachie on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 17:44.
Are the copies you sell direct from your website also printed on demand then? I note you had a stock level, so I assumed that you had a stock of pre-printed copies.
http://www.solipsist-rpg.com/
When someone orders one from the website...
Submitted by Graham W on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 17:51.
I go straight to Lulu and type it in. It just gives another outlet.
I'd thought of taking it off the Thieves of Time website but, well, haven't got round to it.
Graham
Awww, and I bought from
Submitted by David Donachie on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 17:58.
Awww, and I bought from there on the off-chance that it made you more money :)
http://www.solipsist-rpg.com/
It actually makes me less...
Submitted by Graham W on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 18:10.
...because I forgot to change the prices.
Ah well. Enjoy.
Graham
Score!
Submitted by David Donachie on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 23:35.
...because I forgot to change the prices.
Ah well. Enjoy.
Graham
Score! :P
http://www.solipsist-rpg.com/