thread: 2009-10-27 : Book Publishing - Some Startling Numbers
On 2009-10-28, jenskot wrote:
A while back I started a thread called ???How many indie RPGs have sold 1000+ on their own???? that speaks to some of the points brought up in ???The 10 Awful Truths About Book Publishing???. You can find it here: http://story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=10345
As:
- the number of similar products released increases
- retail space shrinks
- the number of potential customers stays the same
- people???s time lessens
- competition from free alternatives increases
- piracy increases
- push to digital shrinks profits while minimally impacting audience size
- increasingly niche products splits potential audiences
Most books (not talking roleplaying games specifically) are selling primarily to the author???s existing community. The idea of a general ???mainstream audience??? is disappearing. Who the author is can be more important than what they are selling. As well as what books the community decides are mandatory to read to be a part of the community. To increase your chances of selling, you have to do more than having a quality product. You need a link to a community. Sometimes releasing a quality product with modest sales but positive reviews is the start of that link.
That said, there is a lot of talk among publishing companies that as large bookstores fail, commercial real-estate prices drop, niche products dominate, and digital options deliver under expectations??? there may be a new renewed push towards local specialty book stores. Especially stores that act as social gatherings for community members. Which would be fun!
Apologies for the information overload. It???s an exciting topic.
I also agree a lot with what Ben says above.
Rock,
John
