thread: 2010-08-13 : IPR and You
On 2010-08-21, Ron Edwards wrote:
Not counting my sudden lack of presence in retail, Sorcerer and Sorc supplement sales increased signficantly after shifting to the Un-Store, which also means focusing on my own site and promotion.
My checks from IPR were originally extremely substantial every quarter, when Brennan was the primary mover in IPR policy. Later, they were piddly, just pennies really.
The market was out there, and still is. My on-line sales and the GenCon booth showed that in spades. IPR as administered by Fred and Simon did not serve me in reaching that market.
The current dialogue is being too polite about this and missing the key issue of management priorities. IPR-Brennan was a powerful and signifcant force in favor of broad-based publisher success. IPR-Fred-Simon was not; the priorities were focused on maximum extraction from the highest-earning titles.
The only downside from leaving IPR was to fall out of retail. The issue wasn't about the money (because the profit margin is terrible), but because I like the store owners in question and they liked my titles. Fortunately, I have found that retailers are now seeking me out personally to carry my books, both in the U.S. and internationally. So I didn't really need IPR for that, either.
For the record, I am very happy about the change in management and look forward to what Darren and Jason have in mind for IPR. If their policies do serve me and my existing market, then we'll have a lot to talk about. This was and is a *business* decision.
