PDF Publishing Wishlist

[DevP]

I started this thread to share (and gather) some "wishes" that I had for PDF products, and I'd like both some additional request, and also responses to how these are/aren't viable. These aren't demands as such (I'm not going to fault anyone for choosing against them), but simply things that I as a PDF Consumer would find to be value enriching.

[*] Bundle the PDF and Printed versions together. I prefer printed copies for games I like, but often finding myself wishing for a PDF backup, just in case of random destruction of the copy. Users may even pay for the privelege of getting both (but getting both for the price of one would also by appreciated by consumers).
[*] Offer useful game excerpts in re-usable plaintext. Given how often users replicate information from the books to paste into emails/handouts for players, you may want to help them along by offering some of those excerpts - perhaps common charts about "what the game is about" - plain text that can be easily copied elsewhere. (Or you can http://www.anvilwerks.com/creative_commons.html">CC the whole thing, but that route isn't for everyone.
[*] Have product available on Indie Press Revolution. It's cool![/list:u]

[madelf]

Offer useful game excerpts in re-usable plaintext. Given how often users replicate information from the books to paste into emails/handouts for players, you may want to help them along by offering some of those excerpts - perhaps common charts about "what the game is about" - plain text that can be easily copied elsewhere. (Or you can http://www.anvilwerks.com/creative_commons.html">CC the whole thing, but that route isn't for everyone.

Actually with a PDF (assuming the publisher doesn't lock things up of course) it's already pretty easy to cut and paste anything in there to a word processor, or even just print out a portion.
That's really one of the biggest strengths of PDFs (and one of the biggest complaints about DtRPG's policies, when they locked it up).

[DevP]

Thanks for reminding me, Calvin! For whatever reason, I don't usually notice when a PDF *does* have copyable bits. But, if you want some of your content protected and uncopyable (or conversely want to call more attention to the parts you do encourage copying of), then separate files might helpful, if it's not a great deal of work.

[JimLotFP]

Bundle the PDF and Printed versions together. I prefer printed copies for games I like, but often finding myself wishing for a PDF backup, just in case of random destruction of the copy. Users may even pay for the privelege of getting both (but getting both for the price of one would also by appreciated by consumers).

I was planning on doing this when I was ready to start selling. Buy a book, and you get a physical copy dropped in the mail, and I'll email a pdf copy at the same time I do that.

Actually with a PDF (assuming the publisher doesn't lock things up of course) it's already pretty easy to cut and paste anything in there to a word processor, or even just print out a portion.

Copy-and-paste capabilities are pitiful in a pdf. Just pitiful. I tried taking pdfs and copying the text into Word so I could turn everything into tiny-fonted booklets without the art or anything... and all the built in carriage returns just drove me mad. Thanks to this thread reminding me of the fact, I'm going to bundle a pure-text version with my pdf.

[Yokiboy]

Copy-and-paste capabilities are pitiful in a pdf. Just pitiful. I tried taking pdfs and copying the text into Word so I could turn everything into tiny-fonted booklets without the art or anything... and all the built in carriage returns just drove me mad. Thanks to this thread reminding me of the fact, I'm going to bundle a pure-text version with my pdf.

I agree with how annoying PDFs can be in this regard, but it is easy enough to get around with a good text editior (ala Homesite). Obviously getting a pure text version directly from the publisher would be terrific in my opinion, definitely a value add.

So if you're telling me that I can get a printed copy, a PDF and a TXT version of LotFP all for one price, then my question is how much?

TTFN,

Yokiboy

[JimLotFP]

I agree with how annoying PDFs can be in this regard, but it is easy enough to get around with a good text editior (ala Homesite).

Haven't tried fixing it with a text editor any more fancy than Word... even getting rid of the carriage returns in one fell swoop will get rid of a lot of the formatting where the original has blank spaces, etc, let alone the not-quite-correctly-read copy off the pdf in the first place... still not a clean select-click-click job. (I've mainly been trying this with 1E AD&D and the old MSH game pdfs)

So if you're telling me that I can get a printed copy, a PDF and a TXT version of LotFP all for one price, then my question is how much?

Current plan is $5 domestic orders, $6.50 foreign, but that's based on an estimation of how much the book costs to mail. The book itself won't have awesome production values or anything, I just want it to look clean and readable as a goal... Sending a pdf + text file through email doesn't sound like much additional work or cost... the pdf deliery won't be instant, it would be manually receiving the order and sending an email attachment kind of thing.

I'm also screwing around with the idea of making the pdf and physical versions a bit different in format and perhaps content if I'm going to provide both.

Book is going to be digest-sized, for convenience the pdf standard book sized.

Right now the plan is to have the middle four pages of the book be a pullout with all the tables for the game, whereas for the pdf the charts would be by the rules they apply to (or maybe that AND an extra few pages for the collection of charts that could be printed out separately.)

Also thinking of having a lot of the non-rule advice stuff not be in the print version but in the pdf if there are space concerns. Back when I was doing my free metal zine, I had no compunctions about just making the text microscopic. But dunno if that would fly for a non-free product. Although if I'm charging money maybe I could get away with buying some little plastic magnifying glasses wholesale to put in with orders if the text ends up being small like people always joked I should. ;)

I'm still awhile away from actually being ready to print though so ideas of how to handle things can change a million times...

[madelf]

Copy-and-paste capabilities are pitiful in a pdf. Just pitiful. I tried taking pdfs and copying the text into Word so I could turn everything into tiny-fonted booklets without the art or anything... and all the built in carriage returns just drove me mad. Thanks to this thread reminding me of the fact, I'm going to bundle a pure-text version with my pdf.

Well, to be fair... a TXT file would have the same problem. You'd need to have an RTF or such to get something that would auto-flow decently in Word.

[Ed Cha]

Have product available on Indie Press Revolution. It's cool!

Thanks for the mention, Dev! I'm glad you like IPR.

We're trying to get a lot of good stuff together in one place and offer FREE Priority Mail shipping to our customers on all orders $25 or more in the U.S. (and discounted shipping abroad).

Your idea about bundling the print and PDF together is a good one. That is what one IPR member is doing right now. Muse of Fire Games has its new game Capes available in that way. I think it's brilliant.

[klapton]

[*] Have product available on Indie Press Revolution. It's cool![/list]

I thought IPR selectively recruits the publishers listed in their site.

[rpghost]

RPGMall.com has been doing the bundle idea for years...

RPGNow.com will shortly unveil a true POD program that works inside RPGNow framework.

Many publishers used to put products in many formats, but I think they are either getting lazy or didn't get enough positive feedback/reviews to warrent them.

James

[axonrg]

Offer useful game excerpts in re-usable plaintext. Given how often users replicate information from the books to paste into emails/handouts for players, you may want to help them along by offering some of those excerpts - perhaps common charts about "what the game is about" - plain text that can be easily copied elsewhere. (Or you can http://www.anvilwerks.com/creative_commons.html">CC the whole thing, but that route isn't for everyone.

I'm a great believer that game companies, particularly those publishing under "open" licenses, should provide a copy of a work in plain-text, or even HTML format so that other user's can copy-and-paste the work easily. HTML is especially good for this as you can easily copy-and-paste or import content from a browser into your favourite word processor. Unfortunately, the CCPL does not require this. The GNU Free Documentation License and the GPL does, 'tho ;).

[DevP]

I'm a great believer that game companies, particularly those publishing under "open" licenses, should provide a copy of a work in plain-text, or even HTML format so that other user's can copy-and-paste the work easily.

Clinton is a great example in doing this, but I think even those designers who are very protective of their IP (understandably) can still find portions of their work they could leave open and copyable without diluting the end-value of my work.

[axonrg]

Clinton is a great example in doing this, but I think even those designers who are very protective of their IP (understandably) can still find portions of their work they could leave open and copyable without diluting the end-value of my work.

It is indeed highly commendable of Clinton that he not only publishes under a copyleft license, but also supplies an HTML version where his license does not require it. Especially for such an amazing and unique game as Shadow of Yesterday.

I also agree that many "closed" copyright publishers could benefit from publishing some of their content so that others can import them into their documents and it should be encouraged.

[Tav_Behemoth]

Bundle the PDF and Printed versions together. I prefer printed copies for games I like, but often finding myself wishing for a PDF backup, just in case of random destruction of the copy. Users may even pay for the privelege of getting both (but getting both for the price of one would also by appreciated by consumers).

A list of games that do this is here.