PDF Size and price. Yes, it's back...again...

[GregS]

Sorry folks,

but I looked through all the topics and posts I could find and couldn't get an answer to this specific question:  How big is too big for sources like RPGNow?

The book is 235 pages and at 100dpi for images with decent quality and max compression it ends up 8.7 megs.  If I reduce the images to 72dpi I can get it down to 5.78 megs, but there is an appearant reduction in image quality between the two.

Which that means that, with Character Sheets and a print friendly version in the zip, I'm probably around 10 megs.  Is that acceptable?

I'm also looking at a retail of $9.95 for the complete core book.  Anyone want to chime in on that, too?

Thanks!

[Simon W]

RPGNow can handle a maximum of 10megs, so it sounds like you are ok with them.

Simon W
http://www.geocities.com/dogs_life2003/

[Jack Aidley]

I'd be reluctant to download something so big as a .pdf, and I've heard similar comments from others (I think there was a thread about it on rpg.net recently?).

$9.95 seems cheap to me.

[Vaxalon]

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I don't really care much about PDF sizes.  I've got DSL and a CD writer.

That being said, is your PDF an actual text PDF or is it image scan of pages?

Image page PDFs are, indeed, a major PITA and if I ever got one from RPGnow I'd ask for my money back.

[madelf]

Actually RPGnow can handle well over 10megs.

I have several clip art products up for sale there that are over that, and I've spoken to one person who has a 70meg collection available. So I don't think file size is a big issue except for the slow download time to people with a dial-up internet connection.

235 pages on the other hand, is pretty hefty compared to most PDFs. Not many people are going to want to print that out on their inkjet, or pay enough to have someone else do it. For that reason I'd recommend a POD option, either at RPGmall (which would link right off your RPGnow listing) or someplace like lulu.com, to help those folks out. It costs next to nothing to do, and it widens the appeal of the product.

$9.95 seems quite inexpensive. Many PDFs half that size sell for as much.

[Simon W]

Actually RPGnow can handle well over 10megs.

Oh.

I based my comment on the fact that on the upload site, it told me that I could upload a maximum of 10megs.
Presumably, you have to get in touch with customer service to upload larger files?

Simon W
http://www.geocities.com/dogs_life2003/

[madelf]

Simon,

Ah, I understand now where you got that idea.

They have two options for uploading product. One is a web-based setup that restricts file size to 10 meg (which is really going to be plenty for most people) and the other is an ftp-based solution for those with a file size over the 10 meg, or who just prefer to ftp the file (but the publisher would obviously need their own ftp software for that).

Edit:
I didn't need to set up anything with customer service, the ftp address and password comes with the introduction package and then you just email them when the file is ready for review.

[Ed Cha]

First of all, what is it? Is it an RPG?

[GregS]

Firstly, thank you to everyone chiming in.  I'm glad to hear I'm at least on par with, if not ahead of, the curve.

Secondly, Vaxalon, what is the difference between a text pdf and an imagescan pdf?  

Finally, for Ed, Oops, sorry.  Didn't explain it in this thread.

The product, Valherjar, is a 235 page RPG that was originally intended for print and mass distribution.  It has a color cover & a b&w interior with lots of graphics.

Originally it was my intention to print it hardcover and retail it for $29.95, but-- in a saga that has already made these boards-- I got the cold water treatment right before we went to print and so now am shifting to a PDF or on demand printing launch.

Thanks!

[Vaxalon]

An "imagescan" PDF is the quick and dirty method of making a PDF.  You take the manuscript pages to a particular kind of Xerox machine, you put a blank CD-r in it, you load in the document, and press "GO".  The copier scans the pages and creates a PDF document with one scanned page on each page of the PDF.

It produces GIGANTIC files because PDF is a hugely impractical way of storing image data.

It's far more efficient to store them in the form of text.

If you have images in the PDF, keep in mind that most of the layout artists I have talked to recommend that you use images with no higher than 150dpi resolution; anything finer than that can't be seen on-screen.  For POD distribution, however, you want to use images of at least 300dpi because the  printer is much better at reproducing detail than the screen.

[smokewolf]

$9.95 seems ok.

The Swing is 188 pages and is about 11 MB and sells well at $10. I have tried twice to up the price and have come back to $10 both times. This seems to me to be the best selling point for The Swing.

BTW, The Swing is a non-D20 RPG complete system. Pricing does vary depending on what the product is.

[Brad Hindman]

The book is 235 pages and at 100dpi for images with decent quality and max compression it ends up 8.7 megs.  If I reduce the images to 72dpi I can get it down to 5.78 megs, but there is an appearant reduction in image quality between the two.

Which that means that, with Character Sheets and a print friendly version in the zip, I'm probably around 10 megs.  Is that acceptable?

I'm also looking at a retail of $9.95 for the complete core book.  Anyone want to chime in on that, too?

For comparison, Sidewinder: Recoiled is nearly 292 pages long and the PDF is 11.7 Megs. We haven't received any complaints about the size. (Although it certainly is a behemoth). The price for Sidewinder is $16.50 and sales have been good.

[GregS]

Fantastic!  Thanks for the information, all.

Vaxalon, glad I don't have to worry about the image scan thing (I've got acrobat and am using InDesign for my layout).

Keith and Brad, thanks for the comparisons.  I may try $14.95 instead...or somewhere in between.

Anyone have experience with pricing differences between a PDF and POD?  I'm thinking very strongly about launching it through Lulu once I'm reasonably sure there's no huge bugs in it, but I'm clueless as to what the relative prices should be.

Thanks again!  As always, I really appreciate everyone's help and responses.