Tales From The Floating Vagabond looking for new home

[leegarv]

Hi, Lee Garvin here. Please forgive me if this post is innapropriate for the list, I'm just trying to get the message out.

I'm dropping this announcement in here because I want to make TF2V available as a .pdf file for sale on the net.

If you think your site could do this, please contact me at the email below. I don't know if I'm looking for an exclusive relationship or maximum coverage; it'll depend on the responses I get.

Please, only serious enquiries.

Thanks,

Lee Garvin

res6n6sa@verizon.net

[ethan_greer]

Hi Lee,
First let me say I'm a fan of Tales from the Floating Vagabond. Thanks for the game.

Second, let me suggest that you consider selling it yourself. Why go through a third party when sites like RPGNow and Lulu exist? These are sites whose sole purpose is to let individuals like you sell their works from the internet. And these aren't the only options out there. Hopefully food for thought, anyway.

In any case, good luck!

Edit: Waitaminute... RPGNow and Lulu are third parties. Oh well. My suggestion still applies...

[leegarv]

Second, let me suggest that you consider selling it yourself. Why go through a third party when sites like RPGNow and Lulu exist? These are sites whose sole purpose is to let individuals like you sell their works from the internet. And these aren't the only options out there. Hopefully food for thought, anyway.
.

See, That's exactly what I want to do, but I have no expertise or even scanning capability, so I'd need someone to do the grunt work, or at least instruct me in how to do the grunt work.

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Whoa, let's make a quick check - Lee, you're not looking for a publisher, right? Just site space for a version of the game which you, technically, are publishing?

If so, reassure me that you are in fact the primary author as well.

If that's so, then you are in luck - all sorts of people here will be willing to help you.

But do let me know the answers to the questions - they are key for this forum to be helpful for you. Everyone else, shuddup until Lee tells us.

Best,
Ron

[leegarv]

Hello,

Whoa, let's make a quick check - Lee, you're not looking for a publisher, right? Just site space for a version of the game which you, technically, are publishing?

If so, reassure me that you are in fact the primary author as well.

If that's so, then you are in luck - all sorts of people here will be willing to help you.

But do let me know the answers to the questions - they are key for this forum to be helpful for you. Everyone else, shuddup until Lee tells us.

Best,
Ron

I am, in fact, the primary author, as well as holder of the rights. What I need is for someone to scan physical copies of three products; Tales From The Floating Vagabond, Bar Wars, and The Reich Stuff, to be made into pdf files for e-publication to reintroduce the game to the public at large in anticipation of a brand new edition (Which I hope to put out in harc-copy form in 2006). In addition, I need web space for said products, an e-commerce solution for selling them and getting the money to me to fund much needed game design and drinking binges.

Lee

[Ron Edwards]

Ah!!

Well, you are in luck. There are lots of people who can help you here.

Speak up, folks, here or by private message.

Best,
Ron

[ethan_greer]

I'm probably not the best person to be giving advice, but if it were me, here's what I would do:

Get the text in digital format. A Word document, a txt file, whatever. Best case you've still got the manuscript in some computer format. Worst case you just roll up your sleeves and type the mother up.

Get some artwork in digital format. This could involve scanning the book, or you could commission new artwork to give it the final PDF that "fresh product" smell. A post in the Connections forum here or at RPGnet would almost certainly get you some artists. You can also go the clip art route, but for Vagabond's rather specialized subject matter it might be difficult to find some.

Once you've got your text and your art, look for someone to do the layout. Matt Snyder has been known to do layout work for Forgites, and I'm sure you could find others interested in doing the work with another post in the Connections forum.

Once you've settled on a layout person, send them the text and art files, and they'll create a PDF for you, complete with art and stuff.

Now that you have your PDF, you need to set up a sales venue.  RPGNow and Lulu are both options. You could also do it yourself. What you would need in that case is a website, a verified PayPal account, and a conversation with Clinton about getting set up with the Forge Bookshelf. This is a route that several Forgites have taken.

Actually, you'll probably want to get a website in any event. That's a whole 'nother ball of wax. I seem to recall that the Forge offers web hosting, so that may or may not be an option. Again, talk to Clinton.

Some more advice is in this article by Clinton. It's somewhat dated, but still has good information.

In any case, I think you should go for it. There are a bunch of people here who can help you every step of the way.

[greyorm]

Get the text in digital format. A Word document, a txt file, whatever. Best case you've still got the manuscript in some computer format. Worst case you just roll up your sleeves and type the mother up.

Much easier than even that: you scan each page in with a scanner (optimally at 300 dpi or even more if you have the processing power, time, and hard drive space), then OCR the mess of them (that's Optical Character Recognition for you non-savvy types). This creates actual, real, cut-n-copyable text from the scanned graphic of a page.

The higher the dpi, the more correct the OCR translation should be; however, depending on various factors (font styles scanned, colored backgrounds, scan dpi, etc), there may be mistakes you will have to go through and correct by hand. (If no one else here knows how to perform this process, or lacks the software to do it, I know how and have the software.)