The PDF Market

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Scott,

That was an exceptionally well-written argument. You've just about changed my mind.

And Deeds not Words is great, by the way. If you ever want to write an article on how you made PDF publishing into a full time job, I'd really like you to submit it here.

Best,
Clinton

[Scott_Lynch]

Clinton wrote:

That was an exceptionally well-written argument. You've just about changed my mind.

You're most gracious, Clinton. I'll try to be the same way if I'm suddenly back to chopping salads for most of my living six months hence. ;)

And Deeds not Words is great, by the way. If you ever want to write an article on how you made PDF publishing into a full time job, I'd really like you to submit it here.

Thanks! I hope that DNW Revision 1.1 (long in coming, finally finished, now awaiting a last few pieces of art) will fix a great many of DNW's mechanical problems and needless limitations.

If you'd really like to hear me blather about the Cryptosnark , I think just after this coming GenCon would be a natural time for me to do so. I'll be attending GenCon precisely one year after Cryptosnark really went into business.

Cheers!

SL


[/b]

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Scott,

Welcome! Couple of points that might surprise you ...

1. Your point about competition, or the lack thereof, is shared by many of the folks here. In fact, cross-promotion among RPGs is widely practiced among those of us who've gone into commerce.

2. You seem to be treading cautiously regarding D20. The Forge isn't an "anti-D20" site, and there ain't no reason to expect disapproval or even any kind of consensus about it. Any insights and practices that you'd care to share about your publishing and design are welcome here, and you won't meet any rejection based on D20 in and of itself.

Best,
Ron

[ethan_greer]

Scott - yeah, what Ron and Clinton said!

This isn't just a me-too post, hopefully.  I'd been following this thread with growing concern.  I frickin' love the concept of PDF publication, and aspire to possibly do it myself one day.  Your comments and observations have cheered me up immensely.  Furthermore, I wish to go on record as being heartilly interested in hearing you "blather about the Cryptosnark."

[Scott_Lynch]

Ron wrote:

2. You seem to be treading cautiously regarding D20. The Forge isn't an "anti-D20" site, and there ain't no reason to expect disapproval or even any kind of consensus about it. Any insights and practices that you'd care to share about your publishing and design are welcome here, and you won't meet any rejection based on D20 in and of itself.

Howdy, Ron-- but I was under the clear impression that the Forge was a haven for anti-American hooligans out to pollute our precious bodily fluids by denying the d20 system its true and deserved place of esteem!

Or maybe I heard that you were all pawns of the Gnomes of Zurich. It's so hard to keep internet bunkum straight.

Cheers and best,

SL

[Jack Spencer Jr]

Well, not everyone here likes d20, of course, but the moderating here on the Forge keeps the "my hat for d02 know no limit" comments to a minimum. That is, the membership here knows it is best to not comment in a thread you have nothing to add to.

[GMSkarka]

but reflect on the fact that I am now making a *full-time living* exclusively from the sale of PDFs.

{snip}

I've put a total of 5 PDFs on the market since July of '02, and so far only one has been placed on RPGnow.com. My rough sales figures to date are:

*Deeds Not Words:* Just cresting 300 units sold
*The Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks:* Just past 275 units sold
Three other books: Combined sales of 400+

Forgive my editing of your post, above--but I do have a question based on the statement you made.

You're claiming a full-time income from PDF, right?  According to the figures you site above, you've sold roughly 1000 units since July.  Checking your site, I see that most of your releases cost $5, with DNW costing $10.  So, based on that, you're looking at approximately $6500 in sales over 8 months.  If you keep on track, that would be $812.50/month or $9750 per annum....or $109 *below* the federally-set poverty-level for a single adult below the age of 65.

Am I missing something, or is that not anything remotely close to "making a full-time living"?

GMS

[Scott_Lynch]

GMS wrote:

You're claiming a full-time income from PDF, right? According to the figures you site above, you've sold roughly 1000 units since July. Checking your site, I see that most of your releases cost $5, with DNW costing $10. So, based on that, you're looking at approximately $6500 in sales over 8 months. If you keep on track, that would be $812.50/month or $9750 per annum....or $109 *below* the federally-set poverty-level for a single adult below the age of 65.

Am I missing something, or is that not anything remotely close to "making a full-time living"?

Let me provide a more complete picture: $7,500 income in later 2002 from work as a prep cook, + $2,400 from freelance writing, editing, and ghostwriting. Also, half the PDF sales mentioned in my last post have taken place in the past *two months*-- there has been a disproportionate surge of late, not an even spread since July '02.

Given that my marketing has been half-assed and the suck factor of my website is rather high, my (reasonable, I hope) conclusion was that re-dedication to a better website and better marketing, along with more time spent actually writing, could produce continued healthy sales because of my selling habits rather than in spite of them.  

Also, note that when I say that I am "now making a full-time living off this," I mean "I resigned from my day job a week and a half ago." I've been continually explaining my living and writing situation since then to umpteen bazillion people who all ask "Dude, cool-- so when's your novel coming out?" and perhaps I've gotten a bit un-punctillious with the particulars.

I was steadily decreasing the number of hours spent working as a prep cook from January-March until my resignation, and for the past two months, PDFs have been my bread and butter, not to mention my rent and insurance. I have a considerable financial pillow left over from 2002 earnings in case of disaster or disruption, but everything now coming in is a direct result of PDF sales. Without them, I cannot live without a "day job."  With them as they are, I can get by on nothing else. With them as they should be, receiving my full-time attention, I expect to do better than "get by."

Also, take note-- I'm 24, long-term relationship but unmarried, no children. No car, no bus pass-- I use mountain bike and/or feet to get around the Twin Cities. No nasty habits-- no drugs, no smoking, minimal drinking. No expensive miniatures hobbies or other game addicitons. I live in an area of cheap rent and real estate and receive a break on my rent for property maintenance. A level of income that would be quite unacceptable for you and the family you have to support (especially where you live) would be rather extravagant for me-- the highest annual income I've yet posted was $18,500 or so back in 1999. Ergo, what I define as "full-time income" is anything above $14,000 for the time being. I expect to do rather better than that this year, but even assuming I don't, the prospect of writing 40 hours a week on my own schedule for that $14,000 is rather more attractive than chopping salads for the same annual income.

So, while the full picture has to include a bit more data, PDFs are the only reason I'm not currently chopping salads.

Cheers,

SL

[Scott_Lynch]

I'm sorry, I just reviewed my earlier post, the one you questioned. For the word *exclusively* your should read *primarily,* and please pardon my mistake. I think it's what you might call a "typo" or a "braino." My intent was to say that PDFs are the absolute cornerstone of my income, but that I have made and retain quite a bit of cash from other sources. I spank myself for a dumbass.

Cheers,

SL

[greyorm]

If you keep on track, that would be $812.50/month or $9750 per annum....or $109 *below* the federally-set poverty-level for a single adult below the age of 65.

Am I missing something, or is that not anything remotely close to "making a full-time living"?

Actually, ~$800 a month is what my family and I survived on for approximately four-to-five years (myself, wife, one-to-two children in that period). You'd also be surprised how many families have to make ends meet at that level of income without any assistance.

$800 a month is also about what a family can expect to recieve from Social Services if you are on welfare and cannot claim any other income (if you can, this amount goes down, but unless you are paid well, it tends to hover around $800 a month).

Given that a minimum wage job pays ~$5.75 an hour and pays out $230 a week for 40 hours of work, $920 a month (without taxes taken out) and around $10-11k annually, that people somehow make a living this way (and the government expects you to as well) is factual.

So, ignoring Scott's explanation for the moment, I can see a single individual easily claiming they are making a full-time living at the income noted and making the claim truthfully, because for a lot of single individuals and even families, that is.

[philreed]

While this is something I would like to do, I don't see it happening (in the near or distant future). The Austin area isn't cheap and I tend to enjoy new things and a nice car. While last month's $1,286 in PDF sales (after RPGNow's percentage) is a very nice extra bit of income it is not enough for me to survive at the comfort level I wish to live at.

I could easily see where a person could make their living writing and releasing PDFs. But not me. At least, not at this time.

The key, I think, to living off of PDF sales is your location. For many years I and my wife lived off of the $800 a month I made at the time while she went to school. It wasn't easy and I had to be very careful with the money but we survived.

Maybe I can make enough money from PDF sales to buy the nuclear missile silo I want. Maybe then I could cut expenses low enough to make PDF sales my living. But not at this time.

[GMSkarka]

. For the word *exclusively* you should read *primarily,*

Ah.   Clearer now.

Therein was my confusion.

GMS

[GMSkarka]

The key, I think, to living off of PDF sales is your location.

I think that holds true for living off any aspect of the games industry.   One of the main reasons that I'm going to be returning to Kansas this summer is the prospect of being able to live comfortably while working full-time in the industry, even though my annual income will most likely be half of what I make here.

In short, I've decided that being happy in my work and comfortable in my quality of life means more to me than being miserable in my work and affluent in my quality of life.

GMS

[Mike Holmes]

In short, I've decided that being happy in my work and comfortable in my quality of life means more to me than being miserable in my work and affluent in my quality of life.

I think a lot of designers share that sentiment.  :-)

Mike