Review Copies

[Jason Morningstar]

I posted this query over at story-games, and Ben suggested bringing the conversation here as well. 

The Shab-al-Hiri Roach, knock on wood, 2-3 weeks away from sitting in a big box on my desk, ready to sell. I'm thinking about sending out a few review copies, and I'd like to ask you all:

1. Is this even a good idea? Does the initial outlay typically generate sales?

2. If review copies work, where are the top five places/people who should get them?  Does format (pdf vs. print) make a difference in the quality, accuracy, or speed of the review?

3. I think the Roach may have weird crossover appeal to people into Lovecraftiana but not tabletop gaming, like the insano people at the HPLHS. Any thoughts on reaching people outside the insular gaming world?

4.  Is there a quantitative difference in results from a "I read it" review and an "I played it" review, and are there good ways of ensuring the latter if so? 

I'd value suggestions from those of you selling games.

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

For a point of comparison: I very reluctantly provide review copies of my games to a small group of people. All of them originally approached me, which is a good starting point. I don't send a "round" of comp review copies to various publications as a blanket promotional device. In all cases, I'm convinced that whatever the person says, it will be fair (based on their outlooks) and act as good promotion, criticisms and all.

Ken Hite, for Out of the Box. The magazine Realms of Fantasy. Let me think ... anyone else? The French magazine, Backstab. One or more of the Nordic publications. Maybe I'm forgetting one or two others, but that would definitely be the whole list.

It is painfully, even nauseatingly clear that a lot of people request review copies and freebies simply because they like owning and having games, and because they enjoy the self-perceived insider status that includes free stuff as an entitlement. I think it's pretty fucking disgusting, actually. I've restricted my review copies to people who I know will provide thoughtful, widely-read reviews.

There are a couple of people I like to give books to as gifts, not "swag." They aren't reviewers, though.

Best,
Ron

[Ben Lehman]

I gave away exactly one review copy of Polaris.

My general feelings on review copies are quite strong: generally speaking, the reviews produced by review copies are not based on actual play and thus, regardless of the traffic or attention that they recieve, they are critically bankrupt.  Sold copies are more likely to result in play, and reviews from play are critically valid, fulfilling personally to me, and more likely to sell my game.

I think that this is essentially a question of valuation -- people will tend to value those things that they pay money for more highly than things that were given to them for free (note that this is different from gifts, which are personal.)

For instance, I sold a copy of Polaris to Paul Tevis, who provided absolutely amazing reviews and AP recordings of the game, and I am convinced is significantly responsible for my game's success.  By giving away a review copy, I'm essentially saying that whoever I'm giving that copy to will provide me with more valuable marketing than Paul.  Frankly, that's a slap in the face to all the boostering he and other people have done for the game.

So I guess I'm even harder core than Ron is.

yrs--
--Ben

[Andy Kitkowski]

It is painfully, even nauseatingly clear that a lot of people request review copies and freebies simply because they like owning and having games, and because they enjoy the self-perceived insider status that includes free stuff as an entitlement. I think it's pretty fucking disgusting, actually. I've restricted my review copies to people who I know will provide thoughtful, widely-read reviews.

True. I can say that as an ex-swag grabbing RPGNet staff reviewer. Also, apparently GenCon is littered with folks who will approach you for a "review copy".  Reviewer for which group/magazine/enterprise? "Oh, here and there."

IIRC, someone had a rule for review copies, called the Justin Bacon Review Copy Rule. "If someone asks me for a review copy, and they aren't Justin Bacon, I say 'No'" (unfortunately this is back when he was a solid reviewer and promoter along the lines of Ken Hite, and not his current incarnation). It's a solid rule, and I think that everyone needs to find that One Person or Two with a solid background and history for writing solid, well-read reviews, and make your own "X Review Copy Rule".

My "X" will be "Judd", but I have a feeling he'll buy a copy anyway.

-Andy

[guildofblades]

Hi All,

Ron is totally correct. There is a sub culture of gamers out there that try to gain free product in the guise of being a "reviewer". I really can not count the number of times we have recieved e-mails from people saying something like "your game looks pretty interesting. If you send me a free copy I will review it and post that review everywhere".

As an experiment, a few years back, we finally decided to test a theory about this kind of person. We decided to offer a deal to these would be reviewers. They could buy the game for our wholesale cost (40% of retail) and after x amount of time if they had published the agreed upon number of reviews that we would refund that purchase price. If they had not, we would invoice them for the other 60% of MSRP. Strangely enough, the number of such requests for "review copies" dropped dramtically shortly thereafter (like by about 90%). Not one person ever took us up on our offer.

What this told me is, most of these people were just full of it. While the games may have "looked interesting", not enough so that they would actually spend money on it. If they would not spend money on a game, even with the possiblity of getting it refunded, how can they possibly be an objective reviewer? Further, since 90% of these requests stopped after that,I came to the conclusion that not only are there a lot of these swag hounds out there, but that they actually network together to figure out which game companies are easy marks and which can not be fooled.

We regard review copies to retail stores in a similar light as well. Many retailers will say something like they won't even consider a new product unless they get to see a "free" sample first. Bunk. Thats just this idea that all manufacturers, except perhaps the top 5, should be begging for their shelf space. It has been my experience over the years that if they think they can sell it and make money on it, they will carry it regardless of weather having recieved a review copy or not. Only rarely have I seen an actual review copy alter their preconcieved notion on the value of the product. Retailers by in large generate a percieved value of a game based on the market exposure they have seen for it and little else. Excepting a few retailers who understand where their selling category strengths in their stores lie and who agrressively look for more products to fit within those categories.

So to win retailer shelves, generate market exposure.

Ryan S. Johnson
Guild of Blades Publishing Group
http://www.guildofblades.com

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

The only value I can really see in review copies — and this is from speculation, discussion, and observation, but not actual experience — is that I can put a big name ("Kenneth Hite, author of GURPS Alternate Earths" e.g.) on my game's webpage. A quote followed by such a name is more compelling than without.

The reviews themselves, they're fodder, I think. You have to figure out how to use them. By themselves, not enough people read them, and I don't think they give the "I gotta buy this!" that AP posts do. But when a customer reads an AP post and they think, "Oh, interesting, but it sounds kinda weird — I wonder if I'd like it?" and they see the name of someone they respect on the site, I think it will help bridge that gap. This is important to me because my games are wonky — distributed GM-like powers, difficult subject matter, unusual rules — and I want people to feel just slightly out of their element, but not completely alienated.

So, I'd say, generate AP (which you've done admirably), have a really well-polished book (which I think you've done, though I haven't seen really close-up pics), and make whoever it is come and ask you for it. Then make them promise you a review if they want it. Cuz otherwise, you can sell that game to someone yourself. You know, for money.

[daMoose_Neo]

For me, it depends on what they are asking for.
If someone wants gratis print copies, thats kinda cheap to me. I fell for it when I first started and got burned - Scrye asked me for review copies of Twilight, asked for a set for the office and a set for the reviewer, and then without any explanation of what they thought the reviewer said it was too horrible to review and refused to write anything...while its gotten near rave reviews from people who just looked at it.
On the other hand, I have no problem with PDF reviews. I accept the fact many reviews are textual reviews and not always play, though I am entirely grateful for play reviews. If they want to review the text, fine, I'll give'em the text, PDFs cost me nothing but three seconds to click the "Send" button.

[Clay]

Keep in mind that sometimes a reviewer will consider a work as too awful to comment on.  I've been passed books that were in that category, even though other reviewers found them perfectly acceptable. 

What you really want for reviewers though is a galley, if your printer supplies such things, or an electronic file.  I tend to prefer getting electronic files because it tends to mean that any comments I have or areas in need of work can actually be addressed.  If a shiny hardcover shows up I know that the publisher is just looking for some PR puff, and my incentive to be of assistance goes down dramatically. 

[Christoph Boeckle]

The French magazine, Backstab.

Just for information, the magazine passed away not too long ago.
You could still try Casus Belli or Blackbox, though I don't read them at all and have no idea what they're worth. Casus Belli has got a large readerbase though.

[Veritas Games]

I think a track record for reviews is useful.  If Tom Vasel asks for a game, chances are he'll probably review it.  If people don't like your game, some people, including me, have the policy that they will often just remain silent, unless they think a lot of people are going to get duped into buying it.  Another thing I do, particularly with E-products, is send the publisher a laundry list of complaints prior to my review to see if they'll fix them.  If they do, then I delay the review until the fixes are in.  I think I only have one or two products that I asked for a review copy of that I didn't write a review of.  In both cases, I honestly didn't know what to make of the product -- I would never personally use them, but they were clearly high enough quality that I didn't want to sting anybody.

A track record is useful, though.  If someone even has 3 or 4 reviews on RPG.NET or BoardGameGeek, then chances are they don't mind reviewing things, and probably actually like writing them.  If they have 20 reviews, they will seriously consider your project.  If they have 100 plus reviews then they almost definitely will review it if they like it.

[Luke]

I've found review copies to be a marginal cost with substantial benefit. Generally, I only give out review copies to folks who ask. On very rare occasions I've handed over a copy with a request to review it.

I've had about a 50/50 success rate in getting reviews for the copies I've distributed. Not bad, not good. However, my sales are significant enough that I can't help but think that reviews have some effect. It's very nice to have a thick layer of reviews under your game. Now, some of those reviewers bought the game and wrote the piece of their own accord. Others requested a review copy, read it and reviewed it. Both are valid promotional tools. And giving away a copy of your game is also a pretty low cost form of promotion.

So yeah, my advice would be no to blanket the sites and zines with copies, but to keep an open mind in regard to requests.
-L

[Josh Roby]

If you want a "luminary" to review your book to increase sales, you will want those comments to be inextricably bound up with the product, preferably on the back cover.  If you want that, the reviewer has to write said review before you publish.  This can be accomplished by giving reviewers galleys or pdfs of manuscript.  This is, for what it's worth, how mainstream publishing works.

If you want a luminary to review your book to increase buzz about your game, you're going at it too indirectly.  Get your game out there, put it in the public eye, and buzz (good and bad, doesn't matter) will result.  That doesn't require comp copies.

[andrew_kenrick]

I'm in two minds about review copies.

In the past I haven't really been able to equate increased sales to good reviews, although I've found a review of a product drives discussion on the forums, which in turn can drive sales.

With Dead of Night our printer initially messed up and we were left with a free box copies that had superficial errors. These became our review copies, but in a drive to get rid of them (because they were free) I gave them to anyone and everyone who asked. The result - 1 review and a fortune in postage costs. I'd be reluctant to be quite so free handing out copies next time, except to people with a proven track record.

So don't go overboard handing out copies, but do give some out to a select (and trusted) few reviewers. Don't view the review copies as directly linked to generating sales, more as just another way to stir up publicity and general awareness for your game.

Andrew

[Jason Morningstar]

Thanks everybody, the diversity of opinion and experience here will be helpful to me and others.  I definitely appreciate it.

I'm going to start a new thread in hopes of addressing my third point, which was about using review copies to access "crossover" groups outside mainstream gaming.