Hello,

This message is for those of us who publish, or are about to publish, an RPG intended to be available in retail stores.

I strongly recommend that company websites include a retailer locator, that is, a listing of retailers, including links, addresses, and contact information, that carry the game. It can be automatic if you're software-savvy, or just a listing if you're not.

Here's why.

(1) Retailers have, for the most part, learned to live with the fact that our company sites are going to do direct-sale business. Even as recently as a year ago, many retailers resented this fact greatly. Now, they can live with it (given that the price is not discounted, which I think is a reasonable expectation on their part).

However, they'd like some indication that the company websites acknowledge that the game is in stores, and to provide some promotion in that direction.

(2) Distribution is very scary in the role-playing retailer world right now. Historically, a certain tug-of-war has occurred over who "allies tightest" with distribution, retailer or manufacturer. Now, for the first time, some members of the two ends of the chain are looking at one another and wondering if maybe they'd do better communicating directly. This is not to say cutting out the distributor (which I am not suggesting), but rather to say, let's negotiate rather than just tug at the center.

(3) Given the above two points, consider this: by definition, the retailers I am talking about are trying to work with manufacturers, not against them, and especially with small, fierce manufacturers like you and me. By and large they are irritated with some policies of Hasbro/WotC and Games Workshop - they'd prefer to diversify their lines, carry more independents, and generally to promote actual play from their stores. They also, I think, will be more inclined to re-order based on consistent sales in the long term rather than based on deep sales in the short term.

Anyway, the Sorcerer website now has a retailer locator, and I recommend that all the other book-publishers consider the same.

Best,
Ron