Normally, I pay little attention to editorial blog posts, but because I clearly fall into the group that Robert J. Kuntz is addressing in his editorial blog post, I decided to give it a close read. In fact, I read it several times to make sure that I understood his point. I have decided that he does indeed offer some sound advice on the subject. Thanks! I have said from day one of my hobby publishing that one should, “go with their heart.” Create and publish what you want to create and publish. (And if you read the comments, you will also see where he dismisses the validity of both of my points!)
As an Old-School Renaissance publisher (and I will not get into a debate about calling it that – it is the best phrase I have for it and I make no apologies for using it), I would like to humbly add two additional points to the good advice Robert J. Kuntz offers in his editorial. I believe many hobby publishers need to hear them from someone who is in their shoes. So here goes.
First, while some themes, monsters, setting, etc. are often repeated in OSR products (some are just too classic to let die), I find there to be a great deal of creativity and imagination as well. However - and it took me a while to come to terms with this as well – preserving the games we grew up playing and providing a legal means of supporting them with new products is a major foundation of the Old School Movement . I came to the OSR looking to create rpgs the way I wanted to play (and I continue to do so), but along the way I also learned how to love and appreciate the history and variety of expressions that make up First Edition Dungeons and Dragons. While there are a few in the OSR who proclaim that that “D&D is really just 1980- something and earlier” or that “Gary wasn't really Gary after 1980-something,” they are free to hold their opinion, express it and to also share a place in the OSR. They are indeed, “one-of-us.” But honestly, that kind of extreme attitude, thinking and pontification (I can use big words too! :) ) is a tiny minority in the OSR.
Second, there really is a place for hobby publishers right now. Call us amateur if you like, but we try our hardest (with lots of volunteer help) to create and publish the very best and most professional material we can. But we are faced with very real limitations that keep many of us firmly planted in our day-jobs. Honestly, the thing that holds most of us back from being as professional in our publishing as possible is that the up-front costs of publishing are just too high. Two quick examples: The price of professional publishing software is just too much (and especially in this economy). Many of us have learned how to get by using much cheaper (and often much more limited) programs. That often limits our ability to produce professional products. Although, it does make emulating 1970-80's rpg printing pretty easy. While digital printing does make printing easier for the hobby publisher by allowing us to have short print runs created (100-300 copies for example), it is far more costly that traditional printing. We usually make such short print runs because we know that in today's rpg market (even in distribution), publishers sell far fewer copies than they did just five years ago. Today, any OSR product that sells 100 or more copies in distribution, directly from a publisher's website or even in pdf form is considered a smashing success. Even then we usually only double the money we put into the product – which is sometimes just enough to purchase the art and the print run for the next product, but no more. Sure, most of the real publishers treat us kindly (sometimes even as equals), but until the economy picks up and if the OSR market grows substantially, most of us are always going to remain hobby publishers. And I think many of us are okay with it.
So to all you hobby publishers out there using a word processor, print-on-demand publishing or an online pdf outlet to publish your best un-tested authors and artists – go with your heart!
And if you only sell 25 copies of your product and it gets read, played and appreciated, you, my friend, are a successful OSR publisher! :)
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