Alien Module 5: Solomani - on PDF

[MongooseMatt]

Regretably, our shipment of Alien Module 5: Solomani books met a mishap, forcing the printer to reprint the entire run all over again.

Given that this is a hardback book that takes longer to print, and given that we know many of you have been waiting for the Solomani, we have decided to post the PDF up early, so you can start integrating the Solomani into your campaigns immediatly!

You can grab Alien Module 5: Solomani on Drivethru right now at;

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/101394/Alien-Module-5%3A-Solomani

 

[SJE]

Have I miscounted, but is this the 3rd Traveller book in a row to have misprint issues? - from Secrets of the Ancients (missing chapter) to Aramis (messed up spaceship) and now Solomani (just messed up?)

 

[Dunia]

I really love the Alien Module Books, even though I do not like much of the art (the Vargr ships made me laugh and cry at the same time - Compared with the Ships that could be found in the Vilani & Vargr by DGP, these ships look like something a 6-year old would draw), i like what the authors have written and I really look forward to see how the authors have thought about the Droyne and the Solomani (and the other books that will follow).

From the previews that Mongoose and Drivethrough have published I must say that I am very excited about the Solomani book and as soon as the printers push them out, I will buy one to me and one to my boyfriend.

But I have a question, how can Drivethrough charge so much for a PDF book, it is almost 60% of the hardback price and they just send me a file of a book? It is despicable!

/Dunia.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Have I miscounted, but is this the 3rd Traveller book in a row to have misprint issues? - from Secrets of the Ancients (missing chapter) to Aramis (messed up spaceship) and now Solomani (just messed up?)

It is not a misprint issue - the printers supplied us with books that had serious binding problems. We trapped the problem at the warehouse and have sent them back.

 

[MongooseMatt]

But I have a question, how can Drivethrough charge so much for a PDF book, it is almost 60% of the hardback price and they just send me a file of a book? It is despicable!

For PDFs, you pay for the content which, incidentally, is the same as in the printed version...

 

[far-trader]

But I have a question, how can Drivethrough charge so much for a PDF book, it is almost 60% of the hardback price and they just send me a file of a book? It is despicable!

/Dunia.

It's not Drivethrough charging 60% the price of the print version though

Most of the price is going to the publisher (and through them the author(s), artist(s), and what-have-you expenses) and set by the publisher. Drivethrough collects some fraction of that as a fee for hosting and distributing the file.

The publisher is able to discount the cost of the product substantially because they are able to eliminate the costs inherent in printing, shipping, and distributing (including merchant mark-up). And the buyer (generally) gets the product faster and in an easily update-able format. Most buyers of PDFs also prefer the convenience and portability of an electronic publication.

Far from being despicable it is (usually) excellent. It's not for every consumer though

 

[steelbrok]

Is there a lead time on the re-print?

 

[MongooseMatt]

Is there a lead time on the re-print?

Waiting for the printers to work themselves out, but should be less than a month.

 

[Captain Jonah]

But I have a question, how can Drivethrough charge so much for a PDF book, it is almost 60% of the hardback price and they just send me a file of a book? It is despicable!

/Dunia.

Well look at it this way.

The authors, artists, editors, layout people and everyone involved in producing the work need paying for what they have done.

If RPGNOW is charging 5 or 10% as their fee for hosting and selling (it’s probably less but this is an estimate) then 50% (odd) of the book is going to the people that made it and 50% is going to the printers.

On a £30 book anything up to £15 of that book is going to the printers.

Don’t complain about the PDF costing so much, what you are paying for is the creation of the book; look at the fact that more than 40% of the price is just the printing.

 

[Gypsy Knights Games]

If RPGNOW is charging 5 or 10% as their fee for hosting and selling (it’s probably less but this is an estimate)

Wow. I wish! That's not even close. Try 30-35%.

 

[Captain Jonah]

If RPGNOW is charging 5 or 10% as their fee for hosting and selling (it’s probably less but this is an estimate)

Wow. I wish! That's not even close. Try 30-35%.

Eek ok.

Still that makes my point about the book costs worse.

If RPGNOW charge 60% of the list price and they wack 35% onto what Mongoose charges that means the actual cost to create the book works out at roughly 45% of the list price. So rather than saying Mongoose are overcharging with a £30 book look at it that Mongoose are producing a £13.50 book, its everyone else that is adding to the costs.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Regretably, our shipment of Alien Module 5: Solomani books met a mishap, forcing the printer to reprint the entire run all over again.

Given that this is a hardback book that takes longer to print, and given that we know many of you have been waiting for the Solomani, we have decided to post the PDF up early, so you can start integrating the Solomani into your campaigns immediatly!

You can grab Alien Module 5: Solomani on Drivethru right now at;

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/101394/Alien-Module-5%3A-Solomani

Since no one else has said it yet....

THANK YOU

Thanks for looking after your customers (us) by giving us the PDF when the book was delayed. I appreciate the customer service.

 

[Stainless]

I suspect it works more like this. The publisher predicts how many copies will be sold in each form (physical and pdf). They then price both accordingly so that the title (irrespective of its form) covers all costs and provides the level of profit that's been modeled. Mongoose will know fairly well what the market will demand and the price it will tolerate and of course know how much profit they feel is realistic.

 

[IanBruntlett]

Don't forget Bits And Mortar! You buy the paper version from a Bits And Mortar friendly FLGS and they send you an email to download the PDF of the book you've just already bought!

Just don't forget to backup your files, though

 

[Prime_Evil]

Has anybody got the PDF yet? Any first impressions?

I'm a fan of David Pulver's work for BESM and GURPS, so I've been looking forward to this one...

 

[JRoss]

I like it very much. I would have liked to see maybe a couple more careers, and more uplift options, but it's a great book. Lots of fun, and some cool character creation options, like secrets and reserve careers.

One issue, though, is that a roll of 6 on the Navy Advanced Education table seems to have no result, and the Dolphin Military Career Events table mysteriously has 12 results while all other careers have 11 (and no way to get the unnumbered result).

 

[qstor]

I was a bit perplexed by the "new" genetically modified human subspecies.

Mike

 

[kafka]

Why is the last page of the PDF corrupted, I get an error - it states wrong operand type? I downloaded it twice on different occasions and still get the same error.

 

[lastbesthope]

They had a similar problem with the Legend pdf previously

LBH

 

[Treebore]

Regretably, our shipment of Alien Module 5: Solomani books met a mishap, forcing the printer to reprint the entire run all over again.

Given that this is a hardback book that takes longer to print, and given that we know many of you have been waiting for the Solomani, we have decided to post the PDF up early, so you can start integrating the Solomani into your campaigns immediatly!

You can grab Alien Module 5: Solomani on Drivethru right now at;

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/101394/Alien-Module-5%3A-Solomani

Since no one else has said it yet....

THANK YOU

Thanks for looking after your customers (us) by giving us the PDF when the book was delayed. I appreciate the customer service.

Ditto.