I am Mongoose, and so can you! (Riches and Profits from RPGs
- Thread starter MongooseMatt
- Start date
DaWarbossMI
Mongoose
Well... I've just recently started up a part-time gaming company (in the current economy, a rough task indeed) which is very different than a full time venture. I could certainly use advice, but for now I need capital to buy art and produce print-runs.
All of my hats are off to Matt for making a good living off of his passion (since I HATE my job, I'm viciously jealous). Hopefully my buddies and I at Exploding Goat can also share this claim (but I'm not holding my breath).
As for now, I'll have to settle with my solidly middle-class house and, sob, minivan... yes, I'm a early-middle-aged guy with a wife but no kids and a minivan... sad, I know. But I can carry FAR more dollies wherever I go than Matt can!!!! MOOHAHHAHAHAHAHA. TAKE THAT JAGUARS!!!
sob
Jay :wink:
All of my hats are off to Matt for making a good living off of his passion (since I HATE my job, I'm viciously jealous). Hopefully my buddies and I at Exploding Goat can also share this claim (but I'm not holding my breath).
As for now, I'll have to settle with my solidly middle-class house and, sob, minivan... yes, I'm a early-middle-aged guy with a wife but no kids and a minivan... sad, I know. But I can carry FAR more dollies wherever I go than Matt can!!!! MOOHAHHAHAHAHAHA. TAKE THAT JAGUARS!!!
sob
Jay :wink:
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Hi,
If you print it, I will buy it.
BTW, I find printing out PDFs uses a _lot_ of toner and shelfspace. I'd rather much pay for a paper version of a text.
Does anyone know of a reasonable chain of companies that will "bind" a sheaf of papers into a proper book? If so, I might reconsider and start buying PDFs.
TTFN
Ian
If you print it, I will buy it.
BTW, I find printing out PDFs uses a _lot_ of toner and shelfspace. I'd rather much pay for a paper version of a text.
Does anyone know of a reasonable chain of companies that will "bind" a sheaf of papers into a proper book? If so, I might reconsider and start buying PDFs.
TTFN
Ian
I actually came over to browse these forums as a result of buying the PDF. curious to see what sort of discussion it had generated.
For people sitting on the fence as to whether or not to purchase it, I would say that if you are deadly serious about making a living in the RPG industry, the $30 is an absolute bargain for the information contained within it. As someone who has worked on multiple business start-ups (albeit ones in very different industries), the advice given is extremely valuable and realistic, especially in regards to the sheer volume of hours and single minded focus one must be ready to devote to a venture to be successful.
For me, this really couldn't have come out at a better time. The economic downturn in late 2008 hit my small business really hard and I've been seriously debating whether I wished to devote the hours I knew I'd have to in order to rebuild things or whether I wanted to begin working on an entirely new project in a field that I actually liked.
Moving into Tabletop RPGs is one of things I'd been considering and in conversations with a friend in a similar position over the past few months we'd actually settled on Mongoose as the primary example/model of how a successful RPG company could be built, even at a time where the perception that the industry is in decline is ubiquitous.
So, needless to say, for me making this purchase didn't require a great deal of debate, and should I decide to move in the direction of producing Tabletop RPGs as a career (I'm giving myself another 2 weeks before making a final decision), merely the amount of time saved in formulating a business will pay for the purchase many times over.
For people sitting on the fence as to whether or not to purchase it, I would say that if you are deadly serious about making a living in the RPG industry, the $30 is an absolute bargain for the information contained within it. As someone who has worked on multiple business start-ups (albeit ones in very different industries), the advice given is extremely valuable and realistic, especially in regards to the sheer volume of hours and single minded focus one must be ready to devote to a venture to be successful.
For me, this really couldn't have come out at a better time. The economic downturn in late 2008 hit my small business really hard and I've been seriously debating whether I wished to devote the hours I knew I'd have to in order to rebuild things or whether I wanted to begin working on an entirely new project in a field that I actually liked.
Moving into Tabletop RPGs is one of things I'd been considering and in conversations with a friend in a similar position over the past few months we'd actually settled on Mongoose as the primary example/model of how a successful RPG company could be built, even at a time where the perception that the industry is in decline is ubiquitous.
So, needless to say, for me making this purchase didn't require a great deal of debate, and should I decide to move in the direction of producing Tabletop RPGs as a career (I'm giving myself another 2 weeks before making a final decision), merely the amount of time saved in formulating a business will pay for the purchase many times over.
n815e said:
If you think for a _minute_ that we engage in false reviews, then I am afraid you are sadly mistaken.
n815e said:
We absolutely do not.
We delete posts that are just plain rude, or where the poster is acting the prat - which, it has to be said, you are skirting very close to.
You want to be rude, go somewhere else.
You want to rethink your position, given that your posts here have _not_ been deleted, then you are more than welcome.
n815e said:
I was mildly concerned about that when I posted, but prior to posting this review I've had no real reasons to post to this board as I'm not a major purchaser of Mongoose Products. I am however very much a real person who is in no way related to Mongoose Publishing. You can see my RPG.net profile here where I use a different screen name and a non gaming related forum where I use the same screen name here.
A
Anonymous
Guest
msprange said:
To be fair here, Matt has deleted a post I made and he was correct ind doing so. Sometimes its to easy to make a post without thinking it thru and well in the end Mongoose forum so their rules.
Matt,
Is this book geared more to publishers/game developers rather than the aspiring full-time freelance writer?
I can imagine a freelancer has less work and/or capital outlay than a developer/publisher and probably only needs advice consisting on one word: WRITE!
But, maybe not.
Would you recommend this to the freelance writer? And if so, why?
Thanks.
Is this book geared more to publishers/game developers rather than the aspiring full-time freelance writer?
I can imagine a freelancer has less work and/or capital outlay than a developer/publisher and probably only needs advice consisting on one word: WRITE!
But, maybe not.
Would you recommend this to the freelance writer? And if so, why?
Thanks.
sgstyrsky said:
It is more about making a full-time living from RPGs (and we recommend freelance writing is _not_ the way to do this). If you are looking for full-time work within the RPG industry, then I would say yes. If you are just looking to supplement income, I would honestly say no.
captainjack23
Cosmic Mongoose
captainjack23 said:
Followup.
Hey. That was REALLY cool. very good Matt. Very good indeed. The actual numbers, the practical numbers (such as how much to pay for art &tc, what is the out the door cost for a gaming book - and, oh yes, how drivethruRPG works) are worth it for that alone -I mean, how the hell else to find that level of detail out ? Other than the hard way, I mean.....
Just looking at the mongoose model spelled out a to how it started and what it needed was very nice also...enough so that I think I've found a big frikking flaw in my dream game company plan; not sure if it matters, or ever will matter, in that I fall into your "need high income for self, family and house" category of potential designer, but its nice to have a reality check.
So. Cool. Very much worth it. Enjoy the drugged custard consumed upon satin pillows in your Jag, Matt. Just be sure and hire a driver, okay ?
And, oh yes. I hope those who worry about such will note that this is a positive review by someone with at least a few previous posts. Or does that disqualify me as a raving fanboy and agent d'encouragemont ? :wink:
No. 1 Bear
Mongoose
So whats actually in the book. Is it just a look at a roleplaying game industry with applied business skills. Or how to turn business skills into profit within the competative industry or roleplaying. As i can only put it this way it seems a little far fetched (no offence) that you will be able to make $40,000 in you first year. And that it also seems a little off that we will ever be able to compete with the big boys (GW, MP, BF PP etc) on our own. Also is there any disclamar with this product?
I cant think of any other way to phrase this so if its rude im sorry. If i were to buy it i would need to know beforehand what other than running MGP business skills etc you have.
I cant think of any other way to phrase this so if its rude im sorry. If i were to buy it i would need to know beforehand what other than running MGP business skills etc you have.
No. 1 Bear said:
Of course there is - what is in this book won't shield you from bad luck, bad judgement or bad ideas.
However, it _does_ show you, chapter and verse, how to make that $40,000, and how to do it in one year. It is not far-fetched (though it _is_ a lot of work!), and people are doing it right now. Mongoose did it (by far exceeded it) in its first year and thw book was written, fundamentally, that the same thing can be achieved today.
What you do with the information is up to you. If you just want to publish your home brew world, you are unlikely to get far (though that is not to say it will not be worthwhile). However, with the right product and a good amount of drive/ambition, what is in this book can and does work.
Alexb83 said:
Sales threads get removed when we see them. We do so because of requests from other users.
Rules threads and posts get removed when someone cannot contain themselves and start being very rude.
The rules on these forums are very simple. If you want to be rude, you will get deleted. We really cannot be clearer than that.
