Pre and Post Publication Checklist
In this checklist we’re going to explore how you tell the world about your recently finished RPG book.
Owen KC Stephens did a very nice piece on how a book gets made and this article is probably between steps 7 and 8 on Owen’s list
Writing Basics: From Nothing to a Game Book
Liz Courts did a nice presentation on the layout side.
Someone writes ad copy for the book for Facebook and Twitter.
Someone writes a sales page for the website.
Someone writes a press release for the website.
Art assets are chosen for the promotional posts and press release.
PDF goes up on the webstores (DriveThruRPG/Paizo/OpenGamingStore/Itch.io)
All of the stores listed want a cover image for the book, and have an area for you to insert your sales page
DriveThruRPG by editing a new title listing. Uploading files. Set Quick Preview to the PDf file and Full Preview on a subset of the file, include Table of Contents in the full preview for a longer book. Review the product’s preview page and the previews of the book available on that page.
Post announcements to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and press release stuff on the website for when the book goes live. You can schedule Facebook and Twitter posts ahead of time with tools like Buffer. Remember to tag @ DriveThruRPG on Twitter, if they retweet you that’s 16k followers that see your book.
Some 3PP use a Bit.ly link instead a normal URL in order to better capture where customers came from than DriveThruRPG’s src tag as that’s easily confused by other publisher’s src tags that live in the system for up to a week.
Get a DriveThruRPG affiliate id, no matter if you are exclusive to DriveThruRPG or not you make 5% off any sales from a customer you got to the site with your affiliate ID. This is 5% if they buy your book or another publishers. If you don’t have and use an affiliate ID you’re leaving money on the table. The customer doesn’t pay anything more for the book, you just get a cut of sales.
Send Email to customers through DriveThruRPG to let them know you have something new.
If your book is for Pathfinder/Starfinder send Paizo a copy of the book to keep in compliance with the compatibility license, upload it to their webstore if you sell with them, post something to the 3PP forum thread about your new product.
Upload a copy to OpenGamingStore.com if you sell there and make posts in the Friends of… Facebook groups.
Upload a copy to itch.io and make sure all your indie friends know to look for your work there.
Upload a copy to your own webstore, if you have such a thing and let your customers know, if you have a mailing list through your own store.
Augment this with ads on various networks, use Publisher Promotion Points at DriveThruRPG to setup featured product messages, and your keyword stuff sync to Google so you get indexed and found. I have run ads on Facebook and Reddit with varying degrees of success.
Notify the press folks?
Post to your Facebook page.
Share that post to any FB groups that are relevant, you have a reasonable non-spammy rep and group rules allow promotional posts.
Send complimentary copies to DriveThruRPG staff reviewers. If you know any personally, let them know it’s coming so they can look for it in their email.
Send coupons to your Patreon subscribers.
Create or Edit special discounts on DriveThruRPG
Send an order for the Print on Demand proof if applicable.
If you have any feedback about this post please feel free to contact us.
Paul
Designer at Evilrobotgames.com