I know, print is dead, but I keep wanting to make books. It’s a sickness, I realize. I’m dragging you guys down with me, though. I have questions for you about my next two ventures.
First, the next quarterly (-ish) book I’m assembling is GameSpite Year Two, which will bring the web compilations to an exciting conclusion. This book will mark the finale of the pre-GameSpite Quarterly omnibus books trilogy (whose story kicked off in Year One, Vols. 1 & 2) and as such I feel like it would make most sense to publish Year Two in the same format (5×8″) as its predecessors. I do love the bigger (6×9″) size, though, because the expanded page size allows me to make the layouts look nicer while cramming more content into fewer pages and thus keeping print costs down. But which do you prefer? Should I maintain a consistent format, or should I do what’s best for this book individually and go with the bigger size? I’m putting it up to a vote. You decide.
Also, I started planning out the next bonus book only to discover that Blurb’s price increases have the most impact on small-format books; thanks to their new pricing scheme, the bonus books are nearly twice as expensive to produce as the previous volume was. So now I’m at a crossroads, because that added cost kind of undermines the purpose of the entire site support scheme. I definitely can’t afford to maintain a semi-annual scheme for the current books. This begs the question: Do I find some sort of new semi-annual bonus to mail out, or do I reduce the frequency with which the books are mailed? (Although I still haven’t mailed out all of the last volume, more than three months after having them printed; sorry!) I could, for instance, go once per year instead of twice and print a full-color large-format book…. your call.
Anyway, I need your feedback. At least from those of you who care, anyway.
After seeing the latest GSJ, I would recommend doing what is best for the book. Since you’ve now moved into the larger format, I don’t think there’s a need to go back to the other format solely for continuity’s sake.
Agreed with Jet Pilot – a better book is a better book, regardless of whether it makes the book shelf look wonky.
I would be fine with the semi-annual schedule. I enjoyed the Etrian Odyssey bonus book especially, and would like to continue seeing more of that even if it is on a less-regular basis.
I think go with whats best with the book for the first one, and for the 2nd question… Go with less frequent books I think, it saves me on shipping if I have to buy less frequently
I’m all for the new format. Better looking and cheaper outweights consistantcy any day.
As for the subscriber book, do you have any ideas for a new semi-annual bonus? Or would you be starting from scratch. My gut says that yearly might be the way to go.
O captain my captain!
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Uhm.. I mean, a better book is a better book!
Awesome! I’m excited to see GameSpite Online Issues 7 – 13 (before GSQ 1 which was Issue 14, but after “Year One”) in book form! I say go with the size you feel is best for the book. I like consistency, so I say smaller book size, but if it looks considerably better larger in your opinion, go with that.
I’m a sucker for consistency, so my vote goes towards using the old format for GameSpite Year Two.
As for the bonus books, how about releasing them as eBooks?
Personally, I’d aim for consistency with the previous volumes–it has always been a pet peeve of mine to see different sizes or cover styles of books ostensibly in the same trilogy. If it’s possible, you should try to keep it small format.
Regarding the subscriber books, I do love them, and always have, but I miss the times when you would send out fridge magnets or buttons or whatever your random craft obsession at the moment was. I’d like to see a semi-annual bonus, whatever form it is, rather than a once a year book.
Consistency for the neat freaks
As far as the Year Two book goes, I vote for whatever keeps the nice balance between style and price.
In regards to the bonus, I’m just as happy with little doodads (like the NGJ button, or the fridge magnets) as I am with a book, so if you’d rather only print one once a year it wouldn’t break my heart.
Just registering a vote in favor of style/price over consistency.
Book format: Although my brain says go for price and format, my gut says keep it the smaller format for consistency’s sake, then close the door on that format.
As for the bonus, either way is good. Although I’ve since stopped supporting the site monetarily, I really do love the two bonus books I did get back when and still flip through them. Little doodads are cool, but I think an annual supporter bonus would be better, assuming you have the time and resources for such a project every year.
Whatever makes your life easier is my vote.
Definitely go with the new format, as well as color. The new one just looks so danged good in color with the larger formats.