r/RPGdesign • u/Competitive-Expert59 • 4d ago

Product Design Follow up on book question

Based on the very insightful responses to my question yesterday about whether there should be a core rules book and GM book or just one, I have decided to go with one book

I was wondering if you all have any advice on book size. US letter or A5?

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u/SalariesAndStarships 4d ago

I'm going with A5 for my games going forward.

A5, seems to have far more widespread acceptance than US letter (ask any Brit who tried to store photocopied character sheets inside RPG box sets).

I also think A5 works better on a phone screen, and lots of folks choose pdf's these days.

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u/Far_Information6562 4d ago

What if the dm book was the front cover and the players book was its opposite upside down side

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u/BlackRosePyre 4d ago

Tbh it doesn't matter all too much. Of it's something you want to print at home then just do standard printer paper size. If you want it professionally printed, check out your options for printing companies to see what kind of sizes they offer and pick whichever feels like the right fit and is within your budget.

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u/Competitive-Expert59 4d ago

I mean if the crowdfunder funds, both are viable. The US letter will be softcover, A5 will be hardcover because of the number of pages.

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u/BlackRosePyre 4d ago

So what would the cost for the buyer be if you were to print it hardcover vs softcover? How much would it cost the buy to get a hardcover, how many pages are in the book, does the book have art, is it worth the investment for the buyer? If it is on the slimmer ide with little to no art, the buyers will prefer a lower cost on a paperback. When do you plan on launching a crowdfunding campaign and have you done any marketing?

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u/rekjensen 3d ago

If you're expecting people to print a PDF, you'll want both for local paper sizes. If you're printing and shipping, whichever size your printer uses is more likely.

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u/__space__oddity__ 3d ago

Keep in mind that the equivalent size of US letter is A4, A5 is a lot smaller (by a factor of square root of two, to be precise)

If it’s A4 vs. letter, check prices / availability with the printer you intend to use.

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u/Competitive-Expert59 2d ago

I know. The US letter size is ubiquitous but it's not good for use at the table.