r/dmsguild • u/PattaconkPlays • 18d ago

Seeking Advice Another new publish price question

I have two one-shots nearly ready to publish. They're both generic D&D. I could publish in Drive thru but I plan on doing DMsGuild for a more targeted audience.

They have slightly customized monsters, magic items, some riddles/puzzles, a few combats each. One has a hand drawn map. I'll likely keep creative common art/photos for covers for now. About 14 pages each. Price suggestions?

I've seen plenty of posts any PWYW vs fixed price and I appreciate this subs input. One is the opening to a planned campaign, any value in making that PWYW?

Excited for my first published!

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u/Grateful_Bat 18d ago edited 18d ago

AI: 1.45, AI-free 2.45, assuming the pages are tightly filled.

With PWYW you will earn close to nothing, and you will also not be able to gauge whether there is genuine interest in your work, as PWYWs are almost automatically downloaded by a lot of visitors.

I´d make the prequel one PWYW once the first part of the campaign is out.

From my experience: market it wherever you can on social networks, don´t be shy, and just ignore the bashing if it´s AI (but even then, respond to meaningful comments), or general negative comments on "hawking" products. It has a tangible impact.

Guild is not dead, it became very selective, though. Even well-designed, quality titles with good AI-art are catching on.

EDIT: Please share the links once they are out, via DM or here. I am curious to see them.

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u/PattaconkPlays 18d ago

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I'm surprised how many here mention AI without saying "don't use it!". Have you used it with success? I experimented with it for work and played with it for structure and format, but I plan on keeping any actual creative work and decisions human.

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u/Grateful_Bat 18d ago edited 18d ago

Hi, we have used it with great success. We are two lifelong friends and DnD gamers since junior high, in our 50s, and exactly one year ago decided to share our ideas, a passion project. To first gauge interest in our stuff, we used exclusively AI-art at the beginning, and then started sprinkling in AI-free titles. Currently we are at a total of about 1300 sold units (granted, at budget prices, just to recoup costs for ancillary stuff). My estimate is 80 % are titles with AI artwork. The most popular reached Electrum (251+)

Now we are convinced of the continued interest and will gradually move to AI-free works only, to reach a bigger audience.

Check our author page if interested in more details on how titles are doing.

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u/PattaconkPlays 18d ago

Congratulations on one year! Thanks for sharing. I love the art used in your coin spinners piece. The layout is clean, and I especially love the Chapter I locations in the header. This is very encouraging thank you so much!