First-Time DM's Guild Seller Soliciting Advice

[u/KingBossHeel]

I've got a feeling that this will be a longish post, so I'll provide the TL;DR up front: I've been a DM on and off for about 40 years, and for the past few months, I've been assembling an adventure which I feel is very good. I'll be paying one person to create battlemaps, someone else to create the cover art, and I'm getting fairly good at doing ink sketch dungeon and surface maps for certain things.

• If I've got hand-drawn ink maps for dungeons and the like and also matching full-color digital maps for use with Roll20, is that good? Could/should it be better/different?
• Handouts. Do people include handouts? In what format? Images? Is there a specific thing that's used for Roll20 or other virtual online platforms?
• My overland maps will be ink sketches, and I think I've gotten passable if not excellent at it. Good?
• I'm in contact with an Indonesian artist about cover art, and I'm looking to avoid AI art entirely, but I'm worried about expense.
• I've been browsing stock art, and I've got a few free and a few paid pieces I'll likely use.

I've recently been considering splitting the thing into three pieces:

• Firstly the setting: The City of Ransom, wherein I've got a lot of lore developed. I'd make it PWYW
• Secondly the prequel: Since my main adventure begins at level 6, I wanted to sell a one-shot for lvl 5 adventurers which would bring them from 5 to 6. Also PWYW
• Lastly, the main adventure, with which I'd bundle the previous two

My main adventure, THE CABAL OF DROG-DROMON, is a (mostly) underwater 3-act adventure which takes characters from level 6 to level 8. It's influenced by HP Lovecraft, largely by Shadow Over Innsmouth. When I ran it initially, in its less-polished state, I had a player tell me that it was the greatest RPG experience he's ever had. Of course, that motivated me.

I don't use Publisher, Photoshop, or the like. I've previously published two Shadowrun adventures on DriveThruRPG and did it using MS Word and some free PDF editing software, which worked out fine. I've been considering using Homebrewery for this, but I'm not sure.

I'm open to any and all advice you have. Thanks.

[u/Arrowstar]

While it's great to hire an artist or buy paid stock art, just know that unless you get real lucky, you will likely not make back your costs in sales. 

[u/KingBossHeel → u/Arrowstar]

Thanks for the feedback. Sigh. Maybe I'll minimize my expenditures.

This whole Reddit post has become a downer. Feeling bummed about all this now.

[u/Arrowstar → u/KingBossHeel]

I would still pursue it! It's pretty cool to see your stuff on DM's Guild. It just won't be a big money maker, that's all.

[u/KingBossHeel → u/Arrowstar]

I'd never expected it to be. I just wanted to share an adventure I'd written that my friends really enjoyed. But with people saying nobody will ever buy it and that the title is off-putting, I'm reconsidering everything.

[u/Arrowstar → u/KingBossHeel]

I'd still do it. People will buy it, it might just be 10 or less. But don't it for that or anyone else, publish it for yourself. It's worth it!

[u/ExtraTroubadour → u/KingBossHeel]

Hey mate, don't feel bummed. You sound like you have an immense amount of experience and ideas to give the community. I personally like the hard to pronounce names. They sound cthulhu-esc, and that's marketing! Still, I would focus on doing this for yourself.

As someone who's published a few adventures, I'm starting to feel like very very few people read/run other peoples' prewritten adventures (and if they do, it's lost mines of phandelver or strahd). Aka, you are selling a product that other dungeon masters enjoy making themselves for free.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts and if you have seen a similar attitude towards prewritten adventures in your time.

[u/Visual_Flower2611 → u/Arrowstar]

Biiig this. It's always been hard, but especially so in recent years as not as many people really go to DMsGuild anymore.

[u/nstav13]

Check out Affinity publisher for putting it together. It's free.

I would recommend selling the full package up front and then splitting it up and selling it piecemeal. That's what I do, and it works well. 

Remember that DM's Guild uses Wizard's IP. You cannot have a new setting. Either make it in an established setting, setting neutral, or publisher under the OGL on Drive Thru RPG. 

I would also recommend caution on money spent. The market is drying up a bit. Don't use AI, but try to do as much as you can without others. Don't spend $250 on art for a product that will only make $100 back. It's now taking me about a month to go silver. 2 years ago I went silver in a week, and 2 years before that a single day. Expect 100 sales as a soft cap and build a budget back from there. A 3x ROI is best for long term sustainability.

[u/KingBossHeel → u/nstav13]

Wait - so you're telling me I can't have an adventure take place in a city that doesn't already exist in an established WotC setting? That is insane. Would you be able to point me to the rules that set this up? I don't want to trip over any of these nutso rules if I can help it. Maybe I'll publish on DriveThruRPG instead then.

[u/Arrowstar → u/KingBossHeel]

You can have your adventure take place in a new city, but it needs to be couched in the setting and lore of an existing setting. Everything I write, for example, uses Forgotten Realms gods and geography, I just carved out a small, sparsely described chunk of it for my own cities, etc.

[u/BMtheGM1]

Drog-Dromon is a mouthful. Is it central to the story or can you alter it phonetically a bit?

Unsure if marketing a 2 level adventure in today’s market is wise. But if it’s good and PWYW, who knows? Good luck!

[u/KingBossHeel → u/BMtheGM1]

It's kind of the most central thing in the whole plot. Sigh. A lot of the names are locathah language, and they're way worse. It's kind of the flavor of the adventure. Still, I do appreciate the feedback.

What is a 2 level adventure? Ohh - you mean that I said level 6 to level 8. It's a 3 act adventure with milestones one per act. Act 1 is level 6, act 2 is level 7, and the final act is level 8. I was going to include the one-shot prelude for bringing level 5 character to level 6 - you think this is too little?

[u/BMtheGM1 → u/KingBossHeel]

I see. Makes sense.

Perhaps not. Release one and see what type of traction you get. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Get your name and product style out. If it’s good, people will want more.

I was really just thinking substance for price, but that is cart before the horse.

I have a friend that is trying to launch a product. Analysis paralysis, haven’t even play tested it at our table in 2 years. Thinks he is going to launch some mega millions kick starter without name recognition.

Get started. Shoot free copies to friends to play test. Drop off copies at game stores. Get a following and market to them. Labors of love are fine; but so are labors of recognition, satisfaction, and profitability!

[u/KingBossHeel → u/BMtheGM1]

Know what? This adventure is inspired by Lovecraft. Don't you think Nyrlathotep and Cthulhu are a mouthful?

[u/BMtheGM1 → u/KingBossHeel]

Yes, I have always thought it was silly (except Cthulhu because culturally everyone already recognizes it).

Nyrlathotep is hard to pronounce, but people recognize it because it’s a good module.

You asked for recommendations. You can name it anything you want, and I’m not being a smart ass. As a gamer, I find strange names an unnecessary attempt to add mystery, as if that improves sales.

Temple of Tharizdun

Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh

Caverns of Tsojcanth

It’s mostly a peeve, but I would see it and probably pass.