Back in December 2009 there was a map contest at the Cartographers' Guild (that I did not win) to create a map with the theme: an orc's christmas. After completing the map, I created a short 'tongue in cheek' illustrated poem featuring the orcs on their once-per-decade raid of the settled lands of the valley depicted in the map. It was a humorous poke at children's christmas tales. It was designed to look like a children's book.
Anyway, early (early) yesterday morning having come back from an all-nighter gaming, I visited a website before going to bed and saw this map (I posted on that site, long ago.) Gears started whirring in my head at the possibility of creating a player character race book, and a full 1 level adventure for Pathfinder featuring orcs as heroes pursuing an adventure based on that cheeky poem I created.
Here's a link to that cheeky christmas tale: Twelve Nights of Yuleblood (http://www.gamer-printshop.com/kaidan/twelve-nights-of-yuleblood.pdf).
Anyway, once I relooked at the map, I thought wouldn't this be a fun product to release for the 2011 Christmas season. So I sent an email to Jonathan McAnulty, my writer/designer for my Kaidan books, asking if he'd be interested in writing such a product in exchange for a split in the products sales. (He's only created 5 star material based on reviews of the work he's created for me so far.) I also sent out an email to Dawn Fischer, who is the copy editor at Frog God Games and a fine writer of short fiction herself - asking if she would be my editor for the project and include a short story of hers in the product. (She's written three 5 star ratings for my products, so that's how I know her.)
Mind you, this was a spur of the moment idea, and just a couple emails sent after thinking of it. Then I went to bed. When I woke up (today), both sent replies saying "Yes, they'd do it!"
It would be like my "In the Company of Kappa or Tengu" books, as a 20 page treatise on Orcs as a player character race (for Pathfinder), including a full fluff rich background, origin story of orc society, alterate racial traits, preferred classes, orc archetypes of 3+ PC classes, an Orc Raider racial paragon class, new orc feats, weapons, equipment, etc - plus a one-level adventure (probably level 1, 2 or 3) with Orcs as heroes raiding the humanoids and taking slaves...
So now I will be developing this as a publication set for a Thanksgiving release (to target as a Christmas game product), where I am the only publisher involved under the Gamer Printshop label.
I see this as a 'one-off' product just for fun (and perhaps some profit to share with the writer and editor) and as an experiment being a publisher, no longer 'holding hands' with another publisher but doing this completely alone.
What are your thoughts on this? And what do think of the cheesy poem children's book linked above that inspires this product? Of course in reading that tale, you know what the 1 level adventure is all about - which will feature Orc PCs using the included rules with the adventure (kind of 2 products in one.)
GP
At the moment, I'm not considering it a Patronage Project, rather doing it with contracts with freelancers to a defined cut in profits of product sales - not in any paid price at completion of work (just so I can afford doing this.) At least verbally both agree. I will need a cover illustrator and considering two candidates, but that will be an upfront cost (probably $120?), and at least 2 interior illustrations by Mark Hyzer. So there is some upfront cost, however all development costs are covered based on split of profits of product sales only.
Maybe I won't split profits in some future product, this is completely an experimental venture in publication. I want to see what happens, and risk it for some hopeful profits.
Though perhaps I should do it as a Patronage Project just to cover art, marketing and any unknown costs; say $500 budget?
GP