Doug:
I was hoping that by sourcing answers to my commonsense concerns (Does it limit my options? Aren’t I poaching my own market?) I’d better understand the process, and that once I understood it, it wouldn’t bother me anymore.
Just wanted to affirm that your concerns are commonsense ones, and this isn’t the first time they’ve been raised. Which is probably why so many people are quick to whip out the things we’ve said before, especially me, Eric, and Eiwynn.
We had a similar conversation a couple of years ago, when the requirement was still new and the open/closed issue more negotiable:
There’s not anything about this on the CoG website, so far as I can find…
I hear that a public beta test of a game is required before a Hosted Game will be published. I’d like to inquire about that in more detail. For example, all of the CoG and Hosted Games seem to have a free demo version of the first few chapters, then pay for the rest of the game. Is this a proper format for the forums? Having a demo version open to the public and a private beta for the full game… or, how is it best to hand…
And since then:
So I have lately wondering what would be best to have when testing a game and getting over people’s opinion on the game.
What’s the difference,
What would be better,
Extc
Questions like that.
Closed beta.
Open beta.
Or both?
Am asking you experienced coggers your opinion and I hope you can help
There’s some on it here:
This thread had some derails, but here’s a post from an established HG author who doesn’t like open beta tests:
I think I’ve mastered the Art of the Beta Test.
And finally, regarding CoG “crowdsourcing” HG proofreading and editing, here’s a recent post from Jason that I believe @Lys may have had in mind above:
One of the key things that we do not want to be accused of–or mistaken for–is being a “vanity press.”
A vanity press is a pejorative term for a small press that offers a suite of services for amateur and semi-pro authors that result in the author never seeing revenue for their work or even finding themselves in debt to the publisher for “services rendered.”
For example, “sure, we’ll publish your 100,000 word fantasy epic! And even give you a $500 advance against 25% royalties! But you’re going…
8 Likes
