Getting reviews
Seamus:
Reviews are a great way to get some exposure. But they are a double edged sword. A good review can give you a nice bump, but you do risk getting negative reviews anytime you send comps to reviewers. I don't think it is wise to fish for good reviews, but it is wise to fish for a fair review from a reviewer whose game philosophy is not out of line with your product's. Look at the reviewers previous reviews and try to get a sense of what kinds of game designs they like. If you send a traditional RPG sandbox adventure to a reviewer who is big into storygames (or vice versa), not only is the review likely to be negative, but you'll find your whole design philosophy on the table for atttack. Certainly everyone has their preferences and some reviewers can be objective despite their preferences though.
Also if you do get a negative review, be positive about it. If the reviewer makes criticisms that expose real holes in your game (issues with the game that aren't consistent with its design goals for example), take a note of it for future consideration. I usually send a note of thanks to all reviewers whether it is a negative or positive one. They took the time to read your book and write about it. They don't owe you a good review just because you gave them a comp PDF or Print.
Another general piece of advice. Stagger the reviews. Send out the comps and wait for each review to come out before sending another comp. This way if things get bad, you end up with one really bad review rather than a train of them.
Ron Edwards:
Hey guys,
This thread is pretty old and is only near the top because of some barely-permissible bumps. Let's close it here.
Best, Ron
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