Thoughts from a first-time self-publisher Part 27: Moving beyond self-publishing? With Eric Alvarado

Hey everyone! Welcome back. Today I have brought in another special guest to speak on the topic of becoming a Capital-P Publisher (as in, publishing more than your own games).

Best Part of my week (so far): Last week was supposed to be a whole week dedicated to game design, but it started with my wife getting COVID. It was a quick recovery and we were clear for childcare by mid-week so I still got a TON done. Dice Dogs did not make it to the finals of the Cardboard Edison, but I got good scores, useful feedback, and validation that I absolutely have something special here (just need to develop it more).

Most stressful part: Nothing too crazy this week. Probably because I’m putting off some of the stressful stuff (like taxes).

Financials: Backerkit up to $4,880.00. Shelled out some money to attend GenCon this year (my first time).

Today’s Topic:
Publishing. Maybe, like me, you got into this to fulfill the dream of making your game a reality. But, on the other side of a successful Kickstarter, like it or not, you are now a business and a publisher and have some choices to make about what to do next. Eric Alvarado is a game designer and publisher with Talon Strikes Studios, and was generous enough to offer some insight and advice around what kind of things folks should be considering when moving into publishing. I found his responses very helpful and I hope you do too!

Can you tell us about how you got started as a designer?

I started designing games when I was a kid. One of my fondest moments was designing a game titled "Crazy Christmas Shopping" for a holiday contest in 8th grade. It turns out I won the contest and earned myself five homework passes. In addition to that memory, I remember designing a four-player chess, several new editions to the classic Flipsiders series, and other games I still have in a spiral-bound notebook in my house. I remember writing to companies (Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley) and getting rejection letters -- which I still have. I stopped designing for a while and then picked it back up in 2008 with my first hobby-style design, "On the Crab." I remember promising my unborn son that I would see this game through and get it published. It is still not quite there, but I just commissioned a cover.

Tell us a little about your publishing company, Talon Strikes. 

Talon Strikes was founded by my friend and business partner, Jason Washburn. He was hacking at the independent publishing business before me with some successes and failures. When he signed Vinyl, I worked with Cardboard Edison to deliver Cobras. On the side, I would help him with his game, Kings Champion, and eventually with my game Vinyl. He brought me on as an equal partner in 2018. Since then, we have been working hard to expand the catalog and grow the company to a mid-sized board game publishing company. COVID and other significant events have taken their toll on our company, but we are still swinging. Talon Strikes focuses on making games that we like to play. We enjoy working with new designers and presenting our games consistently and efficiently.

How did you go from being a designer to a self-publisher?

Well, this was accidental. I was always interested in the publishing business learning the ropes a bit with Don Lloyd at Dark Horse Games and then with Bryan Fisher at Nevermore Games. It wasn't until I met Chris and Suzanne Zinsli with Cardboard Edison did I get my chance at giving publishing a whirl. I funded the entire "Cobras" project out of pocket and managed the entire campaign from art generation through fulfillment and post-sales. Even though this was not quite considered "self-publishing," in my definition, it was since it was my time and money.

After Cobras was completed, Jason saw the talents I had and brought me on as a partner into his company, where we went on to publish Winterborne, Camp Pinetop, Public Market, Shadow Network, Top Pop, Night Market, and the Vinyl Anthology. Overall, I wanted to be a part of something bigger where I helped to bring concepts to reality. I enjoy working with open-minded, hard-working designers in bringing their games to life. Each time I receive a copy of a game I worked on, I get chills when I begin to open it and play it. This is what drives me.

For folks considering running a Kickstarter and becoming a Publisher, what advice would you give?

First and foremost, crowdfunding these days is not like it once was. The space is crowded with established publishers who are using it as a pre-order platform and who are lifting the entry point for gaining the trust of backers. To make matters worse, backers have lost sight of what Kickstarter is and expect their games immediately even though, for most, the investment is to help us get the game produced, and we are subjected to the same challenges that others are going through (e.g., COVID, supply chain challenges, inflation, VAT, etc.). Hence, I would give any person the following advice, if you plan on publishing, consider it as adding a second full-time job. If you are ready for that commitment, then join the hunt as we try to catch lightning in a bottle.

For Designers like myself who have started out as self-publishers, what is the incentive to branch out into taking submissions and publishing other designer’s works?

The incentive of branching out with other designers' work is that you can do your job as a publisher more effectively. You will have difficulty calling your baby ugly when publishing your own games. Furthermore, your judgment will be biased because you will approach your design with what you expect to make at the end of the journey. However, you will likely make some significant mistakes unless you can separate the designer from the publisher side. When publishing someone else's design, you can be objective and drive the product to a specific design that considers a predetermined budget and resource allocation. You wear the hat as publisher more quickly because you are trying to maintain the game to a specific state and hit particular milestones. It's business and not personal.

What advice do you have for folks transitioning from self-publishing to publishing other people’s games?

You are interviewing the designer as much as they are interviewing you. Make sure you can get along with the person(s). Ideally, you would like to make them a part of your team, so ensure they know this since you probably need more money to hire a game developer. First-time designers are usually on board with this but ensure you detail the roles and amount of effort involved.

You need to look at the design and make sure it is something that you can produce, market, and that will make money. Stay within your comfort zone. If you can't handle a heavy-weight game, do not sign one. Also, note that margins are more significant with bigger games using the 5x or 6x formula.

When you have someone else's game, getting on board with the game's direction will sometimes take time. This is critical because if they bail on you midway through development, you are on your own and must make a tough decision.

Do not commit to any promises beyond just licensing the game. Doing so can be costly, especially if you want to go in a different direction.

Be prepared for this! Rules are the bane to any publisher's existence. No matter how many editors you hire, they always need to be corrected.

Do not get tempted to stretch a game beyond what it was designed for. If it was intended for a two-player, avoid the temptation to push it higher or down to a solo. Only some people want a solo game.

Make sure you are comfortable with the terms of your contract. Since this is a publisher's market, you have control of the terms more so than in the past.

Make sure your license for any digital versions or analog derivatives. Be specific. The designer is usually just coming up with the design. The publisher is responsible for the world. Hence, you do not need permission from the designer to expand within the world but should offer a right of first refusal for expansion and such.

Work out a deal with the designer that they help promote the game at cons (virtual and physical). There is something to be said about featuring a designer at your booth.

 Where can folks find out more about your games and company?

Please visit our website, talonstrikes.games. You can also find us on Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter.


I hope this interview was helpful for everyone. I’ll be back in two weeks!

-Galen-