The Tabletop Engineer is a YouTube channel with around 10,000 followers.
Generally, Jim at The Tabletop Engineer makes game terrain for fantasy, sci-fi and other genre wargames and RPGs. The RPG & Wargame Supply Sourcebook is a new project.
As mentioned, you can download the August issue of the supply book from DriveThruRPG or checkout out the associated Patreon where a pledge of $4+VAT per month is enough to secure a 1/4 page ad in each sourcebook.
The plan is to release RPG & Wargame Supply Sourcebook every month, on the 15th.
As the first issue is free, I’ve downloaded and taken a look. It’s 164-pages but only 33.7MB. I didn’t see the need for the hi-res one.
Inside Issue #1
I estimate that the contents of issue one are about 95% ad and 5% content. By content, I mean some gamer crafting and tips articles.
The ads in the supply book come in two types. There are the ads, and their placeholders, that The Tabletop Engineer is selling. However, the majority of the download is made up of full-page or half-page commercial messages for companies selling tabletop games or tabletop game supplies.
After all, this is a supply book. It’s not a sourcebook for a game. It’s a sourcebook for trade. The people who might get value from this freebie are bloggers, store-owners and convention organisers. If you’re in a category like this, then you can scroll through The Tabletop Engineer’s collection and see what else is out there.
The supply book is divided into categories;
- Miniatures
- Kickstarters
- Terrain
- 3D Printing
- RPGs & Wargames
- Channels
- Miscellany
- FLGS (Favourite Local Gaming Stores)
- Last Minute Inserts
The odd one out there is perhaps Channels. YouTube channels are more of a media property than a source of supplies. By extension, the supply book could also add Twitch and blogs. After all, perhaps game-makers would like to find places who might advertise or be interested in covering their games.
Tabletop Ads
Who might buy ads within the RPG & Wargame Supply Sourcebook? As the intended audience for the download seems to be people in the tabletop trade, then people who want to attract the interest of tabletop professionals may be most likely to advertise.
Looking for a sponsor for the YouTube channel, you might find one in this free download.
At the time of writing, the newly launched Patreon for the download already has 7 backers. If each one of those is only at the $4 level, then that means there’s about (giving Patreon a cut) $20 a month being generated. Jim says the venture isn’t a money-making one, but I imagine it takes time.
You can subscribe for free monthly reminders at the magazine’s dedicated website. Alternatively, the August issue is available without commitment.
What are your thoughts? Strike up a discussion and leave a comment below.
