Good starting points for Cthulhu?

Posts: 1657 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:46 pm

My understanding is that Chaosium buys the right to print 500, but that the initial print run can be as low as 200. That comes from Y-S.com but an initial search fails to dig up the old post.. so I could have just dreamed it.

Posts: 1018 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:53 pm

red_bus wrote:

My understanding is that Chaosium buys the right to print 500, but that the initial print run can be as low as 200. That comes from Y-S.com but an initial search fails to dig up the old post.. so I could have just dreamed it.

After a bit of digging, I've found their blurb about the standard monograph contract.

There's a bit about print runs in there. From http://catalog.chaosium.com/pages.php?CDpath=13&pID=14:

Quote:

Chaosium will pay you a flat fee, $250.00, for the right to publish up to 500 copies of your monograph. That equals a 50 cent royalty per book. We may, at our discretion, print these all at once or in batches. If we sell all 500 copies we have the right to again pay the fee for another 500 copies, or we may approach you about doing the work to bring that monograph up to the standards of formal publication. This would entail also coming to a new publishing agreement.

So about all that can be considered concrete is that they have the rights to print up to 1000 copies provided they're willing to pay the fee a second time. How many print runs they take to reach that many copies and how many copies per print run is entirely up to them.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:00 pm

g026r is correct and that is the only agreement that exists for monograph authors.

They issue you an initial $250 payment and if sales hit 500 they issue a second cheque for the same amount.

If a monograph becomes very popular they will make an arrangement with the author on a case-by-case basis to expand the work into a full work which will be distributed through normal game store channels.

It is my understanding that there are currently two such works in development with anticipated releases of later in 2008. I do not know which monographs they are but if I were to hazard a guess I would say one would be a full expansion of Cthulhu Invictus (Roman era setting).

Posts: 4255 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:37 pm

jasonw1239 wrote:

g026r is correct and that is the only agreement that exists for monograph authors.

They issue you an initial $250 payment and if sales hit 500 they issue a second cheque for the same amount.

If a monograph becomes very popular they will make an arrangement with the author on a case-by-case basis to expand the work into a full work which will be distributed through normal game store channels.

It is my understanding that there are currently two such works in development with anticipated releases of later in 2008. I do not know which monographs they are but if I were to hazard a guess I would say one would be a full expansion of Cthulhu Invictus (Roman era setting).

Interesting. I have two ideas for monos I've been toying with...but don't know if the work is worth the cost, even for the "published" byline (since I don't plan on entering the field at any time in the future). Then again it may require less work than I think. I've ordered a bunch of the monos and I'll read them and decide if it looks like too much work. Interestingly both ideas have never even been touched upon in published CoC items, but with my luck monos about the subjects will pop up in the next month or so!!!

Mike B.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:52 pm

If you have an idea, claim it by contacting Dustin Wright at dustin@chaosium.com.

He will be able to tell you if somebody is already working on it. At some point if you decide that it is too much work, you might be able to find somebody to collaborate with you to lighten the load.

I am already exploring an idea for another one and plan on submitting an outline to Dustin sometime in the next few weeks.

They do not pay much considering the amount of work, but I suspect that is the case for a lot of things in the RPG industry. At the moment my interest is in developing ideas that I have for Call of Cthulhu to enhance my campaign. If I can do the research, put together a monograph and get a bit of money for it, that is a bonus!

Posts: 4255 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:32 pm

jasonw1239 wrote:

If you have an idea, claim it by contacting Dustin Wright at dustin@chaosium.com.

He will be able to tell you if somebody is already working on it. At some point if you decide that it is too much work, you might be able to find somebody to collaborate with you to lighten the load.

I am already exploring an idea for another one and plan on submitting an outline to Dustin sometime in the next few weeks.

They do not pay much considering the amount of work, but I suspect that is the case for a lot of things in the RPG industry. At the moment my interest is in developing ideas that I have for Call of Cthulhu to enhance my campaign. If I can do the research, put together a monograph and get a bit of money for it, that is a bonus!

Great idea, Jason. I'll probably go ahead and write these up then, and after I have a bit assembled, contact Chaosium to see if they are interested. If not, cool, I can use if for my own campaign. If so, even cooler! Thanks for the advice.

Mike B.

Posts: 404 · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:47 am

CYÄEGHA Number 1 Spring 2008. A5 Chapbook. 28 Pages plus covers. 60 Numbered copies [Beige Cover] plus 3 lettered contributor copies [Green, White & Yellow Covers].

See Yog-Sothoth for more details.

[EDIT: I'll include the point of this posting while I'm at it, this might be another place to let your ideas out Mike as contributions are being requested]

Posts: 4255 · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:56 am

jasonw1239 wrote:

If you have an idea, claim it by contacting Dustin Wright at dustin@chaosium.com.

He will be able to tell you if somebody is already working on it. At some point if you decide that it is too much work, you might be able to find somebody to collaborate with you to lighten the load.

I am already exploring an idea for another one and plan on submitting an outline to Dustin sometime in the next few weeks.

They do not pay much considering the amount of work, but I suspect that is the case for a lot of things in the RPG industry. At the moment my interest is in developing ideas that I have for Call of Cthulhu to enhance my campaign. If I can do the research, put together a monograph and get a bit of money for it, that is a bonus!

Jason, FYI: I got my order of Monos today, some were to be sent later as they had been sold out (about six of the 42 I ordered)......Mysteries of Tibet was one of them! So congrats on that, looks like the time was right to come out with a Tibet based item, as Chaosium has already sold out. BTW, the books are about 50-50 old fashioned taped spine vs nice slick spine....from what my uneducated eye can see, many of the taped spine ones seem to be monos that are regarded as not as popular, so maybe these are still on the first printings? Anyway, PM me if you need any further info. Lots of reading ahead of me it looks like!

Mike B.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:32 pm

Thanks Mike!
Wow! The first batch of the Tibet book sold out already.
I'm not sure how large their initial print runs are but that sounds encouraging. Very Happy

If you get a chance maybe you can post a list of which ones had taped spines. I would not mind ordering a few of the "originals".
When you get a chance to read my Undying Leaders I would not mind some feedback (especially on the three scenarios).

Jason

Posts: 4255 · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:33 pm

jasonw1239 wrote:

Thanks Mike!
Wow! The first batch of the Tibet book sold out already.
I'm not sure how large their initial print runs are but that sounds encouraging. Very Happy

If you get a chance maybe you can post a list of which ones had taped spines. I would not mind ordering a few of the "originals".
When you get a chance to read my Undying Leaders I would not mind some feedback (especially on the three scenarios).

Jason

What the hell, it's not secret information or anything, here are the "taped spine" versions I got (which translates to 1st print I assume):

0304 Raising Up
0305 End Time
0306 Mysteries of Morocco
0307 First Book of Things
0312 Ripples From Carcosa
0313 The Pastores
0314 Ramblings of a Twisted Muse
0315 Strange Songs
0317 Toying With Humans
0318 Legacies of the Renaissance
0320 The Last Trial
0321 Tales of Death & Darkness
0322 Terror
0323 Cthulhu Masters Tournament 2005
0325 Twilight Memoirs
0326 Halloween Horror
0328 Fellowship of the Witching Hour
0330 Strange Tales of Dread & Wonder #2
0333 Halloween Horror 2

Everything else is the newer, slick spine version, I'm assuming the 6 I haven't received are also the newer versions (since if they had the taped spine versions they wouldn't be sold out...)

Mike B.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:19 pm

Thanks Mike, there are a few of those that I planned on picking up, so I might as well grab them in their early printings.

If you are at all interested, Chaosium posted information on their web site earlier today about the release date for their new edition of the BRP rules.

http://www.chaosium.com/article.php?story_id=246

Posts: 4255 · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:13 pm

Does anyone have an up to date list of the monographs that Chaosium has released? I'm missing a few numbers and can't find any references to what the titles should be.

Mike B.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:15 pm

Here is the list of MULA's from the yog-sothoth wiki.

http://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/CoC:MULA_Monographs

Posts: 4255 · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:23 pm

jasonw1239 wrote:

Here is the list of MULA's from the yog-sothoth wiki.

http://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/CoC:MULA_Monographs

I have that list, but it's actually missing several of the titles, including all the non-Cthulhu ones (Gods of Chaos 0308 & Hawkmoon 0327). Also missing are 0331, 0335, and 0337.

Mike B.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:22 pm

Mike, I had not noticed those gaps so I just asked over at the yoggie collectors corner. I'll post here if I get a reply.

Jason

Posts: 1018 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:31 am

Badmike wrote:

I have that list, but it's actually missing several of the titles, including all the non-Cthulhu ones (Gods of Chaos 0308 & Hawkmoon 0327). Also missing are 0331, 0335, and 0337.

Mike B.

0335 would be Gods of Law and 0331 would be Old Hrolmar. (Both are Elric!/Stormbringer 5th ed. monographs. Good luck finding them. Wink

)

The only Chaosium product I can find for 0337 is the BtMoM game aids. Maybe it was skipped for monograph numbering or maybe it's considered a monograph?

Posts: 404 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:30 am

Quote:

The only Chaosium product I can find for 0337 is the BtMoM game aids. Maybe it was skipped for monograph numbering or maybe it's considered a monograph?

Guessing it's the Miskatonic Library items (of which BTMOM is one) that use this numbering sequence.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:45 am

Yup 0337 is the the BtMoM Game Aid. In the upper left corner of the front cover directly above the last M in MTMOM is printed #0337.

Posts: 1130 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:27 am

Found reference to another monograph.
0308 Gods of Chaos (Stormbringer).

Posts: 1018 · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:52 am

Using this as the default CoC thread for the moment, anybody noticed rclayb lately?

Bidding left and right on CoC items. ( a***l (211) ) for those watching CoC auctions) Doesn't seem to like getting outbid, and wants items now. Which isn't to say he hasn't gotten some decent prices, but some could have been bought cheaper had he been willing to wait.

On the other hand, looks like senorcoo's finally going to sell that Creature Companion of his.

Hrm. Out of curiosity: those of you with the Creature Companion -- what did you pay for it (if you remember)?

Edit: since I may as well include myself: 10 Euros (Not counting shipping. Came out to about 25 USD after shipping was included.)