Publishers & Collectors: Is this true?

In this thread about the 111 (http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=154384)

someone mentions that releasing a limited edition will preclude having it mass published, as then the purchasers of the limited edition would be upset because their edition would lose value.

I asked this question in my thread "questions for the experts", but no one answered it. I was thinking of doing this for my deck (almost complete) and have just started researching printers. The idea was to do a small, high quality printing before trying to get a publisher. But if this is the case, maybe that is not the way to go. I've been getting conflicting stories here, some say one thing, some another. If anyone knows how to clarify this, please help!

There is no *one way* to release a deck that will make everyone happy. It's really tricky to self-publish and it's really tricky to find a publisher. Neither will make you any money, really, so you should just do what will bring you the most joy from your project.

Also, people who collect decks to be "investments" and then complain at the slightest potential that their "investments" will tank are just nuts. Ignore them

If a deck is issued as a limited edition, it has to stay limited - or that is in breach of all the sales descriptions acts I know of. Effectively, it would be fraud to do otherwise.

That said - many limited edition decks ARE later issued in the mass market. Look - for instance - at the Gaian 78 card deck; it has already been issued in limited form by the artist, but is about to be issued in a mass market version. That's perfectly OK with people who bought the limited edition. I own both the limited and the MM editions of the Tarot of Dreams. The MM one is fine with me. There are many such examples.

What you are suggesting is fine with collectors, and with everyone else. And having a limited, preferably numbered, signed, perhaps, self published edition is great.

What is NOT OK is for someone to publish - say -a limited edition of 100 such decks themselves and then - seeing there is a market - print a few, or 100, or whatever - more that are exactly the same. It isn't JUST that a buyer generally pays more for a limited edition, it is knowing that you have no 42 of only 100 that can feel nice.

And to tarotmama - I don't give a toss about the "investment value" - I shall never be selling. I do give a toss when something becomes something other than the thing I bought. It's not for investment; it's to have something special - that's why I have some limited editions and then go on and get the MM as well.

gregory said:

What is NOT OK is for someone to publish - say -a limited edition of 100 such decks themselves and then - seeing there is a market - print a few, or 100, or whatever - more that are exactly the same. It isn't JUST that a buyer generally pays more for a limited edition, it is knowing that you have no 42 of only 100 that can feel nice.

And to tarotmama - I don't give a toss about the "investment value" - I shall never be selling. I do give a toss when something becomes something other than the thing I bought. It's not for investment; it's to have something special - that's why I have some limited editions and then go on and get the MM as well.

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Oh yes! I do agree with this. I did not mean to say that if you publish a LE that it shouldn't be a LE in some way. But if you want to do both, just make it clear to buyers of the LE that you would like to one day do another print run and explain how you plan it to be different or less special. That's what I did with my Lenormand deck and no one seemed to be bothered by it (though I have yet to do another printing and am not planning on it in the near/far future even).

Babalon Jones said:

The idea was to do a small, high quality printing before trying to get a publisher.

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I really think the Gaian LE is the best example of how to do this. She did a fantastic job building hype and then delivering an amazing product that people were willing to put down some serious money for! Research her deck/process/story for some inspiration.

Though if you *DO* want to get a publisher like Llewellyn or US Games or whatnot to print your deck eventually, get them lined up before you print ANYTHING yourself.

I think the OP is planning to get a PUBLISHER for the "second" publication ? and thought that going self-published first would make that a no-no.

If not - yes, as you say - make sure people realise there may be a SECOND limited run !

Thanks both of you for the clarification.

My plan was to do the limited edition myself, then use it as a sample to send to the big publishers.

So you are saying that I need to get a publisher on board before printing anything myself? Because that is I guess part of my question.

Babalon Jones said:

So you are saying that I need to get a publisher on board before printing anything myself? Because that is I guess part of my question.

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Yes. Don't print anything yourself if you want a publisher. Really, until you're an established artist, I doubt a big publisher will allow you to do a LE self-published edition anyway. They will want to corner every possible market/customer. There's really not much money in publishing now anyway, so it's understandable.

I can't get a publishing house to touch my Lenormand because I did a self-published edition (even though there were only 250 copies printed).

If you have the money to invest, you might make *more* on self-publishing anyway though. You also stand to lose a great deal of money though.

I don't know if they are that rigid - then again, tarotmama has direct experience.

ETA - you could contact Tarotconnection.... They are the unstuffiest publishers going and may well give advice...

There is good advice from Kat Black re: publishing here: http://touchstonetarot.com/story.html

I guess for me, self-publishing is the route. My tender heart cannot take rejection and I fully admit I have a niche market within a niche market

But if you have a super fantastic tarot deck, you should be posting scans online and building a fan base. That will probably help your chances of getting a publisher to bite more than releasing a small deck outright. Get a copy printed for yourself and post videos of you doing readings with it. Get on facebook. Get people chomping at the bit for a copy -- THEN go to a publisher and tell them before you do a mass market print run, you want to self publish it yourself.