First-Time Deck Creator Seeking Advice

Hello, friends!

I am creating a spin-off of the Rider-Waite. It is very similiar and very detailed, but what makes it unique is that the entire deck will be made out of construction paper! The images are then scanned in and cropped.

I am seeking advice on multiple questions...

1. All of the art is completely original and cut out by hand by me. However, I'm still concerned about the copyright US games has on the Rider-Waite. What are the specifics as far as what I can amd cannot do, especially in terms of word choice when I'm marketing it?

2. I originally wanted to use The Game Crafter, Kickstarter, and an Itsy store to market it... probably still will. I have never used these services before. Another option that came to mind was marketing this idea directly to US Games. Has anyone done this before and would it be recommended? The issue that comes to mind is that although I try to keep them consistent, the art is a bit all over the place, as each card is semi-unique in color and style, and I'm limited by resources.

3. Assuming I go the indie route, where do I begin marketing and talking to people about my deck, and what should prices be? I'd like to offer small posters, postcards, original art etc. as kickstarter prizes. I am not at all well known by the tarot community but will soon ne a recognizable figure in the radical community as an anti-capitalist children's book author (yeah, yeah, the irony, okay)

Any help with these questions would be much appreciated!

Seeking advice...

redandblackflag said:

Hello, friends!

I am creating a spin-off of the Rider-Waite. It is very similiar and very detailed, but what makes it unique is that the entire deck will be made out of construction paper! The images are then scanned in and cropped.

I am seeking advice on multiple questions...

1. All of the art is completely original and cut out by hand by me. However, I'm still concerned about the copyright US games has on the Rider-Waite. What are the specifics as far as what I can amd cannot do, especially in terms of word choice when I'm marketing it?

2. I originally wanted to use The Game Crafter, Kickstarter, and an Itsy store to market it... probably still will. I have never used these services before. Another option that came to mind was marketing this idea directly to US Games. Has anyone done this before and would it be recommended? The issue that comes to mind is that although I try to keep them consistent, the art is a bit all over the place, as each card is semi-unique in color and style, and I'm limited by resources.

3. Assuming I go the indie route, where do I begin marketing and talking to people about my deck, and what should prices be? I'd like to offer small posters, postcards, original art etc. as kickstarter prizes. I am not at all well known by the tarot community but will soon ne a recognizable figure in the radical community as an anti-capitalist children's book author (yeah, yeah, the irony, okay)

Any help with these questions would be much appreciated!

Click to expand...

Sounds like a really interesting deck. I will tell you what I know.

1. US Games does not actually hold the copyright to the faces of the RWS, just the deck and packaging they produce. You can get the faces from Wikipedia or you can purchase the Tarot CD from Dover which includes the RWS. The RWS copyright ran out a number of years ago. There's lots on the web about this. Just google RWS copyright. I can't help you with wording, but I'm not sure what you mean by that. I would suggest checking out some of the other RWS decks around.

2. TGC is a good option. Print on demand means that you don't have to buy multiple copies of your deck which is pricey and they will sell your deck through their website. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are good ways to advertise your deck, but the POD technology obviates the need to raise the funds to print the 1,000 or so copies expected by printers.
Re marketing to US Games - go to their website and find their submissions page. They get back to you quite quickly with a yes or no to your deck. I am about to publish with TGC and have a page on fb. Aeclectic Tarot is a good place to advertise your deck.

3. I checked out the indie path but haven't gone down it yet. Have a look at the perks that sell on tarot sites - my feeling is that when people are interested in a deck, that's what they want - copies of the deck. The original artwork, especially if it is expensive, doesn't seem to go. But check this out yourself - you can look up every deck posted pretty much, see how much they earned and the perks that went. That way you can make your own assessment of what you think will be popular.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck with your deck.

Kind regards
Lorelei

Thanks very much, Lorelei... this is all very useful information

-Red

redandblackflag said:

Hello, friends!

I am creating a spin-off of the Rider-Waite. It is very similiar and very detailed, but what makes it unique is that the entire deck will be made out of construction paper! The images are then scanned in and cropped.

I am seeking advice on multiple questions...

1. All of the art is completely original and cut out by hand by me. However, I'm still concerned about the copyright US games has on the Rider-Waite. What are the specifics as far as what I can amd cannot do, especially in terms of word choice when I'm marketing it?

2. I originally wanted to use The Game Crafter, Kickstarter, and an Itsy store to market it... probably still will. I have never used these services before. Another option that came to mind was marketing this idea directly to US Games. Has anyone done this before and would it be recommended? The issue that comes to mind is that although I try to keep them consistent, the art is a bit all over the place, as each card is semi-unique in color and style, and I'm limited by resources.

3. Assuming I go the indie route, where do I begin marketing and talking to people about my deck, and what should prices be? I'd like to offer small posters, postcards, original art etc. as kickstarter prizes. I am not at all well known by the tarot community but will soon ne a recognizable figure in the radical community as an anti-capitalist children's book author (yeah, yeah, the irony, okay)

Any help with these questions would be much appreciated!

Click to expand...

1. If you're using the RWS artwork in your collage, I'd go by Lorelei's answer. If you're just concerned about incorporating the same concepts and symbol into your deck, it's still not a problem. Many decks out there use the RWS system and incorporate similar or identical symbols in their cards (the symbols I'm talking about are things like the crab in The Moon) and it's not a problem. As far as I know, you're fine. When you're marketing it, I suppose it might depend on your wording, but I can't really think of many examples where it would be an issue.

2. There are a few threads on those services, so it might be easier to get opinions on using them from those threads where more people who are familiar with them will see it. I don't see how marketing your work to US Games would be a problem, as long as you have your bases covered copyright-wise. If they don't like the artwork, they'll simply turn it down. However, maybe if you feel like it's all over the place or if it's a very niche deck, you might want to try the self-publishing route first, which might also help you make a name for yourself in the Tarot community and show publishers you do have an audience willing to buy your work.

3. I have some issues with Kickstarter, so I've never seriously considered using it myself. However, it does annoy me when donations matching the price of that product get something like a postcard instead of a copy of that product (say, if your deck will be sold for 25 dollars or euros, it's only fair that someone who gives that amount or more will get a copy, instead of getting a postcard and then having to pay for a copy again).

By the way, if you're making an anarcho-communist deck, I'd love a link when you're selling (haha) it.