Tarot Deck Creation Question

gregory said:

I don't know about AJ, but - sure I could. But I wouldn't feel it was a tarot reading, with so many cards pulled. As someone said way back up the thread - a tarot deck has a quite specific structure, and part of that is four suits. Adding a suit is one thing (though I don't much like it) - but removing one is something else. I think it does unbalance things. Much would be missing.

It's exactly the kind of thing that made me say it wouldn't really interest me in the first place - because it isn't going to be a tarot deck.

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Again, I'm designing it to be used in two different ways. There will be a conversion pack with 14 cards. If you remove the first card of the other three decks and the last 3 cards from the Major Arcana, it will become a standard Tarot deck.

Right now I'm working to keep the current cards I've designed, but order them in such a way that they line up nicely with the expected imagery of a more traditional deck.

And more power to you. But I think you ARE making a mistake trying to market it as a tarot deck. What you are describing now sounds like an oracle with extra cards one can add to make it something else,so that you can try and CALL it a tarot deck. Sorry, but...

I wish you luck with it - I really do, but it won't be one for me. Which is not problem for you, and don't think I am assuming that my not wanting it makes any difference to anyone but me. I am just expressing the POV of one rabid tarot collector who doesn't see this as one that will fit.

draque said:

Ah, no worries! I'm exploring a number of different distribution methods, but am not as far with that as I am with figuring out printing. On a small scale, I've got quite a few ideas, but I haven't found any online retailer that's responded to me yet. Do you happen to know any that people here have had luck with?

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ok!) happy to hear updates on progress!) my fav printer is Printerstudio and I'm yet to try gamecrafter would like to test their UV coating but not sure for shipping rates!x.x ) dk I'm yet to figure out distribution!^^ imo you don't need to worry about skepticism you get! as long it can be used as Tarot you can name it that way! and there are many examples people added few cards and it's still Tarot! and I'm sure however you name it will be interesting for collectors and find people who will like to try it out!^^ as long they are able to see it somewhere! so yeah, e bay, amazon, etsy, are all worth considering personally I would like we /Tarot creators have some representatives of our Guild that can get us deal with my fav bookdepository!^^ anyone try that route? that would be fantastic!^^)

As most others would, I'd call it much more closely related to a tarot than most oracle decks, and certainly within a similar family, but not quite a tarot. Still, I think it's more than just an oracle, which is definitely a plus for me and possibly a minus for others.

I actually have a similar project I've been slowly working on. Totally different implementation I'm sure, but it also borrows from the basic majors/suits of minors structure and numerology of tarot, while hanging a different set of ideas upon that skeleton. I would definitely not be put off by such a thing; my approach has always been different from deck to deck anyway, so things like alternate card numbering and new conceptions of cards or entire suits never bothered me. I like examining reinterpretations however similar or different from the base idea. Really, as long as there is a system and structure (not so fond of most oracle decks for this reason), I'm at least interested in checking a deck out. Actually creating your own system and relating it back rather than trying to shoehorn ideas into a preexisting concept really appeals to me!

If you don't care how many copies you sell, sure, you can do whatever you want. With good artwork an unusual complicated deck with a steep learning curve will appeal to a limited number of people.

It all depends on your goals.

With dozens of beautiful and intriguing new decks on the market each year, and many hundreds of wonderful decks already available, readers have a lot of choices, and most readers do not collect large numbers of decks. So if your goal is to at least cover the cost of hiring an artist out-of-pocket for 84 works of art (as the OP said), it's time to put your business hat on and look at some numbers.

McFaire said:

If you don't care how many copies you sell, sure, you can do whatever you want. With good artwork an unusual complicated deck with a steep learning curve will appeal to a limited number of people.

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Yup! I'm definitely looking to make the deck stand apart and be distinctive. That's one of the reasons that I am looking to find a way to stress that will work out of the box as a typical tarot deck, but can also be used with a wholly new system that I've developed. For a lot of people the new system will likely just be a curiosity, but I'm looking to create a deck that will also be picked up by people looking for something more adventurous, even if the new system takes a bit of work to first familiarize themselves with.

Either way, it's going to take some footwork and planning on my part for sure! :3