Two threads on BoardGameGeek caught my attention this week. One was started by me, so it's no surprise, the other was from someone in a similar boat, and the difference between the responses is amazing.
Thread One was me asking for advice from other self-publishers on how to publicise my game with a minimum of expenditure. I got several complimentary replies. They were thoughtful, helpful and had lots of good ideas. I was offered good luck and people offered to pimp the game in their locality in exchange for a free copy. I even had people send me emails with extended advice. You really get the feeling that
The other thread has since been deleted. Someone was asking people to invest in the production of a new game like Monopoly they had 'discovered'. It turns out with a little digging the 'discoverer' was the designer's wife. She made a bunch of mistakes in her assumptions:
- She assumed BGGers like Monopoly
- She assumed BGGers support large companies over small ones
- She misrepresented her association to the designer
And, as a result, she was throw to the wolves. Sure, some people made some good suggestions in the thread, but there was an awful lot of flaming and acrimony. It got ugly - which is why it probably got deleted by a moderator.
So there you have it. Think before you post to BGG. If you're going to do it, don't lie, or shill your game - ask for advice and help and you'll receive it in bucket-loads from the great community. Otherwise you risk the ire of the community, they're not stupid and don't appreciate being taken for a ride or manipulated - if you do that you will get a response - and things will get nasty.
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