Thanks to a slight misunderstanding on my part (I failed to select the right access option on Lulu.com) my PORTABLE WARGAME book has been published before I was able to send out review copies.
The book comes in three different formats:
As a hardback (ISBN 978-1-326-90454-8) for £14.99 ...
... as a paperback (ISBN 978-1-326-90458-6) for £5.99, ...
... and as an ebook (ISBN 978-1-326-90460-9) for £2.99.
All three are currently on sale via Lulu.com, and will be on sale from Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc., in the near future.
The book comes in three different formats:
As a hardback (ISBN 978-1-326-90454-8) for £14.99 ...
... as a paperback (ISBN 978-1-326-90458-6) for £5.99, ...
... and as an ebook (ISBN 978-1-326-90460-9) for £2.99.
All three are currently on sale via Lulu.com, and will be on sale from Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc., in the near future.
Best of luck with the book. I'll be ordering mine shortly!
ReplyDeleteLee Hadley,
DeleteI hope at you enjoy it when it arrives.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteGreat news, and I will be buying a copy for sure. Recently I have become increasingly drawn towards the style of rules you describe that can offer a faster 'simpler' game as opposed to games that take ages to work through each phase of every move. My experience of playing Commands & Colors for several years has convinced me that grids are the way to go, but I have yet to try square based boards. I have been giving this matter a lot of thought because my enthusiasm for 'conventional' rules has waned considerably recently to the point I was ready to give up wargaming to focus upon collecting. This could be just the thing for me!
All the best,
Lee.
'Lee.,
DeleteI hope that you enjoy using the rules. They are designed to be a starting point for gamers who want to have a set of rules that they can adapt for their own specific needs. They are similar to the C&C rules ... but not the same.
One of the two exemplar games in the book uses squares so that players can see how the rules work with a non-hex grid. I hope that you find it helpful.
All the best,
Bob
Waiting for B&N so please keep posting updates
ReplyDeleteKevin Kearney,
DeleteI understand that it should be available from Barnes & Noble in about four to six weeks.
All the best,
Bob
Congratulations, Robert! I would find a post on the process for creating and readying a document for Lulu publication quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Freitag,
DeleteCheers old chap!
The process is quite simple ... if you download one of Lulu's templates and follow the on-screen instructions. If I get a chance at some time in the future I will write a 'How to ...' blog entry about how I published my books.
All the best,
Bob
Hardback copy (and ebook) ordered...
ReplyDeleteMike
Mike Lewis,
DeleteI hope that you enjoy your purchases!
All the best,
Bob
Looking forward to this one! I'll be purchasing it tonight!
ReplyDeleteJohn,
DeleteI hope you enjoy reading the book when it is delivered.
All the best,
Bob
Bravo!
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow dabbler in gridded miniatures, I look forward to the Amazon release.
Ed M,
DeleteThe book should be available from Amazon in about four to six weeks.
All the best,
Bob
Delighted with the book. I bought the ebook and devoured it over breakfast. No doubt I will get a hard copy later. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteStephen Briddon,
DeleteWow! That is some going!
If you feel the urge, a short review on Lulu would be much appreciated.
All the best,
Bob
In the meantime I am still hung over army sizes, although I realize this is contingent on the scenarios used. What level of organization do you see the units represent? In the meantime, the Mahdist scenario did encourage me in my latest interest in trying colonial wargaming.
ReplyDeleteStephen Briddon,
DeleteIn the two battles featured in the book I envisaged the units as being approximately company-sized (or equivalent). That said, I have fought battles where the tabletop units represented battalion-sized (or equivalent) units. Therefore most of the armies that I would envisage seeing used on the 'standard' 8 x 8 squared grid or 8 x 9 hexed grid would represent something approximating to a brigade or division.
As you would have probably guessed from reading my blog, my main areas of interest is wargaming conflicts from the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, although I have plans for a Portable Napoleonic Wargame that will use the same basic concepts, but where the units will represent regiments.
All the best,
Bob
Bob
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. That was a pretty swift process from inception to publication. I too would appreciate a"How to.." blog post.
To be honest I wasn't going to buy it (because grids really aren't my thing) but you seem to have pitched the price for a paperback just right because my reaction was "Ooh why not...for that price?"
Good luck with it.
Cheers
Andrew
Rumblestrip (Andrew),
DeleteI actually began the process of writing the book early last year, but got sidetracked and also lost motivation several times. I finally decided to bite the bullet late last year, and then it was just a case of cracking on with it.
The process of preparing a book for publication is actually quite simple, and I will try to compile a 'How to ...' guide in the near future ... probably when I begin work on my next book!
Setting the right price was important to me, as was the choice of versions that I wanted to produce. I would have liked to just offer the hardback version, but felt that it would only appeal to a few potential purchasers. That is why I chose to produce paperback and ebook versions as well, and to ensure that they were priced at about what a wargamer might pay for a magazine or a few pots of paint. I make far less profit from each sale, but if I sell enough it will enable me to recoup my costs.
All the best,
Bob
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Aaron
Prufrock (Aaron),
DeleteMany thanks for you good wishes.
All the best,
Bob
And I was doing so well so far this year in not spending money on 'toys'. As if that was going to last!
ReplyDeleteJust ordered a copy and drumming fingers...........
Barry Carter,
DeleteSorry to have placed temptation in your path, but I'm sure that you will think that it was money well spent.
All the best,
Bob
Bought it (ebook), read it, enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteBill Barker,
DeleteThanks very much for both buying the book and the feedback! I'm really pleased that you enjoyed it!
All the best,
Bob
Hardback and ebook ordered! Ebook downloaded and kettle being put on....
ReplyDeletePete,
DeleteI do hope that you enjoy reading the book in both its formats, and get to use the rules at some time in the future.
All the best,
Bob
Quick query: being from NZ can I order from lulu.com or ought I wait until the book comes available from Amazon?
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo,
DeleteI must admit that I don't know the answer to your questions. In the USA or the UK (and I suspect in the rest of Europe) it depends more on the cost of postage and packing as to which is the cheaper. For example, if you are an Amazon Prime account holder, the postage is nil, but if you are a standard account holder it will probably be cheaper to buy direct from Lulu.com.
As far as speed of delivery is concerned, buying from Lulu.com should be cheaper as Amazon doesn't seem to hold any stock of print-on-demand books; instead Amazon buys it from Lulu.com when you order it from Amazon, then delivers it to you when it has been printed.
Not a lot of help, I'm afraid to say.
All the best,
Bob
I'll just have to suck it and see, then. :-)
DeleteArchduke Piccolo,
DeleteI wish I could help, but the books that I have ordered for myself (to be sent out for review etc.) have yet be printed let alone delivered.
All the best,
Bob
On order (I decided on hardback) from lulu.com. P&P didn't seem excessive. We'll see how we get on.
DeleteCheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI understand that Lulu prints and binds the books at different locations, and sends them to customers from the closest. That is supposed to keep the costs down and reduce the environmental impact.
I hope that you enjoy the book when it arrives,
All the best,
Bob
Oh Shiny
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting the public know
It's "On the list"
Geordie an Exiled FoG,
DeleteDon't leave it too long before you buy a copy ... it's selling fast!
(The latter part of that statement is not quite true ... but in the new era of 'fake news', who seems to care any more if one lies a bit?)
All the best,
Bob
To my delight my copy arrived yesterday and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself today by reading it. I am most impressed. A lot of the book is familiar from various concepts you have explored in your blog but you have done a great job in bringing everything together, while expanding on some of your original ideas. I found your history of gridded games absolutely fascinating and was impressed by the depth of your research. I found your various design notes particularly useful and enjoyed reading the two battle reports you included, especially the move-by-move explanation of how the rules worked in practice. (I look forward to seeing in the near future if I can perform better than Colonel Srelnikov in his battle against Kampfgruppe Fredrickson)! I hope the book does well as it demonstrates that a satisfying wargame can be conducted by players limited by time, space and resources. Finally I was also surprised, but none the less honoured, to be mentioned in the acknowledgements at the beginning of the book – thank you.
ReplyDeleteDavid Bradley,
DeleteYou do not know how pleased I was to read your comment. It makes all the work that I did to write my book worthwhile.
Good luck trying to improve on Colonel Stelnikov's efforts. When I wrote the scenario I expected the result to be much closer ... but the run of cards and the die rolls worked against him. On another day I would expect him to just brush the defenders aside.
I tried to mention everyone who made helpful comments and suggestions during the long development period of these rules, and you certainly deserved yours. Thanks for your contribution.
All the best,
Bob
PS. Could I ask you to write a review of my book? It is selling quite well, but every little helps, and I know that positive reviews do influence potential purchasers.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteA pleasure! Will post reviews to Lulu (and to Amazon when the book appears on their site). Obviously Col Strelnikov is the rehabilitated son (?) of Commisar Strelnilov - whose armoured train in "Dr Zhivago" made a lasting impression on me ever since I saw the movie! I look forward to finding out more about Oberst Fredrickson tomorrow!
David Bradley,
DeleteI don't know why it is taking Anazon so long to add the printed versions of the book to their system ... but they are!
You have certainly got the right idea regarding Colonel Strelnikov ... and Oberst Frederickson has a similar literary origin.
All the best,
Bob