The Mark IV Games Blog

How to Approach Manufacturing for Self-Publishers

Manufacturing, in my opinion, is objectively scary. It’s complicated, pedantic, and especially for crowdfunders, only seems to exist in the somewhat dream-like future of when your project actually has funding. However, as I dive more and more into the world of manufacturing, I’ve found it’s also fun and pretty darn rewarding. So in an effort to make this kind of work more accessible, I wanted to share a bit about my experience riding this learning curve, and plug a couple of my favorite resources.

For my skimmers here’s a TLDR:

  • Manufacturing is complicated but it’s not as scary as it seems
  • Trust yourself, you got this. And when you don’t, google it.
  • Research is hard but incredibly helpful, and it’s easier with the links below

The first real surprise I had is that manufacturing is that it’s a regular industry just like any other—designed for people with varying levels of expertise to make cool stuff. As soon as I broke past the all-intimidating wall of manufacturer contact forms, perfect portfolios and hyper-detailed blog posts (hehe), everything was much less scary. 

All I really had to do was explain what pieces I wanted in my game, and someone else told me how much it would cost (this is called an RFQ, or “request for quote”). From there it’s basically just professional, very-detailed texting. At its heart, your project manager wants your business and wants to make your game happen. So trust yourself! You know your game, you know your vision. And if you don’t know an acronym, material, or other industry secret? Google is your very best friend 😉

Regarding other types of manufacturing research—while you do know your vision, research helps you make that vision so specific that your manufacturer can see it clearly too. You’ll also save a LOT of money if you do your research well. And the wonderful thing about making board games is that there’s an enormous community with tons of experience just waiting to make your day. Engage them and learn from their experience so that you can make your game the best it can be. Below are a couple of my favorite resources.

Stonemaier Games Kickstarter Lessons

Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier games is a godsend and has done tons of work putting his expertise back into the community through these blog posts. Especially in the “Shipping and Worldwide Accessibility” section, I learned a TON about the details and finesses that can make shipping and manufacturing much easier.

James Mathe – Game Publishing

James Mathe of Kickin’ It Games has also done awesome work that’s been incredibly helpful for me when communicating with manufacturers. James goes into fantastic detail and makes lots of info on manufacturers, materials, etc. very readable. I highly recommend his “Art of the RFQ” and “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Game Manufacturers” posts.

Comment if you’ve had similar experiences, or if you want to see more resources!

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