# How does the smalltime board game biz work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-smalltime-board-game-biz-work/503774>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [July 21, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-smalltime-board-game-biz-work/503774 "2009-07-21T20:33:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-smalltime-board-game-biz-work/503774/1 "2009-07-21T20:33:15Z")

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If one wants to develop a board game, are there little indie boardgame publishers that are into taking “unsolicited manuscripts” so to speak? Or does one have to just basically do everything oneself from design on up to publishing?

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**Author:** ![Caldazar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Caldazar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldazar)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-smalltime-board-game-biz-work/503774/2 "2009-07-21T21:31:50Z")

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Different publishers have different submission guidelines, but most will require that you have a playable prototype already designed. Often, it’s a matter of contacting the game publisher and requesting a submission form. Other publishers may ask that you demo your game in-person. Still others don’t accept unsolicited game submissions at all. When in doubt, contact the publisher(s) you’re looking to work with and ask.

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**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-smalltime-board-game-biz-work/503774/3 "2009-07-21T22:29:41Z")

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I’ve seen people touring with prototypes at gaming conventions to get people interested and potentially sell their game. There’s also the option of just diving in and publishing it yourself which depending on the component quality might not be that expensive.

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-smalltime-board-game-biz-work/503774/4 "2009-07-21T22:39:20Z")

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You may want to look around in [Star Wars: The Queen's Gambit | Board Game | BoardGameGeek](http://www.boardgamegeek.com/forum/15/region/1)

There are certainly different publishers with different rules  
For example see [http://www.zmangames.com/submissions.htm](http://www.zmangames.com/submissions.htm)

FYI these may be of interest:

> **[Rio Grande Games Design Contest, hosted by Chicago Toy and Game Fair (Updated...](https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/417384/rio-grande-games-design-contest-hosted-chicago-toy)**
>
> b\]Reminder\[/b\]: I will be present at Gen Con, and I am running a seminar session at each event entitled "Game Group Organizers, Unite" on Saturday at 2pm and again on Sunday at 10am if you would like to ask me questions in person. I can also be...

> **[New resource for board/card game self-publishing and sales | BGG](https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/424272/new-resource-boardcard-game-self-publishing-and-sa)**
>
> A friend sent me this link this morning, and I didn't see any existing forum entries about it:
> 
> http://www.thegamecrafter.com/
> 
> They seem to have essentially taken a CafePress-style approach to game publishing:
> 1. Offer a finite selection of the most...

Brian