What's going on with Osprey?

[Leman]

When I were a young 'un and i wanted some info on uniforms or organisation of armies I would turn to Osprey, and indeed I still do. But I have just opened an email from Osprey letting me know that their latest stuff is Frostgrave, Nazis on the Moon, Dwarf Wars and sundry other nonsense. What is going on? Aaaaarrrggh!

[Nosher]

Sign of the times. Most of the wargame stuff they're churning out is back of a fag packet beer n pretzel stuff. Mind you I can still remember black and white A4 rule books with line drawn pictures and diagrams that had been mass photocopied and weren't much better.....

[Subedai]

Sign of the times. Most of the wargame stuff they're churning out is back of a fag packet beer n pretzel stuff. Mind you I can still remember black and white A4 rule books with line drawn pictures and diagrams that had been mass photocopied and weren't much better.....

Line drawn pictures and diagrams, hedonistic luxury that is! In my day we had one or t'other not both.

[Chad]

Diagrams and pictures!! When I were a lad we just had text. 

[Steve J]

Well there is a finite amount of historical info that they can publish, so they need to branch out/create new stuff. This has happened with Battlefront and their WWII stuff and is also affecting the scale model market.

[Leman]

But there's still no actual Man-at-Arms book on the French, the Spanish, the Italian states in the Great Italian Wars. Still hadn't seen any Spanish or Italian figures looking as how I imagined they should until The Assault Group produced their 28mm figures. Now if Osprey had come up with the goods in the 80s or 90s what a different story. But no  ,,,,,,, Nazis on the Moon. Even the film was poor.

[Steve J]

But there's still no actual Man-at-Arms book on the French, the Spanish, the Italian states in the Great Italian Wars.

I believe it all depends upon someone writing the books off their own back. As far as I know they do not commission books, unless that has changed under the new management.

[Tawa]

I believe it all depends upon someone writing the books off their own back.

That would explain the ridiculous lack of anything to do with my family on the books on the Reivers.... 

[Orcs]

I spoke with an author (some time ago) and Osprey will ask a writer to write a book on a subject they are a specialist in.
Osprey will then give them a budget.  This has to cover the writing, the costs of permissions for photographs and all expenses.  Osprey provide the Colour plates. When they review the manuscript they may be asked to include additional photos , drawing of maps etc.

After it is written and accepted the author gets to keep the remainder of the budget. The author was lucky to make £200-£300 per book. Osprey seem to rely on the fact that the Author will enjoy writing the book as its his specialism. The author has other work so will see the Osprey as "extra".

The person I spoke to tended to try and leave any Osprey work offered on the back burner and only do it if he had no other writing jobs

No Idea on royalties or if the above is still  valid

[DaveH]

I can imagine the single biggest cost is the artwork as there is always plenty of that in Ospreys.

Some of the sets of rules are actually pretty good, but again I don't think they are massive paydays for the writers but get their name out there more than self published rules will.

[Ckudola]

I've really enjoyed the rules published by Osprey. Frostgrave, Lion Rampant and Dragon Rampant are all fun, easy to learn rules that let me put my figs on the table and have a quick fun game.

Plus from a $ standpoint it makes sense for them to branch out like this.

[Techno]

As that was your first post, Ck.

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers - Phil

[fsn]

What ho, Ckudola!

Welcome to the friendliest, cleverest, most knowingest forum on 10mm gaming.

[FierceKitty]

Diagrams and pictures!! When I were a lad we just had text. 

Text wi' nowt grammar and poonctuaytion, laike.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Hi Ck - ignore wimp, he's just a very depressed kitty.

IanS