This section is provided for the benefit of game designers and publishers who are new to retail, or looking to take their sales to the next level. Dedicated to providing you with answers to common (and not so common) questions relating to the hobby-games industry, we have provided these answers to assist you with the process of getting your product from concept into the marketplace.

Key 20 provides this section to help keep you informed as to what you need to get your product into retail stores, and into the hands of buyers worldwide. Feel free to submit your questions to key20@key20.com. We will review, answer, and post them here!

Topics :: Discussions

From Print To Retail What Key 20 Is All About Choosing The Right Consolidator Determining Your Retail Price Identify Yourself: The Standard Manufacturer Code Plan Your Release Date In Advance! About ISBN Numbers   Shipping To Key 20 Mailing Correspondence By Postal Mail Shipping By UPS, FedEX, DHL and Postal Mail Shipping By Carrier Service Shipments Containing New Product Releases

From Print To Retail

Topic: What Key 20 Is All About     Discussion:   More hobby-game industry publishers trust Key 20 with their product marketing and fulfillment than any other consolidator. We represent many quality publishers, and represent them to hobby-game industry buyers as a unified front. Offering a complete turn-key solution, Key 20 can help your company print, manufacturer, market, promote and ship your game to our list of industry retailers & wholesalers, and onto the shelves of stores world-wide. We have formed many strategic relationships to assist independent and small press publishers with every aspect of development, from concept to sale. For more information visit the following links: Publisher Services Fulfillment & Warehousing Production Assistance   Topic: Choosing The Right Consolidator     Discussion:   There are many different types of marketing and fulfillment companies out there. The best way to choose the one that's right for you is by asking questions and making sure they fit your needs. Some good things to know about your consolidator: First, ask about the distribution methods your consolidator uses. You should choose a consolidator who will represent and promote your products through a mix of media channels including retail stores, wholesale dealers, conventions & trade shows, publication advertising and the Internet. Making sure that your representative offers marketing through all available channels will save you time, and ensure that your products are getting the most market exposure. The marketing and fulfillment company you choose should be independent. Choosing an independent company to handle your fulfillment, not one associated with a wholesale distributor or industry retailer, will ensure that your products get equal and un-biased representation throughout your target markets. Choosing a consolidator that does both marketing and fulfillment is a must. A consolidator who performs both tasks in-house has the ability to determine market trends and react faster to them, then those who rely on third parties. In addition, this gives both you and your customers a single point of contact, making the distribution process seamless. Your consolidator should offer you a straightforward representation fee, without pick-n-pack fees or variable charges. This will make it easier for you to determine how much you are making on each sale, and plan marketing dollars, future releases, and company growth accordingly. Be sure that the consolidator you choose has the capacity to fulfill your customers orders accurately and quickly. An online e-commerce system, giving you the ability to log-in and track your buyers orders real-time keeps you informed, and reduces the chances of product information errors. In addition, a good order management system should automatically send you low-stock notifications so your consolidator does not run out of product. You never know where your business will take you. Choosing a consolidator that offers a minimal stock commitment, with no internet or retail exclusivity, will give you the flexibility to forge your own path along with your consolidators services for maximum exposure. As your business grows, you may begin to offer many different types of products. This can include physical media such as books, cards and board games, but can also eventually include electronically downloadable media, CD-ROMs, DVDs and apparel. Be sure that the consolidator you choose is prepared for this, and has the ability to promote, market, warehouse and ship your products accordingly. Accidents happen. You should be sure that the stock you send to your consolidator is covered by a property insurance policy, either inherently or by additional coverage that you can subscribe to. Finally, be sure that your consolidator will handle special shipments and stock transfers for you. Occasions may arise when you need a few items shipped back to you, or to someone for review, or out as samples. Ask if your consolidator will handle these special shipments for you.   Topic: Determining Your Retail Price     Discussion:   After producing your game and choosing the right consolidator, your next step will be to get it in to the hands of your buyers. The first step here will be to determine your retail price, and be sure that you will make a profit on each sale. The best way to figure your retail price for distribution is by first determining your break-even point, which is roughly three times your production cost (accounting for buyer discounts, shipping and commissions), and then deciding how much profit you would like to make on each sale. For example: If your game costs $5.00 to make, your break-even point in retail distribution will be roughly $15.00. If you would like to make $2.50 per game after production costs, you would set your retail price at $22.50. If you would like to make $5.00 per game, you would set your price at $25.00... etc. The key point in setting your retail price is to make sure that you have chosen a price high enough that you will be profitable, but low enough that your product has buyer appeal. Key 20 will happily work with you to determine the appropriate retail price for your game, and will provide you with the feedback you need to make your game attractive to retail buyers.   Topic: Identify Yourself: The Standard Manufacturer Code     Discussion:   The Standard Manufacturer Code (SMC), formerly RCHTA (Radio Control Hobby Trade Association) Code, is a standard three character code that buyers will use to identify your company and its products. The RCHTA acronym goes back to the days when the hobby and hobby-game industry were one and the same. At this time, adventure & strategy games where sold mostly through the hobby stores. The industry assigns and maintains a common set of publisher-unique prefixes (in 3 character alpha/numeric format), which precede the product numbers. This way your product codes (SMC + product number) are unique, and easily identifiable to your buyers. As a Key 20 member, all of your products will also have "K2D" appended to the front of your SMC. The K2D identifier tells the buyer that your products are available through Key 20 and it's affiliated wholesalers & retailers, the SMC tells the buyer that you make the product, and your product number tells the buyer which product it is. As a benefit to our members, Key 20 will obtain your Standard Manufacturer Code for you free of charge if you do not already have one.   Topic: Plan Your Release Date In Advance!     Discussion:   One thing to keep in mind when planning your product releases is that most buyers require a 90 day lead-time on soliciting products. We mention this because we have found that publishers can be unaware of the time it takes to get into distribution, and wait to decide on a consolidator at the last minute. Once your information is received, it will be sent out to buyers for solicitation. The buyers require this lead-time in order to get your product information out there, and in turn receive the orders back. So be sure to give your consolidator at least 90 days to solicit your product, and get the release information to them well in advance of your estimated release date!   Topic: About ISBN Numbers     Discussion:   Key 20 does not require ISBN numbers. The hobby-games industry does not require products to have ISBN numbers, and we have never heard of a situation in this industry where a product’s sales suffered because it did not have one. Where this comes in to play is in the book-trade industry. If you were to attempt to rep your product through a company like Ingram, looking to get it into Borders, Barnes & Noble (etc...), then you would need to have ISBN numbers on your products. However, if you are planning to strictly sell through hobby-game stores, you will be fine without them. If you find that you are in need of ISBN numbers for your products, we recommend checking out the following links: http://www.isbn.org http://www.publishinggame.com/art_isbn.htm

Shipping To Key 20

Topic: Mailing Correspondence By Postal Mail     Discussion:   When mailing correspondence (letters, agreements, payments, etc.) by Postal Mail (Domestic US or International), send your letters to: Key 20, LLC PO Box 133 Hinckley, Ohio 44233   Topic: Shipping By UPS, FedEX, DHL and Postal Mail     Discussion:   When shipping to Key 20 through UPS, FedEX, DHL and Postal Mail (Domestic US or International), send your shipments to: Key 20 Logistics 6440 Norwalk Rd., Suite C Medina, Ohio 44256 The tracking number of the shipment must be e-mailed to key20@key20.com a minimum of 24 hours before shipment is scheduled to arrive. Once we receive your stock it will be checked in to our online inventory management system, and you will then be able to log-in and track your inventory and orders through your Key 20 Member account.   Topic: Shipping By Carrier Service     Discussion:   When shipping product to Key 20 by carrier (pallet and/or LTL freight) the shipment can be sent to the same address listed above, but must meet the following requirements: 1) Product must be boxed; 2) The carrier truck must have a lift-gate; 3) 24 hour notice is required prior to shipment delivery. Please be advised that a fee will apply to all shipments that do not arrive meeting these requirements. When shipping by carrier pallitazation is not necessary, but is a good idea to prevent damage in transit.   Topic: Shipments Containing New Product Releases     Discussion:   Please be advised that Key 20 requires all new product release stock to be in our warehouse by the 1st day of the release month. If the required stock is not in our warehouse by the 1st day of the release month, we will cancel it from solicitation and re-solicit the product after the stock arrives in our warehouse. When planning your new release, be sure to leave enough time for your printer to complete the printing and still have time to ship it to us prior to your release month. Verifying your printers completion time and selecting the correct release date will prevent delays in getting your product on retail shelves.