Puzzle Packs/Books for download
I’ve had several requests by email, and a few in comments, about directly selling books or packs of puzzles online – in fact over the past few years I’ve had lots via email from puzzlemix users who want books of particular puzzle types too.
So my question to you is, what format would you expect if you were to buy a collection of puzzles? There’s no commitment to buy if you comment of course – I’m just trying to gauge what people would expect. The options I have in mind are:
- Standard book format, with colour cover and available to print or order a printed copy of. For example see the two books I put online at lulu a couple of months ago (click through to each title and you can flick through pages of a preview which will give you a good idea of what I mean – they are fully laid-out, ‘real’ books)
- A simple A4 or Letter-size book format, with one or two puzzles per page and no real page design other than puzzle and/or page numbers, available for online download only.
- A zip archive file with lots of separate PDF files, just as you might download individual PDF puzzles from this site.
Also I’m wondering what size of collection would interest you? I’ve always tended to put 100 of a puzzle together before, but perhaps 50 would be a better quantity and then I could also create regular updates for popular packs with new puzzles every month or two, depending on demand?
Comments are closed.
about 15 years ago
All the options sound good. My personal preference would be a printed book. 70-100 puzzles works better for a printed book, but if a pack of 50 puzzles means more time for updates, then either one of the other options is good!
about 15 years ago
My personal preference would be for a pdf file containing however many puzzles you would care to publish! That way you can print off a few at a time, and also easily reprint any you make mistakes on (not too many hopefully!).
Again my personal preference would be for the skyscraper puzzles and the consecutive puzzles as a change from the more usual sudoku types.
As Marilyn said, any of the options would be quite acceptable
about 15 years ago
Hmmm… Much to think about…
My preference is for a PDF file containing puzzles on pages so you can print a few at a time, like Christine said. My printer driver can print multiple pages on one sheet of paper so that reduces waste. I would not bind the book so putting it in that format is unnecessary for me.
However, puzzle packs are in abundance on the Internet. For me, they would need to be unique with exclusive type puzzles such as skyscraper and consecutives like what you are doing. Also, they would need to be cheaper and convenient than me going to the newsagent and buying a Sudoku Pro or other puzzle book since I am using my own printer cartridge ink and paper.
I have a shelf full of puzzle books to do. So something else in the packs should be offered in order to make them interesting.
One thing I like about some of the monthly publications (like Puzzlers) is the editorial in every monthly issue. Even if they are something stupid like “How we doing? This month’s Dr. Squishy’s brain drain will focus on puzzles to help you remember birthdays.”, they feel more inviting than just pages of puzzles that look only computer generated. That is one of the reasons I hang out on PuzzleMix and here. Everyone is working on the puzzles at the same time and can comment about them like a book club.
Something that could be fun is to setup the puzzle packs like a Puzzle Quest. Do all of the puzzles in a pack, take a digit from every puzzle, put them all in as a code on this site, and get access to the special killer-dragon puzzle with cheese PDF for that pack. I’d be up for that … or is that too Nintendo?
Okay, get out your grains of salt. You asked … I provided.
about 15 years ago
Thank you very much for all of your comments. It looks like the general consensus is for a single multi-page document, rather than just a stack of files, but it doesn’t matter so much what the exact format is. I think, then, that I will make books that can be self-printed or ordered in printed form, but I won’t spend a lot of time laying out elaborate introductions and so on for them – they’ll be essentially just the puzzles and a relatively brief bit of text.
For a community feel, there could be a way to discuss the content online (that’s easy enough), or certain puzzles could have an online component – even if just entering part of the solution to check it and asking you to contribute your solve time or some such.
In terms of editorial content and continuing puzzles, I love the idea but I’m not sure there’s enough interest in it to justify the time. It might be something I can do in the near future, but for that sort of format it would need to be a mix of content – otherwise only those who liked the particular type of puzzle would buy it, and it would get lost. And to do that, I’d need to at least semi-automate a good chunk of it to make it viable.
Lots to think about – I will probably start out relatively simple and then build from there if there’s interest!
about 15 years ago
Just bought a copy of your Slitherlink download! That format is ideal. Am working my way through the puzzles now to see what level I can get to!
about 15 years ago
Thanks for the purchase!
I haven’t forgotten about further puzzle books – I’m hoping to get something done soon, although I’m very good at saying that and not actually doing it…!
I logged onto Lulu today and saw I’d had a few other sales I didn’t know about, which was encouraging given how hard it is to find them by accident!