Tabletop RPG Self-Publishing Resources

Make Your Own Role-Playing Game

Ever since I began self-publishing, people started asking questions about the tools I use.

On this page I have gathered resources I use to self-publish tabletop RPGs. It was a lifelong dream of mine to publish a role-playing game. I want any gamemaster or RPG player who has that same dream to realize it.

This page is mainly a list of services and tools that are helpful for RPG self-publishing. However, if you are looking for more advice and strategies I created a short free email course that provides information on getting started quickly. Just follow the link below.

FREE EMAIL COURSE ON SELF-PUBLISHING TABLETOP RPGS

The following videos are seminars I recorded at Gen Con Online in 2022 and 2021. Both offer tips and strategies for publishing role-playing games at low or even no cost. I give advice from what software to use to taxes to having the right mindset.

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Every small commission helps me provide more resources to you.

A website is not needed but is certainly helpful if you want to build a following and an audience for your work.

The first step in creating a website is a hosting package. Of course, you can set up a free website on a number of services. However, you will find those limiting if you want to have more control over your site.

There are many hosting services to choose from, but I use BlueHost. Set up is simple and I have always found their customer service to be helpful.

Building a cool website has never been easier. Simply install WordPress and pick a theme. If your hosting is provided by BlueHost installing WordPress is a single press of a button. If you are doing it yourself you want WordPress.org, not .com. 

Once you have WordPress installed pick a theme. A theme gives a website its look and feel. You can begin with a free theme or you can purchase one. I use X Theme for dicegeeks.com. You can find thousands of affordable themes at Theme Forest.

To be clear, you do not have to buy a theme, if you are just starting out. There are thousands of free themes available and many look incredible.

Collecting email addresses is vital to your business. MailChimp is an easy-to-use email service provider that is free for the first 2,000 emails.

Start collecting emails at the beginning of your business, it will pay off.

This is essential and free! Sign up for the DriveThruRPG publishing program. Creating an account here will allow your tabletop RPG to reach an incredible audience of RPG fans. I cannot stress enough how important it is to learn how to use and publish on DriveThruRPG. This is where you will need to build your role-playing game business.

DriveThruRPG allows you to publish your books and RPG resources as PDFs as well as print-on-demand books. Publishing PDFs is a great way to get your feet wet. You can see my PDFs on DriveThrRPG here.

You also want to make sure you are using your affiliate code on any of your RPG links on your website. This will put a little extra cash in your pocket.

If you are into D&D and want to get your products seen, the DMs Guild is where you need to publish. It is a massive marketplace for all things D&D. The special program allows you to use actual trademarked terms and other intellectual property in the D&D world.

The DMs Guild is a joint venture between Wizards of the Coast and DriveThruRPG, so you only need one account to publish on both. Here's a link to learn about selling your products there: DMs Guild FAQ.

LeadPages is software platform for building high-quality landing pages. It is simple and easy to use. The pages are all optimized for user experience and convert well.

It also helps with gaining more email subscribers with opt-in forms and welcome gates.

It is an investment. However, if you are making money and want to jump to the next level, check it out.

If you want your tabletop RPG on Amazon, you need to go through KDP Publishing. KDP Publishing is a print-on-demand and electronic publishing service owned by Amazon.

Print-on-demand means you never have to shell out a ton of cash for a print run. A book is printed only when a customer buys one. Kindle ebooks are also published through KDP Publishing.

You can see my RPG books published using KDP Publishing here.

By joining the Amazon affiliate program you can maximize your earnings. You will gain a commission on any products a person buys. Plus you can use the affiliate link for your products which increases the amount you earn.

If you want to help support my work, click on the link to the right and I will receive a small commission if you buy something.

If you want to sell PDFs directly to your audience, Gumroad is a great option.

It is one of the most simple and straightforward services I have used. You can offer preorders, discounts, and much more. They take a 3% commission if pay $10 per month. If you do not pay the per-month fee, they take an 8% commission.

UPDATE: I've moved away from Gumroad. A new alternative is Payhip. I've started using this site since they only take a 5% commission on the free plan. See my store here as an example.

You can do your layout in Word or Publisher. However, Scribus is free publishing software that can do some amazing things. It's not exactly intuitive, but it is not difficult to learn.

Watch the video to the right for a quick start tutorial. (I don't know Jason, but the video has been very helpful so I thought I would share it.)

NOTE: I ended up switching to InDesign after my business started making money because I ran into some issues publishing with Scribus. However, Scribus is a great way to get started. - DriveThruRPG dropped all support for Scribus files in 2022. The printer would not accept Scribus files an issue I had since 2015. At least they finally realized there was a problem. Scribus can still be used to layout PDFs it just can't be used for paperback or hardback printing. Though, a PDF created in Scribus is accepted by KDP.

A tabletop RPG book is quite plain without images. When you are first starting out, there is no need to break the bank.

Unsplash is an amazing resource for commercial-free images. Public Domain Review is another great place for images.

Mine WikiCommons for incredible works of art. Just look for the symbol that says there is no copyright and you are good.

For image editing I use Gimp. It's free.

You need to understand the Open Game License if you want to self-publish RPG products using D&D and certain other popular role-playing games.

I'm not a lawyer, so it is best if you read and become familiar with the OGL yourself.

To the right is a list of resources to help you begin your research.