Manuscript Tycoon

Build your publishing empire from the ground up in this retro business simulation! Start with $10,000 and a dream, then discover talented authors, negotiate book contracts, and make crucial publishing decisions that will determine your success.

GETTING STARTED

UNDERSTANDING THE INTERFACE

Main Tabs

• HOME: Monthly reports, market conditions, and time advancement
• AGENCY INFO: Company statistics and office management
• AVAILABLE SCRIPTS: Browse and negotiate with new authors
• OWNED SCRIPTS: Manage your published and unpublished books
• ACHIEVEMENTS: Track your progress and unlock rewards

Key Statistics

• Money: Your available cash for advances, printing, and marketing
• Reputation: Industry standing that affects author quality and office upgrades
• Office Level: Determines warehouse capacity and maximum reputation

FINDING AND SIGNING AUTHORS

Author Evaluation

When browsing available scripts, consider these factors:

Manuscript Quality

• Quality Rating: 1-10 scale, directly impacts sales potential
• Length: Affects printing costs and pricing options
• Genre: Market conditions vary by genre
• Max Sales Potential: Total lifetime sales estimate
• Author fanbase: Existing readers (higher = better initial sales)

Negotiation Strategy

Understanding Market Value

Each author has a "fair market value" for their advance and royalty rate:

• High-quality books (8.0+): Worth premium advances and royalties
• Mid-tier books (5.0-7.9): Standard market rates
• Low-quality books (<5.0): Minimal investment recommended

Negotiation Tips

1. Start Conservative: Offer slightly below asking price to test patience
2. Watch Patience Bar: Don't push too hard or authors will walk away
3. Quality Investment: High-quality authors justify higher payments
4. Contract Length: Choose based on book potential:
   • 6 months: Quick turnaround for uncertain projects
   • 12 months: Standard contract length
   • 24-36 months: Lock in great books longer

PUBLISHING STRATEGY

Print Quality Options

BUDGET PRINT (60% of standard cost)

• Best For: Low-quality books, oversaturated markets, price-sensitive genres
• Pros: Lower printing costs, competitive in saturated markets
• Cons: -15% sales appeal, hurts reputation if used on high-quality books
• Genres: Works okay for Romance, Young Adult, Horror

STANDARD PRINT (100% of standard cost)

• Best For: Most books, safe middle-ground choice
• Pros: No penalties, balanced cost-to-benefit ratio
• Cons: No special bonuses
• Genres: Good for all genres

PREMIUM PRINT (180% of standard cost)

• Best For: High-quality Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, collector genres
• Pros: +25% sales appeal when justified, reputation bonus, holiday gift bonus
• Cons: Much higher costs, penalties for inappropriate use
• WARNING: Only use on 8.0+ quality books in suitable genres!

Pricing Strategy

Price Optimization

The game calculates optimal pricing based on:

• Book quality: Higher quality justifies higher prices
• Genre: Some genres are more price-sensitive than others
• Print quality: Premium printing allows higher prices

Genre Price Sensitivity

• Most Sensitive: Romance, Young Adult (price carefully)
• Moderately Sensitive: Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
• Least Sensitive: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction (readers pay for quality)

Pricing Guidelines

• Underpricing: Can increase sales but hurts reputation and revenue
• Optimal Pricing: Follow the game's recommendations
• Overpricing: May limit sales, especially in price-sensitive genres

Marketing Investment

Marketing Effectiveness Tiers

Books are classified as SMALL, MID-TIER, MAJOR, or BLOCKBUSTER based on sales potential:

• Small Books (under 15K potential): Need $200-$5,000 for effect
• Mid-Tier Books (15K-50K potential): Need $500-$12,000 for effect
• Major Books (50K-100K potential): Need $1,000-$30,000 for effect
• Blockbuster Books (100K+ potential): Need $2,000-$60,000 for effect

Launch vs. Monthly Marketing

• Launch Marketing: One-time investment for publication month
• Monthly Marketing: Ongoing investment that continues until changed
• Synergy Bonus: Books with both launch and monthly marketing perform better

Marketing ROI

• No Marketing: Books will significantly underperform
• Appropriate Marketing: Can increase sales by 200-400%
• Over-Marketing: Diminishing returns after 4x multiplier

MANAGING YOUR BOOKS

After Publication

Inventory Management

• Monitor Stock: Keep track of copies in inventory
• Reprint Timing: Order reprints before running out of popular books
• Warehouse Limits: Upgrade office to increase storage capacity

Contract Expiration

• Warning System: Game warns when contracts have 2 months remaining
• Automatic Expiry: Books are removed when contracts end
• Remaining Inventory: Unsold copies are destroyed at expiry

MONTHLY OPERATIONS

Monthly Cycle

1. Sales Calculation: Each published book sells based on quality, marketing, and market conditions
2. Cost Deduction: Rent, overhead, marketing, and operating costs are deducted
3. Market Updates: Genre saturation changes, random market events may occur
4. Awards: Books may win awards that boost sales
5. Contract Updates: Expiring contracts are processed

Operating Costs

As you grow, monthly costs increase:

Fixed Costs

• Office Rent: Based on office level
• Monthly Overhead: $300 per office level

Variable Costs (scale with business size)

• Staff Costs: Based on number of active books
• Storage Costs: Based on inventory levels
• Author Relations: Based on number of unique authors
• Technology Costs: Based on books published
• Reputation Maintenance: Higher reputation costs more to maintain

Market Conditions

• Saturation: Genres become oversaturated when too many books are published
• Recovery: Markets slowly recover each month
• Random Events: Major publishers or bestselling authors can affect markets

GROWTH AND EXPANSION

Office Upgrades

Level 1 → 2 ($10,000)

• Warehouse: 1,000 → 5,000 copies
• Max Reputation: 20 → 40
• Monthly Rent: $200 → $400

Level 2 → 3 ($20,000)

• Warehouse: 5,000 → 10,000 copies
• Max Reputation: 40 → 60
• Monthly Rent: $400 → $800

Level 3 → 4 ($40,000)

• Warehouse: 10,000 → 100,000 copies
• Max Reputation: 60 → 80
• Monthly Rent: $800 → $1,600

Level 4 → 5 ($80,000)

• Warehouse: 100,000 → 500,000 copies
• Max Reputation: 80 → 100
• Monthly Rent: $1,600 → $3,200

Reputation Building

• Publishing Strategy: Premium printing on quality books helps
• Sales Success: Monthly revenue over $8,000 provides reputation
• Award Winners: Books that win awards boost reputation

Business Scale

• Start Small: Focus on 1-3 quality books initially
• Gradual Growth: Add new titles as cash flow improves
• Infrastructure: Upgrade office before hitting warehouse limits
• Diversification: Publish across multiple genres for stability

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Early Game (Months 1-12)

1. Start Conservative: Sign 1-2 mid-quality authors initially
2. Learn Negotiation: Practice on lower-stakes deals
3. Moderate Marketing: Invest less than 2,000 in marketing per book

Mid Game (Year 2-3)

1. Quality Focus: Target 7.0+ quality authors
2. Strategic Marketing: Match marketing levels to book potential
3. Diversify Genres: Publish across 3-4 different genres
4. Office Upgrades: Reach Level 3-4 office for better capacity
5. Award Hunting: Publish premium Literary Fiction for prestige

Late Game (Year 3+)

1. Market Leadership: Build 50+ reputation for top-tier authors
2. Efficient Operations: Optimize marketing and printing strategies
3. Portfolio Balance: Maintain 8-12 active titles simultaneously