Note:
The creation of new Community Content Programs are approved on a case-by-case basis, depending on the partner's history and sales for the specific line that they want to do the program for. You can contact Partner Relations by submitting a request through our webform to discuss the opportunity, but we ask that you do not start the process until we have discussed it with you.
Update: As of 11/2/2022, we are currently not taking in more Community Content Programs. You're still welcome to reach out your representative to see if this has changed.
Interested in having a Community Content Program for your RPG game system and/or setting?
Below is the list of items we need from you in order to set-up a community content program around your game. Gather together the assets and information listed below and then contact your Partner Relations Representative.
To launch a successful Community Content Program, we need four things from you.
1. User Agreement
Please contact Partner Relations to work on the End User License Agreement (EULA). This is the agreement the Community Content Creator will accept when creating under your game. Not to be confused with your Content Guidelines (link: https://help.drivethrurpg.com/hc/sections/12723217202711) or Landing Page (link: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/cc/0/default).
On sales of community content, DriveThru keeps its standard 30% to create, operate, and be the main contact for the Community Content Program.
So far, most partners have 50% going to the Community Content Creator, leaving 20% for themselves.
Please confirm the creator royalty rate along with the user agreement.
2. Content Guideline
Each Community Content program has its own Content Guideline, which is the plain English explanation to customers what they are and are not allowed to do under your program.
Please review the Content Guidelines for existing programs. Use the text from one of those as your boilerplate and adjust it for your own program. Be sure to send us the draft of your content guideline.
The content guideline should answer questions like:
- Rules - Current rules set only? If older rules sets allowed, which?
- Settings - Base rules only? Which expansions are included to be allowed? Use classic material if updated to current rules set?
- Allowable Media - Adventures, rules additions/alternatives, items, adversaries, heroes, maps, fiction, comics, apps, etc
- Art - Including your banners and logos, the program logo for Creators to use, and art packs for Creators to use in their works
- Logos and Trade Dress - Which logos do you require on all works made by Creators?
- Other - Additional restrictions or encouraged parameters.
It is up to you to determine what is mandatory (for example: the current rules set), what is optional (for example: additional settings or previous edition rules update), and what is blocked (for example: a newly released setting or previous rules edition). We understand that many publications have their own needs and challenges, so we're happy to work with you and your needs to get to launch.
3. Materials for your Creators
Many people who contribute to community content programs have never tried publishing their own RPG content before. To make the program successful and improve the quality of community content offerings, we ask that you provide a few initial resources to community creators.
- Logo - It's helpful to design a logo that will go on the cover of all community content works. This logo is also used for the product line category image under your publishing partner account where all the community content will go on the marketplace.
- Template - Providing a template in Word, Affinity Publisher, and InDesign formats is suggested. The template should build in mandatory elements you want every community content work to include such as: the correct legal line, the program logo, and recommend trade dress elements. The template should include fonts that are free for commercial use so that community creators do not have to license fonts.
- Art/Map Packs - Access to art is a major problem for community creators. Releasing art and cartographic art packs that are free for community content creators to use on their works (and only on the work in your program), help them get over the art hurdle. Pulling art from older editions of your game (if available) is a solid approach.
4. Launch Titles
We encourage you to work with some of your best fans and freelancers to use the materials and create a few titles ahead of the official launch of your program. Programs launch more strongly when we can seed the program with a few finished works right at launch.
Once you have those four things, contact your Partner Relations Representative and we'll get your program going (and of course contact us any time with questions).