The Iterative Collective is a video game incubator and publisher, so it’s no secret that we believe publishers can bring a ton of value to your game. There are many benefits a publisher can provide such as marketing, community building, development support, project management and influencer outreach–just to name a few! Each publisher will often specialize in various areas, so it is important to consider whether they will meet all your requirements.

An incomplete list of things a publisher may be able to help with include the following:

• Distribution (ratings, partner relationships with distributors, partner relationships with brands)

• Development (advice, financing, porting, quality assurance, talent, localization)

• Marketing (media outreach, media buying, influencer outreach, game trailers, promotion)

• Community (social media management, community management, public/online events)

• and more! (funding, design, PR, admin, etc)

But of course, there will be times when you don’t need a publisher, or you might just choose to do it all on your own. To successfully pull off self-publishing, you should be set up with the following:

• A strong social media presence where your posts get picked up, shared, and interacted with frequently.

• Established connections with press and influencers, or large press to discuss/write/promote your game. You would want to be able to reach out to them and follow up frequently.

• A large and engaged audience/community, whether it be from past titles, social posts, etc., You want them following you so it’s easy to make your game reach as many people as possible.

This article was originally published in The Iterative Digest #80. Click to subscribe!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment them down below!