Tangled Blessings: Echoes of Lost Electives floating against a blurry library backdrop.
Tomorrow!
The print edition of Tangled Blessings: Echoes of Lost Electives releases on my store and elsewhere!
Those on my mailing list will get early access as well as a discount code or two!
Not on my email list? See next post!
Hi there, tabletop RPG designers! I'm opening up the first Bannerless Games Tabletop RPG Grant. I'm looking to award up to 5 designers $250 to help create their games and/or set up their businesses.
Applications open today and run through the end of the month. Enter here! bannerless.games/grant
Happy #AsexualityDay to:
🖤Aromantic Aces
🩶Allomantic Aces
🤍Homoromantic Aces
💜Heteroromantic Aces
🖤Bi/Panromantic Aces
🩶Sex Averse Aces
🤍Sex Neutral Aces
💜Sex Favorable Aces
🖤Kinky Aces
🩶Vanilla Aces
🤍Queerplatonic Aces
💜Demisexuals
🖤Grey-Asexuals
🩶Aegosexuals
🤍Acefluxes
💜Aroflux Aces
🖤🩶ALL ACES!🤍💜
And even if we could produce domestically, the raw materials & other components components would very likely have to be imported (e.g, paper, ink, cardboard, etc.)
Unfortunately not easily or quickly. My understanding is we don't have the domestic manufacturing or printing capacity to produce games of any sort within the U.S., and new facilities would likely be cost prohibitive in the current environment.
Therapeutic TTRPG resources Visit TTRPGkids.com --> posts --> therapeutics one article: books, games, and resources made with therapeutic intent
I'm not a therapist, but I get asked frequently about where to find resources, so... I made a list of materials from others who have the training!
Find it here, I hope it helps, and happy gaming!
www.ttrpgkids.com/2024/09/02/i...
In the darkest of times, it is more important than ever to shine as much light as we can, both for ourselves and those around us.
And if you're NOT an importer but *are* someone who loves & values TTRPGs and the magic they create (magic which is needed now more than ever, IMO), then *please* understand the gravity of the situation & do what you can to support the small businesses most likely to be crushed by these tariffs.
If you're an importer who actually read all of this & have any *general* questions that I might possibly answer without veering into offering legal advice, I'm happy to at least try.
My profound hope is that the political tides will shift fast enough & hard enough to revoke these tariffs before they do even more damage to the U.S. economy. I understand this hope is fragile & irrational. But the devastating impact on our economy if they're left as-is can't be overstated.
But I *also* know how severe and punitive Customs' penalties can be, and I just want other folks to understand the same.
I know exactly how devastating these tariffs are -- not just from my past as a lawyer, but from my very real present as a small business owner who makes a product that is largely comprised of imported components.
They are, in a word, ruinous.
That's....a lot of words and I'm not at all sure if any of them are actually helpful. Hell, I'm not sure anyone will actually read them.
I wish I could do more.
But for any publishers doing sizeable print runs and/or regular shipments, it really behooves you to find a partner you trust: One who is available to answer your questions, explain their process, and have your back on the hopefully rare occasion that something goes wrong at the Port of Entry.
The surprising complexity of tariff classification is why my main advice is to try to find quality professionals to help you import your goods. I know this isn't always something you can control, especially if you're a small importer doing limited print runs, for example.
Also, importing items which contain multiple separate components packaged together to make a "set", (e.g., a boxed game which has a book, dice, cards, tokens, minis, etc.) adds extra layers of complexity to the tariff classification analysis.
Tariff classification is governed by extensive rules and regulations which are not always simple or intuitive to apply, and may be further impacted by past Customs decisions, which is not readily obvious to a layperson.
My second general-and-not-legal piece of advice is: Understand that determining which tariff code applies to your imported merchandise is often not as straightforward as it seems.
For example, is your TTRPG considered a "book" or a "game" under the tariff schedule?
I've seen Customs Brokers on both ends of the spectrum, just like any profession. Some are amazing, some are terrible. If it's w/in your control, you want the best you can find. If Customs identifies any violations in your shipment, you will be on the hook for penalties, not your hired agents.
(A Customs Broker is a professional, somewhat like an attorney, who undergoes extensive training & must pass a licensing exam to obtain authority to import goods on behalf of 3rd parties. Any Freight Forwarder must employ at least one actual licensed Customs Broker to enter shipments into the US)
Are they familiar with the kinds of goods you're importing? How do they determine the tariff classification of your merchandise? How involved is the actual Customs Broker in making classification decisions? In the day-to-day clearance of shipments?
You can & should rely on experts to help you comply w/the extensive amount of red tape. This means reputable, experienced freight forwarders/customs brokers. But you should ALSO consider asking questions of the experts you hire, because they are the best & usually ONLY line of defense you have.
This means if US Customs examines or audits the shipment & finds any violations, you would be responsible for any penalties it might assess.
Does this mean you have to become a customs law expert to import goods into the U.S.?
No!
My MAIN general-not-legal advice to folks importing goods into the U.S. is: Understand that if your business is listed as the Importer of Record on a shipment, YOU are ultimately responsible & legally liable for compliance with all laws & regs. Not your Customs Broker/freight forwarder. *You*.
(TBC I don't fault anyone for engaging in this knowledge sharing! Everything happening is terrifying but also exceedingly complicated, and so the desire to crowd source information is completely natural and even commendable! I mean, clearly I'm having the same impulse by making this thread).
Sadly I can only commiserate as a small biz owner & give some very *general* advice that is 100% not *legal* advice. But I can't bear seeing game publishers/creatives sharing possibly incomplete or inaccurate info while struggling to understand the tariffs' business impact w/out saying SOMETHING.
I wish my experience in this very niche & technical corner of the law gave me access to some hidden incantation or long-dormant magic buried deep in U.S. import laws & regulations -- some spark of hope that might help vanquish the incoming dragon looming on the horizon.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about tariffs lately & know I'm not alone in the TTRPG realm, given the catastrophic impact the new tariffs will have on U.S. businesses.
What maybe is unusual is that once upon a time I was a customs attorney who got paid to think about tariffs for a living. 🧵
Happy #Pocketopia day over on @backerkit.com! We are launching in just a few short hours, and streaming alongside, and we would love your support!
Here is the link to the Backerkit page: tinyurl.com/ycx9tkdz
🕯️🕯️🕯️👀