how we pitched and signed Backbone with @RawFury: a thread.

first, ask yourself - why do you need a publisher? we needed money to double our team to make Backbone extra cool + porting, localization, and QA because it's our first game and we have no idea what we're doing.
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okay, but which publisher? create a google sheet with every publisher you can find, their contact info and description, and leave only the ones that fit your game and are good people (evil ones will take your IP). track your progress in the sheet. here’s an example:

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we pitched Backbone to 60 publishers, talked to 20, saw 5 contracts, and signed with 1. it took us about 5 months, and everything was done remotely. it’s an extremely exhausting and stressful process, especially with the future of your studio on the line. take care of yourself
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before anything else, you need a playable prototype. we developed the 1-hour Backbone: Prologue as a proof of concept for publishers, and launched it as a free title on Steam. It gave us a huge advantage during pitching process. you can play it here -> http://bit.ly/bb_prologue 

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the next big thing is your Pitch Email. it contains everything about your game in a VERY short format:

- who are you
- one line game info, links to prototype and videos
- pretty gif
- elevator pitch
- budget, what you need
- contacts

(thanks @DevRelCallum for the guide)

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if your email worked, the publisher would probably like to know more about your game. it’s important to give them that information in a beautiful, short format. this is where the Pitch Deck PDF comes in - 6-8 pages long presentation.

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page #1 has an extended game description with planned released date and platforms, and a link to the video.

every page has contact details, name of the game and studio logo, in case a publisher wants to contact you immediately after reading that one sexy sentence.

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page #2 describes core game features: gameplay mechanics, visuals, music, and everything else you find that sets your game apart from the rest. 1-2 sentences max for each paragraph is all you need.

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page #3 is audience breakdown - it shows the publisher that there are people who want to play your game, and you understand who they are. we used our social media and Kickstarter data for this slide. if you don't have an audience yet that's ok, but try to make a projection.

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page #4 is your production and funding plan. outline very clearly where did you come from and where do you go, and what do you need from the publisher to succeed on your journey. had to hide the "how much money we need" part but you get the idea.

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page #5 is your team. show your faces, describe how you came together to make the game, and your experience in the industry. we were 8 people with no prior experience (15 now), which is considered an investment risk, but it’s important to be upfront about it.

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on the final page, make sure to include links to your social media and contact information.

the rest will depend on the specific publisher and how they negotiate. don’t sell yourself short and best of luck in your pitching process!

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thanks a lot for all the love for this thread we love you too and please let us know if you’d like to learn about anything else.

we’ll share our experience of making and releasing the free Prologue soon in a similar thread!