Cairn Press

Cairn Press is a small publishing imprint focused on creating high quality supplements for the Cairn adventure game. What began as a free, compact ruleset has grown into a broad ecosystem of adventures, tools, hacks, translations, and third party releases across digital and print formats.We work with creators who want to bring Cairn compatible material to print without taking on the full responsibilities of publishing. It also supports collaborators interested in contributing to a small, focused, and sustainable publishing operation centered on clarity, fairness, and long term support for independent designers. Cairn Press is wholly owned and operated by Yochai Gal, creator of Cairn.

What We Do

Our goal is to support creators so that they can focus on what they love doing most. Cairn Press exists to reduce the barriers creators face when moving from a finished manuscript to a printed book.Publishing support includes:

  • Editorial guidance

  • Developmental editing

  • Copy editing

  • Art direction

  • Production and layout

  • Project management

  • Managing collaborators and freelancers

  • Publishing and printing workflows

  • Managing publishing timelines

  • Contracts and publishing agreements

  • Rights, ownership, and revenue splits

  • Marketing and visibility

  • Product fulfillment

Our imprint operates within the broader Cairn ecosystem and reflects its community values, informed by years of publishing, distribution, and collaboration with independent designers. Join us!

Contact Us

Fill out the form below or email [email protected].

About Cairn

Cairn is an adventure game about exploring a dark and mysterious Wood filled with strange folk, hidden treasure, and unspeakable monstrosities. Character generation is quick and random, adventures are tense and reward careful exploration, and combat is frantic and deadly. The full text is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0, and the source files are publicly available.

With its permissive licensing model, Cairn supports a thriving creator community, popular among both first time creators and established designers. Hundreds of adventures and supplements already exist, alongside settings, bestiaries, and solo modules. Many of these titles are available in print through the Cairn Store, with many more published digitally through storefronts such as Itch.io and DriveThruRPG.

Our Work

Cairn Adventure Series

Trouble in Twin Lakes

Rise of the Blood Olms

The Feast of Tegny Wood

Cairn Press Contract Terms

Cairn Press exists to help creators turn finished work into real books, without asking them to give up ownership or control in the process. Our publishing agreement is designed to be clear, fair, and predictable, rather than clever or extractive.The contract is intentionally explicit. Most of the terms that matter are in the document itself, not buried in schedules or left to later negotiation. Our goal is that you understand the deal you are signing without needing an email chain to explain it.In short, we want creators to know exactly what they are agreeing to, why the economics look the way they do, and how they get their rights back if things do not work out. We think that clarity builds better books and better long-term relationships.Cairn Press exists to extend the Cairn ecosystem by helping creators publish their content. Modules and supplements for other systems are only accepted if presented as full conversions. Creative works that include the use of generative AI art will not be accepted.Feel free to peruse our contract as a PDF, or read the "plain English" version below.

The Basics

Creators keep their IPYou always retain full ownership of your work. We license only what we need to publish and sell the book. If we are not publishing or selling it, the rights revert to you.Publishing is an obligationOnce we accept a final manuscript, we are required to make commercially reasonable efforts to publish it within a defined timeframe. The contract is structured to prevent projects from being shelved indefinitely.Creative control stays with the creatorWe do not make material creative changes without your approval. At the same time, the contract clearly distinguishes between substantive creative decisions and routine production work so projects can actually move forward.Royalties reflect the work being donePhysical books are usually sold at wholesale, often at roughly half of cover price. Because of that reality, royalty splits are tied to how complete the project is when delivered. Manuscript-only projects have a different split than substantially complete ones. This keeps expectations aligned with actual costs and labor.Digital royalties are structured separately, reflecting the fact that digital sales rely on publisher-managed platforms, support, and long-term availability.Costs are limited and transparentOnly real, third-party, out-of-pocket production costs can be recouped. There are no hidden deductions for overhead, salaries, legal fees, or general marketing. Costs also sunset. If they are not recouped within a defined period, they are waived. Cairn Press covers these costs upfront, subject to limited recoupment.Rights revert if the book is not availableIf a book is not published, or later stops being available for sale, you can terminate the agreement and regain all rights. We believe publishing means keeping books alive, not sitting on them.

The Details (in plain English)

Ownership

  • You retain full ownership of your work and all underlying IP.

  • Cairn Press receives only a limited license to publish and sell the work.

  • All rights not explicitly granted remain yours.

Delivery & Creative Control

  • You deliver a manuscript or a substantially complete work.

  • Cairn Press cannot make material creative changes without your written approval.

  • “Material creative changes” means changes to narrative content, rules/mechanics, themes, or tone.

  • Routine copyediting, layout, and technical production do not require creator approval.

Services Provided

  • Editing and editorial guidance

  • Art direction and commissioning artwork

  • Layout and production

  • Printing and manufacturing

  • Fulfillment and distribution

  • Wholesale, direct sales, conventions, and crowdfunding (if applicable)

  • Marketing and promotion (as agreed)

Royalties

Royalties are paid quarterly, with full accounting and audit rights. Digital editions are sold and supported through publisher-managed platforms and involve ongoing hosting, customer support, tax handling, and long-term availability, so digital royalties are structured to reflect that continuing operational responsibility.Royalties are paid on Net Sales, meaning the actual revenue Cairn Press receives from sales, not the cover (MSRP) price. Net Sales reflect amounts actually received by Cairn Press and exclude refunds, returns, and chargebacks.Both physical and digital editions of a product share the same royalty terms.

Creative Work Tiers

  • Tier 1 (default, manuscript-only delivery): You receive 40% of all Net Sales.

  • Tier 2 (substantially complete work): You receive 50% of all Net Sales, if explicitly agreed in writing.

Example

The following example assumes publishing costs have already been recouped by the publisher.Cairn Press sells 50 copies of a book to a retailer at $10 per copy, while the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) is $20. The total revenue received is $500.If the agreement is Tier 1 (40% to the creator), the creator’s royalty is calculated on that $500, not on the $1,000 MSRP total. After Cairn Press has recouped its initial production costs, the creator receives 40% of $500, or $200.If the same book is sold through a different channel at a higher or lower price, royalties are calculated on the actual amount received for those sales. For example, a direct sale at $15 per copy or a discounted sale at $8 per copy would each be counted at their respective sale prices. In all cases, royalties are based on real revenue received, not on the list price printed on the book.

Publication Commitment

  • Once the final manuscript is accepted, Cairn Press must make commercially reasonable efforts to publish the book within 12 months.

  • If the book is not published within that window, you can choose to terminate the agreement and all rights revert to you.

Costs & Recoupment

  • Only actual, third-party, out-of-pocket costs directly related to the publication can be recouped.

  • Costs are recouped first, then royalties are paid.

  • Any costs not recouped within 36 months are permanently waived.

Reuse of Art and Layout

Art and layout commissioned by Cairn Press are licensed from the artist or designer for use in the Cairn Press edition. Reuse of those assets in other editions or systems, including reuse of the same layout with different text or statistics, requires a separate license from the rights holder.

This means that if Cairn Press commissions and pays for art or layout, then:

  • The artist or designer owns the copyright unless the work is created as a work made for hire or is subject to a written rights assignment.

  • Cairn Press holds only the license granted by the artist or designer.

  • The creator does not automatically receive any rights to reuse those assets.

  • Any reuse outside the Cairn Press edition requires a separate license from the rights holder.

Crowdfunding

  • Crowdfunding is treated like a sales channel.

  • Funds go first to production and fulfillment, then to recoupment, then to royalties.

  • No special ownership or rights changes apply.

Copyediting Review

  • You will receive a copy of the text after copyediting and before final layout.

  • You’ll have an opportunity to review the edited text and flag factual errors, typos, or unintended changes in meaning.

  • This review is meant to ensure accuracy and clarity, not to reopen creative revisions.

  • Cairn Press will consider reasonable corrections in good faith and will handle final copyediting and production decisions.

Exclusivity

  • Cairn Press has exclusive physical sales rights for 6 months after first publication.

  • After that, you are free to sell or license the physical book elsewhere.

  • Digital exclusivity is not automatic.

Termination & Reversion

Minimum term is 18 months after publication.

You can terminate if:

  • The book is not published on time

  • The book is unavailable for 6 continuous months

  • Cairn Press materially breaches the agreement

Upon termination:

  • All rights revert to the you (the creator)

  • Cairn Press may sell remaining inventory for up to 6 months

  • No new costs accrue

  • All royalties owed are paid out