General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
I have a bunch of bookbags. I can borrow RPG books. I've got leftover office supplies that were my father's. Also, I'm eating off of food stamps at home. When I go out to a session or a job place is when I might have to spend money on food.
OK, but you better budget for additional unseen expenses. They occur, no matter how well you think you've planned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain_Commando
The prep percentage of my time will be much less in the long run if the same modules are run repeatedly for different clients.
How many different clients do you think you will have, and do you plan on repeat business? If so, you will still have a lot of prep to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain_Commando
I noticed where I made a mistake about the advance. 10k is the average advance. 5k to 6k is the average first time advance. It's still enough to keep things stable for 6 months. That is the important thing for me.
Keep in mind, this advance is paid IF you have a book that someone actually wants to publish. Not everyone will become a Chris Paolini.
Did you now that most people submit stuff for years before they get a novel published for the first time?
Do you have any writing credentials or other writing credits you can show us, so that we can give you some feedback? Have you taken any writing classes or workshops to help improve your craft?
You mentioned that you dad left you an "in" at a publishing house. Have they guaranteed this advance, or do you have to submit like everyone else?
__________________ Game on, gang! Ptolus #16 (with customized, personalized sig from Monte. Awesomesauce.), Rappan Athuk Reloaded #37 (Another Awesomesauce, the Necromancer way.)
Try to not let failure to use technical language properly get in the way of getting to the real point under discussion. - Umbran
Characters & Games
Books currently in play: Dungeon & Dragon Magazine (*Scales of War AP*), WOTC 4e Core and Supplemental books
Current Campaign: Scales of War - Lost Mines of Karak -- Kodirgo, Minotaur Barbarian 6; Vondal, Dwarf Cleric 6; Karithul, Gnome Bard 6; Marshaun, Elf Druid 6
On the whole "lying at the job interview", I think you have misconceptions about how to do an interview. It's not about saying false things. It's about not emphasizing attributes that are negative. You wanted a short term job. They wanted a long term hire. Don't emphasize that. Don't bring it up. If they ask "are you looking to work here long term", answer with "I want to work. If you hire me, I will give you my best." It's a stupid question for a fast food joint to expect a hire to want to work there long term. NOBODY really wants to flip burgers for a career. But you can't point that out to them, or you'll appear hostile. You also can't say "no." So find a way to say yes, do the job, and quit when a better one appears. Just like everyone else.
I would advise taking a serious look at what folks are saying on getting into writing. You haven't answered the question about your writing experience. Yet, you seem confident that you have a sure deal. That is unwise. There is no sure deal until the check is in your hand, and even then, you need to deposit it.
If you're going to be writing adventures, consider publising them. You will get writing experience, and increase the value of the work you're doing. If you're good enough to get paid to GM, your material ought to be good enough to publish.
If you have no starting capital, avoid doing anything that requires it. Don't borrow books to run games with strangers who might wreck borrowed stuff. Don't get overboard in printing and prop costs. You gotta do stuff on the cheap. A well run game doesn't need tons of stuff, it just needs to be well run, and you can do that off of hand-written notes in a notebook, until you get funds to improve your tools.
I think you already get the point about running a game where the players win. It should appear to be a challenge to the players, but ultimately the players win. There are no losers. This can be hard to do (especially for bad players), but it is in your best interest to deliver ENTERTAINMENT. That doesn't mean a monty haul stupid game. It just means that your careful to make sure the player has a good time. Since D&D isn't a competition, this isn't a violation of its premise.
Keep track of ALL your expenses and income for this business. You won't know if you cross some "need to file" threshold until you cross it, in which case, you'll need everything. Even if it fails, you can claim your expenses for the business, which might help when you get your replacement job later in the tax year.
A good business plan includes an exit strategy. A plan for failure, which includes metrics for signalling failure, and how to shut down the business (selling assets, etc). Only foolish people are against planning for failure, as jinxing their chances. If you have contingencies and failure plans, you have a stronger handle on how to avoid or mitigate them. Failures happen more often than success.
Do you have any writing credentials or other writing credits you can show us, so that we can give you some feedback? Have you taken any writing classes or workshops to help improve your craft?
There's this thread, and the previous one, that we can look to for examples.
Based on these I'm guessing Captain_Commando is either a comedy writing genius who has played us all with an epic troll; or one of the most naive persons to ever post on the interweb. Juries still out.
__________________ "You should never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die"
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There's this thread, and the previous one, that we can look to for examples.
Based on these I'm guessing Captain_Commando is either a comedy writing genius who has played us all with an epic troll; or one of the most naive persons to ever post on the interweb. Juries still out.
I choose the third. I've got advantages most other first time authors do not.
I spent years working on this book not just to figure out a good story but how to design it as a marketing goldmine. I wrote it from both an artistic perspective and a practical perspective. Getting my publisher contact to take a look will be relatively easy (since our families are on friendly terms with each other). I just need an agent for representation. There's more but this is not relevant to the thread.
Anyway back to the main topic, I was wondering how hardcore some living campaign players might be about advancing their characters as quickly as possible. I know that MMO players can end up leveling for an inordinate number of hours. As part of my services offered I was thinking of making the current LFR modules in my region available for play. If someone missed the last regular game or can't show up on the day that it is held, then my business would give a viable alternative.
It would make it a lot easier for NYC visitors to adventure in the local region and for local living players to advance at their leisure.
You talk alot about marketing, you definitely have visibility here and on RPG.net's forums...but where else? You are working in NYC for people who live/play in NYC...how are you getting your name out to people specifically in that location?
And as for your book, you don't think other people have written books that they worked on for years, and believed would be marketable in several ways? One of my best friends is busting his butt on a book (and has been for a couple years now) that uses years of his research, life experiences, etc. And frankly, he's got a snowball's chance in Hell of getting anywhere with it.
More power to him (and you) for doing it, but there's no guarantees with novels, ESPECIALLY in the digitial age. You know how many fantasy novels come out in a single week? Guess how many of those are purchased, and by how many people? And even if you have guarantees, remember that an Advance is something that's worked out through contracts. That money isn't necessarily yours to do with what thou wilt...
And paying it back if you muss up that first novel is not something you'll look forward to.
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You talk alot about marketing, you definitely have visibility here and on RPG.net's forums...but where else? You are working in NYC for people who live/play in NYC...how are you getting your name out to people specifically in that location?
Meetup.com and meetups though meetup.com are how I'm going to be concentrating most of my marketing (not all but most) this time around.
Business networking, sci fi fantasy, anime, DnD, old gamers, etc.
You can see for yourself how many thousands of people are members of groups in NYC.
If I offer a good variety of services, I might at least get 1 or 2 clients a week, which is better than making no income at all. If I can sell as a team-building exercise maybe I'll get a monthly contract with one or more local companies to show up at the workplace. I won't be sitting around in 1 place waiting for customers so I can hunt for jobs while the service is up.
Nobody here has said "Yeah, I'd pay for that" or "Wish you were by me." I'd like to say I'd try it, once. We don't have quite enough people in our gaming group, and DMing is a little too much work for me, and I'm a new DM and would really like to see other people's style. If it worked out, I could play every week instead of every month.
Advertising would be the tough part for finding people like me. Also, all the people in my group would have to find the $8/$15, including the unemployed guy and the guy who doesn't want to try 4E. I would treat them the first time, though.
I wonder if this would work better online? Should be easier to advertise and to get a group together. I'm in rural Wisconsin, so I can't be part of your target market in real life.
I spent years working on this book not just to figure out a good story but how to design it as a marketing goldmine. I wrote it from both an artistic perspective and a practical perspective. Getting my publisher contact to take a look will be relatively easy (since our families are on friendly terms with each other). I just need an agent for representation. There's more but this is not relevant to the thread.
But, you see, it IS relevant to this thread. You are talking about being a ProDM to support the bills until you get your advance from your book.
You seem unreasonably confident that you will get your advance, yet piles and piles of evidence states otherwise. Just because your families were on friendly terms doesn't mean squat. I am on friendly terms with lots of people, but if their child asked me to give them $5,000 advance to develop a website as a consultant for my company, I would absolutely need to see a body of work they have already done, and if it isn't up to the quality that I need to satisfy MY clients, I say sorry, but no thanks.
You CAN'T rely on your father's old contacts. You SHOULDN'T rely on them. The business world is much more harsh than I think you realize.
The ProDM stuff can't be your fall back until you "get your advance". You should find a real JOB and then the ProDM AND your book will be your fall back.
For the sake of your mom, and your family, don't count on the book advance. There's likely a 95+% chance you won't get one. It takes years to get published.
Have you had your big book idea vetted yet? Have you gotten advice from a publishing professional yet? You really need to be published in a periodical first. Get some short stories published. Get some fiction published at WOTC or KQ or something like that. Get Published First.
Anyway, have you put together a group yet? do you even have a single paying group? Get that too. Get that and run them for 2-3 sessions first. Survey them after the session, sending an email. Find out what worked and what didn't. Do. Some. Market. Research.
Don't just assume that, because it sounds plausible in your head, it is a plausible venture.
I would love to see the results of the survey.
__________________ Game on, gang! Ptolus #16 (with customized, personalized sig from Monte. Awesomesauce.), Rappan Athuk Reloaded #37 (Another Awesomesauce, the Necromancer way.)
Try to not let failure to use technical language properly get in the way of getting to the real point under discussion. - Umbran
Characters & Games
Books currently in play: Dungeon & Dragon Magazine (*Scales of War AP*), WOTC 4e Core and Supplemental books
Current Campaign: Scales of War - Lost Mines of Karak -- Kodirgo, Minotaur Barbarian 6; Vondal, Dwarf Cleric 6; Karithul, Gnome Bard 6; Marshaun, Elf Druid 6
Last edited by catsclaw227; 16th April 2009 at 02:24 AM..
Reason: Clarification of my example.
I'm going to side with the minority and say good luck to you- people here seem to be quick to judge someone they know nothing about, despite your claims.
And for what it's worth, most of the best players and DM's I've gamed with, have worked fast food joints and worse. No shame in that, and certainly not an indication of their intelligence or otherwise.
The ProDM stuff can't be your fall back until you "get your advance". You should find a real JOB and then the ProDM AND your book will be your fall back.
Anyway, have you put together a group yet? do you even have a single paying group? Get that too. Get that and run them for 2-3 sessions first. Survey them after the session, sending an email. Find out what worked and what didn't. Do. Some. Market. Research.
It's not a fall back. It's a side business while I'm looking for a job. The numbers I gave are the amount of success that would bring things to a stable situation if a job doesn't become available in that time. I expect half of those numbers when everything is up. That's maybe 1 or 2 days a week. The rest of those days plus the other days of the week are spent job hunting. Some income is better than no income.
I've already started testing material using the meetups of the local meetup group. I'm considering hosting free or reduced rate games ($3-5 an hour) for a week or two aside from the meetup stuff I'm doing for free to fine tune my services. By the time that's done, the website will be complete and the business will be ready.
I'm going to need a title for the business website and something to call myself. I'm open to suggestions.
I was thinking something along the lines of 'social game coordinator' instead of 'dungeon master for hire' or 'game master for hire'. I need something that sounds professional and doesn't limit me too much on the options of service I can provide.
On the business cards I'll need to make for business networking, a service/job title could make or break.
You don't want to "limit" who you market to, but you also don't want to be so generalized (generic?) as to miss out on people. If you're running RPGs, especially just one game (D&D 4e), then you probably want to market the best way you can to that audience specifically. I mean, if that's what they are looking for, they are going to search for things like:
Dungeon Master
Dungeonmaster
DM
Narrator
Storyteller
Game Master
Gamemaster
Gamesmaster
In fact, if you can do any kind of SEO analysis, I'd dump those exact terms into Google and see what comes up with more hits, and what the top hits of each one is.
I.e., if you're going to be DMing Dungeons & Dragons, you want to name yourself after whatever comes up on Google first when looking for the game Dungeons & Dragons. Therefore, I suspect Dungeon Master and DM would be the best bets.
If you look at this from an SEO standpoint (search engine optimization, for the unlearned), that could help you and your marketing (ESPECIALLY of your website) a whole lot.
And if you're only doing a specific region/city/area, you should probably incorporate something like that into the name as well (or at least as a subheading).
http://dungeon-crawl.blogspot.com
Tools & tips you can apply immediately to your D&D game! Encounters inspired by the movies, suggestions to speed up your game and reduce bookkeeping, and more!
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