Goodman Games Open Call

[Harley Stroh]

By now you’ve picked up the core books, run through some test combats and begun statting (or converting!) your first 4E characters. Whether you are a player or GM, your imagination is spinning with ideas: New vistas, new adventures and new heroes, striding into the world stage and answering the call to adventure.

If this is you, then you’re the one we want to write for Goodman Games. This is not a contest, but an open call, asking for published and unpublished authors to submit proposals for 4E gaming products. We’re looking for campaign settings, class books, powers books, monster manuals, adventures, gaming aids. If it makes you excited about running a game, we want to hear about it.

So how do you make the jump from avid gamer to published author? Here are the first steps:`

Step 1. Download the idea submission agreement from http://www.goodman-games.com/goodmangames.html. Sign it, scan it, and send it in with every idea you propose.

Step 2. Write a 1-page synopsis of your idea. Note any crunchy bits that your project might include, what product line (if any) the submission is designed for, and the project’s proposed length.

Step 3. Email your proposal and the idea submission agreement to harley@goodman-games.com

Step 4. Be patient. Expect that we will be deluged with ideas. We will give each and every submission our undivided attention, which takes time.

Tips and Guidelines

• Be passionate about your proposal. Don’t send in 100 ideas hoping one catches our eye. Send in the 1 that fires your imagination and makes you want to roll some dice.

• Know your edition. The latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons has design considerations that are distinct from previous editions. Don’t rehash an old 3.5 adventure and hope it passes muster. Design an adventure that will put 4E heroes to the test, and leave them begging for more.

• Proofread your proposal! The only thing worse than rejecting a good idea due to sloppy editing is having your good idea rejected due to sloppy editing. Most of our manuscripts run 20,000 words or longer. If you can’t compose a clean 250 word proposal, this might not be the right line of work.

• Why only one page? If you can’t capture the heart of a project in a 1-page synopsis, odds are that it is still too vague, and hasn’t been developed enough.

• Have fun! Remember, this is not a contest. Take your time, learn the game, and submit the proposal that only you could imagine.

If your idea is accepted, we’ll contact you to find out more about your proposal. Most likely we will ask for an in-depth outline and perhaps a writing sample. If we decide to offer a contract, we will set a deadline and a payment amount (typically $.03/word).

//Harley

[Ed Gentry]

For anyone considering this, I HIGHLY recommend it. Goodman Games was WONDERFUL to work with when I did a small low-level adventure for their DCC line.

If you've ever wanted to pitch a gaming project to someone, give this a shot for sure!

[Rechan]

Do you have any advice for those of us with nothing jumping up and down inside our skull, screaming "Write me!" but with a desire to write/create?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Goodman has a whole forum about adventure design, with lots of posts from their authors. I find it to be really informative and useful.

[BLACKDIRGE]

Can't say enough good things about Goodman and company. The bulk of my freelance work over the last couple of years has been with GG, and I don't have a single complaint. Timely payment, reasonable deadlines, fair and honest treatment; that's what you get when you work with Goodman.

By the way, if any of you end up doing a project for Goodman, I'll probably end up editing it. So make it good! =]

BD

[RSKennan]

Let me add to the voices that recommend working with Goodman Games. Joseph Goodman in particular is a great guy, and though I don't trust my level of discipline enough to submit a proposal (I've had too many chances), I envy anyone who's about to break in. It's a great time to be getting started, and a great company to get started with.

Good luck everyone, and here's some advice: Don't be afraid to be original. Goodman Games has always liked to try unconventional ideas.

[robertsconley]

Joseph Goodman and his company are a great bunch of people to work with. Sure there are glitches but things are handled professionally and in a forthright manner.

Rob Conley

[Napftor]

I'll add another post of praise for working with Goodman. I've had nothing but good dealings with Joseph and company.

[Harley Stroh]

Originally Posted by Rechan

Do you have any advice for those of us with nothing jumping up and down inside our skull, screaming "Write me!" but with a desire to write/create?

That's a tough call, Rechan. I'd say, play 4E until you run into a situation where you think to yourself, "I'd love for my character/game to do XYZ, but there aren't any rules/sourcebooks for it."

Then email me your idea and we'll see if it is a fit. IMHO, all the best ideas for RPGs are born simply out of loving the game.

//H

[Grazzt]

Originally Posted by Napftor

I'll add another post of praise for working with Goodman. I've had nothing but good dealings with Joseph and company.

Same here. Casey and I worked on some stuff together for GG. Classy guys all the way around for GG.

[Carnivorous_Bean]

A question: what should the e-mail title for submissions be, please?

[Charke]

I always use the thread title in reply emails.

Goodman Games is good to work for. They published my first book and several since. They pay well and promptly and they are good at replying to emails. Naturally they're swamped right now but if you get hired expect better communication after the surge.

I've met Joseph and several of the staff over at GenCon which they attend regularly and they're all good people. However - I would prefer that you did not apply to the open call to increase my chances.

Sigh, alright, good luck and all that jazz.

Mark Charke

[Aristotle]

I spend years wishing I were a game designer, the call comes for submissions, and I find myself without any reasonably good ideas. The campaign I'm getting ready to run feels too "out of the book" and none of my little world design projects are anywhere near far enough along in development to stand up to a submission process.

Someday Goodman. Someday, I'll come calling.

[Charke]

Bah, Aristotle, apply now. You sound like you're afraid to submit your ideas. Just accept that they aren't the best ideas and send them in anyway. If you accept that, then you are leaving room for improvement and you have nothing to be afraid of. I'd be scared if I tried to send in a perfect idea. The problem isn't getting ideas, the problem is the courage to submit them for fear of being rejected.

I submitted some odd 5 ideas. I've worked for Goodman Games before so I sort of just tossed them out there. When I have more time I'll probably coble together something more serrious. Most of the ideas I haven't started. They're not expected you to have the products done. They're idea fishing.

Serriously, submit some ideas. Remember that they are also looking for people to just help write other stuff. Submitting puts you on their radar and you could end getting asked to work on stuff. Posting that you aren't going to submit is safer, but they probably won't ask you to work for them that way.

The worst thing they are going to do is send you a very polite letter turning down your ideas. Wizards sends the best rejection letters but Goodman is pretty good too. They might not be sending them out though with such large numbers of submissions though.

The worst thing you are going to have to endure is some stuck up writer telling you what to do on the forums!! Submit or I'll make a silly face at you and say Ni!

You stuck your foot out. Now you're going to get dragged into the door. Welcome to the Twilight, er, Goodman Games' Zone! Write back when you've made a submission!

Mark Charke

[Donatello]

Well, they did say only send one thing that really grabbed us, and not just shotgun ideas. I have a ton of ideas, but I put my best foot forward for the submission. Once I get feedback on one, then I'll send the next if they're still accepting submissions.

[Retreater]

What 4e product lines for adventures is Goodman Producing other than DCC? I have numerous DCC adventures for 3.5, and the idea I have probably wouldn't exactly fit. (It's longer, not so much "old school" flavored, and isn't entirely underground.)

Retreater

[Patrice]

If I may give you a small piece of advice: dump all your 3.5 crawls. You still maybe might use the hooks, but if these ideas keep rumbling around in your imagination, they will surge another way in another shape and become useful again. You obviously can't design something for 4th that's been fit for the 3rd. Get a new start.

I have sent my 1st submission, and I will send others too as they flow.
I'm not sure there's any good rule such as waiting for an answer and send pitches one after the other or machine-gunning 'till you break the defense line. It's actually not a defense line. If you send 3 good ones, you might get published thrice, why not? If one's not good enough, it's not good enough, should you wait for ages or not.

[tadk]

I have done nothing official with GG.
But I am a huge fan of one of their lines and I have enjoyed complete support in my fan quality materials.
So Go Ahead and submit all you 4E types

[SteelCoyote]

So, are proposals to be only 250 words, or one page in a standard font in a standard document file (like Word)?

Originally Posted by Harley Stroh

If you can’t compose a clean 250 word proposal, this might not be the right line of work.

• Why only one page? If you can’t capture the heart of a project in a 1-page synopsis, odds are that it is still too vague, and hasn’t been developed enough.

//Harley

[Tequila Sunrise]

Hi Harley Stroh, I have a couple great ideas for this open call but can't get the submission agreement link to work. Help is appreciated.

TS