F. Wesley Schneider Is D&D's New Editor

Zardnaar · Mar 22, 2019

Sadras said:
On the other hand the DM'sGuild is a great opportunity for those who don't have the necessary qualifications or the experience to build up a decent portfolio and name for themselves within the industry. WotC may also see from one's productivity levels on how fast one produces content on the platform.

Perhaps but we haven't seen any hires from there yet.

Sacrosanct · Mar 22, 2019

Sadras said:
On the other hand the DM'sGuild is a great opportunity for those who don't have the necessary qualifications or the experience to build up a decent portfolio and name for themselves within the industry. WotC may also see from one's productivity levels on how fast one produces content on the platform.

Zardnaar said:
Perhaps but we haven't seen any hires from there yet.

That we know of. Dragon and Dungeon magazine back in the day was an excellent source for otherwise unknown and "new" people to get exposure and experience, and then be hired on by companies based on that work (Like James Wyatt). I can see DMsGuild doing the exact same thing. Interestingly enough, that's how your aforementioned Wolfgang Bauer (founder of Kobold Press) got started--as an editing assistance for Dungeon magazine, working for Barbara Young (not a white male, notably).

Morrus · Mar 22, 2019

Zardnaar said:
Perhaps but we haven't seen any hires from there yet.

Various DMsG authors can be found in the credits of recent hardcovers. DotMM contains several, for example.

Zardnaar · Mar 22, 2019

Morrus said:
Various DMsG authors can be found in the credits of recent hardcovers. DotMM contains several, for example.

Nice that's great. Hopefully they can get some experience and practice their design chops. Variety is good but with a relatively small crew and hires it makes it hard.

Zardnaar · Mar 22, 2019

Sacrosanct said:
That we know of. Dragon and Dungeon magazine back in the day was an excellent source for otherwise unknown and "new" people to get exposure and experience, and then be hired on by companies based on that work (Like James Wyatt). I can see DMsGuild doing the exact same thing. Interestingly enough, that's how your aforementioned Wolfgang Bauer (founder of Kobold Press) got started--as an editing assistance for Dungeon magazine, working for Barbara Young (not a white male, notably).

I know Mearls also was in Dungeon along with Erik Mona at Paizo. There's more old Dungeon is basically an honor roll. Key difference though us contacts. DMGuukd you have to get noticed, if you get published in Dungeon you have had the back and forth with the editor.

Sacrosanct · Mar 22, 2019

Zardnaar said:
I know Mearls also was in Dungeon along with Erik Mona at Paizo. There's more old Dungeon is basically an honor roll. Key difference though us contacts. DMGuukd you have to get noticed, if you get published in Dungeon you have had the back and forth with the editor.

Um..you still had to get noticed when submitting material to Dragon and Dungeon back in the day. Honestly, I think it's easier now, with the internet and places like DMsGuild that give people a storefront when we didn't have that when we were creating our material in the early 80s. Guys like James Wyatt and Richard Baker didn't have contacts when they started. The process has pretty much been the same: create some stuff, show your hopeful employer your stuff, and hope to get hired. I think DMs Guild is a great way to do that; better than before

bedir than · Mar 22, 2019

Morrus said:
Various DMsG authors can be found in the credits of recent hardcovers. DotMM contains several, for example.

Don't be too modest. One is former editor of en5ider too!

oreofox · Mar 22, 2019

I don't know if I would call the DMsGuild a great way to get noticed. Somehow I doubt WotC has someone(s) grabbing every single thing on the guild and going through the products to see what's great and who made it. Something I am almost certain was a thing with Dungeon and Dragon magazines. And the sheer flood of products on there makes it rather difficult as well. It's close to the same thing on something like Deviantart and looking at the new submissions on the front page. While I am certain it has slowed down considerably, but in the early time of the Guild, you submit something, go to the front page, and you are already on page 4.

There are a few that got lucky, and I am definitely happy for them. But I don't think the DMsGuild and the internet as a whole is the best way. Easiest to put something out there? Absolutely.

Sacrosanct · Mar 23, 2019

oreofox said:
I don't know if I would call the DMsGuild a great way to get noticed. Somehow I doubt WotC has someone(s) grabbing every single thing on the guild and going through the products to see what's great and who made it. Something I am almost certain was a thing with Dungeon and Dragon magazines. And the sheer flood of products on there makes it rather difficult as well. It's close to the same thing on something like Deviantart and looking at the new submissions on the front page. While I am certain it has slowed down considerably, but in the early time of the Guild, you submit something, go to the front page, and you are already on page 4.

There are a few that got lucky, and I am definitely happy for them. But I don't think the DMsGuild and the internet as a whole is the best way. Easiest to put something out there? Absolutely.

I am certain Dragon and Dungeon staff did not go around picking up every fan creation or home brew game. That would be impossible actually. The process is the same as I mentioned above: apply for a job and submit your portfolio for assessment. The DMsGuild makes that process WAY easier now than before, because unlike before, there’s a chance they might have already seen your stuff. DMsGuild is a wonderful tool to help people get established that never existed before. Remember, people like Wyatt had to mail in submissions and hope they got chosen. No one at TSR or any other company went out and got his stuff before he submitted them to them.

oreofox · Mar 23, 2019

Sacrosanct said:
I am certain Dragon and Dungeon staff did not go around picking up every fan creation or home brew game. That would be impossible actually. The process is the same as I mentioned above: apply for a job and submit your portfolio for assessment. The DMsGuild makes that process WAY easier now than before, because unlike before, there’s a chance they might have already seen your stuff. DMsGuild is a wonderful tool to help people get established that never existed before. Remember, people like Wyatt had to mail in submissions and hope they got chosen. No one at TSR or any other company went out and got his stuff before he submitted them to them.

That's what I was saying. I am sure someone on the magazine teams went through everything submitted to them to find the things they felt were good enough to publish. And if they continued to submit stuff, it was more likely to be chosen over something else. I am certain there is no such thing happening with the DMsGuild. And I consider everything on there as being "submitted to WotC" since they get 25% of every purchase. Also, as far as I know, that's the only way to "submit" something to them. I don't expect someone from WotC to scour every possible website for D&D homebrew items. I highly doubt they scour every product on the Guild. So saying it's a WAY easier process than before has me highly skeptical.