WotC Names 10 "Adepts" On Their DMs Guild Store

WotC's Dungeon Masters Guild store launched 18-months ago, and was a vehicle for D&D fans to produce material and sell it to other fans in one convenient online mega-store; WotC's version of the App Store, essentially. WotC's Chris Lindsay comments that the store now has thousands of new publishers on the store - something which is both bug and feature. One of the problems with such a large body of content is that it can be tough to find the really good stuff, and WotC has tried to address this is in past with columns highlighting certain products (and, indeed, there are websites which do that very well too, including the ENnie-nominated Loot the Room which posts a monthly Best of the DM's Guild column).

WotC has just launched a new initiative. They have picked ten DMs Guild creators, who they are calling "Adepts", and will be highlighting them in their podcasts and other media going forward, as well as giving them early copies of adventures like the upcoming Tomb of Annihilation so that they can produce content to go with that product on launch day. They even get a special gold badge so you can spot them on the store!

So who are WotC's first Adepts? They are:

• Lysa Chen
• Will Doyle
• Claire Hoffman
• James Introcaso
• Rich Lescouflair
• Shawn Merwin
• Cindy Moore
• Satine Phoenix
• Ruty Rutenberg
• Monica Valentinelli

I did a quick search at DMs Guild and linked to those authors I could find, though I failed my search-fu on three of them. But you can check out the ones which did work.

From what WotC is saying, it looks like this group will change periodically -- "It won’t always be the same group, and the group won’t always be the same number of folks, but it will be fun and exciting to see what wonders they create." There's more information in WotC's announcement.

One of the important take-aways for most is that there will be third-party content for new adventures on launch day.

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[Kenny Mahan]

I wouldn't mind WoTC putting out a list of things they are looking for in writers to make this list, would be nice to know what to shoot for.

 

[M.T. Black]

Kenny, from the press release, one of the main things they are looking for is someone whose products sell. It may sound obvious, but its a great place to start.

 

[Von Ether]

I wouldn't mind WoTC putting out a list of things they are looking for in writers to make this list, would be nice to know what to shoot for.

If you are really interested in freelancing for RPGs, you're number one priority is going to be improving your skills in InDesign first and foremost. Most if not all of these Adepts did their own layout and I bet good presentation helped them get their foot in the door.

I'd say that the RPG biz really mirrors the comic book biz after you substitute graphic design for illustrator/colorist.

And what that means is that while the top people in the field can specialize in either writing or layout, the rest of us has to do both if we want learn how to make a regular revenue stream out of it.

Good writing is essential, but good art and good presentation can still move a mediocre product. And poor presentation can sink an excellent product before it even has a chance to be noticed.

 

[schnee]

Having been in a few things like this in the past, it really comes down to a few things.

1) Publish regularly. If your stuff isn't out there already, nobody knows you. You can't publish one or two things and rest, you can't flood the channels, it has to be consistent enough.

2) Be visible. Be active in the community, have a blog, tweet, whatever - be 'out' there so people can read up on who you are, and what you stand for, and what 'voice' you have.

3) Do good work. It doesn't have to be perfect, it has to be good. It should be easy to learn, substantial without feeling like overkill, fitting for the system, flavorful, and fun.

4) Be likable. Polarizing personalities, no matter how talented, will be passed over for someone warm and engaging with more average skill. You're an ambassador, not a savior.

That's why the 'above average pluggers' that don't at first come off as brilliant seem to do so well in these situations. They bring a slew of other skills that aren't immediately obvious, and those skills are absolutely essential to build institutions. And they work very, very hard to earn that influence - a lot harder than most will ever see.

 

[smerwin29]

So what do people who purchase (not just download free/PWYW stuff) products from the DM's Guild want to see from the Guild Adepts? What kind of products would you use that are tied in to a hardcover adventure/gazetteer like we have seen in Storm King's Thunder, for example?

Thanks!

 

[Kenny Mahan]

If you are really interested in freelancing for RPGs, you're number one priority is going to be improving your skills in InDesign first and foremost. Most if not all of these Adepts did their own layout and I bet good presentation helped them get their foot in the door.

I'd say that the RPG biz really mirrors the comic book biz after you substitute graphic design for illustrator/colorist.

And what that means is that while the top people in the field can specialize in either writing or layout, the rest of us has to do both if we want learn how to make a regular revenue stream out of it.

Good writing is essential, but good art and good presentation can still move a mediocre product. And poor presentation can sink an excellent product before it even has a chance to be noticed.

The couple things I have up have original art from well-known artists and a professional layout artist who worked in the industry. Everything you are talking about is important, but also figuring out marketing (which is something I'm struggling with).

The DMsGuild is a cool opportunity, but man the amount of products that hit it and how often they do is incredible. Even with good layout, good art, and good writing, it's easy to get lost. Knowing what WoTC is looking for would help though.

Is it more about the writing than the art, is it about the writing, art, and layout. Do sales numbers add into it?

 

[BookBarbarian]

I'm always happy to some DMs guild creators get some spotlight. Like others I hope to see the next crop of Adepts include a bit more than the known. Still I think this is a good first step.

 

[Jester David]

So what do people who purchase (not just download free/PWYW stuff) products from the DM's Guild want to see from the Guild Adepts? What kind of products would you use that are tied in to a hardcover adventure/gazetteer like we have seen in Storm King's Thunder, for example?

Thanks!

I think the *best* product they could make is adventures that go from levels 1-5. And then change the storyline adventures to 5+ rather than having to cram in introductory level stuff.

I'm not sure, honestly. Subclasses is one option, but that feels limited. Sidequests, NPCs, monsters, random encounter tables, and expansions of people & places in the adventure are ideas.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I think the *best* product they could make is adventures that go from levels 1-5. And then change the storyline adventures to 5+ rather than having to cram in introductory level stuff.

I'm not sure, honestly. Subclasses is one option, but that feels limited. Sidequests, NPCs, monsters, random encounter tables, and expansions of people & places in the adventure are ideas.

The problem is that the earlier hardcovers did go 1-15 or 5-15 and then the past few dropped to the 1-11+ range. That obviously happened for reasons WotC will probably never directly tell us. But one reason most of us guess from feedback we have seen is that fewer and fewer players keep going once the game gets past 10th level. The only place I have seen noticeable demand for level 15+ stuff is in AL play, and they are already working on getting those scenarios out there.

Now if they do another hardcover like PotA, I think it was, where the first few levels were basically random encounters, then I could see alternate intro adventures being a thing. And until the book releases, for all we know, ToA's first few levels could just be random encounters while wandering in the jungle, and official alternate starter adventures or sidequests could be viable. But basically, any pre-written adventure or sidequest that can replace those annoying random encounters is always good.

Expansions of people and places could work, if they let these Adepts write new FR canon.

 

[Von Ether]

Having been in a few things like this in the past, it really comes down to a few things.

1) Publish regularly. If your stuff isn't out there already, nobody knows you. You can't publish one or two things and rest, you can't flood the channels, it has to be consistent enough.

2) Be visible. Be active in the community, have a blog, tweet, whatever - be 'out' there so people can read up on who you are, and what you stand for, and what 'voice' you have.

3) Do good work. It doesn't have to be perfect, it has to be good. It should be easy to learn, substantial without feeling like overkill, fitting for the system, flavorful, and fun.

4) Be likable. Polarizing personalities, no matter how talented, will be passed over for someone warm and engaging with more average skill. You're an ambassador, not a savior.

That's why the 'above average pluggers' that don't at first come off as brilliant seem to do so well in these situations. They bring a slew of other skills that aren't immediately obvious, and those skills are absolutely essential to build institutions. And they work very, very hard to earn that influence - a lot harder than most will ever see.

I guess this comes with "Be likeable" part, but you also have to have a sense of humor and/or don't get discourage easily. There will be days that you wonder if you are shoving your stuff down a black hole and then days you feel like an idiot for a mistake you make. You gotta keep plugging away.