WotC Replies: Statements by WotC employees regarding Dragon/Dungeon going online

[Storm Raven]

I think such a publisher would be very foolish. A persons writing skills are not measured by where he has his name printed, but upon the skills he has.

Then pretty much every publisher is foolish. Look, it may not seem fair, and it may not seem smart, but to publishers it matters where and in what format you have been published. Some magazines or journals are simply regarded as better places to have your work, regardless of the actual quality of the work - so much so that some writers will not submit their work to a "lesser" publication in lieu of trying to get a submission printed much later in a "better" outlet, even if they have already been rejected there.

I think that in general, what you are describing could be the reaction of people not in the process of hiring a writer, but more of general reaction from other people.

I think I am describing the publishing industry.

On the other hand, it is a stamp of professionalism to have been published in print, and it might break the ice at initial contacts with publishers. But I maintain that any publisher who decides who to work with based the difference between "print" or "online" credits is foolish.

Well then, you better get the word out to all of them, since almost all of them really appear to make that a big consideration.

 

[Maggan]

I think I am describing the publishing industry.

Not the one I'm working with. The one I'm working in pays closer attention to what I write and who I know, than where I've been published. It's nothing fancy, just basic advertising, educational material, games and the occasional comics work, which is a mix of online and print.

But it might very well be like you say it is, it's just that I haven't had any problems with people viewing my online writing as less than my print writing in the last 10 years of my career as a writer.

EDIT: Come to think of it, there are of course publications that are more prestigious to have been published on than others, and they are often print publications, due to the fact that they have had decades to build reputation. At the same time, there are web sites that are more prestigious than other web sites, or even other print publications. So I think we are both factually right and wrong, and it is a mistake to declare "the publishing industry" as one monlithic colossus where everyone either do as you say, or as I say. It varies, as always.

/M

 

[JRRNeiklot]

You know, online content coming from a company that has been working on the search enginefor their forums for about seven years or so without any success, doesn't really make me drool with excitement.

 

[Storm Raven]

Not the one I'm working with. The one I'm working in pays closer attention to what I write and who I know, than where I've been published. It's nothing fancy, just basic advertising, educational material, games and the occasional comics work, which is a mix of online and print.

The market may be forgiving in some sectors than other then. In my experience, online material is just regarded as junk, not even worth looking at.

EDIT: Come to think of it, there are of course publications that are more prestigious to have been published on than others, and they are often print publications, due to the fact that they have had decades to build reputation. At the same time, there are web sites that are more prestigious than other web sites, or even other print publications. So I think we are both factually right and wrong, and it is a mistake to declare "the publishing industry" as one monlithic colossus where everyone either do as you say, or as I say. It varies, as always.

Well, here's one problem with the new regime - Dragon and Dungeon have had years to build a reputation. The DI has not, and even though it is attached to WotC, I doubt it will be seen as much of significance for quite a while at the very least (if ever).

I think short sighted decisions like cancelling these magazines will result in long term problems for WotC, due to the loos of the flagship periodical of the industry. We may be seeing the impending end of the WotC/Hasbro era of D&D ownership: not because I think they are gearing up to sell it off, but rather because they are going to suffer financially as a result of the ham-handedness with which they have begun to deal with the market.

 

[Veander]

You know, online content coming from a company that has been working on the search enginefor their forums for about seven years or so without any success, doesn't really make me drool with excitement.

So true.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

How seriously do they take writing credits from WotC's website right now? (If you said "not very", then I think you have found the right ballpark to be in). No one ever gives advice to new writers saying "get published in Dragon or on WotC's website". They have (until now) always said 'try to get publsihed in Dragon or Dungeon".

Why do you think this will be different and the website will have all sorts of credibility now?

They've said to get published in Dragon not Wizard's web site. Perhaps because Wizard's D&D web site has been almost exclusively the domain of in-house designers and regular freelancers who are already at the top of the field?

If I were looking to add a freelancer on an RPG product saw 'Wizards of the Coast's web site' as a publishing credit on someone's resume, and 'Dragon Magazine' as a credit on someone else's, I would immediately put the former on a higher tier. Goodness knows I'd LOVE to be able to put WotC's web site on my resume! I would assume a person whose article was chosen to appear beside the in-house designers at WotC, many of whom appear to be widely considered the absolute top of the line in the industry (Mike Mearls, Keith Baker, etc.), was someone with serious talent. The Dragon credit (of which I have quite a few) would be a nice plus, but hardly unusual among applicants on a serious RPG freelance product. One is exclusive, the other is common - that makes the exclusive one, at the very least, an interesting exception.

Now, that won't be the case once the Digital Initiative goes up. What will almost certainly be the case is that it will be edited by current Wizards and/or former Dragon/Dungeon staff, will inherit the submissions to Dragon and Dungeon, and will probably be widely written by the same pool of writers (with Paizo's staff contributions largely replaced by Wizards').

Now, if you're referring to the wider publishing industry, the kind that puts out (failing) short story magazines and (sometimes successful) novels and a myriad of nonfiction publications, then yes, I absolutely agree with you: print publication is all that matters. Wizards of the Coast's web site will mean nothing to such a publisher. Dragon (fiction credits aside) will mean NEXT to nothing, but it will still be a viable credit and of help to a new author. Are we talking about writers who happen to also be gamers and so submit to Dragon as it's a mag they know and read, or are we talking about prospective game designers who want credits within the industry?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Like I said earlier, most of the publishing industry regards digital material as inferior to physical print- even when its from a dual-platform periodical- as was made quite clear by my friend who worked for Playboy on both sides.

It will probably change over time, but not overnight.

What game board designers have gotten a boost out of Dragon in the past 15 years?

Hussar, while nobody (AFAIK) has gotten a boardgame in Dragon in some time, a digital-only magazine format for the magazine almost completely precludes that as an option. Were the magazine still available in print form post 09/07, Hasbro (WotC's parent company) could even use the magazine to try building up the skills & resumes of some of their own in-house talent with mini-game releases, as well as that of those within the insular wargame/RPG hobby.

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

my friend who worked for Playboy on both sides.

There's a joke in there somewhere.

 

[Veander]

Were the magazine still available in print form post 09/07, Hasbro (WotC's parent company) could even use the magazine to try building up the skills & resumes of some of their own in-house talent with mini-game releases, as well as that of those within the insular wargame/RPG hobby.

Actually, I'd rather they just killed the magazine. I would hate the magazine to become something where Hasbro takes over the magazine to promote non-rpg stuff.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I understand, but hey- minigames are as much a part of FLGSs as anything else. There wouldn't be a SJG without Melee or Ogre/G.E.V. I'm sure you or someone you game with has something from Avalon Hill, or possibly Task Force Games...

I don't think I'd have a problem with a non-gamercentric abstract strategy game (board, dice, cards, etc) if it were included in the pages of a gaming magazine.

If nothing else, such a game could be incorporated into one's homebrew campaign as the local's game of choice.