Would you participate in this?

[Haltherrion]

Hence, my bewilderment. I have no problem with the fact that the contest isn't for you; I didn't expect it to be for everyone. It's the nature of your objection that I've been having trouble grokking. (Again, not snark. Honestly trying to understand.)

Hi Ari-

I discounted the character in the free story too much and for that I apologize. I'll also admit my feedback could have been more kindly put. Thank you for your considered response.

It honestly was motivated by nothing more than a desire to respond to your question knowing how frustrating it is to ask a question in a public forum and get no answer at all. At the time I did it, there was little traffic on the thread. This whole thing has gone far enough that if you do hold the contest, I will feel obligated to enter (using the short story character)

However, if I hadn't been invovled in the thread, I would still be leery of participating under the suspicion that using the free character would put me at a disadvantage. That is, it would still feel like I needed to purchase the novels to have a chance.

Again, I've been graceless on this thread but I do have an issue with a contest that seems to require purchasing something to play. I really do not think I'm especially unusual in this and I'm guessing I'm not even very unusual in my concerns about using the character from the free story.

That said, there are ways to even the playing field (for the participants) and encourage more folks to look at your work (for you). Danny has already provided some more graceful feedback along those lines.

To his thoughts, I could add the following. These ideas would lower the bar to participating (even a motivated person might feel obligated to read a novel which would delay entry) but still gets people looking at your stuff.

• Post excerpts from your works on your website that highlight other characters that could be used for a submission.
• See if you can find some 'impartial' judges (and not necessarily your co-author who came to your defense, albeit with a warhammer in hand )
• Open it up to submissions based simply on the cover artwork. What I noticed was good and it would pull in even the more casual folks.

Along those lines and in support of the contest, you could add a page to your site that highlights various characters, provides excerpts, plugs the novels they are in and maybe provides cover art images if you can swing the copyright.

Sorry for the fuss on this.

 

[Gulla]

I'd be at a handicap since I haven't gotten around to reading any of your books yet, but I think I would participate given that there is some free (and shorter ) samples available, and specially if you take the advice from Dannyalcatraz about having all/some of the characters presented with a small portrait.

The biggest issue for me would probably be to discover the contest initially. Then it would be finding a character that "grabs" me (which should be easy if you're as good at writing as my impression from ENWorld indicates)
Then it would be finding some time, so preferably not a very short time limit.

Nice prizes always motivates, but for me a nice prize is more in the realm of something one-of-a-kind from the author/artist rather than something expensive.

So the short answer is "probably", if I can fit it into my schedule.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just to be 100% clear, I meant a descriptive thumbnail of the characters, not an image...though an image wouldn't suck!

The last contest like this I entered was for Mutants & Masterminds, dealing with naming and statting out the characters on the cover of one of their releases. IOW, all contest entrants had to work with WAS an image.

 

[Argyle King]

I think it sounds like a neat idea. Though, I am not familiar with the source material.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well, I've decided that if/when I run this, I'm going to find a way to open it to people who haven't read anything of mine, even the short story. (Either by statting characters from other sources, or only requiring them to use basic descriptions, as suggested upthread.) I'll admit it's not entirely altruism on my part. It does me more good, in the long run, to get books in the hands of new people, not just existing fans.

More when I decide what I'm doing, and when I'm doing it.

And thanks for the feedback, guys.

 

[Quickleaf]

I really enjoyed Black Crusade, at least what wasnposted to the website originally. I as pleasantly surprised to find the PDF has quite a bit more pages filling it in. For anyone curious, here's a link to the PDF : http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/BlackCrusade.pdf

I'd be intrigued to see or possibly contribute a writeup for Deidrich of Wyndt...
[sblock=SPOILER]...as a dark lord.[/sblock]

 

[renau1g]

Just saw this Ari. Anyways, I enjoyed the books I've read of yours, they're not perfect of course, but they're a lot better than some others I've read in the genre. I would be interested in jumping in to this, but I'm probably not the target audience as I own both Warlord's Legacy and Conquerer's Shadow.

 

[Mouseferatu]

but I'm probably not the target audience as I own both Warlord's Legacy and Conquerer's Shadow.

How lucky for you that I have other books out and/or coming out, then.

 

[renau1g]

Hurray!

 

[the Jester]

I might be interested if I'd read your fiction previously; I suspect that I'd enjoy it, as I like your writing style from what I've seen online and from the rpg stuff I have that you have worked on.

That said, I haven't read any of your fiction, and so I honestly wouldn't be interested in the contest as conceived of in the OP because it would have 'required reading' attached.

Now, "Stat up a character from the fantasy novel of your choice for the rpg of your choice" sounds like fun, but it also sounds insane for you, since you may well get hundreds of entries of characters you have no clue who they are.

Hmm.