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Message: <blockquote data-quote="seasong" data-source="post: 356778" data-attributes="member: 5137">The more I thought about it, the more I want a setting anthology. So I'm pimping the format a bit, hoping Morrus sees this, and hoping I'm not too annoying.I really hope I'm not too annoying <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />.Basic Idea128 pages, 10 settings. One setting given a full treatment (50 pages), and nine other settings given enough treatment (8 pages) to be usable.Published annually (or bi-annually or whatever works), the best that ENWorlds has to offer.Price: $25-$30.My flat-out goal: A few years from now, I want to look at my shelf and see a short-but-growing section of fat setting anthologies with the Natural20 logo. Each one will be filled to the brim with ten compact, exotic, tasty settings. And right next to that section, a few full-sized setting books by authors in the anthologies... Mmmmmmm... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Ok, back to business.The Anthology FormatA short story can afford to be more experimental and interesting than a novel - novels require too much reader investment to take real risks unless the author is an utter genius. At the same time, a short story rarely makes money all by itself - a booklet with one short story generally costs more to make than it can sell for. The anthology provides a small slew of short stories in a novel-sized format.Think of this as nine (9) short story settings, with a novella headliner. They can take a few more risks, explore ideas that a big "please the masses" setting can't, and provide a veritable cornucopia of exotic, interesting, fresh brain food ideas.Anthologies have also traditionally been a launching ground for new authors, particularly in the fantasy genre. While this won't magically bootstrap an author into the world of full-time publishing (that requires a lot of hard work, not 8 pages in an anthology), it is a heck of a leg up.Charity Is Nice, But...Hope I don't get slammed for this, but if I can persuade anyone that this needs to be annual (and I hope I do), all editions after the first should be done for profit.It's cool to do a charity and all, and as a one time thing, it's great. But what I would really like is for this to be a continuing thing, and that means profit going to the publisher. Plus, really, I would like to know deep down that Morrus & the Natural20 crew will benefit from doing this megacool thing.Will This Compete With Wizard's Setting?Naw, not really.Wizard's setting search will produce a complete, ready made meal to serve immediately, this will be more like a collection of exotic, tasty ingredients.Full FormatPossible Titles:  ENWorld's Setting Book  The Setting Anthology  ENWorld's Setting Anthology  Big Bad Book of SettingsContents:  1 .... Title Page  1 .... Table of Contents  4 .... Introduction(1) & Author Bios(2)  50 .. First Place Setting  72 .. 2nd - 10th Place Settings (8 pages each)(1) For the Intro, the first one would ideally have something from Morrus (of course) and Ryan Dancey (for making so much of this possible), and possibly Anthony Valtera (for purely associative, community love reasons).(2) Author bios would be a paragraph in length, and would ideally have a thumbnail picture of the author <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />.Other Book SizesI think 128 pages would be ideal, but here are two example alternate sizes if you like the format but not the size:Reduced Version (64 pages, $15 - $20):  1 .... Title Page  1 .... Table of Contents  4 .... Intro & Bios  34 .. First Place Setting  24 .. 2nd - 4th Place Settings (8 pages each)Enlarged Version (256 pages $30 - $40):  1 .... Title Page  1 .... Table of Contents  6 .... Intro & Bios  100 . First Place Setting  144 . 2nd - 10th Place Settings (16 pages each)  4 .... Wasted Space?</blockquote>

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