Dragon & Dungeon Mag Queries

[Connorsrpg]

I was just wondering how others go through this process. I have sent in several and heard nothing for months. Is this normal? How long have they taken to get back to you if you have sent something?

With their change fo staff, etc, I recently sent off another copy of materials that Dungeon are considering. This has now happened three times and has been going on over a year.

I sent a letter, an item for Player Initiative and some queries to Dragon and have heard nothing.

I followed the Submission guidelines for the queries, but can't help think I would have been better off just sending the actual docs I have written. They are complete and ready to go, but the submission guidelines state to send a query. Would I be better off sending the docs? Has anyone else done this and had success? I am just afraid of blowing my chance for 'not following guidelines correctly'.

Another thing for people who have had their stuff in the mags.

Do you get notified if your letter is to appear in an issue? Do you receive a copy of the issue (like when an article is printed)?

Do you get notified if you get an item in Player's Initiative? Do you receive a copy of the issue (like when an article is printed)?

I assume you would be notified, but do not receive a copy of the mag.

Thanks for any responses in advance,

Connors

 

[MerricB]

Do you get notified if your letter is to appear in an issue? Do you receive a copy of the issue (like when an article is printed)?

No to both. Letters to the Editor don't garner you anything but a brief moment of fame.

I assume you are using e-mail for your submissions?

You might actually want to visit the Paizo boards at www.paizo.com and post your query there, although Erik and the other editors do browse ENworld.

Cheers!

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I never tried sending complete documents, but sending queries has always worked for me. Some of the queries I sent in during the transitional period seem to have been lost in the shuffle, but everything since then has gone smoothly.

At least at the present time, Dragon seems to have a lot more slots in its departments rather than in feature articles. Especially Class Acts.

Remember to send your queries to the right editor, depending on what you're querying about.

 

[Mouseferatu]

My best advice is to be patient. They're very busy over there, and only getting busier. It's not unusual, IME, for them to take months to reply to a querry.

 

[Erik Mona]

Part of the problem might be that we've cancelled the "Player Initiative" column, so any submissions for that are probably assigned the lowest possible priority.

We don't pay for letters or even let people know we'll be printing them. It's a surprise.

Always send queries before you write the article. This will save you a lot of effort, since we turn down far more queries than we accept.

Don't be afraid to give us a little nudge. Send an email to dragon@paizo.com with a note about your queries, and someone should get back to you shortly.

Download the latest version of the submission guidelines at www.paizo.com/dragon.

--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon

 

[BOZ]

Always send queries before you write the article. This will save you a lot of effort, since we turn down far more queries than we accept.

not necessarily - i sent in a batch of 5 queries late last year and was told that 3 of them were worthy. of course, others' experiences may vary...

 

[Stormborn]

Well, as the man himself has answered there seems little point in adding anything, but:

I have had two things published in Dragon, in both cases the turn around time between when my query and the request for the article and then the subsequent commentary on the article was very short, a matter of a few weeks. However, around November I had several queries accepted and turned in two articles. I have heard nothing since. I also have a Side Trek at Dragon that I also have had no reply on. Lately it does seem that there is a bit of a lag over at Paizo, but considering all the things that have happened in the last few months its not unexpected, and I imagine that it will all get taken care of one way or another eventually.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

not necessarily - i sent in a batch of 5 queries late last year and was told that 3 of them were worthy. of course, others' experiences may vary...

I wouldn't be posting this if I wasn't using a psudonym, but I am really envious. The only ideas of mine they've deemed cool were ones I just tossed in for grins and never really developed. Small wonder they get shot down when they're recieved.

Just a bit of advice to those submitting: elmininate the passive voice in your submission. I got my article back with bunches of yellow, blue, and red all over it and I had to rack my brain coming up with other words for "is".

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Although the first choice for most people is, obviously, publication in Dragon or Dungeon, how hard would it be to take a developed idea and just publish it as a PDF instead, if Paizo were to reject it?

I ask because I've got several things I'm in different stages of developing that I'm going to run past Paizo and I've thought that PDFs were a good Plan B, should it come to that, as it does with most submissions.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Although the first choice for most people is, obviously, publication in Dragon or Dungeon, how hard would it be to take a developed idea and just publish it as a PDF instead, if Paizo were to reject it?

I ask because I've got several things I'm in different stages of developing that I'm going to run past Paizo and I've thought that PDFs were a good Plan B, should it come to that, as it does with most submissions.

Honestly, I'd flog it to the ENWorld magazine or Campaign or somesuch. You'll get a publishing credit and that will go further than a PDF. You'll also gain experience working with an editor, very useful stuff.

I am assuming, of course, that you have few publications. Given my luck of the past few days, you are secretly Monte Cook and I am coming across as being incredibly condescending.