Dragon & Dungeon Mag Queries

[d20Dwarf]

What should I have sent to Dragon other than an email stating "here's some ideas I have, would you be interested?".

This is exactly what I do every time.

Would it be better off attaching the docs and just saying 'check them out' first time around rather than sending email as query and then waiting a long time for reply and then 'if' they are accepted sending them in and waiting again?

This is not a good idea; following their instructions will impress them more than a completed article.

I am worried that a simple query will not portray what is in my articles, as they are not as simple as saying ' hey, what about an ecology on shriekers'.

What's wrong with that? If they're interested in an ecology on shriekers, then they'll ask you to write the article. Then they'll evaluate the content of your article.

More recently my other queries have taken some time. I am not moaning just finding out what is going on and what others experience now - as it is far different than my first time around.

But as someone else said it would be good to know, b/c I have these articles I would like to use/put out there somewhere. Without 'knowing' whether Dragon & Dungeon are interested at least the articles do nothing. I am not going to get overly upset if they are rejected, but I could at least put out a PDF or more likely on a website interested.

The rules are as they are, and if you aren't comfortable with them, I suggest you just go the pdf route right off the bat (well, I don't suggest this, but it might better suit your temperament ). If you're trying to make a steady gig out of doing non-commissioned articles for Dragon/Dungeon, then you're going to be very disappointed. A recent case of mine went:

Send Query, wait one month
Request for articles received, write for two weeks and send
Wait three months, as per their guidelines, send a polite followup
One day later, receive acceptance on articles from two different editors
Articles to be published...no sooner than 9 months from now.

So that's how it goes. Even if you get your articles accepted, you might not see publication and payment for a year. Like I said, not exactly a game for the impatient.

Have enjoyed the feedback. Now just help me with what exactly a query is. What do you send for article ideas.

I dunno, a couple of recent (accepted) queries looked very similar to (some names have been changed to protect the innocent):

-Fire Spells: A variety of spells all having to do with fire or flames.
-Arcane Feats: New arcane feats along the lines of those in the Complete Arcane.

No need to get fancy or send in completed manuscripts (except where the writer's guidelines tell you to), just a simple idea in the query is all they want. If they aren't interested in the initial idea, it's very unlikely you'll dazzle them with a full manuscript on the subject so much that they'll change their minds.

 

[James Jacobs]

One thing that should be said: If you're looking to break into the gut-wrenching world of writing articles for Draong and Dungeon, the best way to start is with submissions to Class Acts (the one-page articles that appear at the back of Dragon) or the Campaign Workbook (the two-page articles that appear at the back of Dungeon). Since we print 11 and 4-5 of these respectively each and every month in the magazines, we tend to burn through our accepted articles there really quickly. You can send these submissions in without a query (at least, you can for Campaign Workbook), and the wait time between having one of these articles being accepted and it seeing print is generally fairly short. (For longer articles, it's not unusual for a year or more to pass between the inital proposal and final publicaiton and payment.)

I think that Class Acts is always looking for stuff for Wizards or Sorcerers (but I could be wrong... I try not to pay TOO much attention to those Dragon editors cause they're kind of crazy). I know that we're always scrounging for installments of "The Cast" on the Dungeon side of the fence.

In any case, these two forums are great for new writers to break into the market, because they're A) easy to write and B) get the editors to know your name. And once an editor knows your name... well, it just makes it easier. If only because then we feel REALLY guilty for ignoring a proposal from you for too long, rather than just KINDA guilty...

My best advice, though, is to not let the rejection letters get you down. Every one of the editors on staff now have had more articles rejected from the magazines in the past than they've had them accepted, I'll wager. I know it's true in my case!

 

[Connorsrpg]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Connorsrpg
What should I have sent to Dragon other than an email stating "here's some ideas I have, would you be interested?".


D20dwarf wrote:
"This is exactly what I do every time".

Thanks d20 dwarf. That was exactly what I was after. What exactly do people write 'as a query'. I didn't want topic for queries, just wanted to know what you included in them. Because I follwed the Writer's Guidelines and was worried that maybe I had done something wrong.

I will now wait patiently. Again, i was not complaining about paizo or their staff (in fact every email where i have had correspondence with the editors have been great). I realise they are busy, mistakes get made, things get lost etc. Just wanted to check I was doing the right thing.

Cheers and again, thanks for the help.

Connors

 

[BOZ]

Just curious, BOZ, did you ever hear anything about the bugbear article?

no, and i've asked more than once. i'm taking that as "sorry, not interested."

 

[Erik Mona]

That's probably the right way to take it. It's a bit too specialized, you know?

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

 

[MKMcArtor]

Thanks d20 dwarf. That was exactly what I was after. What exactly do people write 'as a query'. I didn't want topic for queries, just wanted to know what you included in them. Because I follwed the Writer's Guidelines and was worried that maybe I had done something wrong.

I will now wait patiently. Again, i was not complaining about paizo or their staff (in fact every email where i have had correspondence with the editors have been great). I realise they are busy, mistakes get made, things get lost etc. Just wanted to check I was doing the right thing.

The Paizo boards have a thread similar to this with a couple of example query letters that I, at least, considered to be quite good. Of course, Jason and Wes might have different ideas of what makes a good query letter.

It pains me to say it but we are still recovering from the three-in-a-row critical hits of personnel upheavels in August/September, moving the office in September, and holiday breaks in November and December. In the course of all that damage being inflicted to our otherwise finely tuned and well-oiled machine many submissions simply got lost. We still get emails from people asking about an article they sent in July that none of us knows anything about.

Patience is a key, but so is diligence. If you haven't heard back from us after three months (as per the writers' guidelines...newly updated I might add) please send us an email. Worst-case scenario is you have to send in your manuscript again and begin the terrible waiting once more, and for that we're very sorry.

Now, as James pointed out, we always need Class Acts articles. I play Emperor of that department, so feel free to shoot me an email if you have ideas for Class Acts. My email address is posted all over the known universe (well, at least on Paizo's website and I think in my EN World user info).

Finally, yes we do read the EN World boards. Not as much as the Paizo boards, but we do skim through here probably once or twice a day (more on a slow day). I'll keep my eyes on this particular thread and answer any more questions that pop up.

 

[BOZ]

That's probably the right way to take it. It's a bit too specialized, you know?

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

it wasn't a bad idea though - perhaps one day its time will come. *filing that one away for later*

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

An article on bugbears is too specialized? Or was it on bugbear grooming habits or something? (This sort of factors in to one of the things I want to work on.)

 

[BOZ]

bugbear pantheon.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Appreciate several people from Paizo offering their thoughts over here. Thanks

Sent off a few queries today

Good luck everyone else doing the same. I will keep an eye on this thread though b/c I am interested in what others are doing.

Oh, and Boz. I reckon the Bugbear pantheon would be cool Hruggek needs a few friends after all.

Connors