Dragon/Dungeon Submissions?

[Aberzanzorax]

Evidently spoiler tags don't work on these forums?

Sorry for the long post. I tried to spoiler the name into groups, but it didn't work.


If you are curious as to my conclusions based on the data, here they are (spoilered as black):

My conclusion is that a good chunk is in-house, but that lots of others are submitting materials and being accepted. Now, I don't actually know whoall are in-house names and who aren't, but I do recognize a few names on there as in-house and a few that aren't.

In my humble opinion, this is one thing they're doing just fine on. It seems to be about what I've come to expect from the magazines. That doesn't address the rudeness of not replying, even with a rejection, but in terms of outside contracting, I'd say they're doing well.


End Spoiler

 

[Aberzanzorax]

And thats exactly why I have a website (link in my .sig) containing almost 60 web-articles of material (some are quite lengthy webpages, with lots of original graphics). I like to think its a fairly well-received site. However, having been published several times, like Shemy, I can say that the two are very different kettles of fish. Different types of material (topic, editing, layout, graphics), different size and type of audience, different level of recognition and appreciation from those audiences (rightly or wrongly; whether or not it makes a difference to the writer/creator, but it is nice to get positive feedback once in a while), and of course the different rewards (monetary and/or that only rarely expressed feedback) translate to different levels and types of effort expended.

Whats more, WotC is never going to email somebody out of the blue and say "Gee, we really like the stuff on your website. How's about writing the new Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook for us?" Doesn't matter that there are a bunch of unpublished fans out there that could do a far better job of some things than what the inhouse writers have done in the past. *

Well, they haven't called me yet, anyways.

*Note: But in the past, WotC HAS gotten people that had a shot at some early writing creds and then asked them to do something as big as a campaign setting book because they were an acknowledged expert on the net for that setting... now that fellow is the Publisher for Paizo because of his intro-path into the biz. I can't see that ever happening again with their current mentality.

Denis, aka "Maldin"
Maldin's Greyhawk Maldin's Greyhawk
Loads of FREE edition-independent Greyhawk goodness... maps, magic, mysteries, mechanics, and more! Did I mention FREE!!!??

Hi.

--Erik

Hi.

How's it goin?

Happy belated B-Day

So, have either of you checked out Maldin's website?

Just be careful not to get into a bidding war (those things can get ugly).

 

[Shemeska]

If you are curious as to my conclusions based on the data, here they are (spoilered as black)

I'm curious how the list would look if you excluded the pre-4e e-zines that were still using some of the Paizo slush pile, pre-4e Demonomicon stuff, etc. I suspect the author list is much less diverse post 4e.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

That is true Shemeska, I did notice more diversity the further back I went, but I don't think it makes a HUGE difference. I still sound some diversity later on as well.

All someone would have to do would be to check out those mags and subtract from my list to find out, though (I have to start dinner, so I'm not going to get to that today).



(I would be interested in seeing that though, and if I get a chance, maybe I'll take a look at that tomorrow).

 

[Erik Mona]

Hi.

How's it goin?

Oh, you know. OK.

Happy belated B-Day

Thanks!

 

[Scribble]

Maybe not a lot of people have pitched anything they'd like to publish?

 

[Maldin]

Thanks for dropping in, Scott! Any good boss doesn't like to discuss internal matters publicly until the time is right, particulary with the state of flux that the DDI has been in, but any chance people will start seeing responses (positive or negative) to submissions? What is your take (or that of your appropriate division man-on-the-scene) on what the future will bring?

Regarding the list of authors, as both Aberzanzorax and Shemy say, a large part of the diversity is probably pre-4E slush pile, but even having said that, I recognized a HUGE percentage of those names as being from several different groups... Wizards staff designers, RPGA HQ personnel (or former personnel), the group of regular freelancers, and a group of authors who I know were green-lighted slush pile articles from earlier.

So, have either of you checked out Maldin's website?
Just be careful not to get into a bidding war (those things can get ugly).

ROFL!! Thanks for the vote, Aberzanzorax.
Scott is a pretty busy guy, and I know we're all very pleased that , unlike some of his predecessors, he is concerned enough with his customers to appear here on Enworld with what I think is outstanding frequency. (Thanks Scott! And I really do mean it.) I'm sure he doesn't have much time to surf the hundreds of fan sites out there, and I would expect that he hadn't seen my site.

Erik, I know, is an equally busy guy (yes, a smaller company, but that means you have fewer people doing stuff for you!), and I'd say the same. Except that Erik has published some of my work, we've co-authored several articles together, was his fact-checker/reviewer for the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, and he's even posted links to my website on his blog. So I know he's definitely seen it.

Erik is a bit modest, but he once was just one of us fans with a website (even if he prefers to forget what his site once was like , some of us do remember!), and has always remembered those roots. Although Paizo no longer has a periodical that could accept submissions like they did when they produced Dragon and Dungeon (and what Dragon and Dungeon had always done for those decades before), he's gone out of his way to encourage new talent by launching the RPG Rockstar competitions.

No decision is "forever". I really do hope that Wizards someday gets back to those days where fans could participate in the creation of D&D materials, and become that "new talent on the scene", even if it means fewer articles by the "pros". I think the long-term benefit justifies it. Besides, going digital means that you can easily add additional pages to the product for far less expense (and headache) then increasing the size of a print product.

Denis, aka "Maldin"
Maldin's Greyhawk http://melkot.com
A very cool place.

 

[Scribe Ineti]

Besides, going digital means that you can easily add additional pages to the product for far less expense (and headache) then increasing the size of a print product.

Well, sort of. Those additional pages still need to be edited, set up in the layout program, and then given some assorted artwork. Layout and editing takes up some employee's time that has to be paid for.

 

[Maldin]

Well, sort of. Those additional pages still need to be edited, set up in the layout program, and then given some assorted artwork. Layout and editing takes up some employee's time that has to be paid for.

Yep. As someone who's done his share of editing and layout, I know, which is why I said "for far less" rather then "no extra cost". Still, its a fraction of the cost compared to adding print pages (like an entire signature, for those of you familiar with publishing lingo) to a print mag. When you edit for a living, you tend to go through a 5 to 10 page manuscript pretty fast and efficiently. Graphics, of course, are an additional cost as well.

Denis, aka "Maldin"

 

[Klaus]

Yep. As someone who's done his share of editing and layout, I know, which is why I said "for far less" rather then "no extra cost". Still, its a fraction of the cost compared to adding print pages (like an entire signature, for those of you familiar with publishing lingo) to a print mag. When you edit for a living, you tend to go through a 5 to 10 page manuscript pretty fast and efficiently. Graphics, of course, are an additional cost as well.

Denis, aka "Maldin"

The digital magazines would be a prime place to re-use art from earlier editions, where applicable. Plus any additional expense could be covered when an eventual "Dragon" or "Dungeon" annual (containing the year's best articles) got published.