Dragon/Dungeon Submissions?

[catsclaw227]

I've mentioned it before but never gotten a response about it, but when the e-zines were still using stuff from the slush pile, I was asked to submit a finished article I had, and was promised a response. Nothing ever happened, no response was received, and I also received no response to subsequent emails asking what was up with the submitted piece. Speaking to two other freelancers at GenCon, their own experiences mirrored that same situation. Feedback, communication, the querie process itself are a collective black box at best, and at worst give the appearance of a completely closed shop.

I've read some of your writing and it's pretty decent, and in some cases really good, but you have to admit.... you have a steady and consistent history of bashing WoTC for their 4e decisions and your disdain for 4e as a ruleset is readily apparent. Why do you think they would want to hire you to write 4e products? I imagine that they want to see a pretty strong understanding of 4e mechanics and nuance. (As well as liking of the game)

 

[ExploderWizard]

I'm guessing Wizards realized if people were going to treat it as the go to source for monthly "official" content, they should probably treat it as such as well.

These are my thoughts too. Considering that in the old days of Dragon pre-internet there were fewer ways to get people to see your work and now nearly anyone can self publish online and share ideas. Word travels fast on the web and good blogs and sites get a pretty good audience.

 

[Scribble]

These are my thoughts too. Considering that in the old days of Dragon pre-internet there were fewer ways to get people to see your work and now nearly anyone can self publish online and share ideas. Word travels fast on the web and good blogs and sites get a pretty good audience.

Thats the thing. I think these days by the time your submission hits the editors desk these days, if you're someone seriously trying to write for Dragon/Dungeon, they already know who you are.

Not in a creepy "We're watching you" way, but you probably have already at least been pushing your blog/twitter/podcast/website on enworld or the D&D boards, you post a lot, and talk about ideas, you might have even self published a pdf or two, or even worked for one of the smaller 3rd party companies.

 

[Klaus]

This wouldn't surprise me seeing how directly connected it is t the DDI.

I think with the way it's setup now, there is less room in the magazine for non polished ideas (especially with their guarantee about it all receiving the same level as their regular material.)

Dragon has been, for a while now, pretty much considered less of a "possibly crazy out there" source of new game ideas, and more of just a monthly expansion of game ideas.

I'm guessing Wizards realized if people were going to treat it as the go to source for monthly "official" content, they should probably treat it as such as well.

And if Dungeon/Dragon has indeed moved past this "entry level" stage, then it'd benefit WotC to create a new "entry level" venue.

 

[Saracenus]

And if Dungeon/Dragon has indeed moved past this "entry level" stage, then it'd benefit WotC to create a new "entry level" venue.

Claudio,

They already have farm teams on which to draw.

1) Blogs. ChattyDM pitched a young children's adventure and they took him up on it. Now its been expanded beyond that to a much larger product for an under served market.

2) Paizo.com. They have been doing a lot of heavy lifting getting notice for up and coming writers. You can bet that WotC will cherry pick those that rise to the top.

3) Self-published material.

I am sure there are many other ways to build up a portfolio and get noticed. However, I doubt WotC is going to invest in a directly subsidized farm team with people banging on their door to get in.

Good luck out there folks. I hope some of you do become the writers and designers of the future.

 

[Hal Maclean]

I'm almost at the 60 day mark for my first five 4e related pitches to the DDI. I don't find the lack of response all that surprising. Back in the print days over at Paizo my ratio was about 10 pitches for every greenlight. And about half of those eventually resulted in a sale.

Considering I had almost 40 sales that works out to about 800 pitches.

Once I budget the time to seriously tackle the DDI maybe I'll have better luck but I've had a lot of other freelance gigs to occupy me.

Those speculating that some of the DDI's earlier articles might have begun in the Paizo slushpile pegged the origin of the one thing I managed to sell, "Zeitgeists", exactly.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

Well, being in a position where I am going to be out of work, with little posibility of being hired in my city, I am devoting whatever time I can before I become homeless to writing.
If I even get a responce to my ideas I will post what happens in its own thread.
The only thing I hope is that I AM as good as I think I am.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I'm almost at the 60 day mark for my first five 4e related pitches to the DDI. I don't find the lack of response all that surprising. Back in the print days over at Paizo my ratio was about 10 pitches for every greenlight. And about half of those eventually resulted in a sale.

Considering I had almost 40 sales that works out to about 800 pitches.

Once I budget the time to seriously tackle the DDI maybe I'll have better luck but I've had a lot of other freelance gigs to occupy me.

Those speculating that some of the DDI's earlier articles might have begun in the Paizo slushpile pegged the origin of the one thing I managed to sell, "Zeitgeists", exactly.

The Zeitgeist article! I remember that, and I liked it.

 

[Scribble]

And if Dungeon/Dragon has indeed moved past this "entry level" stage, then it'd benefit WotC to create a new "entry level" venue.

I think they'd be largely spinning their wheels to replicate what already exists by nature of the internet really.

 

[Shemeska]

And if Dungeon/Dragon has indeed moved past this "entry level" stage, then it'd benefit WotC to create a new "entry level" venue.

I would argue that Kobold Quarterly has become the defacto successor to the role that Dragon and Dungeon magazines previously filled as an entry level point into the industry.

And yes, I'll agree with what other folks have said about the internet itself and your own online presence tends to make publishers aware of who you are before you make them pitches if you're serious about it. Paizo knew who I was before I landed my first stuff in Dragon (and joked about it at GenCon during a panel, "...making forty page long forum posts on yugoloths."). But I don't think that cultivating an online persona itself can replace the role that the print magazines had in serving as a starting point for new authors.