Have you been published? Share your experiences here.

Destan

Citizen of Val Hor
Let’s clear the air before we begin.

1. The information below is just a recounting of my experience with becoming published. I’m gonna try to take you through the whole timeline. Doubtless other folks will have had much different experiences. Please add “in my opinion” or “in my case” to each and every sentence below.

2. I’m dealing with a print publisher. I have no experience with self-publishing or pdf publishing. That’s not to say the below info may not pertain to other forms of publishing, but I wouldn’t know.

3. To make it easier on me and worthwhile for you, I’m going to use a FAQ format wherein I ask myself the questions I would have asked a published author before all this came about.

5. I promise to be as candid as I can. Please forgive any grammatical mistakes; I plan on babbling conversationally just to get all my thoughts down on paper.

FAQ

So, just who in the heck are you?
Why, I'm Destan. Nice to meet you. I’m one of those rare creatures who enjoy writing stories over on EN World’s Story Hour board.

Why is that important?
That’s how I was “discovered”, for lack of a better word. An editor based in San Francisco was one of the persons who kept up with my tale. He contacted me and asked whether I would be interested in publishing a sourcebook based on my homebrew campaign setting.

What did you tell him?
No. Initially, anyway. I’m married with three kids and was transitioning out of the military into the “real world”. I was moving to a new house. It was right in the middle of football season with the holidays fast approaching.
Combine that with the fact that I had been through the publishing ringer about nine years ago with a fantasy novel I had written. At the advice of my agent I ended up writing a sequel to that novel.
So now I have two unpublished books in my closet, instead of one, and I didn’t think I had the time or motivation to jump on that train again.

Are those novels any good?
No, they’re not. I realize that now. One of the best things you can do as an author, I think, is set aside what you’ve written for a period of time. Then come back, read it, and see if the words captured your intentions. But that’s a topic for another post. Let’s continue.

This story hour of yours – surely that takes time, and you seem to enjoy writing it. Why not instead write something that has the chance of being published?
For starters, writing the story hour is a hobby; I can do it when I get a free moment, and there’s no pressure (well, there’s a little pressure, but EN Worlders are pretty dang patient).
Story hour writing is infinitely different than contractual writing. Under a contract there are deadlines to meet, specific content to provide, and in the back of your mind you’re cognizant of the fact that whatever you write may be seen – and criticized – by lots of folks.

Ok. But eventually you signed the contract?
I did, otherwise I wouldn’t be posting this.

Tell me about the contract. Be specific.
The publisher – also based in San Francisco – works a bit differently than most d20 publishers. I was offered a modest advance – half to be paid when I signed, and half to be paid when the manuscript was finished. I was also offered royalties which, I understand, is rare within the d20 marketplace.

How do other d20 publishers handle their contracts?
I’m not sure, but I think most offer a flat fee based on your word count. Unpublished authors usually get $.02 per word, with published authors nabbing $.03 - $.05 or thereabouts. Bear in mind – I really don’t have much experience with other d20 publishers, so I could be wrong. I think Dungeon/Dragon offer $.04 a word.

So you think royalties are a better way to go?
Not necessarily. Royalties, for those who are unsure, are simply a percentage. These percentages are often similar to the cents/word we discussed above. You, as the author, get your cut from every unit (book) that’s sold. If your book sells well, you stand to make some money. If no one buys it, you’re outta luck. Royalties, I suppose, give you a higher profit ceiling without the security of receiving a flat fee.
In retrospect, I think a flat fee may be better if you’re writing to make money – at least in the current d20 market.

So you’re writing to make money, huh?
Heck no. If I were, then I wouldn’t be writing in the d20 genre. I’m sure some of the “big wigs” turn a decent buck writing d20 stuff, but I think that’s the exception – not the rule. If you plan on trying to get published in the d20 market, don’t quit your day job. You have to write because you enjoy doing it. It’s your hobby, your passion, whatever.

What was your writing schedule like?
It varied. I was given a very tight deadline. I think I signed the contract for my first book (I have two contracts now, more on that below) in November. The publisher wanted a final draft by the end of January. That gave me two holiday-riddled months to get something out the door.

How large of a book are we talking about?
My publisher was very good in that he gave me a great amount of freedom. After I continually asked for a suggested manuscript length, I believe the answer was “60,000 to 80,000 words”. A good baseline, if you’re wondering, is about 800 words per page. This can vary greatly based on the font used, the number of charts/maps/art, etc.

What was the final size of your first book?
I think I clocked in at 110,000 words. I’m infamous for rambling. To reach that point, I had to write each evening after my kids hit the sack. I also spent quite a few weekends in a local Barnes & Nobles, chained to my trusty laptop.

So you made the deadline?
I guess so. But, as an author, you’d always like more time. I always felt – I still do – that if I had “just one more week” or even “one more day” I could improve the manuscript. I think that’s a fairly common belief for authors. Publishers, however, are on the other side of the coin – they want the product finished so they can begin layout, artwork, distribution, etc.
In short, if you are offered a contract – take a long look at your lifestyle, try to determine how much time you’ll have, and then agree on a deadline. No one wins if you’re rushed so much that your product ends up, well, stinking.

Layout? Artwork? Distribution? Huh?
I agree – Huh?. Those aspects of publishing don’t really interest me, and I have zero knowledge concerning them. I signed with the publisher because I assumed he’d take care of everything other than actually writing the book. And, believe me, there’s a lot of stuff that goes into a published print product other than the authoring.

Did you get to choose your artists?
No, I did not. I was asked to submit a number of recommendations for what I’d like drawn, but that was it. You’re really at the mercy of the artists and the publisher, in this regard. Their vision (e.g., artwork) may not match what you have in your head. You just have to cross your toes and hope.

Did you like the art when you finally saw it?
Some of it. Some of it I didn’t like. It was not so much that the artwork was poor – actually, it was quite good – but the images did not always match what I had envisioned. Oddly enough, I now see the “art” in my head when I think about certain towns or personas, instead of what I originally had imagined.
We also had some problems with maps – maps, as you know, are very important to many types of d20 material. They have to be accurate and consistent across scales. This is tough to achieve, at times, when the hired cartographer/artist is working from your roughly-drawn hand sketches. Some of our issues were resolved; some weren’t.

What’s this about distribution?
Well, you write the book, but someone has to be in charge of getting it out to prospective customers. In my case, with a printed product, there are a number of distribution channels – traditional booksellers (Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.), online sellers (Amazon), hobby shops, vendor booths at conventions, the publisher’s own web site, etc. I’m sure there are more – again, I really don’t know much about the distribution side of things.

So when you sent the final manuscript out the door, was your work finished?
No – in many ways, it had only begun. I had to work closely with my editor to modify and improve the document. This is an iterative cycle and can take a fair amount of time.
A good editor is really, really important – he or she can tell you what works and what doesn’t, what makes sense and what’s confusing. The editor has the luxury of being divorced from your vision – something that makes sense to you as the writer may be confusing to others. I've always heard we're all great writers in our heads; the successful writers are those that can transfer those thoughts/images from imagination to paper.
My editor spotted a number of inconsistencies, gaps, etc. (The statblocks common to many d20 materials can be a writer’s nightmare.) With the deadline I was under, I was furiously pounding out new material and didn’t have nearly as much time to review my work.
Writing is re-writing, they say, and I find that out to be very, very true.

So, when the editing cycle was finished, you were done?
Nope. I then I had to send out descriptions for requested artwork. I had to annotate where I thought the art should be positioned in the text.

What happens after you finalize the manuscript?
After the product labors through the editing cycle, layout begins. Artwork is positioned in the text, charts are arranged, a table of contents is added, etc.. Then the book is shipped to the printer. The printer sends back a couple proofs and, if all is well, the publisher gives them the OK to do a print run. This phase can take a couple weeks to a couple months.

Print run?
Yah, a print run. That’s when your book is actually published, or printed. Print runs can vary, but I think 500-2000 units is probably the norm for smaller d20 publishers. Please note I could be completely off the mark on this estimation – I can only go with my own, limited experience.

They say you look a lot like Orlando Bloom.
Yah, I get that a lot. It was hard finding time to write while I was dodging my frenzied female fans.

Wait a second…I met you. You’re just a dorky, middle-aged-
Next question.

Do you like the final product?
I don’t know – the print run finishes for my first book on July 6th. So, at the time of this post, I have yet to hold the actual books in my ink-stained hands. That said, that first book is “my baby” – I spent many, many hours on it, and a love-hate relationship developed. I’d assume this is common throughout the writing industry.

You said the money wasn’t great and the time required was significant. What was your motivation to sign the contract?
I’ve always wanted to be able to walk into a bookstore and casually remark, “Ah, would you look at that – it’s my book.” Then I’d chuckle somewhat pompously, flip through the pages, and go order a triple espresso.
Really, that was all the motivation, and more, I needed.

You mentioned this was your first book. Are there others?
Yes, there are. I just finished a second book – this one a module set within the campaign setting – and it’s now undergoing the layout/art process. The publisher justifiably believes a product such as a campaign sourcebook needs to be supported by follow-on products. He's hoping to build a brand.

Did your contract change for the second book?
Yes, it did. I got a slightly higher royalty rate and a slightly greater advance. You see, in the publisher’s eye, I was now a “proven” author. I could write capably enough and I could meet deadlines. Hence the better rates.

You’ve done two books, then. Are there going to be others?
Most likely - I’ve already been asked what my third project will be.
But I’m taking a break. I need to see how the promotion, marketing, and distribution pans out. You can have the best books in the world (not that I’m saying mine are anywhere close), but if they’re not properly marketed and distributed, no one will read them – because no one has the opportunity to read them.
Nietzsche once said he didn’t care if people criticized his works, so long as they read them. I feel much the same.

So why spill the beans in a post like this?
I thought this information might be useful to some of you out there who might be interested in becoming published. I know that I was clueless when it came to contracts – what was good, what was bad – and that sort of thing. A few other recent posts have talked about the pdf publishing industry, and I felt inspired to chime in on the print side of the house.



Anyway, if you’ve read this far then you’re probably my “target audience”. Thanks for your time. And, if you did find this helpful – let me know. I would be happy to do another post, maybe a “design diary” or something, explaining how I went about writing a sourcebook and/or a module.

If your question isn’t in the FAQ, then let me know and I’ll try to answer it as best I can.

Take care!

D

Edit: Changed title of thread in the hope of attracting other published EN Worlders.
 
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Good info

Destan,

Thanks for taking the time to provide the info. It was all interesting to read, and I enjoyed this rare glimpse into the world of d20 publishing. I especially found intriguing the work and effort beyond the "wordsmithing" portion of your project, and the process involved.

Given the bits of ambivalence you mention about your project throughout its gestation, I'd be interested in knowing what the high points and the low points were during your work...what was the best part, and what was the worst? It sounds that, overall, you had a positive experience. It would be interesting to hear from other people who have had other experiences, good or not.
 

BiggusGeekus said:
...I am envious.

You may be envious, but - as stated in your sig - you're also sexy. That's a heady combination.

MarkAHart said:
I'd be interested in knowing what the high points and the low points were during your work...what was the best part, and what was the worst? It sounds that, overall, you had a positive experience.

Overall - yes, it was a positive experience. If nothing else, it accomplished a couple things that I think will prove helpful down the road:

1. It forced me to adapt to, and meet, a writing schedule.
2. It taught me a number of lessons on the publishing process.

As for the high points:

1. I very much enjoyed the editorial process. I was able to work with a professional, astute, reader who also shares my passion for gaming. Because he wasn't my "friend" or one of the players in my campaign, I could rely on him for objective criticism. Sometimes I disagreed, and sometimes I got a bit frustrated - but that's all part of the growth process. I realized, and appreciated, that he and I were on the same team. His comments were furnished only to make the end product better.

2. I liked seeing my veritable mountain of campaign notes, maps, and sketches evolve into a succient, organized document. I have been DMing the same homebrew world since '87 or so, so it was challenging and rewarding to dig into some of my old notebooks in an effort to make them available for public consumption.

3. I enjoyed writing the details of my world - cities, cultures, histories, etc. Those types of subjects were much easier to spill onto the page.

Low Points:

1. The deadline was no fun. In retrospect, I should have asked for more time. Once I signed the contract (which includes dates), I felt bound to turn in a product at the time assigned. I felt that I had to touch briefly on section I would have preferred to examine in more depth.

2. I'm not a rules guy. Synthesizing the new races, feats, prestige classes, narcotics, weapons, et al. - that was more difficult writing for me. I'd find that I would fly through a chapter on regional trade, for example, only to bog down when I attempted to apply racial traits to a new PC race. Telling stories, for me, is easier than designing game mechanics. But, justifiably so, customers expect both "crunch" and "fluff" in these sorts of works, and I wanted to do what I could to appease anyone who picks up a copy of the book.

3. One of the hard parts was realizing that my notes or custom races, as one example, did not "match" or "balance" well with material published in the core rulebooks. That was fine before I signed the contract - my players were happy with the rules as they were, and so was I. But once the world was set to go "public" - I had to take a more methodical view on suggestions I was making. Incidentally, folks like WizarDru and Hypersmurf - right here from these boards - helped me in this endeavor.

Here's some advice, for whatever it's worth, on questions aspiring authors may want to ask a publisher prior to signing a contract.

1. What instruments/plan do you have in place for promoting and distributing the finished work?

2. Do you have artists on hire? If so, could I see some of their work?

3. Is there an opportunity for follow-on products, should you like my first submission?

All three of those questions seem a bit pompous should they come from an unpublished author and, perhaps, they are. Nonetheless, if there's a tactful way to insert them into your negotiations, I would highly recommend doing so.

D
 

I enjoyed this post, too. It's interesting to read about the "other side", since I just wrote about my experiences with having my first book published as a PDF (you can read about it here, although I know you already read it, Destan).

As far as layout, artwork, and all of that, I was completely removed from the process as well. The publisher took care of all of that, although they did have pretty strict guidelines regarding point-size for headers, what should be bolded, capitalized, etc. It makes it a lot easier for them to put it into PDF format that way.

Regarding the "love-hate" relationship: Absolutely. I got really tired of working on the book at certain points, and I did miss a lot of "fun events" with my other friends: dinners, movies, drinks, etc. I also really slacked off on my own campaign while writing the book. We continue to play, but slightly less frequently and I put less time into preparing for the sessions.

Like any writer, I got writer's block throughout the process, thinking that I would never come up with enough ideas to fill the book. Then, while driving to work or getting ready in the morning, I would think of an idea and write it down as soon as I had a chance. I found talking over ideas with other friends helped spark new ideas as well.

Letting the book sit for a while: Definitely. It's kind of funny, but I wrote my book so long ago (about 9 months ago) that I had forgotten some of the stuff. When I look at it now, I actually get kind of inspired by my own stuff. That might sound geeky, but it's happened. :)

Quality of Life While Writing: Yeah, this suffered. I slacked off on housework (cooking, cleaning, laundry), and while my wife picked up the slack, I did feel a little guilty about it. I had less time to read and do other things for "down-time", which actually made writing harder because I was more stressed while doing it. Like Destan, I have a "day job" which is signifcantly more hours than just the standard 8-hours a day. So, I was into work at 9:30am or so (it's the ad biz - rarely do people get in before 9am), but staying until 8:00pm at night and then commuting home for about 45 minutes or an hour. Then dinner, try to spend a little time with my wife talking about her day, but very anxious to "get back to writing". I did procrastinate a little bit and so at the end things were very tight and I was very nervous that I wouldn't be finished on time.

While our approaches to how we got started writing are very different, I think that some of our experiences during the process seemed to be similar. It's very interesting to read about.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm glad you got inspired to write your version of the story.
 

Cool! I don't think I'll ever actually try publishing anything -- and under the contract of my current job I actually can't do paid writing work for anyone but my employer -- but it's fun to daydream about!
 




I also recently read the entertaining posts by Samothdm regarding his writing and publishing experience -- also informative and helpful. It is great to read these sorts of experiences and hear the nitty-gritty details about the work.

It would be, I think, both useful and enjoyable reading to have a collection of these sorts of "stories" from people who have been published, are trying to get published, and the joys/frustrations/angst/challenges each has faced. The ENWorld message boards are diverse and large enough that tracking down individual accounts is a daunting task...

For myself, I published two articles in DRAGON back in 1999, and then stopped writing to deal with other things. Recently, I started writing again and DRAGON has accepted five articles of mine (4 of which are very short, one is longer). For the future, I am also very interested in working on bigger, more complex projects in addition to working with DRAGON and DUNGEON -- the sort of projects that Samothdm and Destan describe.

Again, thanks to both of you for your willingness to share and talk about the process!!
 

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