Help me publish/sell my d20 product
- Thread starter ThomasBJJ
- Start date
RangerWickett
Legend
Well, there's no easy way to make sure no one steals the idea. You could always copyright the concept yourself before proposing it to anyone else, but then you run into hassles with licensing your proposal, which often isn't worth the effort. In truth, I think it's the general opinion of most publishers that good ideas are a lot easier to come by than good writers. I get a handful of very nice proposals every week, and if you look on the Future Products info for Nat20 Press, you'll see that we don't have that many scheduled.
Unless you have a mind-bogglingly incredible idea, it won't be worth the effort of the company to steal it from you; they've got their own stuff planned, and can't spare writers to handle someone else's proposal. Plus, most companies are run by really nice guys, even those companies I tend to pick on from time to time. The odds of them being mean enough to steal your idea are pretty slim.
This is just my advice, but I think you're pretty safe proposing your idea. Now, if you have come up with the d20 equivalent to a perpetual motion machine or cold fusion, you might want to be a little more guarded. Oh, and you'll want to email me first.
Unless you have a mind-bogglingly incredible idea, it won't be worth the effort of the company to steal it from you; they've got their own stuff planned, and can't spare writers to handle someone else's proposal. Plus, most companies are run by really nice guys, even those companies I tend to pick on from time to time. The odds of them being mean enough to steal your idea are pretty slim.
This is just my advice, but I think you're pretty safe proposing your idea. Now, if you have come up with the d20 equivalent to a perpetual motion machine or cold fusion, you might want to be a little more guarded. Oh, and you'll want to email me first.
Grazzt
Demon Lord
Leopold said:
Not sure if that would work or not, but I don't think a company would really wanna go through the hassle just to hear your idea.
I'd listen to Ranger. He sounds like he knows what's going on.
Course, the 2nd part of his username is the first name of one of the damn Ewoks from Return of the Jedi, so maybe we can't trust him.
RangerWickett
Legend
And what, my dear demonic friend, is wrong with Ewoks?! Yub!
Mouseferatu
Hero
As long as you approach a reputable company and make sure they have an established track record, they're not going to steal your idea. In addition to being unprofessional, the accusation of theft can destroy a small company like that. You're safe.
And no, you won't be able to get them to sign an NDA. In fact, many companies require you to sign a form before you submit to them. The forms vary from company to company, and not everyone requires them, but it basically says, "I understand that I'm showing you this of my own free will, you don't owe me anything, and if you happen to be working on a similar project, that's too bad for me."
And BTW, don't pitch an idea. Pitch a product. Companies don't buy ideas. If you aren't prepared to write the entire project out, don't pitch it. Send them a well written proposal. If you can't write, they don't care how good your idea is.
Follow their guidelines. Most companies put submission guidelines on their web sites. If you don't follow them, you won't be accepted. Ever.
Good luck.
And no, you won't be able to get them to sign an NDA. In fact, many companies require you to sign a form before you submit to them. The forms vary from company to company, and not everyone requires them, but it basically says, "I understand that I'm showing you this of my own free will, you don't owe me anything, and if you happen to be working on a similar project, that's too bad for me."
And BTW, don't pitch an idea. Pitch a product. Companies don't buy ideas. If you aren't prepared to write the entire project out, don't pitch it. Send them a well written proposal. If you can't write, they don't care how good your idea is.
Follow their guidelines. Most companies put submission guidelines on their web sites. If you don't follow them, you won't be accepted. Ever.
Good luck.
JohnNephew
First Post
Mouseferatu has it right.
Speaking for Atlas, we are no longer accepting unsolicited product proposals from out of house. Why? First of all, we already have more projects in the works than we have time to bring out in print. And second, well, it takes only a brief look at the shelves to see how many similar ideas are floating around in the D20 space -- to say nothing of all the product concepts that have been done for other games and, if they haven't already, will be done for D20. It's extremely rare that there is value in an "idea" for a D20 product -- it's almost always in the execution. If I were taking unsolicited proposals, I wouldn't need someone to tell me, "Hey, you should do a book of plug-and-play castles and forts!" -- I would need an actual manuscript like Seven Strongholds. And I really don't need someone to say, "You stole my idea for doing a book of plug-and-play castles!" (particularly if we conceived the product and assigned it to a freelancer months earlier).
We do sometimes solicit proposals from freelancers. In such a case, we have certain parameters (we might invite someone to give us a proposal for a 96-page adventure, for example), and we're soliciting people who have worked with us in the past and proven their professionalism.
For those who do not have previous experience working with us, we typically have an "open call" project at any given time. Right now, for instance, it's En Route 2: By Land or By Sea.
Speaking for Atlas, we are no longer accepting unsolicited product proposals from out of house. Why? First of all, we already have more projects in the works than we have time to bring out in print. And second, well, it takes only a brief look at the shelves to see how many similar ideas are floating around in the D20 space -- to say nothing of all the product concepts that have been done for other games and, if they haven't already, will be done for D20. It's extremely rare that there is value in an "idea" for a D20 product -- it's almost always in the execution. If I were taking unsolicited proposals, I wouldn't need someone to tell me, "Hey, you should do a book of plug-and-play castles and forts!" -- I would need an actual manuscript like Seven Strongholds. And I really don't need someone to say, "You stole my idea for doing a book of plug-and-play castles!" (particularly if we conceived the product and assigned it to a freelancer months earlier).
We do sometimes solicit proposals from freelancers. In such a case, we have certain parameters (we might invite someone to give us a proposal for a 96-page adventure, for example), and we're soliciting people who have worked with us in the past and proven their professionalism.
For those who do not have previous experience working with us, we typically have an "open call" project at any given time. Right now, for instance, it's En Route 2: By Land or By Sea.
RangerWickett said:And what, my dear demonic friend, is wrong with Ewoks?! Yub!
That, my friend, depends entirely on what your source is.
RotJ: Ewoks were pretty cool, and an acceptable alternative to the Wookies originally planned.
BUT, that d@mned Ewok movie was the biggest piece of tripe...
~~~
Orcus
First Post
Thomas-
I dont mean this to shoot you down, instead I fully encourage you to pursue this. But some perspective is in order.
I cant tell you how many "boy I have a really cool idea" emails I get a week.
Guess what, everyone has a cool idea. Thats why we play these games. Everyone who does this is a pretty creative person by nature.
There is no way an established publisher would sign an NDA to see someone's idea. That just doesnt happen. As for "sharing it" with someone to "see if it is worth doing" my answer would be "do it, and we'll see."
Everyone is all talk. Publishers want action. We want manuscripts. Do you know how many people pitched me cool ideas and I said "great, send me a rough draft" and 12 months later I never heard from them again?
Thats why for the most part established publishers want manuscripts from unpublished authors. We only take pitches from established authors becasue they have proven they will follow through.
No one (well I cant say no one, I guess it is possible) will buy just an idea.
So, after all that, here is my suggestion:
Get to work on it. We all started by working hours and hours on projects with no guaranteed hope of payment so that we would have something to show around. You arent any different. Get to work on it.
That way, when you do show it to a publisher you have a protectable interest becasue you have something tangible and fleshed out. You cant really claim "hey, I emailed Clark and said Necro should do a book of demons, they ripped me off!" Submitting a more fleshed out version, however, gives you more protection.
Plus, it shows the publisher that you are capable of following up on your good idea. And frankly, the one thing I have learned in my short time here is that it is all about follow through. Like I said above, everyone has a good idea. You really set yourself apart by having a good idea AND the work ethic to make it a reality.
So get those keys clicking and whip out something great. Submit it to people (though most requre that your submission be exclusive for a short period). Hopefully it will be the product that changes the market.
Best of luck!
Clark Peterson
Necromancer Games
I dont mean this to shoot you down, instead I fully encourage you to pursue this. But some perspective is in order.
I cant tell you how many "boy I have a really cool idea" emails I get a week.
Guess what, everyone has a cool idea. Thats why we play these games. Everyone who does this is a pretty creative person by nature.
There is no way an established publisher would sign an NDA to see someone's idea. That just doesnt happen. As for "sharing it" with someone to "see if it is worth doing" my answer would be "do it, and we'll see."
Everyone is all talk. Publishers want action. We want manuscripts. Do you know how many people pitched me cool ideas and I said "great, send me a rough draft" and 12 months later I never heard from them again?
Thats why for the most part established publishers want manuscripts from unpublished authors. We only take pitches from established authors becasue they have proven they will follow through.
No one (well I cant say no one, I guess it is possible) will buy just an idea.
So, after all that, here is my suggestion:
Get to work on it. We all started by working hours and hours on projects with no guaranteed hope of payment so that we would have something to show around. You arent any different. Get to work on it.
That way, when you do show it to a publisher you have a protectable interest becasue you have something tangible and fleshed out. You cant really claim "hey, I emailed Clark and said Necro should do a book of demons, they ripped me off!" Submitting a more fleshed out version, however, gives you more protection.
Plus, it shows the publisher that you are capable of following up on your good idea. And frankly, the one thing I have learned in my short time here is that it is all about follow through. Like I said above, everyone has a good idea. You really set yourself apart by having a good idea AND the work ethic to make it a reality.
So get those keys clicking and whip out something great. Submit it to people (though most requre that your submission be exclusive for a short period). Hopefully it will be the product that changes the market.
Best of luck!
Clark Peterson
Necromancer Games
