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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Darrin Drader" data-source="post: 1715738" data-attributes="member: 7394">My best advice is to read Monte's article. Once you're done, read it again. He mapped out exactly how I broke into the industry (minus the fact that I'm employed by Wizards, but obviously working there is not the only way to get in). My experience is that things start slow and then over time build to the point where you get to choose which projects you get to work on and who you will work on them for. For a full list of my published credits, check out my website at the following URL: <a href="http://www.darrindrader.com/About.htm" target="_blank">http://www.darrindrader.com/About.htm</a>. Additional advice I can give: don't get caught up in the politics of the industry. I have an opinion about the Origins awards and this last round of ENnies. I won;t be sharing those opinions with anyone publicly. It really doesn't help if you anger the people who could potentially be offering you work down the road. Don't claim to be an RPG insider when you're just breaking in. Heck, even as an "insider", I often still feel like an outsider. Don't assume that you've earned the respect that you think you've earned until someone has nominated you for an award, a publisher comes to you, or you have a group of fanboys following you around quoting your opinions. Take breaks. Once you get going you will get burned out. It will turn into a job, just like any other one. While this may be fun and exciting to begin with, after a wile it is just another article, another book, another paycheck.  Finally, don't let the reviews get to you. So far I've actually been extremely lucky in that most of the products I've worked on have been well received. Wrack & Ruin, which I was the lead developer on, received an honorable mention for an ENnie this year. Even if it that means its the 7th best product of the year in that category, that means a lot to me considering the sheer number of products available in that category. On the other hand, there will be those reviewers who will want to pee in your cheerios. When that happens, take whatever criticism they might have, see if you can use it on your next project, and move past it. To quote George Clooney, you're never as bad as they say you are. Once you are succesful, you are never as good as they say you are.</blockquote>

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