terraleon
Explorer
an important point to note...
It's important to note that KQ is a *gaming* magazine, and one focused primarily on Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 and beyond... (although, I seriously doubt that a good CoC pitch would get passed over.)
But it's the "gaming" aspect that's important there. While they're discriminate about the quality of the material they're publishing, I think they've done a good job of balancing material between editions based on reader comments and submissions.
If the material's not getting submitted, it's not getting published-- and the biggest obstacle that contributors probably eyeball and reconsider is DDI. Do you try to get your stuff published by WotC, or by a third party-- like KQ, or do you just post it to gleemax (or your forum or mail-list of choice) and ask posters to PEACH? Most folks are going to hit the forums, then consider DDI submission, aaaaand then, if they're part of the 4E crowd that has KQ on the radar, they'll look at submitting to the Kobold. I know in these times it's a brawl to get the FLGS to stock more than an issue or two of KQ, which means a lot of (casual) players aren't getting the exposure unless they're plugged into the greater gaming world. That's a long chain of events, and then the material needs to be good.
Then consider the what the 3.5 designer's options are... You can post to the Paizo boards, or here, or where you prefer...and then? You're running slim on places to get your ideas out. Plus, KQ has a bump with the 3.5 crowd in visibility from Wolfgang's stint as a judge on Paizo's RPGSuperstar. This means that the people who are likely to contribute are also more likely to know about the magazine.
All of that is going to impact your submissions in a very subtle way-- one that you have to consider but one that is probably going to be very hard to quantify. In the end, I think this path KQ is on is a good one; it's a path of measured compromise. KQ provides good material that it knows its long-standing readership enjoys, but works to push the boundaries of both editions through interesting articles seasoned with enough tasty flavor that if you like what you've got, you'll steal the choicest bits for your own game. To me, that's the best recipe any of us could ask for, because it means we all win.
And don't let my signature block fool you. I'm just the chimp who posts the news and carries the banner. My contributions go into the slush pile and article hopper along with everyone else. I think Joshua Stevens has nearly a half dozen articles to his name, compared to my one. [And that's not for my lack of swinging at pitches.
Joshua is good! Crab diviners are way cool.] The important point is that Kobold Quarterly is a good place for people trying to bust out. Our hobby needs that to keep growing new talent and inject those fresh ideas.
Really, if the idea is good, who cares what the system is? Give me the idea! The fact that KQ is there to give people the voice is outstanding. The fact that we're getting it in pdf *and* print is FANTASTIC. Let's not complain about the feast! Now what we need to do is get enough people on board that Wolfgang will *consider* every other month... or maybe 4 quarterlies and an annual.
-Ben.
--
Small but Fierce.
Kobold Quarterly's News Minion
It's important to note that KQ is a *gaming* magazine, and one focused primarily on Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 and beyond... (although, I seriously doubt that a good CoC pitch would get passed over.)
But it's the "gaming" aspect that's important there. While they're discriminate about the quality of the material they're publishing, I think they've done a good job of balancing material between editions based on reader comments and submissions.
If the material's not getting submitted, it's not getting published-- and the biggest obstacle that contributors probably eyeball and reconsider is DDI. Do you try to get your stuff published by WotC, or by a third party-- like KQ, or do you just post it to gleemax (or your forum or mail-list of choice) and ask posters to PEACH? Most folks are going to hit the forums, then consider DDI submission, aaaaand then, if they're part of the 4E crowd that has KQ on the radar, they'll look at submitting to the Kobold. I know in these times it's a brawl to get the FLGS to stock more than an issue or two of KQ, which means a lot of (casual) players aren't getting the exposure unless they're plugged into the greater gaming world. That's a long chain of events, and then the material needs to be good.
Then consider the what the 3.5 designer's options are... You can post to the Paizo boards, or here, or where you prefer...and then? You're running slim on places to get your ideas out. Plus, KQ has a bump with the 3.5 crowd in visibility from Wolfgang's stint as a judge on Paizo's RPGSuperstar. This means that the people who are likely to contribute are also more likely to know about the magazine.
All of that is going to impact your submissions in a very subtle way-- one that you have to consider but one that is probably going to be very hard to quantify. In the end, I think this path KQ is on is a good one; it's a path of measured compromise. KQ provides good material that it knows its long-standing readership enjoys, but works to push the boundaries of both editions through interesting articles seasoned with enough tasty flavor that if you like what you've got, you'll steal the choicest bits for your own game. To me, that's the best recipe any of us could ask for, because it means we all win.
And don't let my signature block fool you. I'm just the chimp who posts the news and carries the banner. My contributions go into the slush pile and article hopper along with everyone else. I think Joshua Stevens has nearly a half dozen articles to his name, compared to my one. [And that's not for my lack of swinging at pitches.
Joshua is good! Crab diviners are way cool.] The important point is that Kobold Quarterly is a good place for people trying to bust out. Our hobby needs that to keep growing new talent and inject those fresh ideas.Really, if the idea is good, who cares what the system is? Give me the idea! The fact that KQ is there to give people the voice is outstanding. The fact that we're getting it in pdf *and* print is FANTASTIC. Let's not complain about the feast! Now what we need to do is get enough people on board that Wolfgang will *consider* every other month... or maybe 4 quarterlies and an annual.
-Ben.
--
Small but Fierce.
Kobold Quarterly's News Minion
