Tav_Behemoth
First Post
It seems like the sort of thing that's really necessary to have as part of this sort of pitch, some measure of "I really know what I'm doing; look at what I've done already"
I think that being published in the RPG field - or getting props from Piratecat (thanks, dude!) - are useful in making a pitch to existing gamers. (Note that Wik bears out my prediction upthread that Pcat is someone who could successfully make that pitch!)
The skills involved in writing for RPGs do not overlap perfectly with those involved in being a good GM, and IMO an amateur who spends 100% of their free time running games and being a player in multiple groups is likely to provide a more entertaining experience than a pro for whom some % of that time gets spent alone in front of the computer thinking about word count. What you're certain to get from someone who's published is the experience of having played with that person and seeing how their gaming relates to their writing. Which is totally awesome - I seek out such opportunities wherever I can - but appeals only to people who are already pretty hardcore.
The kinds of testimonials that you'd want for a general-audience or kid-specific pitch, like for an auction, don't have to be so specialized:
- I've been playing D&D and other RPGs for X years
- I play X times a month with Y players (perhaps with a testimonial from some of them, or someone you can contact for a reference)
- I run successful convention games, most recently at P and Q (perhaps with a testimonial from the con organizers that you show up on time, your events are full, and they get good feedback from your players)
I wouldn't overdo it with these kind of credentials - basically the qualification you need to establish for a general audience is "I know how to play D&D and show people a good time"; you want to quickly establish your geek cred, without turning anyone off by getting into too much detail that only geeks care about like lists of every RPG you've ever played.
Some other kinds of credentials that'd be useful esp for working with kids:
- Experience as a teacher, youth group leader, etc.
- Testimonials from parents / other members of your target audience
- Evidence of community involvement - active in the Scouts, a church, the PTA, whatever.
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