mattcolville
Adventurer
My partner and I are beginning production on our first RPG product, a 32-page, full-color adventure for D20 fantasy. We will release the product electronically, in PDF form.
The adventure is the first in a line tentatively called the Turn-key line, a phrase we're borrowing from programming. These are 16/32/64 page full-color adventures, with pregenerated characters, designed to be run as one-shots. Not part of an established game.
The first one is 32 pages. Total word count; 21,750 words. Our rate for writing is five cents a word, which means the writer earns $1,087.50. Deadline is 5 weeks. Payment is half upon acceptance of the final draft, half on publication.
We don't have contracts yet, but I think we will soon (as in, in the next week or two) and in the meantime, we can talk about the content of the adventure. I do not expect anyone to begin work on the manuscript before contracts are signed.
We do not have an outline for the first adventure. We’re hoping that the writer will bring something interesting and fresh to the table, and so we’re asking for one-page proposals from anyone interested, along with a writing sample. This offer is open to experienced professionals and talented and enthusiastic amateurs.
We feel our pay rate is sufficient to expect good work, regardless of your previous experience in the industry. It is the writer’s responsibility to deliver clean text and if the final submission requires too much work on my part, I will ask for a rewrite, or reject the manuscript entirely in the most extreme case. In case of manuscript rejection, you will not get paid, nor will we use any of your work.
The Adventure
We're looking for something with interesting characters, on a high-action adventure. Because they're one offs that use pregens, they're like tournament modules. But tournament modules have scoring, which this won't, and our modules focus on characterization and plot. We want to do things with our adventures the typical D&D campaign does not do. The PCs can all be monks working for the same order. Or knights, or thieves working for the thieves’ guild. Or an established adventuring company with an interesting reputation.
For example; The adventure begins when the priory is burned down and the Prior killed. The monks of the priory, used to defending their monastery from the creatures of the wild, must now hunt down those responsible, and bring them to justice.
The characters should be high enough level to make things interesting (‘Hey, I've never gotten to play a high level Monk before!’) without being so high as to make things a pain in the ass for the players/GM. At least, not at first. I'm thinking 10th level, but I'm interested in any proposal from the writer.
Again, because they're pregens, the adventure should be tailored to the PCs abilities. The adventure should present opportunities to use their skills and feats, without punishing them too badly should someone screw up or die.
The adventure should allow the players to make some meaningful choices, but in a sufficiently limited sense so as not to take up too much of the book with alternate paths. I'd say this is an 80% linear adventure.
One of the ways we're going to advertise this product is with a "trailer." A movie in avi format made up of sequential color art from the product, with music and text, showing off the plot, characters, and high-action moments. So it may help to think of this as being structured narratively like an issue of a comic, or an episode from a TV show.
The key word there is "narrative." When a prospective customer sees the 'trailer,' he should think "Awesome! I want to DO that!"
The proposal should focus on the basic plot, give a brief rundown of the characters and the organization they belong to, and highlight the ‘high action’ moments the writer envisions. For example;
* A running battle through the decks of a ship as it sinks.
* An elaborate summoning ritual the heroes must fight their way through a horde of fanatics to stop.
* Ambushing and kidnapping a prominent nobleman as he leads his retinue, including his elite guard, through the streets of a populous city.
* A duel of high wizardry.
* Infiltrating a heavily guarded palace.
We’re looking for moments that would look great in a movie trailer. They can focus on one character or the whole group.
Submission
The writing sample can be no longer than one page. If you send more than one, I won’t read the others. Do not send a completed adventure. I will not read it.
Writers must have a professional understanding of the D20 rules set, and the System Reference Document. There will be a test, for those writers whose reputation I am not familiar with. Good design is as critical to this product as good writing.
The writer will be working with me and taking direction from me as Developer of the line. This is work for hire. We own your writing and reserve the right to edit an accepted manuscript in any way we see fit. Eventually, hopefully by the time the final draft is completed, we’ll have an online development environment the writer, artist, and developer can all use, to help us make the best product possible.
If we decide to go with your proposal, you will be expected to deliver an outline of the adventure, in MS Word. If you’re not used to working to an outline, you can see an example here: http://users.adelphia.net/~mattcolville/Duneoutline.doc The outline must be approved before you begin writing.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with! This will be an exciting experiment for us all.
Matthew Colville
Director of Product Development
Sojourner
Contact: mattcolville@gmail.com or via PM at RPG.net, user name: Matthew.
The adventure is the first in a line tentatively called the Turn-key line, a phrase we're borrowing from programming. These are 16/32/64 page full-color adventures, with pregenerated characters, designed to be run as one-shots. Not part of an established game.
The first one is 32 pages. Total word count; 21,750 words. Our rate for writing is five cents a word, which means the writer earns $1,087.50. Deadline is 5 weeks. Payment is half upon acceptance of the final draft, half on publication.
We don't have contracts yet, but I think we will soon (as in, in the next week or two) and in the meantime, we can talk about the content of the adventure. I do not expect anyone to begin work on the manuscript before contracts are signed.
We do not have an outline for the first adventure. We’re hoping that the writer will bring something interesting and fresh to the table, and so we’re asking for one-page proposals from anyone interested, along with a writing sample. This offer is open to experienced professionals and talented and enthusiastic amateurs.
We feel our pay rate is sufficient to expect good work, regardless of your previous experience in the industry. It is the writer’s responsibility to deliver clean text and if the final submission requires too much work on my part, I will ask for a rewrite, or reject the manuscript entirely in the most extreme case. In case of manuscript rejection, you will not get paid, nor will we use any of your work.
The Adventure
We're looking for something with interesting characters, on a high-action adventure. Because they're one offs that use pregens, they're like tournament modules. But tournament modules have scoring, which this won't, and our modules focus on characterization and plot. We want to do things with our adventures the typical D&D campaign does not do. The PCs can all be monks working for the same order. Or knights, or thieves working for the thieves’ guild. Or an established adventuring company with an interesting reputation.
For example; The adventure begins when the priory is burned down and the Prior killed. The monks of the priory, used to defending their monastery from the creatures of the wild, must now hunt down those responsible, and bring them to justice.
The characters should be high enough level to make things interesting (‘Hey, I've never gotten to play a high level Monk before!’) without being so high as to make things a pain in the ass for the players/GM. At least, not at first. I'm thinking 10th level, but I'm interested in any proposal from the writer.
Again, because they're pregens, the adventure should be tailored to the PCs abilities. The adventure should present opportunities to use their skills and feats, without punishing them too badly should someone screw up or die.
The adventure should allow the players to make some meaningful choices, but in a sufficiently limited sense so as not to take up too much of the book with alternate paths. I'd say this is an 80% linear adventure.
One of the ways we're going to advertise this product is with a "trailer." A movie in avi format made up of sequential color art from the product, with music and text, showing off the plot, characters, and high-action moments. So it may help to think of this as being structured narratively like an issue of a comic, or an episode from a TV show.
The key word there is "narrative." When a prospective customer sees the 'trailer,' he should think "Awesome! I want to DO that!"
The proposal should focus on the basic plot, give a brief rundown of the characters and the organization they belong to, and highlight the ‘high action’ moments the writer envisions. For example;
* A running battle through the decks of a ship as it sinks.
* An elaborate summoning ritual the heroes must fight their way through a horde of fanatics to stop.
* Ambushing and kidnapping a prominent nobleman as he leads his retinue, including his elite guard, through the streets of a populous city.
* A duel of high wizardry.
* Infiltrating a heavily guarded palace.
We’re looking for moments that would look great in a movie trailer. They can focus on one character or the whole group.
Submission
The writing sample can be no longer than one page. If you send more than one, I won’t read the others. Do not send a completed adventure. I will not read it.
Writers must have a professional understanding of the D20 rules set, and the System Reference Document. There will be a test, for those writers whose reputation I am not familiar with. Good design is as critical to this product as good writing.
The writer will be working with me and taking direction from me as Developer of the line. This is work for hire. We own your writing and reserve the right to edit an accepted manuscript in any way we see fit. Eventually, hopefully by the time the final draft is completed, we’ll have an online development environment the writer, artist, and developer can all use, to help us make the best product possible.
If we decide to go with your proposal, you will be expected to deliver an outline of the adventure, in MS Word. If you’re not used to working to an outline, you can see an example here: http://users.adelphia.net/~mattcolville/Duneoutline.doc The outline must be approved before you begin writing.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with! This will be an exciting experiment for us all.
Matthew Colville
Director of Product Development
Sojourner
Contact: mattcolville@gmail.com or via PM at RPG.net, user name: Matthew.
