Submitting a manuscript

[the Jester]

You could also try pitching something to one of the innumerable third party producers (Green Ronin, Paizo, etc).

I wouldn't mind getting into this field myself.

 

[jmucchiello]

You could also pitch to the even smaller 3rd party pubs. Someone who can deliver a manuscript is far more useful than someone with ideas. Working for the small guys will get you practice writing professionally. This could catch the attention of the bigger fish. The benefit of working with the smaller producers is they might let you write anything you want (as long as it's good). Larger pubs will have already designed their books and will farm sections to different writers, giving them less latitude.

Regardless, no one's going to ask you to update the Mentzer box sets right out of the gate.

 

[MKMcArtor]

You could also try pitching something to one of the innumerable third party producers (Green Ronin, Paizo, etc).

Yeah, that will get you as far with us (and likely, GR) as it will with WotC. Make sure to go to a company's website and find out if a company even accepts submission proposals (we currently do not) and, if so, how to submit.

You could also pitch to the even smaller 3rd party pubs. Someone who can deliver a manuscript is far more useful than someone with ideas. Working for the small guys will get you practice writing professionally. This could catch the attention of the bigger fish.

It will indeed get you practice. The hope of catching the attention of larger publishers by first publishing with smaller ones is a false one. I'm not sure where that idea came from, but history shows that it doesn't really work that way. Of course, you certainly should work with any publisher who will publish your work in order to bolster your resume.

Your best bet of getting noticed by the guys who make D&D is as it has been for 30+ years: submit to Dragon and Dungeon.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Has KQ opened up to general submissions yet? I thought it was only taking submissions from Open Design patrons and, like Ivid said, credited designers.

Also from subscribers. And it's worth subscribing to whether or not you want to submit.

(Complete submission guidelines are here)

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Also I think we're still in the between editions lull for third party publishers. As soon as the GSL comes out, I predict that it will be a lot easier to find third party publishers looking for writers.

 

[Eytan Bernstein]

Somewhere or another, Wizards has a design test available that you can take. If they're impressed with your work, they may invite you to write a dragon or dungeon article or even more.

I actually got my first gig with WotC when I applied for a developer position. At the time, I really didn't have much in the way of credits. Even though I didn't get the job, they did invite me to work on a supplement, and the rest fell into place from there.

 

[Mouseferatu]

It will indeed get you practice. The hope of catching the attention of larger publishers by first publishing with smaller ones is a false one. I'm not sure where that idea came from, but history shows that it doesn't really work that way. Of course, you certainly should work with any publisher who will publish your work in order to bolster your resume.

Uh... *raises hand*

That's how it worked for me, Mike. I did a lot of work for D20 companies (as well as White Wolf), and that (as well as multiple e-mails and visits at GenCon) got me on WotC's radar. It's true that I also had one or two articles in Dragon before my first WotC gig, but when I got Heroes of Horror, I was specifically told that it was primarily my past experience with horror RPGs that helped get me the gig. And I know of several WotC freelancers who have never appeared in the magazines, but got their attention via D20 work.

So while it may not frequently work that way, it certainly can.