Supplement development, copy editing and ordering creative.

[catsclaw227]

I have a question for you publishers out there...

The art piece for the Pandemonium Stone in the preview article for Plane Below wasn't at all how I envisioned it after reading the article. Where are the two "settlements"? And based on the description, it has a defined base and top where the settlements exist. I wish the picture was more in line with the description, so it begs the question...

How far in advance of the article or supplement copy is the creative ordered? And how often does the copy get changed to the point that the art no longer really applies? Don't the artist and the writer/editor communicate and discuss the creative piece together?

 

[the Jester]

I have noticed this in the past with a lot of art- monsters, items, pics in modules, etc. It's a weird thing- you would think that they wouldn't commission a piece until after they knew what it should look like. Also, shouldn't someone be in charge of making sure that the art matches the specs? (Hyena-headed Demogorgon, I'm looking at you!)

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Many publishers use stock art (usually similarly-themed from a prior project) to "placehold" in their catalogue until the real art is in. I think that's okay as a practice unless it introduces confusion with prior products or if one gets attracted to a piece of art only to see it switch. Personally, I prefer placeholders without art. Then I don't think it's a finished product that I can already buy.

 

[catsclaw227]

I can understand the placeholders. That makes sense. But I occasionally see an article in Dragon or a segment in a book that is describing a person, place or thing and then the art (supposedly) connected with the piece doesn't match the description. It jars me out of my imagining of the person, place or thing in my campaign.

 

[coyote6]

I've heard of instances where a piece of art will come in that doesn't match (to one degree or another), but it will be too late or too expensive to get a piece of replacement art. That's been with smaller companies than WotC, though, so they have less lead time and less cash flow, so holding up a product is presumably a bigger deal. OTOH, I'm sure WotC has deadlines, too.

Also, given how much text can change, perhaps the description was revised after the art order went out? Or maybe the art order was just too vague.

 

[Morrus]

With a smaller company, often art is a big cost (for ENP it's by far the biggest cost - artists are expennsive!). So if the text changes, and you can't afford to have a replacement done, you're left with the choice - leave the art out or include it anyway. Some may decide that the product looks better with the art in anyway.

I've not really experienced that problem - but I order art after the manuscript is finalised.

 

[RangerWickett]

Heck, for a few of the WotBS adventures, I ended up changing what I'd planned in order to make sure the art fit better. Necessity is the mother of invention (or, as my mom would say, mother is the necessity of invention).