Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="MoonRaven" data-source="post: 1266443" data-attributes="member: 12009">Umm..ok, I'm going to dodge the verbal bullets flying through this thread and just respond to the original post:First, let me explain where this post is coming from: I was recently at a friend's RPG store and was talking to a customer about a product.  He asked what I did for a living and I told him "Oh, I write for a d20 e-publishing company." And the response (given with a snort and a dismissive wave of the hand): "Oh, that's easy.  Anyone can get into d20 work." ?!  Now, the post:I agree with Dana that there should be a level of professionalism expected in any published product - be it PDF, print, or whatever.  Professional publishing companies have always carefully screened their submitted works for those items suitable for publishing, and then have taken steps to ensure that the products are the best they can be.  What I've noticed as a consumer is that the d20 e-publishing seems, on the whole, lacking of this professionalism.  Some companies operate like professionals, but most are more akin to fly-by-night operations that just want their products on the market, and do not care to take the time to learn the appropriate methods of e-publishing, marketing, etc.As a writer, though, I can see from another viewpoint, as well.  Writers, if they can ever land that "first" assignment (which, unfortunately, in the "professional publisher" world is difficult, to say the least), will work to put their thoughts on paper sometimes for months (or even years).  While this doesn't give them the right to expect nothing but rave reviews, it does enlist a certain expectancy for viable, professional criticism.  Most negative commentary I've seen on RPGNow is not professional, constructive criticism, but things like "This book sucks.  Don't buy it".  And, even if a writer's book does deserve that kind of commentary, it is unnecessary and unprofessional (though I'm willing to bet most of it is not written to be a "professional" review).  And most writers, as well, tend to guard their work that they've spent so much time on like a mother grizzly with a new cub.  I suppose, to make this post a little shorter, I'll just get to the point: with the flood of unprofessional writers, publishers, and critics in this new d20 OGL industry, it is a wonder that any of our products sell.  People are putting their desire to get as many products out there as possible before their duty to make those products professional.  People are putting their desire to write a product and sell it before their duty to use spellcheck and edit.  And people are putting their own products' survival before their duty to be professional with their critiques (and, no, I'm not talking about you, Dana...I've read some of your reviews and agree with most points made).We as publishers, writers, and critics need to maintain our professionalism.  Publishers and critics are supposed to be the runners of the show, and should behave as such.  Some of the products flooding the market should never have made electronic print, I'm sorry to say.  We owe it to d20 OGL and to the customers to maintain a level of quality and professionalism in this industry.  If I was Wizards I would have already snatched away the OGL, due to the flood of less-than-professional products attached to the d20 name now.  For God's sake, do your jobs, and do them at a level that they are supposed to be done at.  Learn programming to make your products better if you are going to put them out there.  Hire an editor (or at least use spellcheck).  Look at what's out there and learn the trends.  Look at what's out there and learn formatting by example.  If you need help, see if a company you like will offer advice (even book titles for you to pick up to learn what you need to know).  Otherwise, what's the point?  If you don't plan on being professional, why start a professional company?  I'm sorry if I seem like I'm being harsh.  I'm not trying to insult anyone in particular, but I think we've all noticed this problem.  I think that most of the products that should not be on the market would have been better if their publishers/writers would have known more about what was expected of them.  Perhaps someone that is a professional company can write a book/start a class to help teach all of this to those that want to start their own company, but lack the skills?  Or are there programs like that out there already?  I guess my main point is this: the lack of professionalism does not just affect your product.  It, in fact, affects the reputation of everyone involved with d20 publishing and e-publishing.  As the conversation at the beginning of this post states, the common attitude is that what we do is nothing.  Anyone off the street can do it.  So, work to disprove that statement, so all of us can enjoy a good reputation.</blockquote>

Verification