WotC Seeking Your Setting Proposals (was "Big Wizard announcement")

[Kid Charlemagne]

Re: Is Fedex ok?

This may seem an unnecessary question, but I almost never put anything on the mail. I'm an email guy!

Is sending my submission through Fedex ok? Time is running out and I don't live in the US. I don't know how the postmarking works with them.

Thanks!

I would if I were you, especially being outside the US. FedEx offers the most guaranteed deliuvery you'll get, and the peace of mind of being able to know your proposal got there - or the ability to track it down if they fail...

 

[Christian]

Re: Is Fedex ok?

This may seem an unnecessary question, but I almost never put anything on the mail. I'm an email guy!

Is sending my submission through Fedex ok? Time is running out and I don't live in the US. I don't know how the postmarking works with them.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to get Fed Ex to deliver to a P.O. Box. When a U.S. address is a P.O. box, that's a drop box inside a post office; courier services like Federal Express don't have access to deliver things there, only the USPS can. Sorry ... you'll have to trust to the public mails.

 

[Parcher]

The point about FedEx and P.O.boxes is well taken. For those of you interested in using Federal Express or any other delivery service, Wizards' street address is:

1801 Lind Avenue
Renton, WA 98057

Hope this helps.

 

[seasong]

Multiple Settings

Well, it looks like I'm only going to submit one setting. A week and a half (1-2 hours per day) to get the first one completed to my satisfaction, so I don't think I can make a second one as good in the four days remaining. Not unless I forego sleep.

On the other hand, I'm glad I devoted myself to the first one, first. It is the best of the best of what I could have written about the setting.

Bad Advice

And now that it's done, that it's as good as it's going to get within the realm of my capacities... I'm finally having some competitive feelings. So I thought I'd vent them in as harmless a manner as possible.

I know that some of you are better writers than me. You craft words naturally, without resorting to "Clarity & Grace" or old Journalism 101 books. You are master wordsmiths, wrapping clever phrasing around your little finger. You shouldn't enter. It's a waste of time for someone of your caliber. You can make much more money writing novels. So go. Write novels. Forget about this silly little fan thingy.

I have a great idea. Some of you may have a better idea, one I never thought of. Your setting is some original, clever new way of looking at fantasy that is going to redefine the genre. You shouldn't enter, either. Your ideas are too good for WotC. They won't understand your ideas. So go. Create your own gaming company. Forget about those staid Wizards.

And SOME of you probably fit both of the above. I hope you just die . Either that, or move to Austin and run games for me. Either will do, now that I think about it.

Finally, a few words of advice:

1. I got my page down to 25 words. In fact, I answered every question, in order, in the Core Ethos sentence. Then I put it in 30 point font so the poor judges could read it better. You should, too. They will be impressed with your compactness of thought, and kindness to their eyes. If you can not completely describe your setting in 25 words, well, you just shouldn't enter, sissy.

2. I'm waiting until the last second, Saturday in fact, before I send mine off. That's just in case there is a last second announcement of a change in the proposal rules. I want to make sure I get everything just right. Yep, yep. Saturday, that's my day. You should wait, too. And don't pay attention to those people saying "Friday is the last day". Everyone knows that deadlines usually have a one-day leeway.

3. Remember, if you send in 100 entries, you have a one hundred times better chance of winning! That's right. Editting is for those blowhards who don't understand odds - in fact, the more time you spend working on each page, the fewer entries you'll be able to slam out. So get cracking!

Finally, I wouldn't listen to me right now. I want my setting to make it into the top ten, I really do, but more importantly, I want a GOOD setting to make it. I think mine's good, but as long as I lose to something better, I think I can be satisfied with that .

 

[Xeriar]

The point about FedEx and P.O.boxes is well taken. For those of you interested in using Federal Express or any other delivery service, Wizards' street address is:

1801 Lind Avenue
Renton, WA 98057

Hope this helps.

Do you know the 4-digit extension? Makes things much more reliable

---

The amount of mail you are no doubt recieving worries me. It is likely that some of the last submissions you recieve will be the ones with the most thought or work put into them.

Would be a shame on all counts if the best of them got lost in the rush :-(

 

[Parcher]

Aack! Wrong zip code.

The correct address is:

1801 Lind Avenue
Renton, WA 98055

There's no four-digit extension--at any rate, you shouldn't need it.

Sorry for the goof.

 

[slaughterj]

Aack! Wrong zip code.

The correct address is:

1801 Lind Avenue
Renton, WA 98055

There's no four-digit extension--at any rate, you shouldn't need it.

Sorry for the goof.

My understanding is that in order to send a fedex, that a phone number is required (so that the delivery person can verify a location in case there is a delivery issue). I also understand you do not want to give out a phone number to have people calling and asking questions about this "contest," however, for those of us who are interested in the security of sending in a submission via such a carrier other than the post office, this is necessary information.

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Just wondering, in the revamped requirements, the name is to be #7, at the lower left hand section of the page.

If one maintains the 1" margin, on the page, and cycles down to the bottom, in line though with the other numbered sections, and puts the name there, is that acceptable?

Or does it have to be hand written outside that 1" margin in the exact corner of the page?

Example:
____________________________________________________


(6) What's New? What's Different?
Blah blah blah









(7) John Q. Public
____________________________________________________


Or--
____________________________________________________



(6) What's New? What's Different?
Blah blah blah










(7) John Q. Public
___________________________________________________

Thanks.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Xeriar]

Greetings!

Just wondering, in the revamped requirements, the name is to be #7, at the lower left hand section of the page.

If one maintains the 1" margin, on the page, and cycles down to the bottom, in line though with the other numbered sections, and puts the name there, is that acceptable?

SHARK

I'm picturing Christina with two or three big reels of stickers that get wrapped over your name and stamped on your cover letter and/or submission agreement.

Something along those lines, anyway.

 

[Raschesohn]

Have you bribed the mailman yet?

Well, as my first post here on EN World I'd just like to say that I just mailed off my proposal today of this writing, priority mail with the USPS (here's hoping they stick to their promise of delivery time of 2-3 days). It weighs in at a pretty hefty 965 words (I can get pretty wordy for a shy guy, lol) with 9 pt arial font for my main text and bolded 10 pt for the 6 section labels (7 if you count the entrant thing at the bottom) with 1 inch margins all around.

I cut a whole lot of fluff out before, much to my chagrin, but cramming in an overview of a setting on to one page sounds a lot easier than actually pulling it off. Personally, in between 2 web site designs and a 3D video game project for school and making plans for a trip during my 2 week break, I don't know how I found the time to send one proposal off, much less 2 or 3 or more like a lot of people seem to be doing!

Anyway, this is the first time I ever sent in any material to an official gaming company, and it's been an interesting experience to say the least. I'm currently taking a class on writing up proposals and game treatments for 3D video games, and it helped a bit in my writing and thinking process, I think. It's great that WotC is searching for new talent and ideas; I just hope they can manage to keep from drowning in the deluge of mail coming their way.

I'm fairly confident that my proposal has a bit more meat, organization, and detail than a lot of others, but I'm not kidding myself into thinking I'm going to win by any stretch of the imagination, lol (though the money would be really nice, plus doing something you love for a living - most everyone's dream come true!). Win or lose, I wish everyone good luck and I'll probably post my proposal up on this board or Wizards' if only to see how others like it. It couldn't have been a total waste of my time mulling and fretting over every word I wrote these past two days.