Warning: If you wish to avoid spoilers about future Pathfinder Society scenarios, do not read this blog post.
Next week we begin our second open call for Pathfinder Society scenarios. Our first open call went quite well and we were happy to announce that Matthieu Dayon and Craig Campbell will write #17—Perils of the Pirate Pact and #18—The Trouble with Secrets respectively. Every single entry was given some kind of feedback and, hopefully, this sort of feedback helps our submitters to craft entries that better fit the types of stories we're seeking.
Our first open call went well and I, personally, learned a lot. Because of what I learned, I'm making a few changes to the submission guidelines to help speed up the entire process. The new, revised, submission guidelines are as follows:
1. Based on a summary (or summaries) posted here on the Paizo daily blog as well as on the Pathfinder Society Write For Us page, write a 750-word outline that includes the following (read published scenarios for samples of how these are done keeping your word count in mind):
a. An introduction
b. A summary of the complete story
c. Five unique or dynamic encounters tied to the overall plot
d. A conclusion
e. Five short suggestions for possible faction missions
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line [SCENARIO NAME] [YOUR LAST NAME]. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, plain text, or Rich Text format—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled [SCENARIO NAME]_[LAST NAME], i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_Dayon. Failure to submit your entry in one of the requested formats (i.e., just pasting it into your email) and failure to properly name your file may disqualify your entry.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count. Failure to include this information will disqualify your entry and you won't receive feedback at the end of the process.
4. Once all submissions are in, the Pathfinder Society coordinator will take two weeks to review submissions and select an author for each open scenario. You will receive an email confirming receipt—please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission. The coordinator will attempt to respond to all submitters with feedback, but this may not always be possible.
5. If you are selected to write a scenario, you will be emailed instructions that include your word count, due date, and contract.
6. Failing to follow any of the instructions above will immediately disqualify you from the open call.
The open call that starts next week is for Pathfinder Society scenarios #19 and #20—the April releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
11/13—Open call begins with summaries posted here on the Paizo daily blog and on the Pathfinder Society Write For Us page
