Search Posts
Wayfinder #22 is now available for download! Go get it!
Hey all, Thanks for all the kind words. It is good to know that Wayfinder had an impact on the Paizo community, and contributed to the recruitment of fine, talented freelancers (who occasionally become Paizo employees!). Is the final issue still coming? Yes, we still plan on releasing it. I'm not going to commit to a date, though. I'm looking at a very busy summer for field work, so we will see how things go. Tim
Hey folks. I've been quiet on this mainly because I haven't had much to share. We've had a delay in layout (life priorities over Wayfinder). The issue is now in layout, and I hope to have a draft in the next few weeks. When that happens, we'll do our proofing round, and then we will finalize. So we are getting there, but I'm not gonna be to be able to give dates yet. I remain optimistic, though! It is probably pretty obvious now that we aren't going to have a 2023 open call or issue. In fact, it's overdue to let everyone know that this will be our final issue. There are a lot of reasons as to why, but mainly we felt it was time, and the establishment of the Pathfinder Infinite program was the logical successor for our mission. Infinite provides fans a way to create their own content and even better, to sell it, something Wayfinder couldn't do. It's a great initiative, and one that I'm happy will continue Wayfinder's mission to promote new freelancers and fan-created content. So, stay tuned. I'll give Wayfinder #22 updates when I have them.
Not to be that guy but are there any further updates on this? Even just an announcement that the issue is cancelled (provided that's the case) would be appreciated. So, no this issue is not cancelled. We have all the pieces, but the person that does layout has a lot of life stuff going on, and hasn't had the kind of time we normally have to work on the issue. Hence the delays. We've had several folks kindly offer their assistance, but we've done that in the past, and it just didn't work out well. People do layout in different ways, and it can cause...issues. I cannot say WHEN the issue will be done and released, because that's dependent on life stuff and available time. It WILL be completed though. My guess is probably late October/early November, but that's just what it is...a guess. Heck, I thought we could bang it out over the summer, but it hasn't turned out that way. I want to stress that I, more than anyone else, want to get this issue out. I'm proud of the articles, the art, and the editing that has been done. And I know that it will look awesome when we slap it all together. I will definitely post here when we have some progress, though.
Yep, time for an update. Unfortunately, life, work, and COVID have derailed our schedule. We won't be able to release for PaizoCon as usual. This all has pushed back the release date until late June. We have all the pieces, it just comes down to getting derailed by life. Disappointing? Hell, yes. But, I can assure you that this issue will be wonderful when we finish. The sneak peek of the Side Trek Adventure will still occur for PaizoCon, though. "Red Fields" is offered in person, and online by the authors, so look for that on Warhorn. Tim
You've got it. Thanks for the response. I will continue to work on the expanded version of my article quietly then. If you are doing that, keep in mind you retain the rights to your work. I would expect perhaps prepping that expanded version for Infinite. Once the issue comes out, you can be in a good position to point folks towards the expanded version....for a paltry sum, of course. Just my 2 cents.....
If I know that one of my entries is being published am I allowed to mention it on the forums, or should that remain a secret until the actual issue is released? For all art and articles, we prefer that authors and artists refrain from posting about their work until we get up to release in May for PaizoCon. About a week out from the release, we green light the artists to post their artwork for the issue. Likewise, I usually post the Table of Contents page to preview what's coming. For authors, I'd like you to wait to launch into a discussion about your article until release day. I'm fine with you mentioning that you have an article in Wayfinder 22 that is about X, Y, or Z, in very general terms, but posting details of it sort of ruins the point of having in the issue, you know? If you can sit on it until release day, and keep it a secret, I'd appreciate it. I can say that the reveal is quite a bit more gratifying, IMO.
What's the deal with adventure pitches? What is the format for such a pitch? And how long can the finished adventure be? We used to arrange them with people that had a bit of writing experience. Neil Spicer wrote several of them, in fact. Recently, I've sort of made an open call of them. The pitch is really just a side trek seed (with a plot hook, backstory, and possible resolutions), but with some extra summary of encounters (how many, what kind, how they are ordered), and some detail on the Weal or Woe that accompanies the adventure. Adventures are 4500 words, plus the 1500 word Weal or Woe, which allows you to set up the ally and the foe, and have stat blocks for them. I don't take them unsolicited, though. I'll either prearrange it, or hold an open call for pitches.
Final tally is 79 articles. Advice: 2
And four adventure pitches.
Just a little peek into what I was faced with in the decision process. In total, I had over 80 submissions to choose from. Now, we have about 12 categories or types of articles, and we strive to get a fairly even distribution of article types into each issue. Submissions are not evenly spread across those categories...so that means some categories have more "competition" than others. As I go through the articles, I assign 3 statuses: KEEP, RESERVE, REJECT. KEEP means it was a strong submission from the start. RESERVE means it was good, but didn't jump out in the front like a keeper...it goes into the "think about it/maybe" pile. REJECT is assigned to those articles that just didn't fit, or have too many errors, or just were not strong enough submissions. In a few limited cases, they violate the guidelines, which is an AUTO-REJECT. After we tally the KEEPs, we look at the page counts, and then start selecting the RESERVE articles to fill out the issue to bring it to the 76 page limit. At the end of the process for this issue, I selected 48 articles, and had to drop 33 submissions from pool. I honestly don't really consider the author names until the very end. Right before final selections, I review the author names, and if I have some "RESERVE" selections from an author that has all 3 articles, I'll look and see if a RESERVE from another author not selected could be used instead, so that we maximize our number of authors that get selected. In the end, it's not perfect, but the process is what it is.
Congratulations to everyone who made the cut! As far as volunteering to do art is concerned, how does that work exactly? Send me an email (wayfinderDOTfanzineATgmailDOTcom) expressing your interest in volunteering. Include a link to a website or gallery or online portfolio showing examples of your artwork. This helps us determine if your art style matches what we have in mind for the issue, and helps me match that style with the articles' illustration needs. I'll reply with a sort of pre-written summary of how our art process goes, and how we proceed from there.
So, there is a sticky history to this kind of request. I used to do that, yes. But, I started to get quite a lot of argumentative push-back, and it became VERY unpleasant. So, instead of opening the door to that kind of abuse, I opted to stop giving feedback. What I can say is this: send the request via email (be sure to prompt me to which article) and I will see what I can do, OK? Tim
After much review, much reading, and much consideration, here are the following authors with accepted submissions for Wayfinder #22: Aaron Filipowich
Next steps are sending out acceptance emails with the legal-type agreements, then editor assignments, and then art assignments. We are still quite low on artists right now. As it stands, we will not be able to illustrate all the articles.... so, we are putting out a BIG CALL for volunteer artists.
Final Count: 78 submissions, and 4 adventure pitches. Thank you to everyone that submitted something! I know this theme was a bit difficult, especially since the delay of the Absalom book derailed our original plan, but 78 is a VERY healthy number for us to generate a solid, high quality issue again. I greatly appreciate all your support in keeping Wayfinder going all these years. We can't make a magazine without fans sending in their ideas and art. As we head into the Infinite Era, it is my hope that Wayfinder will still maintain its relevancy and its appeal as the gateway and testing grounds for future freelancers. But, that's not necessarily for ME to decide....that's up to all of you. For now....we have a magazine issue to get started on!
THREE DAYS REMAIN FOR SUBMISSIONS! Current tally is 45 articles, folks. Advice: 0
Still only two adventure pitches. With 45, we are at the minimum number needed for an issue. That requires all articles to be approved. Getting 60 or more allows for us to be picky, and select the best submissions. So, more submissions helps the quality! Viewing the list, we could use more magic items and equipment, a song or poem, and more rules stuff (classes, archetypes, spells, etc.) Deadline is October 15th!
So far, out of 36 submissions, all have managed to stay completely out of Absalom.This statement surprises me, as I sent in a Weal or Woe tied to the Agents of Edgewatch AP on September 25th. I stand corrected. There was no specific mention of Absalom in your article, but yes, there were references to the Graycloaks and Edgewatch there. (shrug) We will see what happens, I guess.
ONE WEEK LEFT FOR SUBMISSIONS! Current tally is 36 articles, folks. Advice: 0
Also, we have two adventure pitches so far. With 36, we are still lean on articles of all categories, so we're still eager to get whatever article category you want to sent. Viewing the list, we could use more magic items and equipment, more rules articles dealing with backgrounds or class options, maybe some archetypes, more side trek seeds, and ALWAYS more gazetteers. Deadline is October 15th!
Not sure about the Starstone idea. That is an Absalom centric thing, and we are keeping on theme for everything in Kortos and Escadar that's not Absalom.Wait... Are we not allowed to do Absalom material? If so, I will have to toss out two of the submissions coming your way. I have an archetype that is a direct tie-in to backmatter that I wrote for the Agents of Edgewatch AP. I did say Agents of Edgewatch based material would be considered, and that it'd be more favorable than a straight up Absalom piece....but I'm going to be honest.... I'm going to load preferences for things outside of Absalom higher. If you have an article that deals with Absalom proper, it would be better for you to hold on to that for a later Absalom themed issue. So far, out of 36 submissions, all have managed to stay completely out of Absalom. Honestly, I was fully set to make issue #22 the City of Absalom, but the book got delayed to the point that we had to reconsider. Given that there is quite a lot of Paizo material on places outside of the city on Kortos and Escadar, we thought this might be a pretty good place to flesh out. But, yeah, I was very disappointed we couldn't do Absalom. If you are doing Edgewatch articles, I would consider stuff in the Outskirts, the harbor, Pilot Island, the Flotsam Graveyard (so the Black Whale), and Starwatch Keep to be outside of the city, and fair game in this issue. I realize that we should have been clearer on the Edgewatch content needing to be more Kortos based, and less Absalom based. So, again, if your submission is really dealing with stuff inside Absalom, and has little or nothing to connect it to stuff outside of the city, then you should hold on to it for the next PF2E issue we do. Sorry.
Given the low number of entries, would it be possible for the entry limit to go up to 4 instead of 3? I already sent my 3 but I could throw another together before the limit. Totally understand if not, just thought I'd ask given the circumstances. Let's see where we sit next week. If we are shockingly low in count, we might consider upping it to 4.
Also! I don't see a word count listed for new equipment! What should I shoot for? New equipment articles can be 750 or 1500. The important thing is that the article should have a theme that ties the items together. It could be items that are used by a caravan, item unique to a place (Turpin Row items, for instance), heck even a random selection of items could have a emporium or store as the tie in. If you submit a handful of random items with no theme, then we will only use them if we get enough from others to be able to make our Heroes' Hoard article. Not sure about the Starstone idea. That is an Absalom centric thing, and we are keeping on theme for everything in Kortos and Escadar that's not Absalom.
OK, just counted. We have 27 submissions so far. We have ELEVEN days left in this Call for Submissions. That's close enough for the tally. Especially if it helps bolster some of you for articles! Advice: 0
Could use everything still, but Bestiary is filling up quickest.
We'll go ahead and put out a Call for Pitches for the Side Trek Adventure for Wayfinder 22. The Side Trek Adventure is 4500 words long, and includes a separate Weal or Woe (that's 1500 words) detailing the two NPCs that set up the adventure. And it MUST be ON THEME for this issue. (for a good explanation of the Weal or Woe, read my post above on Aug. 21) A good and proper pitch for an adventure should feature: 1. Title
It's essentially a side trek seed write-up with a Weal or Woe idea tossed in. I'd like the PITCHES for the Side Trek Adventure to be in by October 15th, same as the Open Call. If you have the Weal or Woe, submit it with the Open Call, and have your pitch reference that.
Any chance we can get one of those handy-dandy list of submissions by category so we can see what areas need more entries? We only have 15 submissions in right now, and 18 days left. A typical Wayfinder issue contains 40-45 articles. We like to get a pool of 60 articles or more for a good selection to draw from. Right now, ALL categories are WIDE OPEN. The tally list will be posted when submissions hit 30, OK? Tim
So regarding Infinite..... we fully intend to participate in the program, but we will continue to hold to our FREE issues to fans. Our mission is not to make money off this effort, but to promote the talents of fans in order to get them that crucial first step into the gaming industry. We are hoping that Infinite eventually brings POD service into effect, so that fans can get the printed issues we know everyone wants. Tim
Jacob is entirely correct. Authors and artists retain ownership of their work. Our only stipulation is that Wayfinder gets to publish it first, and that our right to use it doesn't get stripped away later. Now, yes, you CAN publish it in Infinite....but I'm sort of thinking that you might have to list Wayfinder in your OGL Section 15 at least. If you publish beforehand.....yes, I will remove it from the issue before publication. We will likely have to update our Agreement to reflect that as well. This Infinite program is new and exciting for the community, indeed. My only concern is that it might just replace the need for a community fanzine altogether....
From the CUP: You may descriptively reference trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, artifacts, places, etc.), locations, dialogs, plots, storylines, language, and incidents from products listed in Section 1 of our Community Use Approved Product List below. So, you can reference them, but I'm a little wary of writing fiction starring an iconic, since that's quite a bit more than just referencing them. I would prefer original main characters.
So, when you submit your article submission and include the map, just reference this thread, and that we discussed the Inkarnate permissions. If your submission is selected, then we'll talk about getting those support emails. Thanks for looking into it. Looking forward to seeing what you did!
If applicable, you may submit up to a 1/2-page map of your chosen localeIf I have a commercial licence to Inkarnate, will you accept a map created using that application (so long as it isn't published for public use within Inkarnate)? This was the line I was looking for: "You shall own all rights to any User Content created using the Website or Platform and shall have the right to sell, publish, relicense and otherwise commercially exploit such User Content." I just want to know if we are required to include "Created using Inkarnate" anywhere. Otherwise, we would just credit you as the cartographer.
If applicable, you may submit up to a 1/2-page map of your chosen localeIf I have a commercial licence to Inkarnate, will you accept a map created using that application (so long as it isn't published for public use within Inkarnate)? Yes, we would be open to accepting that. I would need to know what Inkarnate's policy was for use in a publication (i.e., does it need to be credited, and how it should be credited). We need to stay safe on the legal stuff.
Just a note about Weal or Woe articles.... When coming up with the backstories for your weal and woe NPCs, be absolutely sure that there is a strong connection between the two. Their backstories should be intertwined, with some history between them, and should make clear why one is an ally, and the other an adversary. Way too often we get Weal or Woe articles with two NPCs with completely unrelated backstories. There is no relationship, no history, and no reason that they are presented together. The very purpose of a Weal or Woe is to present a kind of setup for a sidetrek adventure. You encounter the Weal NPC, they need your help, the party assists, and ends up fighting the Woe NPC. That's what you should be thinking about when creating this kind of article. The more unique and interesting (and on theme), the better chance to be selected. Anyway, I was watching the various reviews on YouTube for Wayfinder #21, and both reviewers loved the Weal or Woe articles, but didn't really explain what we are looking for in a successful submission. Tim
AWESOME! Thanks for the link! SHARING!
Still no reviews? Come on, folks, surely there was SOMETHING in the issue you liked enough to let the author know? Remember, your review or comments are valuable to those that worked on this issue. Getting that feedback is our payment. Hearing crickets after a release is sending us the message that, well, no one is reading Wayfinder, and no one cares about it anymore. Is that the correct message we are hearing? I hope not. Please, post your reviews or comments.
Should we expect a confirmation email that our submission was received? I don't want it to disappear into the void of cyberspace. I will say that I did receive it, and sent you a reply regarding it. No, that's not common. But, I am seeing first-timers not following our guidelines, and helpful advice to avoid that seems in order.
For clarification, if you have two or more closely related creatures (ie one is a more advanced class of the previous) you can exceed the 750 word limit? Referencing Paizo bestiary entries, no. I did the flytrap for the Bestiary, and the entry (both standard and advanced stat blocks) had to meet the word count for 1 creature. Other examples would be Ape, Bat, Bear, Beetle, Boar, Elephant, etc. (most animals or vermin). Now, if you have a type of creature, and many different types (like the elemental entries) then that typically spanned two pages. Reference the 2E bestiary books for how that will work out.
I would try wayfinder.fanzine@gmail.com. Going to be upfront here.... I haven't gotten around to updating our templates to 2E yet. At least not the ones that we make generic and available for people to refer to. Give me a few weeks.
If you have questions about whether your idea(s) run up against the guidelines, then sure, I'll answer that. Agree with motteditor, that's a flavor article for sure.
I guess I need to add a few more points to the guidelines.... First, use of intellectual properties other than Paizo's settings (which the CUP allows us to use) is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. What does that mean? It means you can't create the Avengers or Justice League as an article. Specifically, there can't be a Spiderman or Batman, or Iron Man (name dropped) in Golarion. If you want to adapt characters or things from other IPs, you at the least need to change the names, and convert it to fit in Golarion. I shouldn't be able to read your adaptation, and immediately know what you are ripping off because you didn't change anything at all. Honestly, I would rather you be inspired by other properties, and create your own spin (making it unique). Second, we really cannot pre-evaluate your submission ideas ahead of you actually submitting them. I am willing to provide limited input here on the boards, but I'm going to have to decline responding to any emails asking "would you accept this idea?" If you have questions about whether your idea(s) run up against the guidelines, then sure, I'll answer that. Lastly, grammar. If your grammar is poor, that isn't an auto-reject, but it does put up a big red flag to us. Our editors are volunteers, and what you submit should be solid for grammar, so they can focus on polishing the article and evaluating the content to make it better. So, my advice is to get someone else to proofread your submission before you submit it.
We had fully intended to do an Absalom issue, but the delay of the book made that not an option (a similar thing happened for issue #6, and we took that lesson to heart). Wayfinder actually does have an adventure article, the Side Trek Adventure. We do not include it in the open call, because it's a special article that we do not want people to spent a ton of time writing and then not getting accepted. Adventures are typically 4500 words (so 6 pages) plus a Weal or Woe featuring the adventure's ally and final boss. We will be accepting anyone's pitch for the Side Trek during the Open Call. I typically post this a bit later in the process, as the adventure is on a slightly different schedule than the rest of the articles. But, in short, YES, we do have adventures, we are just way more selective about it!
Erik Mona offered to write some stuff for this issue on Facebook... so if you get in, your name will be in the same credit list. True, Erik did offer, but he's a really busy man, and it is not a firm commitment. We will, of course, be THRILLED to feature whatever Erik wants to share. Also, I will make sure that any special guest contributions will not cut into our abilities (i.e, pages) to feature as many new fan contributors as possible. We will make it work.
As Second Edition continues to build momentum, let’s take a look at the initial focus of the beginning adventures supporting the changed campaign setting: the Isle of Kortos. Throughout the entirety of the Golarion campaign setting, Absalom has been THE stopping point for most adventures on the isle. With the arrival of the Second Edition, we have been treated to two adventure paths that explore the rest of island, and it turns out that there is a LOT more to Kortos than just Absalom proper. So, let’s go exploring across the Isle of Kortos, and the Isle of Erran as well! Trek out into the Cairnlands, venture into the heart of the Immenwood, climb the Kortos Mounts, hike across the Swardlands! Visit the other towns and cities of the isle, such as Otari, Diobel, Pier’s End, and Escadar. And most importantly, expand upon all of this for the 22nd issue of Wayfinder! Goal
The theme for Wayfinder #22 will be the Isle of Kortos, focusing on those areas outside of Absalom, but not necessarily excluding Absalom. Given that the new Absalom book is coming out after the Open Call, it is tricky to write on specific places or features in the city without the risk of being made obsolete from the new content Paizo will be detailing in the book, so we encourage people who want to write Absalom submissions to take a more generic approach to places and people in the city. If you pick a named place with some importance, and expand on that, chances are that the book is going to do that as well. If your version contradicts the official Paizo material, it will likely be rejected. If it is a minor conflict, your piece may be selected, but revisions required. Ties to the Agents of Edgewatch AP would be more favorable submissions for locations within Absalom, as it specifically supports a published product. Please use the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook Second Edition as your main reference, along with Lost Omens World Guide, and many published adventures (Abomination Vaults, Extinction Curse APs; The Gauntlet, Master of Fallen Fortress, Troubles in Otari), and tons of PFS scenarios (The Kortos Envoy, Bandits of Immenwood, Raiders of Shrieking Peak, Ruins of Bonekeep, Skeleton Moon, and others), as well as the handy-dandy Archives of Nethys, and PathfinderWiki! Preference will be given to articles that follow the issue’s theme. Writers are invited to submit articles that fit within the following categories: Advice: Share valuable information or experiences with new GMs or players in the new Lost Omens campaign setting and 2nd edition rules system. Submission size: 750 words.
Guidelines • Thou shalt not disregard canon, thou shalt build upon it.
Submission Instructions Conditions for Submissions. All authors and artists must agree to have their works reproduced for this and other Wayfinder products, be it for translations into other languages (we will be responsible for the truthfulness of the translations), special publications, or use on a Wayfinder website. All of Wayfinder’s publications are NON-PROFIT, and authors and artists will be given proper credit where due. • Send all submissions to: wayfinder.fanzine@gmail.com with the subject line containing “Wayfinder #22 Submission:”, followed by the article title.
• For people who use open-source software, like OpenOffice and LibreOffice, and save their files as .DOC files, there is a mismatch between file types when trying to open the .DOC files in versions of Word from 2013 and up. It results in losing the last few lines of text. Those lines can only be viewed on Word 2010 or earlier. If you use these open-source programs, you MUST put one or two carriage returns after your last paragraph before you save the document as a .DOC file. Otherwise, we will have great difficulty being able to read and edit your submission. • Do not use fancy fonts or colors or styles for formatting - these will get stripped out in the editing and layout process. Use the standard body font for the program you’re using - bold and italics are fine. Ask us for an example of our style templates, if you’d like to use that. Tables must be tab delimited (DO NOT USE FORMATTED TABLES). • Use standard Pathfinder RPG Second Edition formats for stat blocks. Familiarize yourself with the style and wording choices used in Paizo products and apply those same style and wording choices to your submissions. Insertion of the action icons (if you do not have access to the font) should be [one-action}, [two-actions], [three-actions], [reaction], [free-action]. • At the top of your submission, in the body of the article, provide the following information: article title (and subtitle, if any), author name(s), contact e-mail address(es), and word count of the submission. For example,
• Accepted entries will go through editing passes for clarity and concision. Depending on time constraints, you may or may not receive feedback from the editing process. • Failure to follow these instructions or to meet one or more guidelines will result in rejection of the submission. DEADLINE: October 15, 2021, 11:59 Pacific. All entries will be handled on a first come, first serve basis. Some articles may be rejected depending on the final size of the PDF. |
