Sigh.
GGG
Funny. This thread can probably continue on in perpetuity for all of us impatient writers. By my reckoning we all should now be feeling the anxiety over the SECOND official writer's meeting this year for stuff submitted on or since March 2nd.
Yeah, maybe this thread will go on as long as the one about the 'Wil Save' article. Anyway, I am feeling anxious again as well. I also forgot to congratulate Medesha for getting accepted last round...GREAT JOB! grumblegrumble ;). I only have two proposals in this round, though I have been boiling one up in my mind to email in the next couple of weeks. We'll see what they think in the next little bit...
Funny. This thread can probably continue on in perpetuity for all of us impatient writers. By my reckoning we all should now be feeling the anxiety over the SECOND official writer's meeting this year for stuff submitted on or since March 2nd.
Yeah... forget the second round... I'm still anxiously awaiting results from the first.
I'm not worrying about the second round until they've finished the first one.
- Ashavan
Yeah... forget the second round... I'm still anxiously awaiting results from the first.
- Ashavan
Out of curiosity Ashavan, are those Campaign Workbooks articles you still have pending, or are there adventure queries in that mix as well?
Thanks!
- Chris
Out of curiosity Ashavan, are those Campaign Workbooks articles you still have pending, or are there adventure queries in that mix as well?
Thanks!
- Chris
Chris -
I'm still waiting on three adventure queries (all of which were before the cut off date - one went back to November). I am also waiting on three campaign workbooks and two critical threats. One of the campaign workbooks was a relatively recent submission, the other two, as well as the critical threats were all Jan/Feb.
There is also one feature article query for Dragon, but that one has only been a little over a month.
Yeah, lots of stuff in that mix. Last I heard from the staff, Jeremy still had half the stack of queries left to respond to, and he hinted that there were some campaign workbook responses that could go out too... but I'm still waiting.
- Ashavan
Yeah, lots of stuff in that mix. Last I heard from the staff, Jeremy still had half the stack of queries left to respond to, and he hinted that there were some campaign workbook responses that could go out too... but I'm still waiting.
- Ashavan
Knowing they have yet to give you some answers on your stuff at least lets me know that they probably haven't even begun to go through the 2nd pile since those ones. I tried to get an answer out of Erik about when the next meeting was going to happen tonight in Greytalk, but got no response. Can't say I blame him. Probably the last thing he wants to think about in there ;)
|
I tried to get an answer out of Erik about when the next meeting was going to happen tonight in Greytalk, but got no response. Can't say I blame him. Probably the last thing he wants to think about in there.
LOL, I remember that, Steve. You mentioned it to him, and then you mentioned that he didn't answer. That was pretty funny. Nothing like getting ambushed at your friendly Greychat.
I think the time frame you indicated for Fiend's Embrace is reasonable. You said you submitted it in August 2004 and it appeared in the April 2005 issue. Longer than that might cause a few sleepless nights. I thought it was bad waiting for my subscription. I did not know that contributors went through a worse wait than us mere subscribers.
Don Kenneth Brown
Salt Lake City, Utah
I think the time frame you indicated for Fiend's Embrace is reasonable. You said you submitted it in August 2004 and it appeared in the April 2005 issue. Longer than that might cause a few sleepless nights. I thought it was bad waiting for my subscription. I did not know that contributors went through a worse wait than us mere subscribers.
Don Kenneth Brown
Salt Lake City, Utah
Greyson -
It's not really that we're impatient. We go into the process prepared, we hope, for the wait. But when the guidelines indicate that most of the time you'll hear in one month, and that's what you've prepared for to wait six months is sometimes hard. Especially when you know that the up down vote on your query happened a month ago. Any writer who has ever submitted anything will tell you the waiting can be difficult. You put yourself into every submission, and you have to hope that the two pages really showcases what you want the adventure to achieve. I keep telling myself that the good editors at Paizo (we love you guys, I hope you all know that) are operating without an admin. asst. - and as an admin. asst myself, I can imagine how crazy that must be. But that doesn't really make the little voice in my head pleading for a response go away.
I wait, and I work on more submissions. I know I need to get some in so that when I receive the rejections I have more out there already. Working on more submissions doesn't really make the waiting any easier though.
- Ashavan
I keep telling myself that the good editors at Paizo (we love you guys, I hope you all know that) are operating without an admin. asst.
To Paizo: you can hire me for this position.
I keep telling myself that the good editors at Paizo (we love you guys, I hope you all know that) are operating without an admin. asst.
To Paizo: you can hire me for this position.
I think the problem is that they don't have a budgeted position for it - which is a shame, since they clearly need one.
- Ashavan
I think the problem is that they don't have a budgeted position for it - which is a shame, since they clearly need one.
- Ashavan
They could start a contest where people submit Resume's to become 'Pazio's Poorly Paid Employee'. Compensation comes in the form of free swag like Greyhawk Wall Maps, copies of Dungeon and the testing versions of new product.
I think the problem is that they don't have a budgeted position for it - which is a shame, since they clearly need one.
- AshavanThey could start a contest where people submit Resume's to become 'Pazio's Poorly Paid Employee'. Compensation comes in the form of free swag like Greyhawk Wall Maps, copies of Dungeon and the testing versions of new product.
Maybe the administrative assistant could live in the cupboard above their desk and make fishing lines out of bent paperclips and string.
GGG
Whoah! Did someone say a meeting! I'll need to get my binoculars and lip-reading manual out. Don't close the drapes again guys!
G#3
We've got a Dragon features meeting this afternoon.
Should be very productive.
--Erik
Note: Dragon features... Feh - I only have one query in that pile. Dragon appropriate article ideas just don't come to me as easily as adventure queries. And I'm still waiting to hear on that last set of adventure queries for Dungeon. Jeremy, Jeremy, why hast thou forsaken me? Any word on when you might be able to get to the other half of the stack Jeremy?
- Ashavan
Maybe the administrative assistant could live in the cupboard above their desk and make fishing lines out of bent paperclips and string.GGG
Thats right. sustenence comes from snaging bits of peoples lunches and reeling them in as well as wandering the halls at night eating the left over pizza crusts.
Thats right. sustenence comes from snaging bits of peoples lunches and reeling them in as well as wandering the halls at night eating the left over pizza crusts.
Maybe the administrative assistant could live in the cupboard above their desk and make fishing lines out of bent paperclips and string.GGG
It certainly does in my lair. Have you noticed how stringy halflings have become since 3.0? Well, at least I don't have to floss with their foot-hair any more.
Oh, and I came up with this zinger: How do you keep a would-be contributer in suspense?
Anyone?
Tri-G
Dragon appropriate article ideas just don't come to me as easily as adventure queries.
funny - I'm the opposite. I have no problems coming up with stuff for Dragon (relatively speaking, of course); yet I sit here and bang my head trying to come up with an idea for Dungeon.
Still, Erik's post is good news for me since I have a written feature for Dragon that's been hanging out there for a few months now, taunting me with it's lack of a reply. ;)
Oh, and I came up with this zinger: How do you keep a would-be contributer in suspense?Anyone?
Tri-G
I know!:
"An editor should reply to your query within one month of its receipt, and probably a good deal sooner. If you have not heard back after a month, please feel free to contact us again and ask for an update. The simple truth is that sometimes a submission gets misplaced, so we're happy to hear from you after four weeks of waiting."I hope posting this doesn't automatically kill my proposal.
Hunter
Hey guys,
While I learned long ago to pretty much just move on to the next project to keep my mind off the wait, I recently realized it had been like 6 months for the first of my pending proposals. Since I also received no responses to follow-up queries, I came here. I was a bit surprised to see this post, though somewhat relieved too (I'm hoping this means that I have not been singled out for the blackball treatment). Anyway, I guess these guys must really be busy over there... It's definitely not like the old days. I suppose this was the inevedible result of going monthly. The yin and yang. Still, I do appreciate everything the Dungeon guys/gals do. It must take a lot to create the best RPG magazine out there.
Still, I'm a tad confused. With all the talk about the internal meetings they were going to have concerning proposals, should I have been at least turned down on my first pending proposal? Any help? Anybody?
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Folks,
We are streamlining the submission tracking process (thanks to a liberal application of intern), and are working hard to wrestle this monster to the ground. Unfortunately, we are about two bodies short of a smoothly operating "swift response" approach, and YJW* does the best he can with the limited time he has between all of his various crucial tasks.
I know waiting is a giant pain in the ass. I've been there, believe me. We are doing the best we can, and everyone _will_ hear from us soon.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
* Young Jeremy Walker
I know!:
"An editor should reply to your query within one month of its receipt, and probably a good deal sooner. If you have not heard back after a month, please feel free to contact us again and ask for an update. The simple truth is that sometimes a submission gets misplaced, so we're happy to hear from you after four weeks of waiting."I hope posting this doesn't automatically kill my proposal.
Hunter
Hunter, if you were to go back and read ALL of these posts, you'll find this same section of the Writer's Guideline quoted previously. I'm sure Erik & crew must love getting this thown in their faces. However, I think they are mature and professional enough not to let it bother them (too much).
Folks,
We are streamlining the submission tracking process (thanks to a liberal application of intern), and are working hard to wrestle this monster to the ground. Unfortunately, we are about two bodies short of a smoothly operating "swift response" approach, and YJW* does the best he can with the limited time he has between all of his various crucial tasks.
Something I've suggested previously, Erik, that I think your wonderful tech team over there could do pretty easily for you is an autoresponder on the e-mail. Basically, what it would eliminate is the, "Did you even get my submission" questions. There'd still be the waiting game, of course, but I think a lot of fears would be alleviated just knowing the e-mail was received. I know I personally would feel better if I knew 100% that my e-mail didn't chewed up and spit out by either my mail server or yours. :)
I know waiting is a giant pain in the ass. I've been there, believe me. We are doing the best we can, and everyone _will_ hear from us soon.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon* Young Jeremy Walker
I'm sure it's a big pain in the ass for you guys, too. I don't think you *want* stuff sitting around unanswered for months - well, except that McArtor character, I can't tell about him*. :P I don't think anybody doubts your sincerity when you all say you're trying. I could be wrong, of course. ;) Hearing that you know it's a problem area is a good thing; hearing that you're making a solid effort to improve things is even better.
John Ling
* actually, while I pick on Mike I have to say - he is *awesome* at getting back to me quickly. He doesn't always have the answers I'm looking for** but he does respond to every submission to let me know he's received it.
** for future reference, that answer would be, "Yes, John. We've received your submisions and we all think they rock mightily. We can't wait to publish them." Just thought I'd toss that out there - just in case. :)
Erik,
Hey, thanks for the swift response. I guess I'll go get started on those other ideas I got brewing.
Later.
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Basically, what it would eliminate is the, "Did you even get my submission" questions. There'd still be the waiting game, of course, but I think a lot of fears would be alleviated just knowing the e-mail was received. I know I personally would feel better if I knew 100% that my e-mail didn't chewed up and spit out by either my mail server or yours. :)
The new system will account for this, but it'll take us a bit before it has been fully implemented.
--Erik
Darn it! If you're gonna like one of my ideas, can't it at least be a submission instead? :P :P :P
Hunter, if you were to go back and read ALL of these posts, you'll find this same section of the Writer's Guideline quoted previously. I'm sure Erik & crew must love getting this thown in their faces. However, I think they are mature and professional enough not to let it bother them (too much).
I'm sure they are. Since I have come to the boards, Mr. Mona & Co. have shown a great deal of professionalism and interest in what their readers actually have to say. Dungeon is in good hands, and I know that everything they do is in the best interests of the magazine and us out here.
The wait still ain't easy though. I don't think it ever will be.
Hunter
The wait still ain't easy though. I don't think it ever will be.
No, that it isn't. I'm glad to hear that Erik and company realize this time frame is a problem and are working on something though.
- Ashavan
Hunter, if you were to go back and read ALL of these posts, you'll find this same section of the Writer's Guideline quoted previously. I'm sure Erik & crew must love getting this thown in their faces. However, I think they are mature and professional enough not to let it bother them (too much).
I'm sure they are. Since I have come to the boards, Mr. Mona & Co. have shown a great deal of professionalism and interest in what their readers actually have to say. Dungeon is in good hands, and I know that everything they do is in the best interests of the magazine and us out here.
The wait still ain't easy though. I don't think it ever will be.
Hunter
Oddly enough Hunter, I was the previous quoting-the-guidelines-perpetrator, and no, it didn't hurt. ;)
GGG
Dear Marc-
Just a quick note to let you know that your submission, "A Woman Scorned", has been received and is currently under consideration by the editors - we'll get back to you as soon as a decision has been made. Thank you for submitting to Dungeon!Sincerely,
James Sutter, Editorial Intern
Dungeon MagazineThis message is not automated, but close enough. There is no need to reply.
Yay, James!
*happy dance*
M
An intern? Does this mean we have to start making black dress jokes? :D
Yay, James!*happy dance*
Hooray for interns!
Incidentally, how long ago did you submit the query? If it was more than a week ago I'm not gonna get my hopes up quite yet, but I prefer that to checking my inbox every 20 minutes and coming up empty. :/
Hunter
(I'm still gonna check my inbox every 20 minutes or so today)
Yay, James!
*happy dance*Hooray for interns!
Incidentally, how long ago did you submit the query? If it was more than a week ago I'm not gonna get my hopes up quite yet, but I prefer that to checking my inbox every 20 minutes and coming up empty. :/
Hunter
(I'm still gonna check my inbox every 20 minutes or so today)
I definitely consider myself one of the lucky ones - I submitted my letter on April 7th, which means I waited exactly 6 weeks, 5 days.
After reading some of the 'waiting-anxiety stories', I had conditioned myself to completely forget about it until at least June... I guess the strategy worked some mojo in my favor :-)
M
Yeah, I got about halfway through the stack before I had to put it on hold. The good news is we are getting close to polishing off this issue, so hopefully I will be able to get back to the other half later this week.
Jeremy -
It's been just about a month since you gave us this update, so I thought I'd check in again, as I have several queries that should have been in that pile and I haven't heard on any of them yet.
- Ashavan
Yay, James!*happy dance*
Hooray for interns!
Incidentally, how long ago did you submit the query? If it was more than a week ago I'm not gonna get my hopes up quite yet, but I prefer that to checking my inbox every 20 minutes and coming up empty. :/
Hunter
(I'm still gonna check my inbox every 20 minutes or so today)
I still have some outstanding queries (in both senses) from early March. I imagine that they have a stack of submissions 'laying in state' as it were. Submissions that got a "Hey, that sounds cool, but...." from someone and are just sort of there, pending further deliberation on the strength of the premise, and its possible execution.
Best advice: just write them another proposal, and another and another and another and so on. Eventually they will catch up to you and before you know it you'll be forced to write what you created (a mixed blessing to be sure:). Even if nothing comes of it you will at least have had practice writing.
And yes, hooray for interns.
GGG
How about this for a doozy. I have had at least 6 articles that have been sucked into the vortex at DRAGON (all dating from last year), and not one of them has been formally (or even informally) rejected. This has caused me to become somewhat hesitant to write to DRAGON with my queries (although I have sent a few more in the past month or two). Thankfully, my success with DUNGEON has been a lot greater, and I have had a few small adventures published with them with more in the pipeline. Persistance is a virtue in such matters, and people should press on despite the setbacks. What am I saying!? All of you other writers stop writing now and just give up! It's useless I tell you, useless :)
Persistance is a virtue in such matters, and people should press on despite the setbacks. What am I saying!? All of you other writers stop writing now and just give up! It's useless I tell you, useless :)
We know, but knowing doesn't stop the waiting anxiety, so we complain anyways :) Seriously, we know Jeremy must be swamped because when he ISN'T swamped he's very prompt at responses.
I just hope sometime soon Jeremy is able to respond to the other half of us in that stack that was decided on a month and a half ago. Waiting is easier, I think, when you don't know that the decision on your query has already been made.
- Ashavan
What makes waiting even worse (for me) was when, about 3 hours after I sent my query in, I came up with several more ideas that I wish I would have sent in with it. No such thing as a do-over I guess. :\
Hunter
What makes waiting even worse (for me) was when, about 3 hours after I sent my query in, I came up with several more ideas that I wish I would have sent in with it. No such thing as a do-over I guess. :\
Hunter
Uh... what's keep you from sending those in, too? There's nothing saying you can't have more than one submission in at a time. In fact, that's one of the best way to professional writing (if you are interested) is get into the habit of once you send out a proposal, forget about it and work on another. Another handy rule of thumb, is once you get a rejection, send out two proposals.
-Ken Marable
Uh... what's keep you from sending those in, too? There's nothing saying you can't have more than one submission in at a time.
What I mean is I came up with more ideas for the query I had just submitted (don't post on 90 minutes of sleep a night, kids). I can only hope that Jeremy (or whoever reviews the queries) likes it enough as it currently is to give it a shot. I do have a few more proposals waiting to go, I just need to find the time to write out queries.
Hunter
Uh... what's keep you from sending those in, too? There's nothing saying you can't have more than one submission in at a time.What I mean is I came up with more ideas for the query I had just submitted (don't post on 90 minutes of sleep a night, kids). I can only hope that Jeremy (or whoever reviews the queries) likes it enough as it currently is to give it a shot. I do have a few more proposals waiting to go, I just need to find the time to write out queries.
Hunter
I feel the same way about 80% of my proposals that I submit, Hunter. I actually got lucky and had one of my proposals lost and was asked to resubmit it recently. That was pretty cool since I got to make some changes that I wished I had gone with originally.
Uh... what's keep you from sending those in, too? There's nothing saying you can't have more than one submission in at a time.What I mean is I came up with more ideas for the query I had just submitted (don't post on 90 minutes of sleep a night, kids). I can only hope that Jeremy (or whoever reviews the queries) likes it enough as it currently is to give it a shot. I do have a few more proposals waiting to go, I just need to find the time to write out queries.
Hunter
I haven't felt that way about any of the Adventure Queries that I have sent - I'm usually slashing them down from 10 pages, but I do feel that way about full campaign workbook articles. Rereading the ones I have already sent out gives me reactions that vary from "yuk," to "that's stupid," to "hey, that's still kind of cool." It's very difficult to send in a full article cold, wtihout a solicitation or any kind of initial feedback.
I currently have 9 full CWs in the hopper, and I usually flip to the back of a new Dungeon first, hoping that one of my ideas hasn't already been done by someone else. There aren't really a whole lot of rules for the Workbooks, and the examples since the relaunch are all varied - so it's kind of like flying blind.
Don't get me wrong. . . flying blind is fun as hell. I have a list of ideas for another 20, and I have about 6 more partially written, which I half-heartedly tinker with before moving on to other things.
But I'm not going to send anything else in until I see feedback, for format, tone, and content on the 9 I've already submitted. Feedback will do nothing but help my current Campaign Workbook writing, and I'm looking forward to hearing about any article's improvement, abandonment, or (gasp) acceptance. I can't wait to share what else I have.
- Chris
After reading this thread I checked my email's "sent items" for the dates of my outstanding submissions. One is three months without response and one is two years...granted I only followed up once on the two-year-old submission and at this point it wouldn't make it in since it bears too many similarities to a recent adventure (#121 The Styes). Alas I am just a hobbyist, and a somewhat flakey contributor, and try not languish over submissions.
FYI, for all of us anxiously waiting for the second round of rejections from the Paizo staff this year. Well, hopefully not ALL rejections, anyway.
James Jacobs wrote:
"Currently, we're wrapping up issue #125, and for the next week we'll also be wrapping up the Shackled City hardcover. After that week, we'll be starting in on #126, which will take up the next three weeks... so at this point, I'm guessing that the next big sit-down is still at least a month away. But who knows? Hopefully we'll find time to get to
it earlier..."
At least it's a little something. Hopefully this isn't a general statement for ALL writers. People like Koldoon may be getting more attention to their material considering responses from the last meeting had yet to be received according to her last post. Maybe things have changed since then, though. Anyway, there you go.
At least it's a little something. Hopefully this isn't a general statement for ALL writers. People like Koldoon may be getting more attention to their material considering responses from the last meeting had yet to be received according to her last post. Maybe things have changed since then, though. Anyway, there you go.
Steve -
Yeah, hate to say this, but I am still waiting to here on those queries from the last batch. As well as three campaign workbooks and two critical threats. *sigh* - on the other hand I just got my latest rejection from Dragon (will they never like one of my ideas?) which seems to be churning their responses out from their Friday meeting with gusto.
- Ashavan
Ok, I have finally finished getting back to everyone from the last submissions meeting. Sadly, getting back to everyone was more important that commenting on every proposal, so my comments got sparser as the pile shrank (and time wore on).
I am going to try and get the staff together for the next submissions meeting sometime next week or the week after, but these meetings have a way of getting pushed back, so we shall see.
Good luck to everybody! :)
I got a rejection for my only submission. Now I've got to get my next submission ready. Prepare for the bombardment, Mr. Walker!