I think the dungeon orc community must be staggering to withstand an invasion of simple humans.
This thread seems like a good place to ask since it is frequented by editors and such. What is the ideal article length for CW articles? I thought I remembered someone mentioning that the length listed in the guidelines was a bit long and you were looking for more in the 1,000 to 1,050 range. Just wanted to be sure.
This thread seems like a good place to ask since it is frequented by editors and such. What is the ideal article length for CW articles? I thought I remembered someone mentioning that the length listed in the guidelines was a bit long and you were looking for more in the 1,000 to 1,050 range. Just wanted to be sure.
1,250. Significantly more or less hurts your chances of acceptance.
GGG
Ahwe, aren't you forgetting the two-headed giant space hamsters?
And the fact it all turns out to be a dream, and the "heroes" are really 9-5 office workers.
Ooh, that's good. I think we can put the hamsters on the "crashed space ship" level of the dungeon (thank you, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks!)
Has anyone heard anything recently from the Gatekeeper?
*And since I actually managed to have some time off this week, I finished up 3 queries and fired them off this afternoon.
*Actually, I just sent in another query, so that is four today.
Assault on Fort Bones, The Defence of Rheklor & Challenge in Taer Valaestas
Military themed Eberron adventures incorporting various Eberron sourcebooks & Heroes of Battle
A Night in the Faerie Court. A short adventure, inspired by... well Faerie Tales, lol
So I take it from glancing over the last couple of pages of this thread that there hasn't been a submissions meeting since September or so. So how far is the Gatekeeper backed up, and do the queries submitted today have a chance of being read by the Gatekeeper anytime soon? Or at least before the next meeting?
Question: Would it be considered poor form to include a drawn map as part of a query? I'm finding having to add description to simple caves as a real word count killer. However without them the query itself loses a sense of place.
So would I be shooting myself in the foot, as it were? And if so, how do You go about describing the generic rooms of your dungeon within a query?
... how do You go about describing the generic rooms of your dungeon within a query?
I don't. I lay out the plot, describe the important encounters, touch on any special treasure or other rewards the PCs might get, and off we go. I describe special places, because those can make a query stand out. For example, I had an adventure query that took place in a manor house ruined by an earthquake, and I envisioned part of the house laying on its side in a sink hole. I described that.
Of course, I've had nothing but rejections so far - so maybe I'm not the best one to give you answers. :D
Question: Would it be considered poor form to include a drawn map as part of a query? . . . (H)ow do You go about describing the generic rooms of your dungeon within a query?
Someone asked the map question a while back, and, if memory serves, the answer is that a map is a welcome addition to a query, if necessary for clarity and brevity. Just make it a clearly drawn map.
I'm with Zherog on the bigger question. I rarely find any individual room's physical characteristics important enough to warrant description in a query. I'll include overall setting descriptions or descriptions of particularly novel section of an adventure -- the hanging citadel built into a collapsing stalactite forest over a seemingly bottomless cave, the stardust gas cloud in the tail of a comet, or the like -- but not individual rooms.
I once wrote the DUNGEON editors an email asking if I could have permission to exceed the 1000-word limit on a query for what I then thought was a particularly complicated adventure proposal. James Jacobs wrote back, said no, and offered the following:
"For a query, we don't need to know the adventure's overall plot, so you don't need to include every single encounter's description. For example, to take the old Queen of the Spiders adventure as an example, your query could simply state: 'The PCs are hired to deal with some giants that have been raiding local regions. Upon defeating the giants, they discover that they were in fact being manipulated by the drow, and the PCs must embark on a harrowing journey through the underdark to reach the drow city, whereupon they discover the true architect of the menace is Lolth herself. Taking a portal to her Demonweb from her temple in the drow city, the PCs confront the Queen of Spiders in her own Abyssal lair in a climactic battle.' That's an extreme example of how to summarize an adventure, and we'd probably want to see a little bit more information in a proposal, but it gets the job done."
Of course, there's a good chance the editors were just tired of reading my queries . . .
I once wrote the DUNGEON editors an email asking if I could have permission to exceed the 1000-word limit on a query for what I then thought was a particularly complicated adventure proposal. James Jacobs wrote back, said no, and offered the following:
"For a query, we don't need to know the adventure's overall plot, so you don't need to include every single encounter's description. For example, to take the old Queen of the Spiders adventure as an example, your query could simply state: 'The PCs are hired to deal with some giants that have been raiding local regions. Upon defeating the giants, they discover that they were in fact being manipulated by the drow, and the PCs must embark on a harrowing journey through the underdark to reach the drow city, whereupon they discover the true architect of the menace is Lolth herself. Taking a portal to her Demonweb from her temple in the drow city, the PCs confront the Queen of Spiders in her own Abyssal lair in a climactic battle.' That's an extreme example of how to summarize an adventure, and we'd probably want to see a little bit more information in a proposal, but it gets the job done."
Of course,...
LOL, that is VERY concise... In a few sentences, James managed to sum up one of my favorite campaigns ever... and one which covers 7 modules (Against the Giants was 3 adventures, another 3 or so travelling through the underdark, and then the Demonweb itself... plus however long your DM wants to spend in those alternate worlds that are connected to the Demonweb)
All quiet on the query front?
All quiet on the query front?
I believe so... except for your post, no one has posted on here since my last post almost a week ago.
Ah well, no news is good news in my case. It gives me a chance to fire off more queries into the Black Hole.
The Farmer's Almanac has it pegged for on or about Feb 11th (with 3-11 inches of snow attached).
Oh, silly me. I misread the columns on the ol' Farmer's Almanac. It says it's going to happen on or about March 11th (with highs in the 60s lows in the 30s).
Nada.
Hey, I was just taking a stroll through the early posts on this thread and chuckling at how some things never change. Just about 2 years later from the time I posted this, we're still fussing and complaining and holding our breath over the same junk. LOL.
Curious... Did "Young Jeremy Walker" graduate from that title? We don't hear that anymore. Is he "Jim" now or "J Dub" or something equally more mature sounding?
At one point in the way back time, Erik made an anouncement that the query culling process had been "streamlined" because a new intern had been hired. Is that streamlining still in effect and as effective? Who was the new intern? Wasn't that the dude we now affectionately (to his face, at least) call the Render, aka the Gatekeeper?, Mr. James L. Sutter?
Sorry for all the reminiscent questions. It was quite refreshing going back through the early posts, though.
Man, I miss Delglath. What happened to that snarky security gaurd from down under?
All of these questions belong on the "Conspiracies: Anyone?" thread...hmmmm.
There is a conspiracies thread?
Nada.
Hey, I was just taking a stroll through the early posts on this thread and chuckling at how some things never change. Just about 2 years later from the time I posted this, we're still fussing and complaining and holding our breath over the same junk. LOL.
Curious... Did "Young Jeremy Walker" graduate from that title? We don't hear that anymore. Is he "Jim" now or "J Dub" or something equally more mature sounding?
At one point in the way back time, Erik made an anouncement that the query culling process had been "streamlined" because a new intern had been hired. Is that streamlining still in effect and as effective? Who was the new intern? Wasn't that the dude we now affectionately (to his face, at least) call the Render, aka the Gatekeeper?, Mr. James L. Sutter?
Sorry for all the reminiscent questions. It was quite refreshing going back through the early posts, though.
Man, I miss Delglath. What happened to that snarky security gaurd from down under?
Ha! Well, I can answer that. The intern hired to streamline the process two years ago was me... and I did! Then I became the customer service guy, and a bit over a year ago was hired on as a full Dungeon editor. Now, however, the workload has become such that, even with three of us, the query process has slowed again. Hopefully we can get that streamlined again in the future, but in the meantime, thanks for being patient - I promise that the wait will be worth it in the end.
Also, Erik has officially announced that I've usurped Jeremy's "Young" honorific, as I turned 23 last week. He's now just Jeremy, and I'm Young James Sutter... but "the Render" will do just fine. :)
I turned 23 last week.
Heh, now you are older than me.
Also, Erik has officially announced that I've usurped Jeremy's "Young" honorific, as I turned 23 last week. He's now just Jeremy, and I'm Young James Sutter... but "the Render" will do just fine. :)
Happy belated birthday.
There is a conspiracies thread?
Aha! (glances over both shoulders and under the desk, gets up, pulls down shades, peers around edges of shades, closes door, leans back against door while fumbling with lock, turns off light, sits down, listens for a moment, then for a moment longer, then whispers to self) I knew it!
. . . I turned 23 last week.
Happy birthday! Congratulations! Well done! By the way, . . . just what is the life expectancy of a gray render anyway?
You'll just have to hire a 4th-person Paizo. Problem solved.
What's going to happen to this thread when it gets to the 52-53 page mark? There won't be any more room up top to list all the pages. Will they keep the bottom numbers as the old top numbers, but change the top numbers?
How many adventures do the editors plan (or hope) to greenlight for manuscripts at the next meeting? How far into the future are they planning adventures for publication?
Creative Director
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How many adventures do the editors plan (or hope) to greenlight for manuscripts at the next meeting? How far into the future are they planning adventures for publication?
That information is unknown at this time, since it's one of the things we decide at our meetings. As for how far into the future... let's just say "far enough that I'm not worried about having not had a meeting for a few months."
Can I vote at the meeting? Please?
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Chief Technical Officer
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What's going to happen to this thread when it gets to the 52-53 page mark? There won't be any more room up top to list all the pages. Will they keep the bottom numbers as the old top numbers, but change the top numbers?
It breaks to multiple rows (and where it breaks depends on your window size).
What's going to happen to this thread when it gets to the 52-53 page mark? There won't be any more room up top to list all the pages. Will they keep the bottom numbers as the old top numbers, but change the top numbers?It breaks to multiple rows (and where it breaks depends on your window size).
Is there a limit to the # of posts we can have in a thread?
How many adventures do the editors plan (or hope) to greenlight for manuscripts at the next meeting? How far into the future are they planning adventures for publication?
Meeting?! Has there been a MEETING?!
Another general question, but does Dungeon still send out a free issue to people who have something published? I have an article in #145 and I'm eagerly awaiting it. If not it's on newstands in a few days so no biggie but I just want to see it ASAP :D
How many adventures do the editors plan (or hope) to greenlight for manuscripts at the next meeting? How far into the future are they planning adventures for publication?Meeting?! Has there been a MEETING?!
The meeting finally happened everyone...stay tuned to your inboxes!!!
RUMORS RULE!!! :-)
Nicely done Uri. I got yo back.
Another general question, but does Dungeon still send out a free issue to people who have something published? I have an article in #145 and I'm eagerly awaiting it. If not it's on newstands in a few days so no biggie but I just want to see it ASAP :D
I usually receive 2 contributor copies of Dungeon when I have an article in the magazine, but they typically follow the publication by several months.
In other words, you may want to go get a copy or borrow someone else's copy if you're anxious to see it, otherwise you're most likely in for a wait.
- Ashavan
Another general question, but does Dungeon still send out a free issue to people who have something published? I have an article in #145 and I'm eagerly awaiting it. If not it's on newstands in a few days so no biggie but I just want to see it ASAP :DI usually receive 2 contributor copies of Dungeon when I have an article in the magazine, but they typically follow the publication by several months.
In other words, you may want to go get a copy or borrow someone else's copy if you're anxious to see it, otherwise you're most likely in for a wait.
- Ashavan
Thanks for the heads up. I just went downstairs to IT to see if a fellow D&D nerd had his copy, but he didn't. I'll pick it up in a few days. I should stop being lazy and subscribe already.
Meeting?! Has there been a MEETING?!
The meeting finally happened everyone...stay tuned to your inboxes!!!
RUMORS RULE!!! :-)
Nicely done Uri. I got yo back.
I have a back? Then how come I never saw it?
The meeting finally happened everyone...stay tuned to your inboxes!!!
Nick is, of course, a filthy liar.
Fun with ellipsisses*!!!
Nick is, of course, ... filthy ....
Yeah, really! Take a bath once in a while, Hawai'ian boy!
* dictionary.com says that's the plural of ellipsis, but it sure looks and sounds funny...
I wonder what that Gatekeeper inbox looks like, and if the editors poke their head into it once in a while just to see what it looks like. Must be scary, like the inside of a basement that hasn't been touched since 1968. People take a peek, just a little peek, and then flee in a mad panic upon seeing the carcasses of lost cats, stacks of old newspapers, piles upon piles of rat droppings, and a smell that would knock a pregnant elephant on its side.
Hmm. Sounds like my basement.
CONFESSIONS OF A GATEKEEPER #17:
"Sometimes, when nobody's around, I mark all the queries in the inbox as 'read,' and then hit 'undo,' just so that - for one shining second - I can feel what it's like to be all caught up on submissions...
-The Gatekeeper
CONFESSIONS OF A GATEKEEPER #17:
"Sometimes, when nobody's around, I mark all the queries in the inbox as 'read,' and then hit 'undo,' just so that - for one shining second - I can feel what it's like to be all caught up on submissions...
-The Gatekeeper
LOL. I've actually done that before.
What is James doing by himself with our proposals? Gah! No wonder a whole heap of mine got lost 12-18 months back and had to be re-sent. Only kidding! I'm sure it wasn't your fault (I hope). ;-)
Trust people to start totally unfounded rumors of meetings. You all know the next one isn't until the summer of 2009.
CONFESSIONS OF A GATEKEEPER #17:
"Sometimes, when nobody's around, I mark all the queries in the inbox as 'read,' and then hit 'undo,' just so that - for one shining second - I can feel what it's like to be all caught up on submissions...
-The Gatekeeper
My greatest fear is that one day you will stare at 1374 unread mails, then quickly hit ctrl+A and DEL. I did it once. To this day, no one knows.
My greatest fear is that one day you will stare at 1374 unread mails, then quickly hit ctrl+A and DEL. I did it once. To this day, no one knows.CONFESSIONS OF A GATEKEEPER #17:
"Sometimes, when nobody's around, I mark all the queries in the inbox as 'read,' and then hit 'undo,' just so that - for one shining second - I can feel what it's like to be all caught up on submissions...
-The Gatekeeper
Uhh... yeah, they do. ;)
Uhh... yeah, they do. ;)My greatest fear is that one day you will stare at 1374 unread mails, then quickly hit ctrl+A and DEL. I did it once. To this day, no one knows.CONFESSIONS OF A GATEKEEPER #17:
"Sometimes, when nobody's around, I mark all the queries in the inbox as 'read,' and then hit 'undo,' just so that - for one shining second - I can feel what it's like to be all caught up on submissions...
-The Gatekeeper
Maybe they do, maybe they don't, this isn't the issue. The point is that no one knows. Or at least did until I ate his face.
I always thought it was "ellipses". But what do I know, I'm an ignorant Canadian slut.
Maybe they do, maybe they don't, this isn't the issue. The point is that no one knows. Or at least did until I ate his face.Uhh... yeah, they do. ;)My greatest fear is that one day you will stare at 1374 unread mails, then quickly hit ctrl+A and DEL. I did it once. To this day, no one knows.CONFESSIONS OF A GATEKEEPER #17:
"Sometimes, when nobody's around, I mark all the queries in the inbox as 'read,' and then hit 'undo,' just so that - for one shining second - I can feel what it's like to be all caught up on submissions...
-The Gatekeeper
Ha! But you've gone and told the world on a public messageboard, so now we know your dirty little secret. Ah, and what's more... we know that your some kind of jacked up mindflayer that eats faces instead of brains. Well, maybe you eat the brains after you eat the faces.
Now, then... what to do with that information. ::rubs hands together and grins evilly::
I'm an ignorant Canadian slut, eh.
There. Now your post is correct. ;)
So wait. The post about the meeting happening was a joke?
"Inconceivable!"
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Lame.
CONFESSIONS OF A GATEKEEPER #17:
"Sometimes, when nobody's around, I mark all the queries in the inbox as 'read,' and then hit 'undo,' just so that - for one shining second - I can feel what it's like to be all caught up on submissions...
-The Gatekeeper
rumorrumorrumorrumorrumorrumorrumorrumor...
Okay, that's out of my system. I have a quick question that I can no longer remember if the answer is already lodged somewhere in this labyrinthine thread. The proposal submission guidelines state that once you send a query, you should shortly receive either a quick rejection or acknowledgement that the query has been received. I also read that if you don't hear anything back from the Black Hole after a month to ask. If I get no e-mail reply that my proposal query has been received, should I pester the Gatekeeper, or wait a month? (The question is somewhat academic, since it's been three weeks since a sent my happy query and SDF to the Black Hole.) Thanks!