RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka JoelF847
|
I just noticed this over on ENWorld - thought it would be interesting to my fellow contestants who didn't advance.
Not sure why he didn't also post here, but I know I'll look into it.
That's cool. I suggest finding out the pay scale. This hobby pays, but in very, very small increments....
(Paizo excepted as I don't know what they currently pay their freelancers.)
I just noticed this over on ENWorld - thought it would be interesting to my fellow contestants who didn't advance.
Not sure why he didn't also post here, but I know I'll look into it.
Wow! Thanks! Considering I don't frequent ENWorld, I'd totally missed that!
Well, nothing ventured nothing gained...
Sweet Zombie Jesus! Awesome.
Thanks for posting this.
Not to be the bad apple, but, does anyone know anything about this particular company? Always good to do a bit of research before you go throwing your hard work at someone. If they are legit and look good, then by all means, sign us up. I will see what I can find out, but if anyone knows anything, please let us know.
That said, thanks Joel for posting this. It is very cool and it may be a chance to put to the test some of the lessons we have learned.
WC
Not to be the bad apple, but, does anyone know anything about this particular company? Always good to do a bit of research before you go throwing your hard work at someone. If they are legit and look good, then by all means, sign us up. I will see what I can find out, but if anyone knows anything, please let us know.
That said, thanks Joel for posting this. It is very cool and it may be a chance to put to the test some of the lessons we have learned.
WC
I sent of an email to them, so we'll see what reply I get. I very much have your concerns in my mind, too.
That said, from a look over the webstie, the company looks not hugely unlike the set-up Mongoose have; I know something about that because my Dad published his wargames rules in PDF through their subsidiary Wargaming Online.
Wait and see, I think.
They have been around for a while. I haven't heard bad things about them, so I take that for a good sign.
I too have sent an email, feeling them out and asking for more information about them as well. So as said prior, we shall see.
You know, you haven't lost yet.
http://www.lpjdesign.com/
Yeah, they've been around for a while. Put out a good bit of product, the only bad mark I know of is that last time I read a Haven thing the editing sucked. They post at rpg.net a bunch. Not sure how much they're offering, but I'm sure it's a legit offer.
|
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 8
|
I too have sent an email, feeling them out and asking for more information about them as well. So as said prior, we shall see.You know, you haven't lost yet.
True, but personally as a DM I am now exploring the world of 3rd party material having been Pre-4ed Announcement, WOTC only product allowed. This is another potential publisher where I might be willing to throw my money, further if I'd not be willing to throw them my money, why should I want to write for them? Entities like Paizo Publishing, Malhavoc Press, Necromancer Games, Kobold Quarterly I respect and would be proud to write for them; if I were to write for anyone I wouldn't buy from, then I certainly wouldn't be interested in doing my best for them either. Which would you trust to buy from more, an author published by Paizo or other as listed, or John Schmuky of Lavender Dragon ePublishing House?
Not to be the bad apple, but, does anyone know anything about this particular company? Always good to do a bit of research before you go throwing your hard work at someone. If they are legit and look good, then by all means, sign us up. I will see what I can find out, but if anyone knows anything, please let us know.
That said, thanks Joel for posting this. It is very cool and it may be a chance to put to the test some of the lessons we have learned.
WC
Amen, brother. I will send them an email, too, see what I find out and post my findings here. Thanks for posting this. One good thing leads to another, they say...
Cheers,
M
Lavender Dragon ePublishingSilly Joseph, everyone knows Dragon ePublishing could never work! :)
Uh ohhhhhhh. ZING!
Be warned, there are some in the industry who feel LPJ underpays,does little but repost the OGL of popular companies, and is generally shady.
I've had no dealings with them myself, but any seach of GMS opinins on the compnay should be viewed before getting into bed with them.
Just a suggestion--dont bite on the first thing.
More doors will open. If they want you now, they will want you in a few weeks.
Beware of people trying to capitalize on you as a marketing ploy for them.
Besides, this contest will likely open some print publication opportunities. Even for the people who dont win it all.
I can tell you this, I know for a fact I will have discussions with a few of the contestants here already. Not just the winner. Other serious print publishers are watching and waiting too, I imagine. Including WotC.
That said, there is no reason not to contact them and no reason not to be excited that this contest is opening some doors.
This is for real, kids. And people are paying attention.
Just a suggestion--dont bite on the first thing.
More doors will open. If they want you now, they will want you in a few weeks.
Beware of people trying to capitalize on you as a marketing ploy for them.
Besides, this contest will likely open some print publication opportunities. Even for the people who dont win it all.
I can tell you this, I know for a fact I will have discussions with a few of the contestants here already. Not just the winner. Other serious print publishers are watching and waiting too, I imagine. Including WotC.
Thanks for the words of wisdom. I am definately going in with my eyeglows open (I can't say I've heard of these chaps either, but that doesn't mean much.)Like I said, wait and see.
Besides, this contest will likely open some print publication opportunities. Even for the people who dont win it all.I can tell you this, I know for a fact I will have discussions with a few of the contestants here already. Not just the winner. Other serious print publishers are watching and waiting too, I imagine. Including WotC.
Wow. I didn't enter the contest, and I don't really do any game design or even DM for that matter, but this excites the bejeesus out of me!
This is very exciting and I hope everyone remaining continues to put forth their best as I know I love reading the entries.
Fresh talent! Woot!
:-)
I looked at the website as well, and it seems to be legit. I'll also send off an email. Like Clark said, no harm in contacting them. In the end you can always say 'No'.
WC
Be warned, there are some in the industry who feel LPJ underpays,does little but repost the OGL of popular companies, and is generally shady.
I've had no dealings with them myself, but any seach of GMS opinins on the compnay should be viewed before getting into bed with them.
Those are actually some strong accusations. "generally shady"? Well, do they pay on time or not is the real question (along with "how much"?).
By "GMS opinins", do you mean Gareth Michael Skarka? I have two caveats to that. One, he owns his own small company. It is bad form for a publisher to make comments about other publishers. Two, he holds strong opinions which don't always measure up to other people's experiences. That said, I acknowledge that a lot of people read and listen to what he has to say, but take everything on the internet with a measure of caution. (Including this post!)
By "GMS opinins", do you mean Gareth Michael Skarka?
Yes I do.
but take everything on the internet with a measure of caution. (Including this post!)
Agreed, and good advice whether reading you, me (especially me!), GMS or LPJ.
Be warned, there are some in the industry who feel LPJ underpays,does little but repost the OGL of popular companies, and is generally shady.
I've had no dealings with them myself, but any seach of GMS opinins on the compnay should be viewed before getting into bed with them.
Those are actually some strong accusations. "generally shady"? Well, do they pay on time or not is the real question (along with "how much"?).
By "GMS opinins", do you mean Gareth Michael Skarka? I have two caveats to that. One, he owns his own small company. It is bad form for a publisher to make comments about other publishers. Two, he holds strong opinions which don't always measure up to other people's experiences. That said, I acknowledge that a lot of people read and listen to what he has to say, but take everything on the internet with a measure of caution. (Including this post!)
I will agree with Dungeon Grrrl, however. I did apply for work with him once but found the pay to be far too low to be worth it and passed. Also, he was briefly kicked off of RPGNow and the RPGNow policies were modified because of selling products that were largely (or entirely) other people's OGC but at a lower price (Googling around will find public discussion of this). Nothing illegal, of course, since it was 100% OGC, just kinda rude.
Now those occurred a while ago, and he's still around publishing products and back on RPGNow, so maybe he learned his lessons. I'm just saying this isn't unfounded rumors and Skarka's personal opinions (he just tends to be the most vocal of the companies originally involved with the RPGNow fiasco).
So, bottom line, it doesn't hurt to contact him but definitely do your research and make sure you are going to get paid what your work is really worth. And I'll echo Clark's comment:
Beware of people trying to capitalize on you as a marketing ploy for them.
Paizo is one of the big dogs in this industry, and if I were a publisher right now I'd be looking for a way to ride on their coattails. So make sure you benefit from the partnership as much as they do.
Oh, and I'd figure a lot of opportunities might open up, and so many people freelance across many companies that I would avoid anyone who asks you to work for them exclusively. If they want you exclusively, let them give you enough projects and pay to fill up your time rather than having you sign some exclusivity contract. That certainly almost never happens in this industry, but if someone (LPJ or someone else entirely, this is just hypothetical) is looking more to milk your title than offer you the opportunity for great work, then I could see someone trying to set up an exclusivity option.
That all being said, I do hope this or other great opportunities do work out for all of the finalists!
Kobold Press
|
Well, as long as we're talking opportunities, Kobold Quarterly is a good place to do a smaller project of 800 to 5,000 words.
KQ pays on acceptance (unusual in the industry), allows you to retain copyright to your material, and generally holds work to a high standard. Plus, hey, I like to splash author names on the cover.
Consider this a formal invitation to the contestants to submit a query. Issue #4 is looking for one or two more articles, because the page count keeps going up...
Well, as long as we're talking opportunities, [a href="http://www.koboldquarterly"]Kobold Quarterly[/a] is a good place to do a smaller project of 800 to 5,000 words.
KQ pays on acceptance (unusual in the industry), allows you to retain copyright to your material, and generally holds work to a high standard. Plus, hey, I like to splash author names on the cover.
Consider this a formal invitation to the contestants to submit a query. Issue #4 is looking for one or two more articles, because the page count keeps going up...
Because it deserves a working link. ;)
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
|
Well, as long as we're talking opportunities, Kobold Quarterly is a good place to do a smaller project of 800 to 5,000 words.
KQ pays on acceptance (unusual in the industry), allows you to retain copyright to your material, and generally holds work to a high standard. Plus, hey, I like to splash author names on the cover.
Consider this a formal invitation to the contestants to submit a query. Issue #4 is looking for one or two more articles, because the page count keeps going up...
Sounds like something I might like to do...
AFTER next Monday!!!
Gotta get my villain done first (in and around taking the kids on a trip this weekend - ouch, bad timing)!
This seems like the right thread to append a copyright question to:
I know Paizo retains rights to all RPG Superstar submissions. But if I were putting together a writing portfolio(i.e. samples of my work, not for publication), can I still use Terram and Seer's Tea?
This seems like the right thread to append a copyright question to:
I know Paizo retains rights to all RPG Superstar submissions. But if I were putting together a writing portfolio(i.e. samples of my work, not for publication), can I still use Terram and Seer's Tea?
Yes, just so long as you weren't selling an idea now property of Paizo. A portfolio is a preview of your work for potential employers, not a product that you sell. You're good. :-)
Hey everybody, Ron here, glad to see so many talented people. I too would like to offer jobs to all 32 superstars - of course, the job entails using your flesh and soul to power my infernal machine!!!!!!!
SOON, MY CHILDREN WE SHALL GRIND TO GRIST THESE GROGNARDS!!!!!!!
Ps. Have you checked out my new Audi?
I had to laugh at the audacity of LPJ's job offer. Not only does it sound just too brazen to come out and say "thanks for all the work finding these people for me, Paizo," but it sounds pretty desperate to say "wow, this guy made a cool magic item, I want him working for ME!"
To be fair, I don't doubt that any one of you could self-publish from this point on. Put your ideas into a .pdf with the banner "Superstar Top 32" and you're miles ahead of most of the other people trying to get their stuff noticed.
Depending on how much of "Superstar Top 32" is copyrighted.
I had to laugh at the audacity of LPJ's job offer. Not only does it sound just too brazen to come out and say "thanks for all the work finding these people for me, Paizo," but it sounds pretty desperate to say "wow, this guy made a cool magic item, I want him working for ME!"
Perhaps true, and I will be keeping that in mind with my communications with him. But a paying, credited gig is a paying, credited gig. Assuming, of course, that the pay isn't a pittance and the credit is on something I'd want my name attached to.
|
Kobold Press
|
But a paying, credited gig is a paying, credited gig. Assuming, of course, that the pay isn't a pittance and the credit is on something I'd want my name attached to.
The pay in most RPG gigs is modest, compared to pay in non-genre writer's markets. It's always worth asking up front, though.
My own rule of thumb is to stick to writing projects I enjoy on some level. That way, even if the pay is poor or late, at least I haven't been working on something that makes me miserable. From that perspective, the Open Design projects have been fantastic.
But I'm drifting away from the original topic.
I think the Top 16, Top 8, etc can reasonably expect that their Superstar success will give them a step up in the industry. It's certainly something worth mentioning in a query or cover letter, and as Erik points out, the offers will probably get better over time.
|
|
Well, as long as we're talking opportunities, Kobold Quarterly is a good place to do a smaller project of 800 to 5,000 words.
I didn't know KQ was accepting submissions already!
Hmmmm... between stuff for Paizo, stuff for WotC and snowstorms... yeah, I can squeeze in a query...
For the record, I have written for Louis. He fulfilled his part of our agreement exactly, and I have no complaints.
I'm not saying you should or shouldn't do the same. You may not get offered what I was. You may not have the same ease I did providing what he happened to want. But as an experience point, he did what he said he would, when he said he would.
|
Kobold Press
|
I didn't know Kobold Quarterly was accepting submissions already!
Yep, from subscribers, Open Design patrons, and RPG Superstars. Plus any print-published freelancer. I would love to see a query from you, Owen, but I know you're busy with the Big Guys.
Despite the query limits, my slush pile is still kind of out of control. Guess I should ask my kobold minions to hack it down to a reasonable size over the holidays.
Guess I should ask my kobold minions to hack it down to a reasonable size over the holidays.
Leave the tindertwigs out of their reach, else they might get ideas on how to cut through the pile. :D
Chief Technical Officer
|
Put your ideas into a .pdf with the banner "Superstar Top 32" and you're miles ahead of most of the other people trying to get their stuff noticed.
Depending on how much of "Superstar Top 32" is copyrighted.
RPG Superstar is our trademark. If you were to attempt to name your product in a way that used that, we'd have issues. So an "RPG Superstar Compendium" would be right out.
But if the product merely included attributive text like "by RPG Superstar™ finalist Steven Colbert," and you noted in your legal text that "RPG Superstar is a trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC," that would be fine.
By the way, we carry Louis Porter's products in the Paizo store. (Please don't take that as any particular endorsement [or not] of his publishing business; we carry a lot of products from a lot of people, and how they handle their business is generally outside our scope of knowledge.)
To be fair, I don't doubt that any one of you could self-publish from this point on.
Take it a few steps further. If several of them started working together, collaborated with talented yet affordable artists, and then created a few things for RPGNOW, you'd end up with a fledgling gaming publisher. And not the Lavender Dragon kind.
Steve G.
Has anyone heard back? I've emailed him twice, and gotten no response.
|
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka JoelF847
|
Has anyone heard back? I've emailed him twice, and gotten no response.
I emailed him the same day I started this thread and haven't heard back. Don't count your chickens....
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
,
Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka catdragon
|
Has anyone heard back? I've emailed him twice, and gotten no response.I emailed him the same day I started this thread and haven't heard back. Don't count your chickens....
If I counted my chickens, I would still have the same number. :D
|
Has anyone heard back? I've emailed him twice, and gotten no response.I emailed him the same day I started this thread and haven't heard back. Don't count your chickens....
it IS still the holiday season, if everyone gets their pathfinder #4 from USPS and you still havn't seen the email... then I'd say to start worrying