Wayfinder #18 Announcement

[Timitius]

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to let everyone know that we have made the decision to switch Wayfinder over to an annual (1 issue per year) publication, thus dropping the winter issue, and focusing primarily on our PaizoCon issue. The single issue will likely exceed our current 76-page limit, so that we can take in more new authors and artists.

Printing for PaizoCon will be entirely dependent on whether we have enough sponsors to fund a print run, otherwise it will be PDF only.

Why the change? Simple. The back-to-back schedule for the two issues has become too much for our solely volunteer efforts. This option allows us to be much more flexible, but helps avoid the cancellation of Wayfinder, which I hope no one wants.

We also would like to try and fill the winter void by taking on much smaller, special projects, like a collection of Beginner Box scenarios, or a Gazetteer-based supplement, depending on volunteer interest and availability. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

So, Wayfinder #18 will be our PaizoCon 2018 issue, #19 for PaizoCon 2019...and so on. (See how that works out? Pretty cool, right?)

We greatly appreciate all the support our fellow fans have given to Wayfinder, and hope that you want to continue to be a part of our community project going forward.

If you have any questions, please ask in the thread here. We will try and have good answers for you!

Tim Nightengale
Wayfinder Editor-in-Chief

[Isabelle Lee]

Thank you for the update, sir. ^_^

[Hmm]

That does sound nifty.

Hmm

[ulgulanoth]

How will the special projects be organised? Will there be a call like Wayfinder issues are on the boards?

[Timitius]

ulgulanoth wrote:

How will the special projects be organised? Will there be a call like Wayfinder issues are on the boards?

Yes. Once we decide on a project, we would put out a call here for it. Such projects will be smaller and more focused.....probably 32 pages or less.

They will not be firmly scheduled. It's all about interest and availability of those volunteering to make it.

[Scott Young]

First off, THANK YOU to everyone involved in running Wayfinder over the past years. You have done a good thing.

Second, while the pure consumer in me revolts and says, 'No! I want MORE!", I totally understand the issue of volunteer burnout. This is a well-thought-out plan and I'm sure it will be successful. I look forward to contributing to Wayfinder #18 and to every other "special project" made available.

[Don Hastily]

Timitius wrote:

We also would like to try and fill the winter void by taking on much smaller, special projects, like a collection of Beginner Box scenarios, or a Gazetteer-based supplement, depending on volunteer interest and availability. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

At first, this seemed like bad news, but these special projects might be fun.

How about a small bestiary of new monsters? Maybe link it to the most recent AP? I think that would be an interesting and useful special project.

[Andre Roy]

Taking care of your staff, especially a volunteer crew, is always the most important thing IMHO.

And the way I see it, it gives us a full year to polish our fey articles to be submitted without feeling any rush ( in my cse one is completed, the second one is stomping me a bit. I have the gist and the fluff, it's figuring the crunch now that's not as easy).

[Justin Sluder]

Quality over quantity. Good call. :)

[owenstreetpress]

I wrote my master's thesis on fanzines, and I can say that Wayfinder has more content and is of higher quality than those that I read (not that they were bad, mind you), and has been coming out consistently for a long time now. That's a ton of work, which for a great many fanzines is, traditionally, pretty much impossible to maintain. That Wayfinder has made it this far before paring down is super impressive.

Paring down is a good call, because historically, the alternative is usually shuttering the zine, and that would be a huge loss for the community. I'm looking forward to contributing to and editing future issues!

[Belabras]

Thanks for all the tireless work keeping Wayfinder going! If one issue a year is more workable, then so be it.

[Kelly Youngblood]

Pacing yourself to avoid burnout is crucial in any endeavor.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Sorry to hear (especially since for the first time, I was coming up with ideas without waiting until the last week), but as others said, avoiding burnout is important. I'm excited to see what special projects you come up with.

[Meraki]

Totally understandable. While I love me some Wayfinder, I'm sure it's a lot of work to keep everything running. I'm glad it's going to keep going, even if it comes out less often. And the new ideas sound pretty neat.

[Bardess]

You can count on me for any special projects!

[Yasumoto]

Thanks for the heads up- much happier to hear we're getting a more manageable pace than a cancellation! Y'alls hard work is much appreciated!

[Snorter]

I think you can all take pride in the fact that this has come out on time, for as long as it has, with reviewers reporting a constant increase in quality.

The release of issue 17 will mark nine years of herding the cats of this forum toward a common goal, with all their awkward questions, and attempts to reimagine the submission guidelines to their own interpretation.

Like a swan floating serenely across the surface of a lake, to outside observers it appears effortless, as they can't see the frantic paddling going on below the surface.
Made even more impressive, by the fact several of the contributors and staff have been dealing with serious personal obstacles, while bringing these issues to print.

Take some time out, because you've earned it.

[Liz Courts]

*fist bump*

[Andre Roy]

Timitius wrote:

[...]

We also would like to try and fill the winter void by taking on much smaller, special projects, like a collection of Beginner Box scenarios, or a Gazetteer-based supplement, depending on volunteer interest and availability. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

[...]

I'm just thinking outloud here and feel free to nix the idea.

For those special projects, would they still be Golarion specific, or would it be possible to open them to other setting (say FGG Lost Land, Purple Ducks Porphyra, Kobold Press Midgard or Wayward Rogue Shattered Skies to name but 4 settings).

I understand that there might be issues with this such as getting permission to use it, less writers who are knowledgeable of it or less interest from the reader to name a few, but I figured I toss it out there.

[Anthony Adam]

Quite understandable and actually makes me excited to think I might get bigger issues as a by product! :)

Just make sure the subject line for special issues calls in the forums include the word "Wayfinder" or I might miss them >.<

[He'sDeadJim]

Understood. Appreciated. Accepted.

NEXT?

[Set]

Thanks for the update and all the amazing work y'all have put into this so far!

Is the intent still to have the next Wayfinder be based on fey and / or the First World?

[Timitius]

Set wrote:

Thanks for the update and all the amazing work y'all have put into this so far!

Is the intent still to have the next Wayfinder be based on fey and / or the First World?

Yes. Honestly, I had intended to get the call for submissions up in April for Wayfinder #18, but we've been working hard to get Wayfinder #17 and the Wayfinder Bestiary finished.

I will work on the Call for #18 here in the next couple of days.....

[Timitius]

Here it is..... Wayfinder #18 Call for Submissions