| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 17 Jul 2009 : 15:36:45
Check it: http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4spot/20090717
Aspiring Realms authors should particularly note the answer to one of the last couple questions:
quote:
Wizards of the Coast: Many gamers are also interested in contributing fiction to the novel line. While submissions are currently closed, what advice might you have for potential authors, particularly those interested in writing for Wizards' shared worlds? Is it more important to know the game, to craft a story, or equal measures of each? And are there any submissions you've seen over the years that while they weren't (or couldn't have been) turned into a novel nevertheless stood out in your mind?
Phil: The best advice I can give to aspiring authors of any sort of tie-in fiction is just don’t ever, ever, write a full-length novel “on spec.” We just aren’t permitted to read someone’s FR novel, Dragonlance novel, or anything else based on one of our games. And since we’re the only people who can publish something based on our trademarked properties, if we can’t read it, no one can read it, so just don’t waste your creative energy.
As the publishing business gets a little tougher, and we’re getting more selective in the number of books we publish, we’re relying more and more on experienced authors, so opportunities to break in are getting fewer and farther between. I don’t love that that’s happening, by the way. One of my favorite parts of this job over the years has been discovering new authors, and nothing brings me greater joy than that phone call to an aspiring author that tells them they aren’t aspiring anymore, they’re going to be published. But reality has crept in and made things a bit tighter.
Now that having been said, I would still advise aspiring authors to keep an eye on our website. We’ve held open calls for novel submissions in the past and may well again, though admittedly not in the next few months at least.
In an attempt to answer the rest of the question: no one should ever try to write a tie-in novel that ties in to something you’re not a fan of. If you’ve never played D&D and try to write a D&D novel, we’ll know, and so will the readers, and it won’t be a happy experience for anyone. Writing tie-in fiction is in many ways harder than just exploring your own fantasy world. You have to be ready to do research and if you don’t love the world you’re researching, well, that would have to just be a painful process.
Cheers |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| savedbygrace |
Posted - 09 Aug 2009 : 11:05:54
quote:
Even though there isn't a specific prohibition against reading fanfic, there IS a clause in many contracts requiring authors to affirm that the work is solely their own. So if a reader who sent us fanfic comes after the publisher, the publisher can shift the onus onto the writer--which, quite frankly, is where it should be. Writers need to be careful. Reading fanfic is one of those gray areas, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.
This is interesting for sure. As an aspiring writer, I was seeking an outlet last year and registered at a fan fiction site to share my work and read that of others but soon decided against it. Why? Much of what I read was quite rubbish and I thought it a waste of time to fill my mind with such below average talent. Nor did I desire to share my work among them. Please don't interpret that as a boastful comment neither is it intended as slanderous to those who spill their hearts out on that site. My theory was to read that of published authors to see what's being accepted and to honestly learn from their success. With the exception of grade school learning, I have never received any guidance or instruction in writing and I prefer not to cloud my mind with the unlearned. Why not learn from those who have made it? Anyhow, I have resolved to adhere to my own world of fantasy and create it from the foundations to the government that rules it. The dilemma that rests before my ever aching feet is my inexperience, and I am well aware that I could use more skill. I would love to weave tales within the world that I spend thought in while reading, but to have them fall short of being enjoyed by those who share like experiences seems, well, pointless. *sigh*
Perhaps you folks can answer a question for me that wraps repeatedly on my inner skull. >>>Intellectual property by moral law belongs to its creator and I respect that without measure. What seems to cloud my thinking is what exactly can one consider their IP? To clarify....D&D builds a core system such as equipment, weaponry, monsters, deities and races. D&D is governed by WOTC? And though common sense declares to me that they do not own the rights to these subjects, where does their boundary of law reach? Can we utilize the great tools that exist in the manuals if they are not connected to other settings?
After proofreading this post I realize that I am already aware of my answer. Anything given a particular name and associated with specific attributes remains the intellectual property of the creator. But I will leave this query for future speculation, knowing that there remains an even finer line that may be left for further discussion.
Thank you all for this topic |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 27 Jul 2009 : 12:49:43
A recent blog post by Jennifer Jackson, a literary agent with the Donald Maass Agency, addressed many of the issues raised here. Well worth reading.
http://arcaedia.livejournal.com/206628.html
|
| skychrome |
Posted - 22 Jul 2009 : 15:11:15
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
[]... and then a list of things NOT to use so you don't overlap too much (such as drow, guy with two swords, dragons, DROW WE REALLY MEAN IT!).
Damn, not again!
*glances at his almost finished, unsolicited 25 books novel series called "The adventures of Durrzzt the Dragonslyerprestigeclass-drow with two swords"*
  |
| Janav |
Posted - 22 Jul 2009 : 09:40:01
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
I've written over a dozen books for TSR/WotC, and only once was I given a (very broad) plot. Here are a few examples of the guidelines:
"A young female drow from a prominent family leaves the Underdark and has adventures."
"A trilogy set in Halruaa. We'd prefer that the main characters be human."
"A book set in Waterdeep. We'd prefer new, low-level characters."
"We like the title The Radiant Dragon. It's book 4 in a 6-book series, but we're sort of letting the story evolve so the plot is pretty much up to you."
And of course....
"There needs to be a Harper somewhere in this book."
The book with the predetermined plot was The Unicorn Hunt. Brian Thomsen asked for the following: A young boy hunts a unicorn because its horn has magically curative properties that will heal his dying mother. He has adventures along the way, but when he finally encounters the unicorn, he simply can't kill it. The unicorn touches the boy's water flask with its horn, imbuing it with magical properties. The boy takes this boon back home, and his mother is cured. The shape of the story and the end result is spelled out, so I call this a predetermined plot, even though I created the world, the characters, and the adventures. So yeah, there's lots of wiggle room even in the rare "here's your plot" situations.
If you're working on a multi-author series, it's a different scenario. The overall plot has to be determined and then broken up into book-sized chunks. The War of the Spider Queen series, for example, had a story bible, an overall plot determined by a team of writers and editors, and even then the individual writers had a considerable amount of creative flexibility. Richard could obviously speak to this issue far better than I; my observation comes from having read the story bible and some of the books and noting points of divergence and development.
Interesting and very informative for aspiring authors, like most of this thread.  |
| Teneck |
Posted - 21 Jul 2009 : 18:05:40
quote:
Originally posted by Richard Lee Byers
I hope this provides some insight into how this stuff works, and how much credit or blame the actual writer generally deserves for the results.
At least they do leave a lot of the story up to the artist since, after all, that is what you guys do best |
| Richard Lee Byers |
Posted - 21 Jul 2009 : 18:01:58
My experience with doing FR books is that when you're doing the stories that impact the overall status quo (the RSE;s, if you will), WotC sometimes tells the writer that he should portray a particular event, or leave a certain part of the world in a particular condition. But they pretty much leave all the details up to him.
I'm going to illustrate what I mean, but I can't do it without providing some spoilers relating to my stuff. So if you haven't already read my stuff, well, you can't say I didn't warn you.
It was WotC's idea that I write a trilogy showcasing the dragons of the Realms, and that it should involve a Rage. But I was the one who decided that it would be the worst Rage of all time, and also the last one. Because the heroes would find out what causes Rages, and how to put an end to the phenomenon.
It was WotC's idea that I should write a trilogy that would show how Thay evolved from the way it was in 3.5 to the way it is in 4th. They also wanted me to depict the Spellplague onstage as a part of the story. But I contributed all the other ideas, including the concepts of a Thayan civil war and Szass Tam's secret motivation.
When six of us writers (plus Bob S.) did War of the Spider Queen, those of us who were involved from the start constructed a very general outline of the overall story (at least it was very general when I was actively involved. It may have gotten more detailed after I finished my part.) The outline pretty much told a writer that he would be starting with the characters in a certain situation, and he had to leave them in a certain situation. But how he got from A to B was pretty much up to him.
Doing Book One, I knew the following:
The overall story was about the Silence of Lolth, and her metamorphosis.
There would be a particular group of core characters. The outline only defined them in the most basic possible terms (Master of Melee-Maghtere, Master of Sorcere, etc.) There was nothing about their personalities, motivations, or even their names.
During my part of the story, the Silence of Lolth would be revealed.
At the end of my story, the core group of characters would go off on a mission to investigate the Silence of Lolth.
Everything else in Dissolution, I made up.
I hope this provides some insight into how this stuff works, and how much credit or blame the actual writer generally deserves for the results. |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 21 Jul 2009 : 16:36:40
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I guess I had the wrong impression. I was under the impression that for most series/books, WotC had something definite (as in, a partially determined plot) in mind when they assigned it to an author.
Nope. Partially determined plots are the exception, not the rule. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 21 Jul 2009 : 14:41:15
I guess I had the wrong impression. I was under the impression that for most series/books, WotC had something definite (as in, a partially determined plot) in mind when they assigned it to an author. |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 21 Jul 2009 : 12:37:09
I've written over a dozen books for TSR/WotC, and only once was I given a (very broad) plot. Here are a few examples of the guidelines:
"A young female drow from a prominent family leaves the Underdark and has adventures."
"A trilogy set in Halruaa. We'd prefer that the main characters be human."
"A book set in Waterdeep. We'd prefer new, low-level characters."
"We like the title The Radiant Dragon. It's book 4 in a 6-book series, but we're sort of letting the story evolve so the plot is pretty much up to you."
And of course....
"There needs to be a Harper somewhere in this book."
The book with the predetermined plot was The Unicorn Hunt. Brian Thomsen asked for the following: A young boy hunts a unicorn because its horn has magically curative properties that will heal his dying mother. He has adventures along the way, but when he finally encounters the unicorn, he simply can't kill it. The unicorn touches the boy's water flask with its horn, imbuing it with magical properties. The boy takes this boon back home, and his mother is cured. The shape of the story and the end result is spelled out, so I call this a predetermined plot, even though I created the world, the characters, and the adventures. So yeah, there's lots of wiggle room even in the rare "here's your plot" situations.
If you're working on a multi-author series, it's a different scenario. The overall plot has to be determined and then broken up into book-sized chunks. The War of the Spider Queen series, for example, had a story bible, an overall plot determined by a team of writers and editors, and even then the individual writers had a considerable amount of creative flexibility. Richard could obviously speak to this issue far better than I; my observation comes from having read the story bible and some of the books and noting points of divergence and development. |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 20:54:38
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Outside of their casting calls (which gave us the Young Dragons author group), they prefer to stick to those authors they know. So you either prove yourself with a casting call, or you prove yourself elsewhere. Either way, you have to prove yourself to WotC before they'll entrust you with the task of writing their next novel. And that next novel will more than likely have a plot they've already decided on.
This certainly seems like a normal thing for a game company to do with their media tie-in novels, but my experience writing freelance for WotC is quite the opposite. I am frankly surprised by how much narrative freedom I've been given to work with. Basically, it's "use this type of fighter" or "use a dungeon" or "use 4e Waterdeep" and then a list of things NOT to use so you don't overlap too much (such as drow, guy with two swords, dragons, DROW WE REALLY MEAN IT!). Otherwise, I have been pretty much free in what I want to tell.
This has been my experience so far, as well.
Cheers,
|
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 19:40:01
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
Obviously the key is to take someone else's book and convert it. That greatly increases profitability. I can't believe I have to think of these things for you.
Oh no--I just usually leave the immoral and illegal stuff to the villains I come up with.
I also wanted to address something that Wooly said as well:
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Outside of their casting calls (which gave us the Young Dragons author group), they prefer to stick to those authors they know. So you either prove yourself with a casting call, or you prove yourself elsewhere. Either way, you have to prove yourself to WotC before they'll entrust you with the task of writing their next novel. And that next novel will more than likely have a plot they've already decided on.
This certainly seems like a normal thing for a game company to do with their media tie-in novels, but my experience writing freelance for WotC is quite the opposite. I am frankly surprised by how much narrative freedom I've been given to work with. Basically, it's "use this type of fighter" or "use a dungeon" or "use 4e Waterdeep" and then a list of things NOT to use so you don't overlap too much (such as drow, guy with two swords, dragons, DROW WE REALLY MEAN IT!). Otherwise, I have been pretty much free in what I want to tell.
quote:
Besides, I've read some fan-written material. Some is pure gold. Some is such utter crap that it hurts to read it. And unfortunately, there's a lot more of the latter than there is of the former. 
I started out as a Realms fan-fic writer--that's how I learned to write. If it works for you, it works.
Cheers |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 19:27:22
quote:
Originally posted by Zanan
As for translation, I'm part of a team who works for a German company who tries hard to get the German version of the rules into the shelves shortly after Paizo hands the world the English ones. In short, publication is the answer.
That's great news. I'm glad to see Pathfinder getting translated for German gamers.
quote:
Which reminds me that you were listed as writing for PF too?
I wrote the Pathfinder Journal feature for the "Legacy of Fire" adventure path, Pathfinder #19-24. It's a six-part novella called "Dark Tapestry" and introduces Channa Ti, a half-elf druid with an affinity to water. I will also have a short article in the upcoming game product River Kingdoms. |
| Ozzalum |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 19:19:06
Erik,
Obviously the key is to take someone else's book and convert it. That greatly increases profitability. I can't believe I have to think of these things for you.
Anyway, I think I'll keep writing in the Realms and just be sure to keep my day job. That day job I should be doing now... |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 18:54:27
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
And that was for a specific, open call. I'd imagine they get several unsolicited submissions a week.
It's on a daily basis, actually, if my editor is to be believed. Pitches, stories, novels, the works . . .
I figured as much, but I prefer to underestimate, rather than overestimate, with things like this. |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 18:28:02
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
I don't think it is nearly as difficult as you make it out to be to convert generic fantasy into the realms.
To clarify, I did say "with any verisimilitude." IMO, if you try to force a non-Realms story into the Realms, the results are neither good nor believable. (Though there are a thousand different interpretations of what is a "Realms story"--it varies for every reader.)
And I think we have a different definition of "convert generic fantasy into the realms."
If you say, "I want to tell a story about XX" and then say "where would I best tell that in the Realms?", then that's one thing. Assuming writing talent, a love of the setting (or at least a willingness to research), and some flexibility, that's not at all difficult, for the same reasons that you espoused.
If instead you say, "I've written this 100k word novel--where can I best put it in the Realms?", then that's another thing entirely.
Converting your 100k novel into a Realms novel AND having it be a *good* Realms novel, IMO, is unreasonably (and unprofitably) difficult unless you: A) are really, really talented, B) wrote a novel that basically already lines up with the Realms, or C) are just really, really good at faking A and/or B.
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
500 submissions? I retract all of my objections. WotC fans are obviously crazed. I'd lawyer up as well.
And that was for a specific, open call. I'd imagine they get several unsolicited submissions a week.
It's on a daily basis, actually, if my editor is to be believed. Pitches, stories, novels, the works . . .
quote:
Heck, we've had more than a few people pop up here either asking how to get in to writing for WotC, or with some unsolicited writing already in progress.
And my answer here, as it has been there, is: "Don't write in their IP. Publish elsewhere. Build your craft. Get publishing credits. Network."
I'd say more, but Elaine's already said it all.
Cheers |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 16:15:18
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
500 submissions? I retract all of my objections. WotC fans are obviously crazed. I'd lawyer up as well.
And that was for a specific, open call. I'd imagine they get several unsolicited submissions a week.
Heck, we've had more than a few people pop up here either asking how to get in to writing for WotC, or with some unsolicited writing already in progress. |
| Zanan |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 16:06:23
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
::nods:: There are so many interesting German games and publishers. I often wished Das Schwarze Auge was available in English translation, as I don't reach German well enough to read the game products.
Just out of curiosity, are you translating Pathfinder for publication, or as a DM?
Well, I'm a "hardcore" D&D and FR "fan" and while "DSA" does have some neat storeis and a decent background, the system of the game as such are woeful  . I don't know whether it is out there in the US of A, but the PC game "Drakensang" is set in "DSA".
As for translation, I'm part of a team who works for a German company who tries hard to get the German version of the rules into the shelves shortly after Paizo hands the world the English ones. In short, publication is the answer.
Speaking of which, German readers like German game material. Or rather, game material in German. Not that they don't buy English stuff, but many would prefer having it in German as well. I'd argue that a large quantity of 3.x-D&Ders over here would prefer an updated version of 3.xE rather than a new system like 4E, something they can use the multitude of d20 and D&D 3.xE material with. We obviously hope that PF is that solution ... at least in the German market.
Which reminds me that you were listed as writing for PF too? |
| Ozzalum |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 15:14:27
500 submissions? I retract all of my objections. WotC fans are obviously crazed. I'd lawyer up as well.
|
| BEAST |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 14:49:38
I've had fun e-mailing/message boarding with Bob Salvatore about stuff that has happened in his books. But he starts getting a little fidgety when we fans start throwing out ideas for future novels, scenes, etc. He would understandably like to be able to construct a future story without having a fan claim to have already given him the idea. And I don't blame him.
Now increase that by an order of magnitude for the entire company.
And if those theoretical open-call stories were actually set in the Realms, the likelihood of the stories having a similarity to something in the works or on the horizon by the company skyrockets.
Yes, it sounds wussy and cowardly for a company to be so concerned over it. It would be nice to imagine a corporation simply having the balls to stand its grounds and fight any plagiarism claims each time, every time, without flinching. "That's what we hired the legal eagle types for, so what do we have to worry about?"
But just to defend yourself in a suit--even when you're innocent--is scary-expensive. Splitting hairs over superficially similar ideas & simultaneous creativity versus true plagiarism is tedious in the extreme, for all concerned.
And again, bump that up by an order of magnitude for the whole company. Let a bunch of fans send in a bunch of stories all the time, and the company'd be defending itself against plagiarism claims all the time. There'd be no time to actually do any work.
Who wants that kind of hassle? Better to post a gatekeeper policy at the front door, just to be safe. Yeah, it makes eager fans/would-be writers feel snubbed. It's aggravating. It's frustrating. But it's for the best, given the realms we really live in. |
| Richard Lee Byers |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 14:46:22
Again, I agree with Elaine. A policy that is intended to help the company in the event that it gets sued by somebody sometime is not a an insult directed at you personally. And it's counterproductive to take it that way. If you're trying to be a professional writer, and you take it personally whenever you get rejected in all the various ways you will get rejected, your head will probably explode. |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 14:37:28
quote:
Originally posted by Zanan
Since I'm DMing most of the time, I have made a habit of writing adventures rather than write novels these days though. And if I weren't translating Pathfinder into German these days, I'd surely have them on them at one of our publishers over here.
::nods:: There are so many interesting German games and publishers. I often wished Das Schwarze Auge was available in English translation, as I don't reach German well enough to read the game products.
Just out of curiosity, are you translating Pathfinder for publication, or as a DM?
|
| Zanan |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 14:18:48
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
As a point of reference, does anyone know how many submissions WotC received in their last novel contest?
The last open call I remember (2004/2005) was for Maiden of Pain. Mine included, it got 500 submissions from all over the world. Kameron Franklin made it through and it was a good novel indeed. Since I'm DMing most of the time, I have made a habit of writing adventures rather than write novels these days though. And if I weren't translating Pathfinder into German these days, I'd surely have them on them at one of our publishers over here  |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 14:16:33
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
I'm with Zanan on this one. You have to know and love the Realms to be a good writer for the Realms, but they won't read anything set there for fear of being sued by their fans? Their fans, mind you. I would feel much better just having Rich Baker say "Hey Dave, I'm swamped and I can't read your book." or "I read the first chapter and simply couldn't continue, you talentless hack." than this crap about how the company is convinced he's going to steal my work and I'm going to sue him. It's insulting to both of us.
Well...not so much. It's my observation that contracts and legal guidelines don't represent what people THINK will happen, but rather, they anticipate the unexpected, worst-case scenario. Generally speaking, a contract (or company policy) is not intended to cast aspersions on the characters and motives of those under its prohibitions, and most people don't take them personally. ("What? They want me to sign an NDA agreement? Do they really think I'd give away company secrets? How insulting!")
Zanan, the baseball and America Idol references were meant to illustrate the number of aspiring hobbyists, and addressed the issues of competition and the selection process--topics quite apart from the legalities.
|
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 13:49:37
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
Not to get you deluged with fanfic or anything, but are contractors (for lack of the proper term) also covered by this decree. Could we all just send Ed our stuff in hopes of a recommendation?
"Contractors" works just fine, though "freelance writers" is the more commonly used term. I can't speak for any other writer, but I've never been told by WotC, Sony, or Lucasfilm that I'm prohibited from reading fanfic set in the Forgotten Realms, EverQuest, or Star Wars. That said, I do NOT read fanfic, for the legal reasons AND the time reasons discussed above.
Even though there isn't a specific prohibition against reading fanfic, there IS a clause in many contracts requiring authors to affirm that the work is solely their own. So if a reader who sent us fanfic comes after the publisher, the publisher can shift the onus onto the writer--which, quite frankly, is where it should be. Writers need to be careful. Reading fanfic is one of those gray areas, but I prefer to err on the side of caution.
Like most working writers, I don't read the unpublished work of other writers even when it is NOT set in a copyrighted world. There just isn't enough time. These days most aspiring writers have visited enough author websites to know this, but a few years ago I was getting a dozen or so requests just about every week. These ranged from "Can you edit my short story?" to "Can you explain to me how to get this idea I have down on paper?" to "I want to write a trilogy set in the Realms but I can't be bothered with the research, so can I send you chapters as I write them so you can plug in Realmslore?" I still get occasional requests, most of the far more reasonable than these and some of them from people I know. I hate to turn them down, but I have to.
|
| Ozzalum |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 13:33:02
I should have put in a smiley on that last proposal.
Wooly, you are far too concerned about people getting sued. Lawyers are fun to hate but this is a little absurd. You know I wrote a novel set in the Realms and it's hosted here at CK for anyone to download. If I'm reading some FR novel in the future and see paragraphs lifted out of my book, I might be able to successfully sue. But then again I would risk being counter-sued, since I infringed on their IP in the first place. It just doesn't seem like that big of a risk for them even if someone were to flagrantly plagiarize. Short of that, I'm under the impression that is is remarkably difficult to successfully sue someone for infringement.
I'm with Zanan on this one. You have to know and love the Realms to be a good writer for the Realms, but they won't read anything set there for fear of being sued by their fans? Their fans, mind you. I would feel much better just having Rich Baker say "Hey Dave, I'm swamped and I can't read your book." or "I read the first chapter and simply couldn't continue, you talentless hack." than this crap about how the company is convinced he's going to steal my work and I'm going to sue him. It's insulting to both of us.
As a point of reference, does anyone know how many submissions WotC received in their last novel contest? |
| Zanan |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 10:59:41
American Idol? Baseball? ... anyways, the idea that on the one hand they want people who are essentially knee-deep in gaming or at least the Realms, while on the other you shall prove yourself in writing but not in the aforementioned things looks positively farcical to me. I can understand that there are law issues here, but those are somewhat dubious too. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 02:56:30
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
I was thinking of American Idol but it didn't support my thesis. So many people need some real friends... the kind that tell you if you have spinach in your teeth.
Not to get you deluged with fanfic or anything, but are contractors (for lack of the proper term) also covered by this decree. Could we all just send Ed our stuff in hopes of a recommendation?
Most authors avoid reading fan stuff, too, for pretty much the same reasons as publishers do.
Besides, with Ed being as chronically busy as he is, I'd not recommend that we all start sending him stuff. Even if he wasn't perpetually up to his eyeballs in tasks and deadlines, he's not a WotC employee -- he's just a freelancer, as far as they're concerned. His influence with the company and what it does is less than what a lot of us think it should be, and likely less than most people would imagine. |
| Ozzalum |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 02:02:28
I was thinking of American Idol but it didn't support my thesis. So many people need some real friends... the kind that tell you if you have spinach in your teeth.
Not to get you deluged with fanfic or anything, but are contractors (for lack of the proper term) also covered by this decree. Could we all just send Ed our stuff in hopes of a recommendation? |
| ElaineCunningham |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 00:25:16
quote:
Originally posted by Ozzalum
The obvious difference between baseball and opera on one hand and fantasy writing on the other is the number of fans who think "I could do that!" The Yankees really don't need to worry about either of us trying out.
Not this year, at least.
Still, it would appear that a lot of people think "I can do that!" when it comes to singing. I don't watch "American Idol" (or much TV, for that matter), but apparently a lot of people turn out to audition.
quote:
I feel for these publishers, I really do. They have a tough job, but I don't feel particularly obligated to make them feel good about where they've drawn the line.
::nods:: Fair enough. |
| Ozzalum |
Posted - 20 Jul 2009 : 00:12:27
The obvious difference between baseball and opera on one hand and fantasy writing on the other is the number of fans who think "I could do that!" The Yankees really don't need to worry about either of us trying out.
I feel for these publishers, I really do. They have a tough job, but I don't feel particularly obligated to make them feel good about where they've drawn the line. |
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