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Eltheron
Senior Scribe

740 Posts

Posted - 24 Sep 2017 :  05:55:46  Show Profile Send Eltheron a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
I'm a bit behind on such news, but I'm wondering if there are any new novels coming soon?

Also, what about Ed Greenwood and novels? Does he have any scheduled? Doesn't his contract depend on one novel a year or something, and if they don't have him do that then the whole setting reverts to him?


"The very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful."
--Faraer

Richard Lee Byers
Forgotten Realms Author

USA
1814 Posts

Posted - 24 Sep 2017 :  17:26:55  Show Profile  Visit Richard Lee Byers's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but as far as I know, there are no more novels planned.

As far as Ed's deal with the publisher goes, I'm not privy to the details. There's no reason I should be. But my hunch (and I stress that it's only a hunch) is that the rights to the Realms reverting to him would not be as quick and straightforward a process as your question implies. So I think it's optimistic to hope reversion will provide the Big Fix anytime soon.
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Ayrik
Great Reader

Canada
7966 Posts

Posted - 25 Sep 2017 :  04:19:33  Show Profile Send Ayrik a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'd thought Realms movies would be "replacing" Realms novels? Just repeating what I've read online, from dubiously unofficial sources.

Times change. And legal contracts change whenever they're renewed. And Ed's in high demand, a busy man. I don't think he'd ever really "abandon" the Realms ... but he does have a lot of more things and other priorities than just the Realms to work on and worry about. I do think it's safe to say that Ed wouldn't exercise or enforce a minor legal clause which could harm the Realms (or the livelihood he draws from the Realms), he would instead negotiate some other "official" or "unofficial" arrangement which ensures "ownership" of the future of the Realms is sustained.

[/Ayrik]
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Mirtek
Senior Scribe

595 Posts

Posted - 25 Sep 2017 :  18:08:39  Show Profile Send Mirtek a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Eltheron

Doesn't his contract depend on one novel a year or something,
The catch is likely in the "or something".

No one of us knows the contracts, but maybe being offered participation in the bi-yearly adventure is enough to fullfill the contract?
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Kentinal
Great Reader

4684 Posts

Posted - 25 Sep 2017 :  20:19:11  Show Profile Send Kentinal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
What has been said about the contract is that Ed gets to write one novel per year or by agreement agrees not to write a novel for consideration.

As indicated that clearly is not all the contract and Ed clearly could agree to something like accepting 1.00 USD as payment as compensation instead of writing a novel for a certain year.

The only other things we were told about the contract was that FR was sold to TSR (with the revision clause) and any thing Ed says about the Realms is cannon unless superseded by FR print from the company.

As the the contract was many years ago it also clearly can have been renegotiated. Certain terms of the contract these days might be NDA.

As far as it goes, it is my opinion that Ed would not want rights to revert to him.

"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon
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Caolin
Senior Scribe

768 Posts

Posted - 26 Sep 2017 :  06:12:57  Show Profile Send Caolin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
The Realms are in the clutches of corporate hands and it will never be otherwise. Let's all stop deluding ourselves with this idea that it will magically revert to some benevolent hands in the future. Sorry to be so negative, but reading Realms novels has been one of my greatest joys for 30 years now. Seeing it die has left me very cynical.

Edited by - Caolin on 26 Sep 2017 17:12:40
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Irennan
Great Reader

Italy
3802 Posts

Posted - 26 Sep 2017 :  07:16:11  Show Profile Send Irennan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mirtek

quote:
Originally posted by Eltheron

Doesn't his contract depend on one novel a year or something,
The catch is likely in the "or something".

No one of us knows the contracts, but maybe being offered participation in the bi-yearly adventure is enough to fullfill the contract?



Yes. I don't recall Ed or THO claiming that the clause was specifically about novels. It only requires his involvement in the making of FR material (be it novels, sourcebooks, or adventures).

Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
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Ayrik
Great Reader

Canada
7966 Posts

Posted - 26 Sep 2017 :  23:49:09  Show Profile Send Ayrik a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal

As far as it goes, it is my opinion that Ed would not want rights to revert to him.

I +agree on this entirely, though I didn't want to be the first to say it openly, lol.

Let's face it: Ed's a great guy, he created the Realms, he's quite arguably the single biggest fan of the Realms the world has ever known. Ed knows and understands (and has probably forgotten) more Realmslore than anyone else. The published Realms, the unpublished Realms, his work, the collaborative work of others, all of it. I don't pretend or presume to speak for him, but I think it's fair to say that (like every other Realms fan) Ed has his favourites and his opinions and many things he loves and even a few things he "dislikes" about Realmslore. I think it's fair to say that one thing Ed never wanted to see was the Realms he created become a thing to cause the sorts of vehement divisiveness and abrasive hatred we've seen expressed over the years by countless Realms fans.

But we're all human. And Ed's gotta eat, gotta pay the bills just like everybody else. His arrangements with TSR/WotC/Hasbro (whatever they were and whatever they now are) have turned his Realms into something global, without them we would have never had any Realms campaign box sets and rulebooks and novels whatsoever, nobody outside of Ed's immediate circle would have ever known the Realms even existed at all. We'd probably all still be stuck playing Greyhawk and Krynn, lol.

And now, after many years, things just don't look promising for the Realms. Poor omens, few game products, no more novels on the horizon. We are inclined to blame evil Wizbro for "firing" authors and abandoning what we love. We cling to Ed's laments about how "his" Realmslore and published Realmslore were increasingly in disagreement, we are inclined to fully sympathize and exonerate him on one hand while eagerly awaiting whatever coy tidbits he "reluctantly" volunteers to sneak past his deliberately-vague and all-encompassing Wizbro-imposed "NDA" barriers on the other. (And not even in person - but through a proxy! - which is delightfully eccentric and even understandable for a busy man of celebrity stature, it's even a commendation to the continuing devotion and efforts of his Lady Herald, but it's still an implicitly disrespectful and even arrogant form of interaction, nonetheless. Many fans do notice this subtle "insult".)

Where the Realms finds itself now is not the result of some sudden blind turn. And Ed is one of those who steered the path of the Realms for decades, he may not have been at the helm but he was certainly always nearby. It's hard to determine whether the Realms has run afoul of hidden rocks and shoals or if it was deliberately aimed to ram a looming iceberg, but that's not a relevant argument here.

Ed (through his writings) has increasingly expressed interests outside the Realms. Exploring new landscapes doesn't mean one has to abandon familiar places. But there's only so much time available and more time dedicated towards writing the Realms means more time locked away from other literary vistas. Ed is a more versatile writer than, say, Steven King, I prefer to believe Ed is therefore less inclined to churn money-making pulp while hiding behind minor theatric variations of the same tired old stories and settings and themes.

But I do ask why Ed should particularly want the "ownership" and "handling" of the Realms to change? Maybe he's grown weary of carrying the Realms and would rather let it gracefully dwindle away? Maybe he's happy to absolve himself of "responsibility" by conveniently letting others determine the fate of the Realms. Maybe he is indeed confined by an utterly bullet-proofed barricade of legalities drawn up by Baator-dwelling Wizbro lawyer-fiends. Or maybe the legalities aren't really quite as rigidly defined, but challenging them and dragging the Realms through courtrooms would greatly diminish (or tarnish) what little wonder Ed and the Realms still give us. (Not to mention what little revenue the Realms still give him.)

This is all speculation on my part. And it's not meant to be accusatory or defamatory towards Ed (or his Lady Herald), my apologies if it's found offensive. What I'm trying to say is that there's more dimensions behind this issue than many Realms fans might readily accept. What we want and what Ed should want are not necessarily in accordance, not necessarily compatible, not even necessarily workable. I think that (based on public information) if I were in Ed's position then I would personally prefer to maintain the "status quo" instead of embracing the popular demand in this particular issue.

[/Ayrik]

Edited by - Ayrik on 27 Sep 2017 00:37:35
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Irennan
Great Reader

Italy
3802 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 :  01:18:00  Show Profile Send Irennan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
(And not even in person - but through a proxy! - which is delightfully eccentric and even understandable for a busy man of celebrity stature, it's even a commendation to the continuing devotion and efforts of his Lady Herald, but it's still an implicitly disrespectful and even arrogant form of interaction, nonetheless. Many fans do notice this subtle "insult".)



If you ask him Realms questions on twitter, he will generally answer directly. I don't see any arrogance here.

Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 :  01:25:05  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
to add further to what was just said, throw in that they've thrown the IPO out with the DMs Guild, and I would say that owning it would be a nightmare for anyone without deep enough pockets to make people question whether they'd want to own it. Its kind of a double edged sword, and I'm sad to see the DMs Guild as much as I'm at least happy to see people who obviously love the game developing products. Of course, it also sucks that I have to sift through the cr@p that's there as well.

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore

Australia
6641 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 :  02:22:55  Show Profile Send George Krashos a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
(And not even in person - but through a proxy! - which is delightfully eccentric and even understandable for a busy man of celebrity stature, it's even a commendation to the continuing devotion and efforts of his Lady Herald, but it's still an implicitly disrespectful and even arrogant form of interaction, nonetheless. Many fans do notice this subtle "insult".)



This has got to be one of the most disgraceful statements I have ever seen posted here at Candlekeep. And I've seen a few.

-- George Krashos

"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 :  03:54:19  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik

(And not even in person - but through a proxy! - which is delightfully eccentric and even understandable for a busy man of celebrity stature, it's even a commendation to the continuing devotion and efforts of his Lady Herald, but it's still an implicitly disrespectful and even arrogant form of interaction, nonetheless. Many fans do notice this subtle "insult".)



It's not an insult. It's even been explained here, before: he's got an older computer, limited time, and a crappy connection from his ISP. So the Lady Hooded One keeps an eye on things here, bundles up comments and questions, and emails them on to him. And he replies the same way.

I can't back up Irennan's comment about Twitter - I don't do the Twitter, so I've not seen Ed's activities there. But I can say that I've emailed Ed directly, on more than one occasion, and he's usually quick to reply (assuming there are no NDAs in place), and quite friendly. I even asked before doing it, via the Lady Hooded One -- Ed's email address came to me by accident, so I followed the established channels to make sure it was okay before I used it. And Ed was obviously fine with it.

And though I don't email him oft -- I don't want to take too much of his time -- he's always been responsive, and our conversations have covered more than just the odd bit of Realmslore.

I also know of at least two or three other people here, who have no game design credits or canon lore to their names, who have emailed Ed directly.

Candlekeep Forums Moderator

Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!

Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 27 Sep 2017 03:55:51
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Caolin
Senior Scribe

768 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 :  06:54:30  Show Profile Send Caolin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik

quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal

As far as it goes, it is my opinion that Ed would not want rights to revert to him.

I +agree on this entirely, though I didn't want to be the first to say it openly, lol.

Let's face it: Ed's a great guy, he created the Realms, he's quite arguably the single biggest fan of the Realms the world has ever known. Ed knows and understands (and has probably forgotten) more Realmslore than anyone else. The published Realms, the unpublished Realms, his work, the collaborative work of others, all of it. I don't pretend or presume to speak for him, but I think it's fair to say that (like every other Realms fan) Ed has his favourites and his opinions and many things he loves and even a few things he "dislikes" about Realmslore. I think it's fair to say that one thing Ed never wanted to see was the Realms he created become a thing to cause the sorts of vehement divisiveness and abrasive hatred we've seen expressed over the years by countless Realms fans.

But we're all human. And Ed's gotta eat, gotta pay the bills just like everybody else. His arrangements with TSR/WotC/Hasbro (whatever they were and whatever they now are) have turned his Realms into something global, without them we would have never had any Realms campaign box sets and rulebooks and novels whatsoever, nobody outside of Ed's immediate circle would have ever known the Realms even existed at all. We'd probably all still be stuck playing Greyhawk and Krynn, lol.

And now, after many years, things just don't look promising for the Realms. Poor omens, few game products, no more novels on the horizon. We are inclined to blame evil Wizbro for "firing" authors and abandoning what we love. We cling to Ed's laments about how "his" Realmslore and published Realmslore were increasingly in disagreement, we are inclined to fully sympathize and exonerate him on one hand while eagerly awaiting whatever coy tidbits he "reluctantly" volunteers to sneak past his deliberately-vague and all-encompassing Wizbro-imposed "NDA" barriers on the other. (And not even in person - but through a proxy! - which is delightfully eccentric and even understandable for a busy man of celebrity stature, it's even a commendation to the continuing devotion and efforts of his Lady Herald, but it's still an implicitly disrespectful and even arrogant form of interaction, nonetheless. Many fans do notice this subtle "insult".)

Where the Realms finds itself now is not the result of some sudden blind turn. And Ed is one of those who steered the path of the Realms for decades, he may not have been at the helm but he was certainly always nearby. It's hard to determine whether the Realms has run afoul of hidden rocks and shoals or if it was deliberately aimed to ram a looming iceberg, but that's not a relevant argument here.

Ed (through his writings) has increasingly expressed interests outside the Realms. Exploring new landscapes doesn't mean one has to abandon familiar places. But there's only so much time available and more time dedicated towards writing the Realms means more time locked away from other literary vistas. Ed is a more versatile writer than, say, Steven King, I prefer to believe Ed is therefore less inclined to churn money-making pulp while hiding behind minor theatric variations of the same tired old stories and settings and themes.

But I do ask why Ed should particularly want the "ownership" and "handling" of the Realms to change? Maybe he's grown weary of carrying the Realms and would rather let it gracefully dwindle away? Maybe he's happy to absolve himself of "responsibility" by conveniently letting others determine the fate of the Realms. Maybe he is indeed confined by an utterly bullet-proofed barricade of legalities drawn up by Baator-dwelling Wizbro lawyer-fiends. Or maybe the legalities aren't really quite as rigidly defined, but challenging them and dragging the Realms through courtrooms would greatly diminish (or tarnish) what little wonder Ed and the Realms still give us. (Not to mention what little revenue the Realms still give him.)

This is all speculation on my part. And it's not meant to be accusatory or defamatory towards Ed (or his Lady Herald), my apologies if it's found offensive. What I'm trying to say is that there's more dimensions behind this issue than many Realms fans might readily accept. What we want and what Ed should want are not necessarily in accordance, not necessarily compatible, not even necessarily workable. I think that (based on public information) if I were in Ed's position then I would personally prefer to maintain the "status quo" instead of embracing the popular demand in this particular issue.



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Irennan
Great Reader

Italy
3802 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 :  15:18:15  Show Profile Send Irennan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

[quote]
I also know of at least two or three other people here, who have no game design credits or canon lore to their names, who have emailed Ed directly.



Yep, I did, and he gave me a *very* warm answer.

Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2395 Posts

Posted - 27 Sep 2017 :  15:31:12  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik

(And not even in person - but through a proxy! - which is delightfully eccentric and even understandable for a busy man of celebrity stature, it's even a commendation to the continuing devotion and efforts of his Lady Herald, but it's still an implicitly disrespectful and even arrogant form of interaction, nonetheless. Many fans do notice this subtle "insult".)



It's not an insult. It's even been explained here, before: he's got an older computer, limited time, and a crappy connection from his ISP. So the Lady Hooded One keeps an eye on things here, bundles up comments and questions, and emails them on to him. And he replies the same way.




I think some people forget, or perhaps don't realize, that not everyone has access to high-speed internet. My husband's parents live in VERY rural northern Maine, and internet access in that area is tenuous and slow, when it exists at all. Ed's situation, as I understand it, is somewhat similar. When your online connective is slow, browsing through forums can take a prohibitively long time. He does have a day job, which makes a quick check of email or twitter easier, but no responsible person can sit at their desk during the work day and surf the internet, much less answer the sort of detailed questions that are asked of him on this and other forums.

Repeat: He has a day job. He is also an incredibly prolific writer and on top of this, for the past few years he has been spearheading an extremely ambitious small-press publishing venture. That's three jobs, one of which has a very long commute.

Ed is one of the most generous, accessible people I know, as well as one of the hardest working and most prolific writers. But no matter how much you do, there will always be people who feel entitled to more. For the life of me, I cannot fathom how anyone could feel "insulted" by Ed's contribution to the Realms. So when you encounter these fans who feel slighted that Ed's voluminous replies to this forum are delivered via proxy, please, feel free to point them in my direction. I'd be happy to have a little chat with them.

Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 28 Sep 2017 19:51:07
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Ayrik
Great Reader

Canada
7966 Posts

Posted - 28 Sep 2017 :  04:40:07  Show Profile Send Ayrik a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I understood I was volunteering a generally unpopular opinion, I expected some disagreement or disapproval from my fellow scribes, a few ruffled feathers, fuel for a lively debate. But it was not my intent to insult my peers, it was not my intent to insult Ed (or THO).

I did not expect to provoke such strong condemnation from so many. My post described by an esteemed scribe as being among "the most disgraceful ever seen at Candlekeep", a gravely serious expression of disappointment. Others prompted (after sometimes long periods of inactivity) to unhesitantly leap to Ed's defense, loyalty of good friends speaks for itself.

I wasn't aware of Ed's direct interactions with fans via emails or social media (especially since I don't tweet). Entirely my fault for jumping to ill-informed conclusions, failing to google and research enough, my opinion was evidently ignorant of real facts. But I see now that Ed's become more accessible than he was in past years. I am genuinely happy to hear (read) that he's more widely communicative with his fans than I'd (mistakenly) thought.

I see strong reaction to my description of Ed as "arrogant". I admit I wasn't fully comfortable choosing that adjective at the time of writing, too strong and too loaded, yet "condescending" or "elitist" would be equally inaccurate and equally offensive. Perhaps "lofty" or "aloof" would've better fit my intended meaning, but these descriptors are also inaccurate and potentially insulting. I'd foolishly expected (hoped) that "arrogant" would've been understood in its minimally offensive context. More importantly, I see now that my entire statement about Ed was fundamentally rude. And inappropriate in this forum. Probably better left unsaid entirely. Certainly, at the very least, it could and should have been stated in a far more circumspect fashion.

Yes, I've read many comments from Realms fans who felt slighted by having to interact through an intermediary. Some of whom described Ed's part in this arrangement with far more vehement and deprecating vocabulary than I used, some far more sensitive to (and less forgiving of) this perceived insult than I. I've always been taught that direct attention and direct interaction demonstrates courtesy, while interaction through proxies is dismissive. And there is indeed a sense of entitlement among fans, especially as a growing number of popular authors/celebrities become instantly accessible through social media. I see now that many of my sources were older posts from older times, outdated and obsoleted by changing times.

I offer my apologies for this insult to Ed (and THO), and his (her/their) loyal friends, and to all my peers here at Candlekeep. (And sorry, Eltheron, for permanently tainting/derailing your scroll. And sorry, Wooly, for making a mess.)

[/Ayrik]

Edited by - Ayrik on 28 Sep 2017 07:07:04
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Caolin
Senior Scribe

768 Posts

Posted - 06 Oct 2017 :  01:49:23  Show Profile Send Caolin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Welp, I would have to say that this would have to be the metaphorical nail in the coffin.

http://realms.theedgreenwoodgroup.com/how-to-get-your-forgotten-realms-novel-published/

Edited by - Caolin on 06 Oct 2017 01:50:06
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BenN
Senior Scribe

Japan
382 Posts

Posted - 06 Oct 2017 :  05:13:03  Show Profile Send BenN a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well that sucks. From Ed's tone, he sounds extremely frustrated.
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Irennan
Great Reader

Italy
3802 Posts

Posted - 06 Oct 2017 :  12:59:29  Show Profile Send Irennan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Caolin

Welp, I would have to say that this would have to be the metaphorical nail in the coffin.

http://realms.theedgreenwoodgroup.com/how-to-get-your-forgotten-realms-novel-published/



The writings have been on the wall for a LONG time now. Hope dies last, but I'm afraid that we'll have to wait many years at best before seeing any new Realms novels.

Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist

USA
11686 Posts

Posted - 06 Oct 2017 :  13:15:30  Show Profile Send sleyvas a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Caolin

Welp, I would have to say that this would have to be the metaphorical nail in the coffin.

http://realms.theedgreenwoodgroup.com/how-to-get-your-forgotten-realms-novel-published/



Yep, can't say I disagree with him. As I've said before, the stuff I'm writing is purely for my own fun of writing. I like to share my ideas. The only way I see it being "published" is the DMs Guild, which is essence saying "anyone can put it up"

Alavairthae, may your skill prevail

Phillip aka Sleyvas
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Firestorm
Senior Scribe

Canada
826 Posts

Posted - 09 Oct 2017 :  20:05:36  Show Profile Send Firestorm a Private Message  Reply with Quote
WOTC is basically another version of what WCW was under time Warner merging with AOL.

A corporate mess under constantly changing leadership who are given very little time to show improvement because they are small potatoes compared to the cash cows of the company.

The corporate suits do not support their underlings, they replace them if the ledgers are not to their liking.

All that matters is ledgers, the bottom line, and 20% growth in each sector and your EBITDA. If you do not meet certain growth, in order to meet your EBITDA you need to slice slice slice costs. Which usually means slicing essential staff and overworking what you have left.

Promotion is not predicated by meritocracy in a corporate political world. Ass kissing, fudging numbers and friends in high places determines promotions. It is an old boys club and they call the shots, paralized from doing anything bold for fear it will affect their stock options. Few who make decisions and control support in the corporate world want to use FR as anything but a 6 month stepping stone so they can move to a higher corporate position, leaving employees getting new bosses every 6 months who want to do things differently and no longer support the supposed "long term goals" set up by a previous regime.

If the people passionate about the realms cannot get support from above, it is all over, and it has been all over for nearly a decade.

Wizards of the coast by most verified accounts you can find online is a fairly soul crushing place to work for those working anywhere but the cash cow Magic the gathering.

A lot of authors who were being paid well below industry standard took a stand to get paid at least industry standard and the suits decision was to ignore them utterly.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2395 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  02:01:37  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
This recent YouTube interview may be of interest. Nathan Stewart, the current director of the D&D brand, talks about fiction near the end of the interview, around minute 56. He says there will be some "exciting announcements" in 2018 regarding lore and fiction. He doesn't get into specifics, but gave a "definative yes" to the notion that there will be more lore, fiction, and storytelling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P252_IFLN9E

Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 10 Oct 2017 02:08:38
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2395 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  02:39:09  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by BenN

Well that sucks. From Ed's tone, he sounds extremely frustrated.



Saying "no" over and over again IS very frustrating. Judging from how many requests I received from aspiring writers about how to publish in the Realms back in the day, I would guestimate that Ed has fielded literally hundreds of queries, and continues to do so.

When this happens, after a while the best thing you can o is take the FAQ approach: You write a clear, definitive statement so you'd have something to point people to when they ask a question. That's how the referenced posts reads to me.

I would also guess that some of the frustration comes from the expectations some fans have. This thread has highlighted one of them: Some readers feel insulted that Ed doesn't answer all their questions in the manner to which they feel entitled. I know from personal experience that some readers are offended and insulted in you don't provide the sort of "help me get my novel published" services they expect. And you might be surprised by some of the things they expect. One gentlemen wanted to write a trilogy, but "couldn't be bothered"--his words, not mine--with learning Realms lore and fact-checking for continuity, so he wanted to send me his rough drafts and have me add in the "Realms stuff." Most people are far less obnoxious, but many simply can't understand why a working writer can't read and critique their work-in-progress. One week I had thirteen such requests. That's pretty much a solid year's work right there. But I have had people flat out tell me that since they read my books, I'm obligated to read theirs.

Another issue is that many aspiring writers don't know a whole lot about the publishing process, so they assume, incorrectly, that freelance writers can influence the editorial decision-making process. I see Ed's response as an attempt to lay out how things work, in an effort to help people understand that he can't do for them the things that he would very much like to do.


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Taleras
Seeker

75 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  02:53:19  Show Profile Send Taleras a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham



I would also guess that some of the frustration comes from the expectations some fans have. This thread has highlighted one of them: Some readers feel insulted that Ed doesn't answer all their questions in the manner to which they feel entitled. I know from personal experience that some readers are offended and insulted in you don't provide the sort of "help me get my novel published" services they expect. And you might be surprised by some of the things they expect. One gentlemen wanted to write a trilogy, but "couldn't be bothered"--his words, not mine--with learning Realms lore and fact-checking for continuity, so he wanted to send me his rough drafts and have me add in the "Realms stuff." Most people are far less obnoxious, but many simply can't understand why a working writer can't read and critique their work-in-progress. One week I had thirteen such requests. That's pretty much a solid year's work right there. But I have had people flat out tell me that since they read my books, I'm obligated to read theirs.


Wow, that's crazy. When I found Candlekeep and found that you and other FR authors were so involved in the community here I was astounded. I can't believe some folks have such high expectations of authors. High isn't even the right way to put. Unreasonable is more fitting, I think.
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2395 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  12:46:22  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Taleras

Wow, that's crazy. When I found Candlekeep and found that you and other FR authors were so involved in the community here I was astounded. I can't believe some folks have such high expectations of authors. High isn't even the right way to put. Unreasonable is more fitting, I think.



The internet is a great way of making connections, but it also creates distance. It is very easy to forget that the words appearing on your screen come from a fellow human being, someone who is subject to the same laws of time and nature as you are.

We've grown accustomed to Siri, Wikipedia, and companies that offer 24-hour customer service, so the expectation of instant answers runs pretty deep. The wealth of information available online fosters the expectation that information should be free and immediately available, and since most writers are encountered and contacted via the internet, that expectation is often extended to them. So I do understand where this attitude is coming from. From a certain point of view, it seems quite reasonable. Unfortunately, that point of view excludes the fact that writers are people, not "resources."

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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author

2395 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  13:42:45  Show Profile  Visit ElaineCunningham's Homepage  Reply with Quote
But back to the main topic of this thread. If you haven't watched this YouTube interview with Nathan Stewart, it's well worth a listen. If you're only interested in the future of Realms fiction, and not game products, skip to minute 56 for his comments. I am guardedly optimistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P252_IFLN9E
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PaulSKemp
Forgotten Realms Author

808 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  16:13:55  Show Profile  Visit PaulSKemp's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

But back to the main topic of this thread. If you haven't watched this YouTube interview with Nathan Stewart, it's well worth a listen. If you're only interested in the future of Realms fiction, and not game products, skip to minute 56 for his comments. I am guardedly optimistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P252_IFLN9E



Had not seen this before. Thanks for sharing, ec. I will join you in guarded optimism.
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Caolin
Senior Scribe

768 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  18:35:28  Show Profile Send Caolin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

But back to the main topic of this thread. If you haven't watched this YouTube interview with Nathan Stewart, it's well worth a listen. If you're only interested in the future of Realms fiction, and not game products, skip to minute 56 for his comments. I am guardedly optimistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P252_IFLN9E



Thanks Elaine! I really hope this is true. I'm definitely a novel first fan of the Realms and I've felt really ignored by WoTC in the recent years. Let's hope they do change this state of affairs. Plus I'm using my Ring of Wishes to get you back to writing Realms novels!!!
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KraziJoe
Acolyte

USA
17 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  21:57:19  Show Profile Send KraziJoe a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

But back to the main topic of this thread. If you haven't watched this YouTube interview with Nathan Stewart, it's well worth a listen. If you're only interested in the future of Realms fiction, and not game products, skip to minute 56 for his comments. I am guardedly optimistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P252_IFLN9E



Thank You for pointing this out. Cautiously optimistic as to what is coming!!!
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Firestorm
Senior Scribe

Canada
826 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  23:22:36  Show Profile Send Firestorm a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

But back to the main topic of this thread. If you haven't watched this YouTube interview with Nathan Stewart, it's well worth a listen. If you're only interested in the future of Realms fiction, and not game products, skip to minute 56 for his comments. I am guardedly optimistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P252_IFLN9E


A lifeline!

But I am going to continue to be pessimistic in my head.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 10 Oct 2017 :  23:51:51  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham

But back to the main topic of this thread. If you haven't watched this YouTube interview with Nathan Stewart, it's well worth a listen. If you're only interested in the future of Realms fiction, and not game products, skip to minute 56 for his comments. I am guardedly optimistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P252_IFLN9E



That really does sound promising! I am cautiously optimistic that WotC will come thru for us, as I've long hoped they would. It's been really hard, keeping the faith the last few years -- so I'm hoping for a payoff, here!

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