Finally Submitting

[Torval]

I am finally submitting my article that I finished up in December. This is my first attempt at submitting anything and I just want to be sure that I have done everything properly. I have printed off a hard copy of the article. I have printed and signed the Unsolicited Manuscript Form. I am going to mail the article, UMF and a CD with a copy of the file on it to Palladium.

Would I be wise to also send an email with the same information? I have the ability to scan the signed UMF and send it as a PDF. Also, would it be against the rules to post the article up here if I am hoping to have it published?

I apologize if my questions are repetitive and I have read through other threads but I just want to be 110% sure of what I am doing before I do anything.

Thanks for any input.

[The Galactus Kid]

when you put it on CD, save it in multiple formats. I like .rtf, .doc, and whatever word perfect saves in.

[Torval]

I have saved the file as both .rtf and .doc already. I will try to find out what the file type for Word Perfect is and save the file as that too. Thanks for the advice!

I know that it shouldn't make a difference because all CD-Roms should be able to read both types but do you think I would be better off using a CD-R or a CD-RW? I don't know what type of hardware is on the other end or any oddities that their computers may hold.

I don't want to give too much about the article away but I would like some feedback as to whether or not there would be interest in this article; therefore, I am going to give some general information. Any and all feedback is welcome.

I have decided to call the article "The Deception of the Dwarves". It goes into a little bit of history about some of the actions that the dwarves had undertaken during the Elf-Dwarf War. It also introduces a new magic O.C.C. and an entirely new type of magic, complete with 32 new spells (including 2 Spells of Legend).

I do not wish to disclose any more details on the specifics of the article itself which will make feedback rather difficult but I would just like to get a feeling for the level of interest for an article like this.

Thanks in advance!

[The Galactus Kid]

Sounds good.

[Scott Gibbons]

Sounds like a cool article - can't wait to see it in the Rifter!

On a side note, you probably have done this already, but make sure that you go through the article with a fine tooth comb in regards to the rules Wayne posted for submissions. Things like making sure the periods are in O.C.C. and that there is only one space between the end of one sentence and the start of the next (instead of the standard double-space we all learned in typing class). These are little things, but if you do them then Wayne doesn't have to, and any time you can save him a headache you only increase your chances of being published!

Good luck!

[Torval]

Thank you for your input and I have actually already went through and double checked each of those rules. I did so on two seperate days as to allow time for my mind to "reset" so that I might catch any mistakes I missed the first time.

[Lord Z]

Good technique! I still feel that having another person's eyes proof read is always better than editing your own work. If that isn't feasible, then your two_day technique is probably a reasonable substitute. Either CD-R or CD-RW should work fine. It is more important to check that the disk is readble after hiring, using a stand file format format like .doc or. rtf, and mailing it in a hard plastic case. A followup call a month later to Wayne helps, just to make certain he received it.

[Torval]

Good technique! I still feel that having another person's eyes proof read is always better than editing your own work. If that isn't feasible, then your two_day technique is probably a reasonable substitute. Either CD-R or CD-RW should work fine. It is more important to check that the disk is readble after hiring, using a stand file format format like .doc or. rtf, and mailing it in a hard plastic case. A followup call a month later to Wayne helps, just to make certain he received it.

Thank you for your advice as well. I have also had a friend of mine proof read it as well. Unfortunately, I have been slacking and still have not sent it off. I'm hoping to get it done this week. It's been sitting here for just far too long.

[Carl Gleba]

An article on dwarves and magic. Cool

[Torval]

Update: I drug my feet. I finally mustered up the courage to submit it this morning. I sent it via UPS. I was told that they should receive it on Wednesday. Now all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best, I suppose.

[Carl Gleba]

Awesome good luck.

[The Dark Elf]

As a PF fan Im interested Torval.

Thats a good sign for getting something printed.

[Shawn Merrow]

Update: I drug my feet. I finally mustered up the courage to submit it this morning. I sent it via UPS. I was told that they should receive it on Wednesday. Now all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best, I suppose.

Good luck.

[Daeglan]

proof read your doc backwards. this will short circiut your brain from autocorrecting with what it wants to see.

[zor_prime1]

Good luck! It's a thrill to finally send it off. Great job getting it done and sending it. I know how tough that can be. Now it's done. Go work on something else while waiting.

[Torval]

I just called Palladium. They confirmed that they received my submission yesterday.

[Lord Z]

It's nice to see that you are following through.

[Torval]

It's nice to see that you are following through.

I know you advised me that a followup call about a month after I submit would be good but I'm just too excited. It's out of my hands now. Just gonna cross my fingers and wait while I start to work on my next idea.

[Lord Z]

With things being what they are at the Palladium Office right now, I won't disagree. Let us know how the next project unfolds, T.

[Torval]

I've just begun putting pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard, on the new project today. It's going to be an article about immortality. I suppose that it could be used for other settings but I am writing it with PFRPG in mind.

[Torval]

I have sent two emails in the past 6 months asking about the article but have not received a response. I did just call and leave a message on the answering machine. I realize they probably can't tell me if it will be used right now or not but I was more looking for some guidance. Was my writing style what they were looking for? Do I need to put more focus on certain areas? So on and so forth.

Crossing my fingers to hope I get an email back or a call just to give me some sort of insight. I know they are a busy lot and I don't harbor any ill feelings about not having received any responses up until this point but it is slightly discouraging. I finished up the second article that I was going to submit to a Rifter a few months ago but never ended up sending it. I don't want to send another one without knowing if my writing is even up to par.

I'll post on here again if I get a response.

[Scott Gibbons]

And now for some specific, unsolicited advice!

If you really want to know the status of your article, call between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time. Most likely Alex will answer the phone - ask to speak with Wayne about a Rifter article you've sent in. If he's available the call will be transferred, otherwise Alex will tell you when to call back.

Be respectful. Most likely Wayne will only vaguely remember your article, if at all (that's been the way with things I've sent in). He may have to give you a call or e-mail back once he's had a chance to refamiliarize himself with your work.

Don't expect a lengthy or detailed critique of your work if it has been rejected; Wayne is too busy for that usually. Do remember that if something has been rejected because the writing wasn't up to standard, but you really believe in it you can always rewrite and submit it again. (If you have any friends who write, get them to look it over, even if they don't game - never underestimate the value of a fresh pair of eyes. If you don't have anyone at all, pm me - I'd be happy to help out another PB fan)

Most of all - don't give up hope! My first article was accepted and published, but then my second, third and fourth were not. The fifth one made it through. I'm now working on a couple more. That's just what you gotta do sometimes. As Kevin says, keep the faith and game on!

[Torval]

I just received a called from Alex roughly 40 minutes ago. He was very nice and professional but wanted to let me know that he would pass my message along to Wayne. He said that my article might still be in backlog as I sent it in Oct 2010 which is around the time Hank passed away. He took contact information from me to pass to Wayne and talked to me briefly about the selection of artwork and how it differs from written material.

It was a short phone call and I won't go into full detail because I don't want to risk sounding dumb. I was just happy to get a return phone call from someone there so that I at least know that its not all just a waste of time.

Still keeping my fingers crossed but I gave up holding my breath a long time ago. I didn't want to suffocate.

[Scott Gibbons]

I just received a called from Alex roughly 40 minutes ago. He was very nice and professional but wanted to let me know that he would pass my message along to Wayne. He said that my article might still be in backlog as I sent it in Oct 2010 which is around the time Hank passed away. He took contact information from me to pass to Wayne and talked to me briefly about the selection of artwork and how it differs from written material.

It was a short phone call and I won't go into full detail because I don't want to risk sounding dumb. I was just happy to get a return phone call from someone there so that I at least know that its not all just a waste of time.

Still keeping my fingers crossed but I gave up holding my breath a long time ago. I didn't want to suffocate.

[Kovoston]

"...Also, would it be against the rules to post the article up here if I am hoping to have it published?

Thanks for any input."

________________________________________________________________________________________________


Don't post it on the internet. Let Wayne and Kevin see your work first and foremost!.
G

[Torval]

I have had the privilege of speaking about my article with the staff. They think the quality of writing is there. Wayne and Kevin considered it for publication but apparently it was shot down in the end because of the dwarves and magic thing. I am currently deciding how I want to rework the article so that I can maintain the same flavor and style that it held but also be acceptable for publication. I will not make another post on here until I resubmit.

Thank you for all the support from those who responded to this thread.

[Torval]

Alright, I reworked the article and resubmitted it today. Of course, since I selected UPS ground it won't actually go out until Monday so the estimated time of delivery is Wednesday.

Back to crossing my fingers.

[Severus Snape]

Great job with persevering! Let us all know how it goes, and if we can expect to see your work in an upcoming Rifter!