"Alan T. Haley" wrote:
>
> >Infinite Possibilities wrote:
> > >
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > In the interest of livening up the list a little bit. :-)
> > >
> > > How does one go about starting a RPG publishing business?
> > >
> >Based on all I've read thus far, developing an appetite for very cheap
> >macaroni and cheese, and a good relationship with your parents (if they
> >have a basement) is a way to start.
>
> **SIGH** That's what would make it hard for folks like me with a mortgage,
> car payment, and so on. Still, there's always the weekends...
Well, *my* plan is as follows:
a)Marry a wonderful woman who, when you say, "Dear, I want to give up my
high paying job as a programmer and be a starving writer" replies with
"I will learn to make exciting meals from macaroni and cheese" as
opposed to "I want a divorce."
b)Start trying to get published anywhere. Send in magazine articles,
submissions to open calls, etc. Be active on lists with a lot of game
designers. Find out if you really DO have any talent or ability, as well
as the determination needed to sit down, stare at a blank screen, and
say, "Now I will *CREATE*!" -- and keep staring at the blank screen
until blood comes from your forehead.[1]
c)Hope that, after several months or years of freelancing in whatever
off hours you have, someone is impressed enough with your work to say
"Hi. We want to give you a full time job at sub-minimum wage levels, but
you'll be writing for a living."
But I don't want to run my own company. I know I have no business sense.
I just want a job where I am told "We need 50,000 words on the Snorbian
Flooophs for our upcoming supplement, get it to us in a week". Which is
on par with "We need the entire back-end rewritten in LOGO. Get it to us
in a week.", so I'm used to it.
[1]The joys of writing. I recently had an article published which
contained words to the effect of "the river blah empties into the
coolname ocean". My editor basically came back with:"Wow! Coolname ocean
is so cool sounding! We want an article on that! 5000 words, next
issue!" I, of course, had no idea WHAT coolname ocean was all about --
it just sounded cool. Well, now I know -- 'and knowing is half the
battle'.
