Footprints Issue #25. Let's do this.

[Malrex]

Hey all,

TLDR: Looking for submissions and volunteers for Footprints Issue #25.

I spoke to Steve. We both agreed that Issue #25 is a pretty solid number....and that it should happen.
So...let's make this happen. Pretty encouraging speech huh?

I plan to tackle this as lead. I'm super busy, just like everyone else is, and recognize this is a volunteer effort, so my initial deadline is December 2021 (1.5 years away). Of course, if we get submissions and volunteer editors and people get fired up, we can bust this out waaaaaay faster. So I'm gauging interest out there:

I'm looking for people who are interested in submitting material for Issue #25. Articles, new spells, magic items, monsters, short adventures...whatever!

I'm looking for people who are interested in offering their cartography and art skills.

I'm also toying with the idea that it might be cool to have a list of "The Best" from all previous Issues. So I'm looking for a volunteer to compile a list of articles, monsters, dungeons, etc. and generate polls for the general boards so everyone can vote on them to determine 'The Best', and we can compile a master list that can be inserted into Issue #25. This idea may need some ironing out and whoever takes this task could run with it...

I'm especially looking for volunteer editors.

For complete clarity: Just because you submit something, doesn't mean in will be put in the issue. Your work may be edited, ripped apart, thrown against the wall, stomped on, and cursed at. The volunteer editors and myself are going to be looking for clear, focused writing...if it doesn't make a lot of sense and going to take a full-on edit, then we may not pursue that effort as we are all volunteers. We may need to edit things so that it fits with the layout process as well. Also keep in mind, your work might be great, but we just can't fit it in (i.e. can't fit 10 dungeons in a issue, etc.)--so it might all come down to the editing effort. We are going to try and do our best to accommodate, but we will appreciate some flexibility and we don't want any lip. So send us your best work!

Most importantly, we are looking for people who stick around to give clear communication. If we can't reach you to answer some questions about your submission, then forget it. Check your DM's or emails.

Final note: Please don't do fancy formatting stuff. Single column only. (I'll make it double column during layout). For dungeons, I prefer bolded magic items and monsters and italicized spells and I'm a fan of bullet points--so if you do fancy stuff like that, it's probably ok and I can try to work with that during layout or you can write me a note explaining your vision. IF you have tables, it might be easier for me if you put them in excel and in your writing part you say Insert Table 4 here, etc. Please put your name or nickname on your work so we can credit you!!

If that hasn't scared you off, then check out the submissions guidelines: https://www.dragonsfoot.org/sb/

and send submissions to: footprints@dragonsfoot.org

Also..give me a holler here if you think you want to help out or contribute material so I can gauge interest.
Thanks!

--Malrex

[EOTB]

I'll be happy to contribute since the goal is sufficiently distant, but I've already got six months of projects in front of me.

But if you can wait until Month 7, you can pencil me in. Let's see what other players want for characters, and then I'll fill out what's missing.

[Jacob72]

Great idea!

[The Icemaiden]

Happy to help out with some artwork

[Fingolwyn]

I can contribute some "TSR Blue" dungeon cartography similar to what I have contributed to & (AND) Magazine, or perhaps for one or more dungeon adventures (if Sir Clarence doesn't do those for you) like with Issue 17. I also can do some editing or proofreading. Just let me know.

[Xotl]

When you say "editor" what do you mean? There's varying scope there depending on how you use it: straight copy-editing, or more project management-type stuff?

[Malrex]

When you say "editor" what do you mean? There's varying scope there depending on how you use it: straight copy-editing, or more project management-type stuff?

What I mean, as an editor, you will do more straight copy-editing/proof-reading type stuff on submissions.
If you are into project management, I'm sure we can come up with a job/section of interest, but I was planning to shoulder the project management for the overall project.

It's a volunteer effort so would like to try and keep it fun and have people do what interests them.

EOTB--sounds good!
Icemaiden--I was hoping you would say that! I'd want you to do something that appeals to you after we get some submissions, or if you want to do a comic strip or...hell, I'd be honored to use anything you feel like throwing in.
Fingolwyn--that would be awesome. Lot's of options there....If a dungeon writer submission needs help with a map, then cool...or if you want to do one for fun that readers could populate on their own--I think that would be cool too...and/or I'd even be happy to write up something for whatever you draw up if you want to do something collaboratively.

[DeltaDemon]

I can contribute stuff. They are articles (no adventures, dungeons or magical items).

[ken-do-nim]

I will definitely contribute, though I haven't decided what yet. Maybe my "Tragedy of the Silver Princess" extension for orange B3.

[Starbeard]

I've got a couple of things I can pick from to submit, but like a couple of others it will likely be several months before I can really sit down to crank it out. I'm also happy to do volunteer editing in whatever capacity you need.

[Bree-yark]

I have an adventure I can submit. It has a couple monsters found from other sources in it: one from Monsters of Myth and a couple from Dragon magazine. Should I replace any of these with standard monsters?

[EOTB]

I believe each of the MoM monsters lists it author. If that author is still part of the community, why not just ask them?

As for the dragon mag monsters, can they be converted to OSRIC? Restate their description with new language, etc. Perhaps renaming them, if the name isn't common to myth/legend.

[Malrex]

I have an adventure I can submit. It has a couple monsters found from other sources in it: one from Monsters of Myth and a couple from Dragon magazine. Should I replace any of these with standard monsters?

What EOTB says above sounds good to me. If you run into some issues we can brainstorm so not to worry about copyrights, etc.

[Marco]

I lift monsters from other sources all the time for the submissions I have made. I try to be very meticulous about the origin of the sources and give credit everywhere it is due. Thus, my submissions tend to have a list of references at the end. I am certainly not an expert in the nuances of copyright law, but since Footprints is not something being done for any kind of profit, I don't think anyone is really going to care enough to have a cow about the content.

Marco.

[Scalydemon]

The silver anniversary issue.

[Marco]

The silver anniversary issue.

Not quite, but close. #1 came out in 2004; if #25 comes out on schedule, we're talking about a 17 year haul.

Marco.

[complete]

I will be submitting an article.

[Xotl]

I'd be happy to copyedit. I have a decent amount of experience in that area.

[Slice812]

I'm pretty involved in a move right now but I'd like to help proofing/editing as I also have quite a lot of experience with those functions. I might also have a lower powered magic item or two to contribute. Please keep me in mind.

[Malrex]

Hey all--I appreciate the call outs for interest, on this thread and through direct messages. I'm going to sit back until we get some submissions, and then will be reaching out for help as needed. I'm looking forward to this...I think we can make a great #25 issue and I appreciate everyone's willingness to make this happen.

[Torctref Spleenkiller]

Is there going to be a theme for this edition? Or are there specific submission types desired?

I've got short drop-in adventures completed, and AD&D content that I've being working on.

[Malrex]

Is there going to be a theme for this edition? Or are there specific submission types desired?

I've got short drop-in adventures completed, and AD&D content that I've being working on.

I'm totally open to a theme. Maybe we could even have DF vote on it.
Other than that, I'm pretty open to submission types. Hopefully there is some variety though as I don't want 10 dungeons in the magazine necessarily.

[Milo]

What the hell, I will even submit something. I have a few things I am working on...

[DeltaDemon]

Is there going to be a theme for this edition? Or are there specific submission types desired?

I've got short drop-in adventures completed, and AD&D content that I've being working on.

I'm totally open to a theme. Maybe we could even have DF vote on it.
Other than that, I'm pretty open to submission types. Hopefully there is some variety though as I don't want 10 dungeons in the magazine necessarily.

The problem with a theme is that it limits what can be submitted. I have two or three articles I can submit, but won't be able to if you impose a theme.

[Slice812]

Agreed about a themed issue limiting submissions. Unless we make it a pretty generic theme, such as "A celebration of 40 years of our favorite version" or similar. <shrug>

[Steve]

We could make the theme the diversity of TSR D&D in all it's forms



(i.e. not have a theme and try and have a bit from original D&D through 1e to a bit of [gasp] 2e)

[Sue Dunham]

I'm working on an article about glyph of warding, mostly as an excuse to learn how to lay out such a thing. I see that MS Word is the preferred format for submissions, but part of what I'm doing is arranging big tables of pictures that will probably blow Word up. Can the graphic part (or all) be submitted in LaTeX or pdf form? If so, will US Letter pages work, or is the final magazine A4-size?

This is assuming I don't just wind up ripping off my (copiously credited) sources too much for publication.

[Malrex]

Ok...no theme except for Steve's suggestion. I don't want anyone to feel left out due to a theme.

Hey Sue--magazine is US letter size 8.5 x11.
I'm sure there is a way to incorporate a pdf version into the layout process--but I'm self taught and still have a lot to learn about it.

I think I would prefer if you send it to me in Word, with separate pictures....But if you send me a pdf of how you want it set up, I'll try to mimic it to the best of my ability. That way you can still learn how to do it.

[Malrex]

Bump

Going to be having more time now to focus on this. I've only got a few things left to edit...so keep things coming.

This is going to be a big magazine this time around as we will have several adventures in it. This is #25, so will be bigger than usual.

Fingolwyn made some beautiful maps and I got a volunteer who is going to do a dungeon write-up using one of the maps. I am going to include the other 2 maps as well for DM's to pick up and use as they wish...because I can't decide which one I like best.

I may have a few art ideas to go along with some of the articles/dungeon---would love to have some volunteer artists.
...or if artists had an idea and just want to draw up something, even like a comic strip or something...*cough Icemaiden..cough*

Or just art in general. Would rather have any kind of art from members to show off than me just using stock art...

What I really need help with is finding a colored art piece for the cover... Would love a volunteer artist to tackle that...

Let's get our creative juices flowing people.....

Gooooooo Team!

[Malrex]

DRAGONSFOOTERS.....

December 2021....
Or...it could be...
December 2020...I mean, that's only a year away. We all like new content....faster....right?
25th issue is a solid number...so is 2020...sounds better than issue #25 in 2021..right? Just a thought.

I got a page number in mind...once we exceed it, we can publish this bad boy. We want some quality gaming content people!!

Still a bunch of room!!!....THIS is your chance to get published in a magazine that will be around for eternity.... The bards will sing your name....and stuff.

Still looking for ideas for a colored art cover piece....and I have some content that if artists would like to weigh in I can give some ideas of what we could use....