Writing for e23

Last Updated: January 12, 2010

We are very interested in submissions for e23. (Note: Publishers looking to sell PDF game materials on e23 should send email to e23@sjgames.com. The information here is for writers who want to write for us directly.)

We handle e23 projects the same as all of our projects, so read our general Authors' Guidelines - everything there is important and we'll expect authors to be familiar with it. For most e23 products, the Roleplaying Book Submission Guidelines information will be particularly relevant. There is a lot there, but it's worth your time.

Here are the specific things to know about writing for e23:

The Submission Process

Follow the guidelines linked above, with two exceptions:

1. Your query letter should go to the e23 Editor. The subject header should start with "[PROPOSAL]" and follow with an identifiable title. The query letter is otherwise the same as described in the Guidelines linked above.
2. For the formal proposal stage, if the final PDF is intended to be 32 pages or less, the writing sample only needs to be 2-3,000 words.

What We Want

Our biggest need is for GURPS Fourth Edition materials. They can relate to already-published Fourth Edition books, or they can stand alone.

At some point soon we will be evaluating our plans for the In Nomine line. At some point in the future we may be looking for new In Nomine material (particularly double-statted for GURPS In Nomine). Should that happen we will most likely be interested in expanding the list of "full treatment" Superiors, but we would look at other proposals as well. Please keep checking back for updates.

Otherwise, there are a number of things we are not actively soliciting, but might be interested in: scenarios for our boardgames, fold-and-build minis (particularly vehicles or buildings), and anything else that's neat, original, and game-related.

Size: We are mostly interested in products ranging from about 13,000 to 27,000 words, although we will look at larger projects. The PDF format is flexible, so we can vary quite a bit on the specifics . . . but we prefer small, bite-sized supplements that go in-depth on reasonably narrow topics.

Topics: Read over the wish list! We'll entertain other ideas, but the wish list gives you a list of ideas we already know we want - no salesmanship required.

Layout/Art: This will usually be our problem. If maps or diagrams are required, we expect an understandable sketch we can work from, but that's about it.

Pay and Rights

PDFs have smaller sales figures than print books, but they also have a better profit-per-unit ratio! So our base royalty is 25% of the cover price (this can go up for authors with a strong reputation that helps sell books, and can go down for inexperienced authors or very heavy edits). We pay royalties on a monthly basis.

We do also offer flat fees; talk to the e23 Editor.

Payment for graphic products depends on . . . everything.

When we buy something for e23, we are buying all rights as a work for hire contract unless we negotiate otherwise. When it's appropriate, we will negotiate otherwise. For supplements to our existing products, that's not negotiable at all; we have to own all rights in supplementary works. But for products like (for instance) game adaptations of webcomics, our contract will of course recognize the rights of the original creator!

Contact

If you somehow missed it . . . all submissions and inquiries should come to the e23 Editor, at e23@sjgames.com.