Online story writing

[kerensky]

Okay so here is the idea...

A lot of you out there write stories about your individual space empires games, why not write one all together? The way this would work is that you guys would each get the position of a captian or something (your choice) on a ship in a fleet. I would act as moderator of the story and throw out things such as new technologies, looming battles, and other such stuff. Your job as the writers would be to respond to this stuff as in writing as if you were in the game. The game would physically never take place, it would be mostly imaginary.

For examples of how this would work check out this site (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~homeworld/board/index.php?s=572973f7da5fb08254f2caa399b25760&showforum=7). It has degraded terribly from what it used to be, which is kinda sad.

Since I will be out of town most of next week, I'll start this when I get back, if there is enough interest.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Hmm...Maybe.

[Loser]

You should check out our Play by Committee (http://invirtuo.cc/se4/) game.

There's another one that's just starting, too.

[sachmo]

Originally posted by Loser:
You should check out our Play by Committee (http://invirtuo.cc/se4/) game.

There's another one that's just starting, too. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">And read about it HERE (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=23;t=012004). Good stuff!

[Gandalf Parker]

Do a google search on "publish on demand" (keep the quotes around all 3 words).
Id love to see some dime novel SEIV series books. People did it with their DnD campaigns. Some of them did pretty well.

[ July 15, 2004, 22:06: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Just make sure you're not paying. Remember, proper flow of money is from publisher to you. And get an agent. That's what auther's have said on an auther help site written by auther's.

[Atrocities]

Publishing Link (http://www.upublish.com/expect.php)

Here ya go. 20 to 30% royalties.

[Gandalf Parker]

Publish-on-Demand is different. There are alot of sites with different options but it generally works like this.

You send them a book done in PDF format. Cover art, back, the story itself with images. They create a webpage that you can include on your site which shows your book. Some do softcover, some do fancy hardback. If someone clicks the link then that company takes the order, prints the book, and ships it. Its the same way CafePress does t-shirts. The book doesnt exist until someone orders it. If they charge $15 to send the book then you can charge $19.95 if you want to. They will send you the extra. As far as they are concerned it doesnt matter if you sell 10 or 1000.

Its alot easier then getting an ISBN number, printing contract, and in the book stores. But it can be a good stepping stone to getting there.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

According to something I read, cafepress gives you very little return compared to finding a shop and doing it yourself.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
According to something I read, cafepress gives you very little return compared to finding a shop and doing it yourself. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">They only set the base cost. Something like $9-$13 depending on the shirt style. You can set the sale price any level you want so profit is up to you.

But its all pros and cons. Finding a shop and handling it all yourself to get more of a cut is probably true of anything. Most of those places want some sort of minimum order.

What I like about CafePress and some "print-on-demand" book place (I havent found a favorite yet) is that they allow EVERY web site to have tshirts, mouse pads, lunchboxes, designed for their site. Without having to do all the shopping-cart and shipping/tax garbage. For the books, I did one just to get a real book printed of some poems I did as a kid. I dont think the site is even there anymore but I didnt care. I only wanted one for myself. Of course if anything really takes off then the person would want to switch to something more inline-marketing. But its an easy start.

Its not a get-rish-quick thing where $2 each shirt I sell is going to make me quit my job. Its that I can offer my own shirts.
Space Empires IV
(a cure for sleep)

[ July 15, 2004, 23:17: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[Loser]

Originally posted by sachmo:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Originally posted by Loser:
You should check out our Play by Committee (http://invirtuo.cc/se4/) game.

There's another one that's just starting, too. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">And read about it HERE (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=23;t=012004). Good stuff! </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Thank you, sir. Praise from a storyteller like yourself is quite a thing.