Got redirected by a couple companies on my game design.

Right. There are certain companies that operate on such a high level, that you need an agent to get their ear.
But don't hire an agent - you are a ways off from needing one, as I'll explain below.

"Creating a prototype" means "emailing an arts and crafts shop several high quality files that YOU created". Basically. I don't know what you're trying to achieve by having a prototype made by someone else - that sounds strange, but I guess my confusion comes from me not knowing if you've even made a first prototype. More on that below.

They are turning you down because you haven't thought this through (in the correct way).

Which email are you talking about? You absolutely aren't going to get through to WotC.
If you mean the prototype company, I would not be surprised if they are thinking the same thing about you (not reading their emails)!
Do you have files that you would like professionally printed and glued onto chipboard, laser cut, etc?
If not, do everyone a favor and quit emailing these folks. Tough talk, but it needs to be said.

What do you mean by "the" prototype? I guess the most important question is:

"HAS ANYONE PLAYED YOUR GAME?"
Seriously. Has anyone played your game? Under what circumstances? What craft-work did you do to facilitate this? Handwritten things on paper... maybe some printing and gluing, cutting...? Walk us through the prototype that you have (i.e. the physical version of the game that you are using to play the game).

You don't need art. You need a game.
If you are trying to create the files necessary for a professional printer to translate into a physical game (prototype), then you need graphic design/layout. And honestly, if you had those skills, you wouldn't be using the word "art" in this way. So all the more reason to quit emailing these guys.

Let's stop talking about art. You need a playable game.

So how many people have played your game again? And under what circumstance?

That means that their playtesters are going to put your game through the fire and see what remains. It's a tough process! But you need a game, and I'm starting to think you don't have one (not in the sense that you're making up this story, but rather that you haven't met certain criteria for what a game *IS*).

Make the rule book. Or pamphlet. Or whatever.
But seriously, if you don't have a rule book, then it's just thoughts in your head. If every thought in my head were a game (hell, if every google folder dedicated to a different "Game idea" were a game)... I'd have my secretary write this reply to you instead of typing it myself!

Don't give up! If you've made it this far, you are probably mad, discouraged, and bewildered. Some of that is necessary, because you are waaaaaaay off the path.
But get on the path. We'll help you!

Read the threads "stickied" at the top: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/forum/26/boardgamegeek/board-game-design

Enough with the art!

"Let-off studios" - solid advice. We'll see how much sticks.

@OP - I know you have a game, in a certain sense.
I am challenging you to make it MORE of a game. First step - rules.
Or first step - get a physical copy that SOMEONE can play.

Either way, take the next step.

I'm sorry to hear that you don't have any friends. Not sure what else to say, but I feel for you.

As for "my rules are too long", and the like -
Just post them! Make it a "blog" or "journal" post. I'm not sure which is better (or even the differences!), but one of those should be fine.

Or just a main thread. I personally don't care. "Too long" is just a pretext. Get it written and post it somewhere! You could also create a thread on BGG http://www.boardgamegeek.com/forum/1530033/boardgamegeek/works-in-progress

Do you have any board-game hobbyist groups or shops near your home? You probably will find better help there by mingling with even the customers than here.

Honestly you need some basics in this field before you even attempt something like this, and only face to face help will give you those basics. No amount of advice and services is gonna help you at the state you are in.

Besides, that will allow you to make some friends and get some player-testers.

i do not have a board-game group, I'm still studying, but a quick Google search with the terms "board-game groups near you", i found this site:
http://board-games.meetup.com/

Some previous posters have already described prototypes, but I'll try to clarify for you if I can.

I like to break it down into 3 stages a prototype can be in. Starting with the first and becoming more refined as play tests are done and problems are solved. These are not official categories, but I find it easier to explain them in stages.

The first stage is an Initial Prototype:

The essence of an Initial Prototype is functioning version of your game made with simple components. All you want to do is make sure your mechanics work.

Components in prototypes are usually anything you can get your hands on. Examples being: paper, sticky notes, dice, tokens, stickers, card board, etc.

Basic craft supplies, or even components borrowed from existing games, can be used in your prototype to represent the pieces you will need to play your game. These prototypes are usually for internal testing and refinement. You can show these publicly, but you will usually have to do a lot of hands on explaining.

The second stage is a Refined Prototype. You will be using slightly better components to better help infuse theme into your game.

Components will now include art, doesn't have to be good, but enough to help distinguish piece A from piece B. Your components will be slightly better quality. So instead of slips of paper with scribbled notes on it, it could be a printed piece of paper, with typed notes. You may use coloured construction paper now, slightly better tokens, and so on.

Refined Prototypes are better for showing your game to the public. You have infused theme with basic images and/or text, and it's easier to get new players into the game as the components are of a slightly better quality, making it easier to understand objectives and goals. Most often these types of prototypes are used for public play testing, and they can be used to show potential publishers. You will go through a few versions of this before you settle on a final design.

The last stage is a Final Prototype. This is as far as you can personally take your game without heavily investing. You have colour art, printed cards, and complete components. The game isn't changing thematically or mechanically at this point, but rather the quality of the components are the furthest you can go. These prototypes, while not usually necessary are great for showing what the final game could look like. Please note, don't invest too heavily in art or the design, because if a publisher is interested they may take over and change those aspects.

These are not any hard or fast rules about prototypes, but it's a good baseline for understanding them. I am in a public playtest of my game currently, so if you want to see what a refined prototype can look like, feel free to check out my journal post.

Just to echo everything that has been said already, and address a couple new concerns you've mentioned:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqqYxa3vTnU

Not sure how much research you've done on the subject, or games in general, but I've gotten my "designer bug" from watching/listening to The Dice Tower, and I owe them a lot (even though I've never actually released anything). The youtube video above is titled "Top Ten Tips for Game Designers".

My number 1 piece of advice? Relax. The more stressed out you get, the more mistakes you'll make. If you're designing a game, it's probably because you love games. Enjoy it.

And as for posting too much on this board, I doubt anyone minds. I've started two threads to two different games of mine, and I put almost the entire rulebook for each one.

To learn more about the design and publishing process. You Might want to take a look at this book:

--------------------------------

Tinsman, Brian
The Game Inventor's Guidebook: how to invent and sell board games, card games, role-playing games & everything in between! / Brian Tinsman.- 2nd Edition.- Garden City, NY: Morgan James ,c2008.

263 p.:Partially illustrated; 23 cm

Includes list of publishers, brokers, website, events, sample letters and license agreement.

ISBN 978-1-60037-447-0

------------------------------------

I already wrote a summary that can be found here:

http://bgd.lariennalibrary.com/index.php?n=DesignBook.Book-GameInventors...

It will not replace the book, but could give you a good idea of what is talked about. It's a pretty cheap and small book, you might be able to get it at the library.

------------------------------------

I read the replies in diagonal, but one thing that hit me is that you cannot just remember rules by heart. Rules is like the core of your work. Having no rule book like like having a movie idea without a script. It's simply not a movie yet. Even very simple games are written as soon as possible after a few playtest.

The rule book "while you design" is not a beautiful rulebook with all the illustrations. It's a rule book to make sure you do not get lost in your own rules.

In early design, it's possible that your rule book is more like a list of notes with turn order summary that you know how to use to play your game, but that anybody else won't be able to read.

When you game get solid after numerous iteration you can now invest more time on your rulebook to make it readable by others.

Rule book could also be a consolidation of your notes. I write a lot of notes on a piece of paper especially when I am searching for an idea or solution. I will rarely be able to find any informaiton later within those notes.

So instead, I transcript in rules the new findings I made in my notes that those ideas and updates gets integrated in the rules. Then I add an IR (In Rules) Icon on my note page to indicate that all the new ideas on this page are in the rules.

I even decided to link forum threads I make with my projects because sometime I get good ideas from those thread and forget to add them to the rules, or have no notes about it. So this way I do not lose access to the information.

Even recently after a few thread discussion, I might be compelled to write a rule book after the ideas I received. It also makes it clearer in my mind once things has been written down.

So the "in design" rulebook is extremely important. Especially if you jump from a design to another (which you should do) or if you have a short memory like me. I have successfully surprised my self be re-reading my own rulebooks or notes.

So everything not written is lost.

Here is a great source for playtesting:

there are several around the country

http://www.protospiel.org/index.html