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World's First Perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module

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WelcrielWawdriqe
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Hi, I'm Joseph Oberlander. I'm a headbanger. I was in an old D&D Club. I'm the First One to discover how to perfectly-balance a Table-top Rpg. The reaching version of Boardgames.

I made a perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module in whole. I search but I can't find anyone willing to Publish it. It's instead a strange solicitation World. I need advice on who will Publish my Game Module, a One that will make endless Millions; and all very obviously without regret. I need a link or an email or a response to this here from someone who doesn't think it's weird or supersticious to endeaver in what the fans of every great Rpg. have been looking for.

Here is the letter I have for Publishers:

Will you Publish my perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module? I am the First one to discover how to perfectly-balance an Rpg. I made a perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module in whole. I don't have the Money to pay for starting-fees. But you can't lose with the one-and-only perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module they have.

And they wouldn't want any other. They'll put their old D&D book back on the shelf, and let it collect dust forever. It's a Game Module called Millicentury Reclimbers. It's just like D&D, but, it's better. It plays with Races enhanced, and the Classes have powers.

Wait 'til you see the formats inside. And the Adventure enhancements and Character inter-action playability. I can't tell you the secret of how this can go. But all the things we needed in the past are here now. Everyone will see the story of a perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module unfold.

I can also make Boardgames, Card Games and etc.; too. I have One Boardgame readily available to analyze and publish. I can have a grEAt start with everything no one's had before with these Two Games thundering perfect and readily cloudy. I'll have a good lead. And no one will stand in the way.

This is the start of knowing everything to start every quest...

Sincerely,

-Joseph Oberlander-
(DrizztMoonstorm)
Email: sheltereddreams@yahoo.com

P.S.: Or can you add me to a list?

Despot9
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I think your problem is that

I think your problem is that anyone reading that letter has no reason to assume that your system is perfectly balanced. And from my understanding its not the balance that sells an RPG anyway but the setting.

You need to sell the sizzle not the steak. The steak in this case is an apparently perfectly balanced game system. The sizzle, is the world the game is set it. Since you basically describe your world as D&D but better, that means any company that publishes this game is going head to head with D&D for market share. A battle few will even be competitive in, and of those few will win.

Just my thoughts. Good luck.

larienna
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Any system can be broken,

Any system can be broken, espcially in an RPG where a player can basically do anything they want.

In a board game, the environment is more limited, so achieving perfection could be more probable, but even then, most board games are not perfect. In fact I don't think there is any perfect board game.

Even the great settlers of catan, which a world wide acclaimed game, has some flaws. Not many, but there are flaws.

So I don't think a perfect RPG system could ever be perfect. In fact, I think the perfect RPG system, is to have no system at all. At least in that case, there are no system to break.

So yes if you approach publisher by saying you have the perfect system, you are going to look like a weirdo and they are simply going to throw away your idea in the garbage can without looking at it.

laperen
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Most people play games for

Most people play games for enjoyment. Don't think I'd ever present a game idea with a system alone. It needs theme and setting to really give any feel.

Your confidence in your system feels very pretentious. Even if it is perfectly balanced, you are not making a good image of yourself with that opening statement in your letter to publishers.

Saying "its just like DnD but better" is pretty much a seal of failure. There isn't much reason to compete in an already niche market which is pretty much monopolized. And if this idea is going to be similar to the existing competitor anyway, it isn't worth the shot.

Even just considering you selling the idea as a system, not a game, you have not given any evidence or statistics(eg: number of people you tested the system with) of how this system is perfectly balanced, how much it differs from DnD, and why it matters.

The main problem so far is you are not giving any benefit to whoever is going to fund your game, and thus no reason for them to fund you.

ruy343
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I agree with everyone who answered above me.

However, I'd like to take a chance to help you write that letter the way I think it should be done.

First: we have to isolate exactly what the publisher wants from this e-mail. They want something that they can sell. There are dozens of completed game systems out there, so, like was said above, you likely don't have a foot to stand on by comparing it and saying that "it's better in every way".

Second: What is the feeling that you want your audience to glean from your letter? As it stands, it sounds a bit pretentious, and sadly, a bit immature. It uses a lot of short sentences, and its only means of persuasion is to state that it is better, without providing a comparison.

Third, immaturity in the board games industry is detected by your unwillingness to share pieces of your idea. When a new designer is asking for Non-Disclosure Agreements and utter secrecy about their project, publishers turn a blind eye. Why? If you were to send this to Wizards of the Coast, and their new D&D v5.0 had some elements of what you wrote about, there's a lawsuit waiting to happen, because you could claim those ideas were yours! They don't want that (and you probably shouldn't pitch there anyways). If you sent it to another publisher, they would simply say to themselves, "This guy will be hard to work with. Is it worth our time?"

Something I have learned since getting into the hobby of board game design is that not sharing my ideas publicly is really just a way to halt creativity. We really do learn a lot from each other. If they decide to steal your idea, you have the e-mail transcripts to prove that you thought of it first, so don't worry. If you posted your idea on this website, we know it's yours, and publishers don't see it as worth it to steal that idea. Too much liability risk. Don't include anything "secretive" inside your letter.

Finally, just sell one product. Don't say that you work on a whole bunch of things, but not deliver and say what exactly you have done in the past to back that up. In fact, on a first contact e-mail, I'd leave that out entirely.

Source: Experience on websites like these and the fact that I write research grant proposals as a job. Persuasive writing is kind of my thing.

Now, to write it how I would write it:

Ahem
----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear [Publisher],

My name is [Ruy343], and I'm an independent game developer.

Recently, my interests have taken me on a foray into the field of Role-Playing-Game Development. As I played several games with friends, I noticed that those in my group who were power gamers consistently found ways of breaking the game that make it so that their characters were too powerful by comparison to others, and that it ruined the experience for the rest of my group.

[note that here I'm starting by saying why I got into the design of the game, and what my goal was, but I'm doing so in a manner that the reader can relate to. I'm 100% certain that they have played with a power gamer before that had to be nerfed by the DM at some point]

However, rather than try resorting to the standard game Master nerf to tone down that character, I began to experiment with the system itself, attempting to create a more balanced RPG. In particular I began by tweaking [insert a general idea here], and had some success. However, over time, I realized that the root of the problem was [insert another general idea here].

[explaining how you came to the conclusions that you did to change the game really helps the publisher learn how you think, and learn why you would be a good, logical person to work with]

Once I fixed these issues, the game ran much more smoothly. We really liked it! So, I began to playtest with other gaming groups, and they all reached the same conclusion: we were on to something! In particular, they really liked the new ways that the characters could interact with each other, bringing them closer together as a team, and helping the players to tell the story as a group. Also, it made the Game Master's job much easier because of the adventure enhancement tools we came up with. Our adventures were fantastic!

[Ah, a piece of dangling meat for them to latch on to. The system is attracting more gamers. I am, of course, fabricating this generic story because I'm assuming that it is true because you say that it's perfectly balanced, therefore you must have tested it extensively. The key here, in this paragraph, is that the game is exciting, and rather than focusing on the system being the source of the "betterness" it is now a source of fun. Fun sells far better than "betterness"]

[I took the improvement ideas from your above letter. I would probably cut the second one out though since that makes it a bit longwinded]

That's why I'm coming to you with this letter. We want to share this system with you because, through you, we want to share this system with the world. We admit, we have a lot to learn, but we feel that we've come across some key innovations that will really help push the RPG genre into its next golden age.

[NOW you can state your purpose, after you have sold the product. A lot of Kickstarter projects fail because they just include backer rewards without selling what the product is, so nobody thinks it's even worth it. Same goes for you here: you need to sell your product, and yourself, before you can sell your system. Also, a little humility never hurts, as long as it's sincere]

We ask that you give our ideas a try. We have a sample of our rulebook, including the [character classes?] section, to give you a taste of what you've been working on. If you'd like to read more, feel free to contact me anytime.

Thank you for your time,

[Ruy343]
+1-(999)999-9999
ruy343@-----.com

McTeddy
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Your best bet is to self

Your best bet is to self publish.

Unless you are a highly successful and published module designer, no RPG publisher will even consider your new system. Even if you were insanely famous they are usually more interested in adding to the system they already own.

The other piece of advice I want to give you is to cut back on your sales pitch. "It's better than D&D and no one will ever go back after playing my game," comes off as amateur. Very few publisher's would consider working with you if you don't sound professional.

If your game is that good, focus on it's selling points alone. Wet their tongues with brief overview of the mechanics, a couple reasons its so balanced, and why it'll sell a million copies. You just want them to play it.

You want the publisher themselves to realize that it's a better game on their own. They will believe their own experiences far more than a person try to sell something.

devaloki
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So you are making the sequel

So you are making the sequel to SenZar or FATAL then?
No offense, but you kind of seem too full of yourself and you make very grandiose claims

WelcrielWawdriqe
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World's First Perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module

It was said a long time ago that they have no perfectly-balanced Rpg. when D&D First started, and they said there is no way to make One. They would be glad to ever see One. But no one will ever be able to make One... "We tried everything, but, we can't do it... we tried every way". But they still looked with hope to the populus.

I am honored and proud and grand-reaching that I have the very Game they have been looking for. It stands to this Day the claim that no one has done it. I was in an old D&D Club. So I know exactly what they been lookin' for. And it IS possible... thAt's what my whole letter says.

It is a grand Fantasy Dream come true. You CAN do anything you want in a Game like that. It's the Medieval World they were looking for. Any real Publisher would see that right away. So my letter rings true, and it hits every cord right: All a Publisher has to do is agree he/she WOULD Publish a perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module and take a look at it... knowing no one could ever do it.

So I wonder through a hateful World and wonder why it's so negative and hateful. But I still look for a Publisher. One would do it. And I would conquer the negativety and un-fun people are having, and finally heal the World of dissappointment and searching. And I would make Boardgames and Card Games, too, to help with your slacking-off-from-Life times, so; I don't know WHO you're jabbing at or trying to dis-asway.

I can understand you want the truth, and I know it's hard to make the Game that everyone failed at, and; hard for me to HAVE the Day I could walk up here to even say it without dissappointing-accidents-and-one-or-two-unforseen-things-that-could-make-the-whole-thing-fail-all-of-a-suddenly... but, I have the Day.. maybe the work was hard... and even if they're WERE accidents, I can perfectly-balance an Rpg.. I don't think you understand:..... ... I CAN DO IT! :D ... and a Game Publisher would see that right away.

I can do any Rpg. I want.

Toa Lewa
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Could you define "perfectly

Could you define "perfectly balanced" for me please? What exactly does the module try to fix that has been a problem with previous RPGs?

WelcrielWawdriqe
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Yes

They can't do anything they want. And the problems have been the Combat System and how it's hard to keep making Monsters consistent with fun and reality vs. the Players. So the Game slacks-off. They can't do Skills until they achieve endless fairness between the Classes, so they only go so far with making any until they're Limited. So they can't make the fun of the Game consistent with the Players.

laperen
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Bored now

Right then, i think its safe to put this post into the "Troll" category and ignore it for life

WelcrielWawdriqe
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Come One, Come All

As if there's anymore to say: Trolls only have a Couple hold-up Skills... like Fire Duration Enhancement.

let-off studios
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Thoughts

All I'd like to say is I wish nothing but success for you, troll or otherwise. If this is your hobby, take it as far as you want it to go.

And take some of this constructive feedback in stride. :)

lewpuls
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Careful

Most publishers will have as much idea as I do what a "perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module" is. Which is to say, none. A module is an adventure, not a stand-alone game. Quite apart from what "perfectly-balanced" means, even if you're actually talking about an entire game.

Also I'd be careful about claiming you're the first to do any particular thing in games. Usually when people make such claims, they ultimately find out it was done decades ago, or has been done by lots of people. Claiming you're the only one to ever have done something is a warning to publishers that you're a Clueless Noob.

Koen Hendrix
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Those silly game publishers!

Those silly game publishers! They could make all the un-fun go away and heal the world of disappointment as well as make endless millions, if they only put their contact details somewhere for you to find. (It seems all the ones on the internet are not from real game publishers.)

If only there was some platform for cash-strapped creatives like you to pitch world-changing ideas like this to a broad audience.

Hateful world.

Koen Hendrix
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Ahem

Sorry! I was in need of some therapeutic troll-feeding. No ducks around here, see.

larienna
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You can try self publishing

You can try self publishing at drivethru RPG. There is no fee for publishers, they only get a cut of the sale and RPG seems to sell better than board games. So if you are pretty confident about your game, it's a safe place to start to get feed back.

pelle
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lewpuls wrote: Also I'd be

lewpuls wrote:

Also I'd be careful about claiming you're the first to do any particular thing in games. Usually when people make such claims, they ultimately find out it was done decades ago, or has been done by lots of people. Claiming you're the only one to ever have done something is a warning to publishers that you're a Clueless Noob.

Yes. It's not only clueless noobs though. It happens to everyone. As a hobby we forget. My mind was blown a while ago when someone on bgg posted scans of a German wargame from the 18th (not 19th) century that contained many surprisingly modern mechanics. More recently I saw an American wargame from the 1920th that was quite unique and I would happily steal ideas from that no one probably heard of.

I am a bit of a game history geek. I have collected probably around 100 old (early 70s to mid 90s) game magazines, not to mention misc scans found online. I used to subscribe to the now dead magweb.com site where you could read old rpg and miniatures (and some board) game magazines (from about 1960's and later). I have read many of the books published by the History of Wargames project. There is no lack of forgotten ideas and dead ends in any game hobby.

RPGs isn't exactly my specialty, but to know all the RPG rulebooks, plus all the related works where similar ideas can exist (eg hardcore computer RPGs or proto-RPGs published before D&D, or RPG-like miniature games, or RPG-like boardgames) well enough to know that something is new that just sounds extremely unlikely to me. Especially if you also count all the countless RPG magazines that have been published, that probably contains lots of articles about game mechanics ideas that were never made into mainstream games.

devaloki
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pelle wrote:lewpuls

pelle wrote:
lewpuls wrote:

Also I'd be careful about claiming you're the first to do any particular thing in games. Usually when people make such claims, they ultimately find out it was done decades ago, or has been done by lots of people. Claiming you're the only one to ever have done something is a warning to publishers that you're a Clueless Noob.

Yes. It's not only clueless noobs though. It happens to everyone. As a hobby we forget. My mind was blown a while ago when someone on bgg posted scans of a German wargame from the 18th (not 19th) century that contained many surprisingly modern mechanics. More recently I saw an American wargame from the 1920th that was quite unique and I would happily steal ideas from that no one probably heard of.

I am a bit of a game history geek. I have collected probably around 100 old (early 70s to mid 90s) game magazines, not to mention misc scans found online. I used to subscribe to the now dead magweb.com site where you could read old rpg and miniatures (and some board) game magazines (from about 1960's and later). I have read many of the books published by the History of Wargames project. There is no lack of forgotten ideas and dead ends in any game hobby.

RPGs isn't exactly my specialty, but to know all the RPG rulebooks, plus all the related works where similar ideas can exist (eg hardcore computer RPGs or proto-RPGs published before D&D, or RPG-like miniature games, or RPG-like boardgames) well enough to know that something is new that just sounds extremely unlikely to me. Especially if you also count all the countless RPG magazines that have been published, that probably contains lots of articles about game mechanics ideas that were never made into mainstream games.

Nah, what do you know! you're just one of those guys that wants to ruin everyones fun! OP made the PERFECT game OF ALL TIME, a game for the entire MILLENIUM!

laperen
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Interested now

Quick Wawdriqe! start the fire! I want to see how long it can burn...

WelcrielWawdriqe
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World's First Perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module

DrivethruRPG didn't answer, yet.

WelcrielWawdriqe
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World's First Perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module

I Mastered Combat, so I hope a Game Publisher takes a good look at my Game Module soon in some Day for Publishing a perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg., and nothing more.

Jarec
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I don't even

1. Drop acid
2. Still unbalanced?
3. Repeat

WelcrielWawdriqe
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World's First Perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module

Any Boardgame Publisher could Publish it. All you need to do is Publish a book. And there aRe Game Pieces. You might-as-well grab a vision-view. A view-window-board from your mind... and endlessly Dream.

A good Publisher would be there some Day recognizing the True Chairs have been placed. I want that the Publisher(s) only use female Artists. I would only want female Artists to touch those parts. That includes the Game Pieces Designs. You don't have to make the Game Pieces, but, you would know what the Game looks like.

And only Females are allowed to do any Art of me or my Character if there is a rare reason to do so. Which I don't see any, but, for Advertisement around an image of me. I always cover this stuff in-case these things appear, but, anyone would make the Game Pieces. The Art would show a grand cliff in the background on the Front Cover, and some animals maybe, but; no humanoids, and the tall and wide cliff would maybe show high-lights with almost visible sparkles that hint of the Peak Stacks you could run into and also hint of the Ancient Wisdom Faces on Stone looking-up constantly from below everything that is reaching in Life... that is reaching in a Dream... as the Faces of Wisdom try to tell everything living that the Faces of Wisdom want more answers and more complete Wisdom from Adventurers exploring their Right to be there... and the Faces of Wisdom also try to tell of Peak Stacks that you would run into, and that every One of them has a Wisdom you know or don't know.

But the Back Cover would show Adventurers pointing through to the Front, and poking through with their fingers or something; while they point somehow at things exciting and at possible dangerous things coming and all while suggesting at a possible-coming Peak Stack. And the background of the Adventurers doesn't really matter whAt it is. Just some image to show they're there.

Any Art inside the book can be little or a good Amount. I would like certain sections in a limited Number throughout the book each to have an Artifact Heading that in an opinion covers a pretty complete conclusion of what's there. There. You can control it a little better, and concentrate easier on what's there.

Well good Art can get the molds for Game Pieces done better. It doesn't have ta' be alot of Art(A half a Page of paper, or; less). The Women CAN do the molds. It's 3-D Art. There's alot of imagining from functionings of things in the Pages and their writing that create a relic as they conclude in whole reaching.

You can climb the Heights of Adventure just making my Game. And you can explore real Caverns of Learning... as you can really find new Wisdom to discover. So you CAN truly be an Adventurer learning good or not from Peak Stacks and reaching the Heights while making a perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module... as there are all those new things to learn... and real new Wisdom.

richdurham
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Solutions

Hi Joseph,

I hope you aren't discouraged by the responses above, particularly the more aggressive ones. There's an old saying in publishing about brilliant novels turned down by 30 publishers before one picked it up.

In this day you don't need to wait for that one to pick it up. Lewpuls is right, DrivethruRPG is a wonderful route to go - and you don't need to get email permission from them to publish to their site.

Since you said you haven't heard back from them yet, I'm assuming you emailed them about your game. Don't bother - just sign up for an account with them and publish it. That's the beauty of their system. You can start your own publishing company, and get a very large return for every sale of your game if you offer it through their site.

Yes, you have to do a lot of marketing on your own to sell the game, but you get upwards of 70% of each sale.

If you are set on selling the game to a publisher, I suggest letting it speak for itself instead of talking it up. One of the responses in this thread early on offered a sample letter to send in instead of the one you had written - the specifics are obviously not accurate, but the tone is perfect.

Be humble. Appreciate that the publisher is might actually take the time to read, consider, and publish your game. Be thankful if they are even willing to look at it. Anything else will look like unwarranted arrogance and your game submission will be ignored because of it.

And most of all, NEVER call a game the best ever. Let the players decide that.

Give DriveThruRPG another look. Good luck with your game.

And for the rest of you, if anyone tries trolling this thread again it will be locked. And you risk being banned.

BGDF is a happy place, full of bunnies, rainbows, and constructive advice from designer to designer. There were many, many of you above you held true to that. Good on you.

BGDF has a name to uphold build and uphold as the best place to go for straight design discussion and advice without the attitudes.

WelcrielWawdriqe
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World's First Perfectly-balanced Table-top Rpg. Game Module

Ok, it looks like I can work with Publishing my Game Module on there. But I will do a Boardgame for you. It's a regular Boardgame. It's called: SPIDER WEBS. And its technical Business Name is EMO WEBS.

larienna
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Quote:DrivethruRPG didn't

Quote:
DrivethruRPG didn't answer, yet.

From what I remember, you make yourself a user acount. Fill up their contract and sign it. Scan it or photograph it and send it by e-mail. You add on your contract the user name you have just created so that they could link your "Publisher Account" with your "User Account"

Then when you log in as a user, you get extra options for publishers allowing you to add products, see stats, upload files, etc. See other RPG product with their pricing to know which price to set. Too low and too high are both bad.

If you already have your product in PDF file, once your account is created it's a breeze to setup your product.

Here how it looks like, that is my board game:

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/81447/Fallen-Kingdoms?term=fallen+...

WelcrielWawdriqe
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DrivethruRPG

No. I already got a Publisher Account. I started downloading an "Office" while I was waiting for answer about whether we HAVE to use PDF. It looks like it. I already got a "Word' Converter" for the Office. Nice Boardgame, and it's got Gods and from those Times.

Ya' know, those Two Trophies can still be depleted without anyone earning any; because they are even IN the World. And it's Gods. So anything mysteriously could happen. Like Something Mystical. Or a "Curse Predatorist" or a Demon.

My "Office" is almost downloaded. I have to Number my Pages. I still don't know if they do the Artwork. It looks like I have the OPTION to. But I don't do real good.

larienna
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It is strongly recommended

It is strongly recommended you use PDF, because they can watermark it with the user name on it. So if the file get distributed on the net, you know who leaked the file.

To convert as PDF, you can get any free PDF printer. I use PDFfill, but there is also cute PDF. There are tons of free pdf printer software. Some have better quality output, so you might whant to check that. (PDFfill seemed to have better quality than cute pdf for me)

WelcrielWawdriqe
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Almost There

I had to change the Office I downloaded, I got a different One. And I already found a decent Word to PDF Converter. I'm gonna put my descriptions of Art in the First Two Pages or whatever for the Front and Back Cover.

I still have to Number the Pages before converting. If I have to do the Art, I'll just put it simply; and have it done pretty quick. I have to read the guidelines again for presenting it.

WelcrielWawdriqe
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Bookcover

Does anyone here do Artwork for a Bookcover?

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