R. Talsorian Games Written Submission Guidelines
As a "player-oriented," independent publisher, RTG is always happy to see new
submissions from interested contributors. After all, only a few years ago, we too were out
there scrawling our game ideas on brown paper bags and hoping someone would read them. Now
that we do this sort of thing for a living, we think you deserve a chance at the life of
Big Time Professional Game Design, too.
What We Are Looking For
We are always interested in new supplement and adventure ideas for our current game
lines. These include:
MEKTON: Japanese animation-based action. Heavy on the SF anime-robot drama. You
should be familiar with the genre and its unique stylings.
CYBERPUNK: Adventure/suspense in the dark near future. Cybergangs, corporate
action; fast cars, heavy weapons, and mean streets. You should have a good grasp of the
cyberpunk genre of SF literature. Knowing a bit about weapons and combat (or computer
hacking) doesn't hurt.
TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE: Weird high school madness with aliens. Sort of a
cross between Fast Times at Ridgemont High, any 50's sci-fi film, and Parker Lewis Can't
Lose. In the last decade there has been an avalanche of teen action/humor films, shows and
comics to draw from. Frenetic action, slapstick, and in-jokes are a must for a TFOS
writer.
CASTLE FALKENSTEIN: Science-Fantasy in a Victorian Age that never was. This is
the most difficult of our games to write for, as you must have good working knowlege of
the science, society, and history of Europe/Asia/America of the period 1860-1890. Writers
are also required to have a love of Swashbuckling Romace and the Utterly Fantastic (in the
realms of invention and turn-of-the-century "magikal practices"). Sourcebooks
are put together in-house and farmed-out to a select group of writers. We do accept
adventures, though. For Falkenstein adventures, the proper staging and pacing is
essential.
These ideas should be more than simple concepts - they should be full-fledged
adventures or supplements (an estimated 40 or 50 pages of double-spaced manuscript). Many
times we will solicit work-for-hire on an in-house project, so sending us a writing sample
to start with is a good idea. As a rule, we do not accept unsolicited game designs. (New
game lines are normally generated in-house.) If you are interested in sending us a new
idea, begin with a letter informing us of your desire, and the basic ideas involved. (i.e.
- "I want to write a game about Giant Robots") If we're interested, we'll send
you a Release Form to fill out, which must be submitted with the manuscript. If you don't
have the whole idea down on paper yet, we'll ask to see a 2-3 page outline of the proposed
project. Warning: if you don't have a Release Form, your manuscript will
be returned unread. Period.
The Submission Format
Your first outline or manuscript should be typed and double-spaced, on white 8 1/2 x 11
paper. Begin with a cover page listing your full name, address and the total number of
pages in the submission. You may include a word count with manuscripts, if you wish.
Each manuscript page should have at the top right hand side: Author's Name, Manuscript
Name, and Page Number (listed as "page X of total"). Outlines only need the
Author and Project Names. This helps our Editors track a submission as they circulate it
around the office. The notation should look like this:
Smith/New MEKTON/Pg. 1 of 200
Computer Submissions
Our standard is 3 1/4" disks formatted for the Macintosh. Microsoft Word is
preferred, but we can handle MacWrite and Word Perfect programs as well. IBM users, please
send in DCA-RTF (rich text format) or ASCII. If you must use 5 1/2" floppies, inform
us ahead of time!!
We do not require a disk with the initial outline or manuscript, but all final text
submissions for a project must include a disk copy. (More on this in the Text Formatting
Guidelines, which are sent to our contractees.) We strongly recommend that you send your
manuscript to us on hardcopy or with a copy of your original disk, as we cannot be
responsible for the FBI running your only disk through an X-ray machine (and other
electromagnetic accidents).
Diagrams & Maps
If you are planning to include maps or other illustrations, they must be clearly drawn,
and labeled as to what they represent.
Artwork
We're always pleased to use the work of new artists in our books. If you have
suggestions as to certain placements or subjects, include these notes. If you have style
suggestions, send us at least two samples of the artist's work that you would like to use.
Final Hints
KNOW THE GAME YOU WANT TO WRITE FOR!!
DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST.
R. Talsorian products are unique in that we publish games with somewhat
"off-the-wall" premises. Many of our products are tied to subjects with very
strong Japanimation or Science Fiction aspects. A good working knowledge of both will only
help your submission.
Know something about style, spelling and punctuation. We suggest you check out Strunk
& White's Elements of Style for guidelines. The dictionary is also your friend. We
also recommend that you run any computer submission through a spellchecker at least twice
before sending it.
Include a stamped, self-addressed return envelope in your package, so that we can
return your manuscript if need be. Even if we accept it, we will probably return parts of
it covered with changes, notes, and whatnot, so make sure that you include that envelope!
How We Pay
Our scale is based on final number of published pages and/or word count. (Manuscript
specifications will be provided, so more is not necessarily better...) Writers with
considerable experience in the game or book field may be paid royalties depending on the
size of the project. Authors are normally paid within 30 days of receipt of the final
manuscript.
All submissions, queries and comments should be sent to:
R. Talsorian Games
Attn: Submissions
16212 NE 57th St.
Redmond, WA 98052
