Recent content by GameMasterNick

Been a while since I stopped in here, but I wanted to let you guys know that DIII will be free to play during Open Beta from noon today through Monday. You'll need to log into your Battle.net account and set up your free BattleTag for play (located in the account section). Then download the...

Actually, by outsourcing I meant hiring editors from areas with drastically lower costs of living who are thus able to do more on lower wages. Freelance copy-editing is gaining steam amongst the major houses, but most do seem to be combining positions rather than entering into freelance...

I'm a long-time Miike fan. Sukiyaki Western Django is probably my favorite so far, but I wouldn't put it past him to jump into a traditional fantasy film (as far as Miike can) and blow even that one away. The subplot with the roses (to avoid spoilers) didn't sit well with me, but everything...

Do publishers bypass proof-readers? Only the worst of the lot. Check the imprints on the books you're seeing the errors on. Are they big name (Del Rey, Tor, Baen, etc?), small press or self-published works? I haven't heard of anyone slashing editorial staff and removing copy-editing (as...

Oh, and agents are increasingly setting benchmarks like the $12,000 mentioned above. This is true. I have dealt with (too) many agents over the past few years and most in the fantasy genre are moving in that direction. It also makes contract negotiation with them difficult (read: takes longer...

Also, on lump sums... most legitimate publishers don't deal only in lump sums. They offer an advance, which is their best guess on what the book will earn over a certain period of time. Then, they provide the author with a certain percentage or flat amount of residual income once the advance...

I knows. "Traditional" publishers, mainly those presses in the mainstream (Del Rey, Baen, Tor, Forge, etc.) typically average advances around the $5,000 mark. None of the large presses I've worked with publish this information, but it's easy to extrapolate (and I have tons of anecdotal...

I never got how there could be more than one Highlander movie... Didn't he win "The Prize" with the defeat of the Kurgan?

Victoria Strauss is a great person and she keeps this site updated regularly with incredibly helpful information. You might also want to check Preditors & Editors when you reach the agenting / publishing part of your writing journey. And one of my favorite Writer Beware entries: ALERTS FOR...

A lack of James Earl Jones and a Conan who looks like Fabio might be a deal breaker for me... If they decide to "tone down" the violence and "raw" nature of Howard's work, it definitely will be. Something about the trailer tells me this Conan might have a silver tongue, too...

Here's a great blog entry on determining if you're ready for self-publishing. Anne R. Allen's Blog: 3 Questions to Ask Before You Jump on the Indie Publishing Bandwagon Many small presses are considered "indie publishers" by the industry and that title has been used for years (if not decades)...

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Star_Wars_Day#May_4 Since no one had yet said it here...

City of Heroes gets my nod for best-designed MMO out there. The combat animations and differences in powersets are well worth it. Plus, it's the only decent MMO with an excellent pet class (Mastermind, not Illusion Control!) That's the one that I avoid these days, can easily spend hours with...

Three commonly used chestnuts that work well: 1) Threat. The classic example is Frodo's impetus to leave the Shire. By the time the Black Riders are at the gates, he already knows he has to go and find Gandalf. 2) Adventure. The lure of adventure, related or unrelated to the information...

If your characters won't do what you, the writer, need them to do then you're using the wrong character. Never try to force this as readers instinctively recoil when heroes are "railroaded." Instead find someone who, with all their flaws, will accomplish what the story requires. If they won't...