Issue 3 is a Monster

[calithena]

There's just no way I can get it down to 88 pages and saddle stitch size. I have about 10-20 pages of stuff that, while awesome, could be cut. That might get me down towards 100 pages, but no way 88 - plus I'd have to cut stuff people already contributed.

Rob Conley's Wilderlands Map 19, James Mishler's County of Haghill and Environs, and Geoffrey O'Dale's Inferno Level 5 are all great and all at the heart of the issue. They are also all big and beautiful. And, with them plus our usual delightful fare - magic items, monsters, rules variants, a new level of The Darkness Beneath, a short introductory adventure from the contest, Tekumel stuff, Gabor Lux's unbelievably cool Fomalhaut, editorials, reviews, etc. - there's just no way we can hit 88.

So, I guess we're going to have to go with perfect bound this time out. Very soon it will be ours....

I'm not happy about this because magazines are supposed to be saddle-stitched, but I'm very happy that we'll be able to present you with all these great articles.

[James Maliszewski]

Guess it's a good thing that I was a slacker and couldn't finish my submission in time

[coffee]

The important thing is that we get our hands on it, not how it's bound.

And hey, if it falls apart? Well, that's what sheet protectors and three-ring binders are for!

[calithena]

Actually, James, now that we're in this situation your submission would be more welcome than ever - at least if you can get it in in the next little while. How can you let a Bledsaw memorial issue go by with no city articles in it?

[Melan]

That sounds very good. How much time before it ships?

[calithena]

I think I'm going to roll the dice and make it publicly available as soon as Lulu has the PDF...there is some time-sensitive stuff in there. Hopefully it won't feature our first substantial misprint as a result. I could get it done this weekend if I weren't going to a meeting...let's say probably by next weekend though.

Back to work...

[blackbarn]

Calithena, I'd just like to mention that one solution to this (which some publishers do) would be to save material for the inevitable times in the future when submissions may not be coming in as fast. Make a more-or-less standard size for the magazine each month, and file away extra material for future issues. Just a thought.

[calithena]

Hi Blackbarn!

Actually, that's the policy now...except that when, oh, Judges Guild gives you a one-issue permission to use their IP, and then several star authors associated with the guild send you 20-plus page manuscripts that go above and beyond all the normal features you've already accepted, you accommodate them.

Assuming the new lulu prices aren't too crazy the 88 page size is standard - just not for issue 3. If we keep getting generous publishers we may need to re-think the standard, but in the meantime we go with what seems right issue by issue.

[blackbarn]

I forgot you had special permission from JG this time! That's great... of course you have to run with it.

[ant]

How's Issue 3 coming along, calithena? :-)