Demise of Firebase - new SG ezine?

[ArtificerArmour]

Thats a general problem with fanzines though; lack of contributions can be a killer. Its why over half of the content in firebase and the watchman was by Darkseer and Voltaire respectively.

Ash

Well here's my issue. The SG stuff was all ready for issue 2. But it wasn't included. And I found out not through discussion, but through his sporadic update emails. Why?

Well, firstly darkseer rammed us full with deathwing. Extremely over the top. Then we had a huge necromunda segment that he did independantly of the SG team.

Basically, SG has come bottom of the priorities throughout. Hence why the ork tactica article for issue 1 has no pictures, even though they were submitted. Poor planning meant that instead of spreading deathwing over two issues, we got it all in one with no SG articles.

[ashc]

Ok now that's pretty shocking; why make all the work for yourself when it was all there ready to be used?

Ash

[ArtificerArmour]

Because it all went a little bit pete haines when the idea that the dark angels were having new releases before christmas, thus why he went all out in trying to have as much deathwing in as possible (and, to be honest, a pretty pointless and mediocre ravenwing tactica).

[ashc]

Because it all went a little bit pete haines when the idea that the dark angels were having new releases before christmas, thus why he went all out in trying to have as much deathwing in as possible (and, to be honest, a pretty pointless and mediocre ravenwing tactica).

hahaha at the Pete Haines comment.

Yes I see what happened; I also agree on your thoughts on the ravenwing tactica, in fact I would go to say that the whole Dark Angels theme was pretty pointless considering the radical reworking of said army.

saying that, I never agreed with the 'themed' issues either.

Ash

[ArtificerArmour]

You see, it works when you're writing with the new codex being spread around your office. These articles were written months in advance of the actual release, which we're still waiting for. The ravenwing article wasn't bad, but it was going to be superceded and the pictures were of broken models.

[ashc]

shame really, I will move this to pm's now considering its wellllll off-topic.

Ash

[orangesm]

Which shows another reason why Firebase goes away when Darkseer can no longer contribute, he was writing half of it. I know that I sent AA quiet a few articles and got in the first FB1 with the BFG articles, my follow up did not show in FB2, due to miscommunication regarding deadline. For FB3, I got an Epic Intro article written by the 'deadline', once again AA having to talk to Darkseer about when the actual deadline was. I even have had a short AeroImp campaign that had I gotten the rulebook last week rather than this week I would have tried to get into FB3.

So Darkseer was trying to do to much work on each magazine.

For any follow on magazine (Overwatch), the lead team needs to create a few things that might ease their pain.

1) Submission Guidelines - min & max length of a submission, number of submissions per issue per submitter, outlines of follow-ons if any, templates, min & max number of pictures, etc
ex. BFG articles about building a fleet, first article is an intro with each person writing 2-3 paragraphs about where they are headed. If you have 6 fleets, you have 6 short articles likely 2 pages each with pictures included, spread that over 3 follow on issues.

2) Hold the lead team including the editor to the same standard as other submitters and include Editorials in that number of submissions per issue per submitter.

3) If you are announcing a release day also announce a deadline day along with it and who submissions can be sent to - AA for SG stuff.

4) Build a lead team, not a lead person, Darkseer did an outstanding job, but we lose the e-zine when you lose that person. A lead team spreads the editorial work out.
For a 40k Magazine in its infancy a single editor for SG is fine, but having just 1 other editor for the whole of 40k is not a good idea. I would actually suggest that 2 people look at each article. An editor for Batreps, an editor for Modeling, an editor for Painting, an editor Terrain, an editor for Tactica, and an editor for Gaming (things like Campaigns & Scenarios) [these are just suggestions and in not what is necessarily need]. Each of these people would also be a sub-editor for one of the others, to cross check and know what they do.
The lead Editor would oversee the format of the zine, the general feel/content for that issue, but trust his editors to prepare articles properly and be able to gage whether or not the articles is for this issue. If an article does not look like it is going to get in a particular month let the author know, people take pride in their work.

5) Be ahead of itself. This goes with the deadline issue. If a deadline for the next issue is the release of the current issue that gives the editorial staff that much time to figure it out. WD's are mostly written 3 months out. If it is a quarterly magazine, it may be best to say articles should be submitted 4 months out. This lets the editors at least select a few to tease on the back cover. But I also think that starting small with the next 40k zine would be a good idea, FB1 was 106 pages and had the backpage preview, FB2 was 85 pages and said it would be Chaos vs Inquistion. Great so now if the deadline is 2 months away from release all the contributors have to make articles geared towards Chaos vs Inquistion and when did this become public?

6) Submitters, beyond just having their articles in the magazine, should get to know a little for knowledge of what is to come. On upcoming issues deadline day, previous submitters are told what the theme, what the focus, what articles are wanted for the next issue. Given a month until the release of the 'current' issue, some of the submitters may have the following magazines articles in by that time.

7) Submission Guidelines, Deadlines, and Lead Team (not lead person)

But this is just me looking in as a submitter.

[ashc]

There is another great saying i will hold some of your ideas to orangesm 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'. The Watchman began with a Council of editors but was quickly reduced to myself and Voltaire; for one reason or another it is very difficult to maintain people attached to your magazine, as they often have alot of real life stuff going on, and when people start dropping like flies you return to that same situation again.

I agree that one person is definitely not the way to go; but you do have to have a realistic number of people working on it.

Ash

[orangesm]

Your right - too many Chiefs not enough Indians... but the extra 'editors' are proofreaders, format checkers, make sure that the articles fit the guidelines, etc. The goal to take pressure off the Chief Editor. It may be that if you submit an article you have to proofread another article. I think a huge help would be a template of some kind.

Another question for any future e-zine is format, whether a pdf is best or a website may be better.

Just had another thought - give the e-zine its own g-mail/hotmail acct to get submissions.

[Hena]

I definitely think that pdf is a proper format. It can easily be copied to move with oneself when not connected to the web. Also it can be printed, which is very nice from time to time.

[Voltaire]

Orangesm, you intrigue me with your ideas and your quite logical suggestions. To say you are hitting the nail on the head is the understatement of the century. Check your PMs.

[Smokedog]

Considering we now have a new magazine called "Overwatch". Can A thread be made about it (by wonderdog maybe) and then we can kill off the other (redundant) threads.

You could outline the editor(s) and plan of action, if it is monthly or bi-monthly, and then throw open to some suggestion as to what to include.

Mine would be, make it shorter, leaner, more frequent, focussing on two armies (that can then be the battle report) and have a "Specialist section" each issue where you focus on 1or 2 specialist games (depending if is is monthly or bimonthly)

Anyway... new topic headed "Overwatch" anyone?

[Wonderdog]

Done and dusted - check out the 40k General forums![dice0]

[Persephone]

Wow, Firebase is done already? I really liked it.

[TKitch]

merely under a new name and management.

Darkseer has other commitments and has to step down, but did an AMAZING job. Many Kudos to him for pulling a stunt most people would have completely caved in attempting.

[Wonderdog]

Several of the contributors for Firebase have offered to submit work to Overwatch - but it is a completely seperate ezine, different editor, layout, and style - the only common components being that they both deal with the 40k universe, and that there they are both made up of article contributions from the community!

[teh_soldier]

Can i suggest an article?
Have, for each syatem, a "beginner's guide". Not the kind of crap White Dwarf does for "beginners" but something with substance. Say for instance Necromunda, do an article on the effect of starting gang sizes, which weapons are effective, that kind of thing. For Mordheim, maybe a guide to what kind of composition is good for a starting warband (i.e. as many heroes as possible).
Just an idea, although i wouldn't be able to do it as i don't know enough about each system.

[orangesm]

Funny you should mention that, I am trying to do a series on getting into Epic...

[IncrediSteve]

Getting into BFG is trickier now that there are no awesome starter boxes, a horrid 1.5 rulebook you are unsure whether or not to get, and a hundred or so .pdfs to download.

Perhaps some links to core files would help, along with several suggested starter fleets within a certain budget?

Darn, thinking about it makes me miss the starter boxes even more.

[orangesm]

I agree IncrediSteve - article on what you need to learn (counters available), what to play to learn the rules throughly (series of battles with basic list), and then building your first true fleet. Once I finish all that for Epic (3 articles, Epic: Basic Training, Epic: Advanced Training, and Epic: Beyond Training) maybe I will sit down and try and do something similar for BFG ( Battlefleet: Basic Training, Battlefleet: ... you get the idea). The biggest thing is that the last article for both (Beyond Training) I will need help since I do not have images for or am familiar with all the Armies/Fleets.