Yesterday, as I was leaving home to go and have lunch my good friend TheMaze I saw a big envelope in my mailbox.
The sender was Jonathan Jacob, author of The Core Mechanic. My heart jumped! It was my contributor’s copy of Open Game Table: The Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs.
This absolutely incredible project was initiated late last year by Jonathan with the help of many RPGbloggers. The resulting softcover, glossy finished book printed by lulu.com is awesome to look at.
Yeah, I’m not objective at all, I mean I’ve got 3 articles in there!
I must say that I pretty much ignored the whole project for reasons that I mentioned a few days ago. So for this book to literally drop in my lap without me having had to do a single thing is absolutely mind-blowing. I finally am a published author! The first time of many I hope!
As I was reading over it yesterday I realized a few things.
First, while I knew of all the blogs featured in the book, I hadn’t read most of the articles found in it. Secondly, even all of those were blog posts I could get online, there’s something “more real” in holding a book to read those posts.
Last night, while sipping a beer, I re-read such great pieces as Ben Robbin’s West Marches series and I sighed at James Raggi’s rants and I loved being able to do it with an actual book in my hand. I struck me how much talent was out there.
Also, there’s something a bit unearthly about reading your own words on paper. I was going over my own ‘how to get and receive feedback’ pieces and marveled that I had written that.
Anyway, I just wanted to tell you about it and to encourage those who can afford it to buy it. It’s an excellent 130 page book that covers a very wide range of RPG subjects. Jonathan spent countless hours working on it and supporting him will likely help us convince him to tackle Volume 2.
You can get it from Amazon here.
Or order it directly from LULU.com here.
All right, now I have a game to plane for tomorrow!
Thanks for the positive encouragement Phil! I might add that Amazon is finally – in stock – again. So, hopefully there won’t be anymore “Temporarily Out Of Stock” messages. (They only had 5 copies on hand the day the book was released last week… argh…).
jonathans last blog post..I do…
It is amazing. Even with the ton of stuff you have written online, it just doesn’t become real until the words are down on paper.
I wonder what we’re going to do when all book readings are done on Kindles.
Nicholass last blog post..D&D Cartoon Review: Remaking Childhood
I don’t know about you, but when I read the first draft I was really self-conscious about my writing style. I sent a couple typos in to be corrected and I really considered asking him to remove some things which I didn’t feel made the print transition so well… but I decided the most ethical thing was to leave it as is for the most part.
One of the things I got in there was an NPC, and it was kind of a trip seeing an actual illustration of him.
All things considered, I’m really happy with the outcome. As you say, it’s so cool being officially being a published author. I went around showing it off to all my friends. 🙂
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that all the credit really belongs to Jonathan and his crack team of editors. Yeah, my name is in there, but I really didn’t do anything except assent to have my stuff included. Thanks again Jon for all the hard work!
Asmors last blog post..Setting Seeds: Lingua Franca
I have to strongly disagree with Nicholas. I frankly find it insulting to say that what goes on in this network isn’t “real” until somebody collects it and binds it. If there’s one thing I very much hate with all the core of my being (and I hate MANY things with much smaller parts of my being) is the notion that the hard work and love people put into writing online isn’t enough and that it has to be slapped on dead trees to have “real” value.
Yeah I know it’s probably not the reaction you intended, but I’m always here to deliver.
As for the book, it is very nice. I had already read nearly everything in it sadly. My inherent obsessions mean that I usually scan every single post that gets on the network (and in places off it, such as Grognardia) within my areas of activity. Though there are problaby a few in there I lost out on, as they came when I lay dormant.
Wyatts last blog post..Indecisions And Rumblings For The Future…
I’m not sure Wyatt. I know I spent a lot of effort to put my stuff online and I’m aware that it is ‘real’ Yet I think there’s a certain atavism in holding one’s writing in hard form. It’s really just a ‘whiter than white’ feeling but I can’t deny having it.
It might just be a holdover of my academic background in the early digital age. It needs be said that modern browsers (i.e. Netscape) became available while I was finishing my Master’s Degree.
Call me and Nick old farts, but for me, there’s still something about a Book that the online existence of the work doesn’t cancel.
My feelings almost precisely. I buy .pdfs irregularly at best. I don’t consider it reading unless I have an actual book in my hand. I can’t wait for my copy to arrive.
That said I do slave over my written words for the blog. I don’t consider words written for online any less real, just less convenient to read in bad at night.
Vulcan Stevs last blog post..I Do….
Massive Congrats Phil! Actual book published.
May there be many more 🙂
Stu Andrewss last blog post..Creating Like A Child
I don’t know if it is the physical book, it might just be that someone else thought it was good enough to print down.
When you put something up on a blog all you are really saying is that YOU think it is good. There’s no way of really knowing if anyone else agrees. I guess a book is just validation of that. I mean, if someone carved one of my articles into a stone tablet it would not be any more real but it would be very validating.
Nicholass last blog post..D&D Cartoon Review: Remaking Childhood
It’s not that I’m not satisfied with having something I wrote be published, just the wording of Nicholas’ comment annoyed me. When you put something on the Network and people read it, comment, tweet or email you about it, that’s value. That’s no longer just you in your soapbox, you’re involving others, that’s what blogging is all about. I guess I’m alone in my line of thinking, but I’m used to that.
Wyatts last blog post..Review: The Open Game Table
Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that the stuff we’re doing doesn’t matter.
Personally, I have no idea how many people read my articles and even less how many people actually enjoy them. I know that I am producing things which I think are worthwhile, but that’s just my own guess. Maybe it is just my insecurities, but I imagine having someone put down your words in a book and having other people pay to read them is something materially validating.
Some people need that kind of thing, others don’t.
Nicholass last blog post..What’s going on at the Dungeon Mastering HQ?
Well technically Nicolas, you have 4000+ readers, I’m sure some of them are bound t like them. But I get your point.
I think Wyatt is not alone in thinking how he does but he’s quite possibly the youngest RPG blogger around and that probably gives him a different perspective, having learned how to read at a time where the Web was shaping into what it now is.
I also didn’t mean to come off too hard on you Nick, sometimes I’m just not very good at expressing distaste.
If it means anything, I do like your blog and read pretty regularly.
Yeah, Chatty, you do have a point about that.
Wyatts last blog post..Review: The Open Game Table
“carved one of my articles into a stone tablet ” — now THERE’s an idea!!!
“Open Game Table: STONE AGE EDITION!” get your stone aged version of the best in RPG blogging today! Chiseled in Stone, this 1700 lb. monolith will not only entertain, but it will also serve as a privacy fence or yard ornament!”
lwlz… imagine the feeling you would get when THAT was delivered to your house. “Hmmm, what’s that package in my driveway… awefully large from Amazon…”
jonathans last blog post..I do…
Thanks guys, I also didn’t mean to offend anyone. Wyatt is right that we all work hard in putting our stuff online and that does matter. I’m not sure it is an age thing. I’m 22, I don’t really consider myself ready for old fart status yet.
Anyway, congratulations Chatty DM!
Nicholass last blog post..What’s going on at the Dungeon Mastering HQ?