Re: [HeroQuest-RPG] Moon Design Publication Policy update

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_VsoxMdUR7P5krYCk6Gpl53zbo9YK42JeWOH2-xsTQgdEeZxOlWPxAzjgw1-QelDdVRf>
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 16:23:38 +1200


Rick:

>Once I get a completed manuscript I will get it into print
>at an affordable price, and keep it in print.
>
>I thought that I had gotten that message across already, but I'm not
>sure that it has reached all of the people I hoped it would reach.

I'm not sure who you think hasn't got the message, but the statement that you will publish whatever manuscript Greg says you is not reassuring when Greg clearly affirms that the manuscript is not going to be reprinted. It's very hard to reconcile the statement that the manuscript is not going to be reprinted with the proposal of an unfinished work (which was in fact what I asked for in my very first post).

>The next step with the 2nd age book is to publish it, very probably
>with additional content, as an Unfinished Work. While the Ebay
>description may not have gone into this amount of detail for its
>future publication fate, I don't feel that the ebay description
>needed to. That's what this group, and this type of post, is meant
>to do.

Excuse me but when I asked quite specifically why this wasn't being published as an unfinished work, I am given a whole raft of conflicting explanations with Greg avoiding giving any statement whatsoever that the material will appear in the unfinished work at the end of summer. I note that you have not explicitly confirmed that this will be the case.

>My biggest concern right now is that people would rather speculate,
>possibly with pessimism, cynicism, or negativity, about how
>something may (or may not) get published, instead of just asking me
>(or Greg) what our plans are.

I am not speculating. I am only going by a) what has been said, b) what has not been said, and c) Greg's general attitude. Given past and present evidence of bad faith on Greg's part, I require something far stronger than "trust Greg for he knows what he's doing" to be convinced that all is well.

>Without singling anyone out, please remember that I am happy to
>answer such questions, including the future publications plans for
>the limited edition 2nd Age book currently being sold on Ebay. My
>answer would have basically been that it will get published
>(probably with more content) as an unfinished work later THIS year.

"would have". Lovely use of the subjunctive mood there. If it had been "My answer is that it will get...", I would have been a lot happier. As it is, you are just confirming expectations that Greg has made a grunt of acceptance in response to a proposition of yours with the freedom to welsh on it at a future date.

If you really want to take positive steps in reducing the hard feelings, you would have been better off announcing that Greg has been forcibly enrolled in a crash course in consumer sensitivity (I recommend the Misery style of tuition - it's the only way to be sure) so that he doesn't pour lit petrol on troubled waters in the future.

--Peter Metcalfe            

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