Q – What is Saeralin?
A – Basically it's a comprehensive fantasy campaign setting with all of the appropriate resources.

Q – What’s a fantasy campaign setting?
A – In the past these have amounted to a world, complete with maps, history, and information about most of the major aspects of this world.  It would also introduce new races, artifacts, heroes, and deities, among other things.  This would be published in a single comprehensive bound volume and sell for about $30-40. 

Q – What’s new about Saeralin?
A – This project includes an entire system with five inhabited worlds, which are interrelated.  It is a consistent, themed vision which we have been developing for about 20 years.  The initial published volume will include a CD with an unusual, but extremely useful reference presentation of that same material.

Q – Is that all?
A – No, the big development is going to be in the production and marketing strategy.

Q – Marketing strategy?
A – Well, this is our biggest trade secret.  It is so innovative that we are pursuing a patent.

Q – Can you tell me more?
A – We are allowing a limited number of people to see our plans and storylines on a “need to know” basis.  We are asking people to sign a non-disclosure agreement due to the secrecy surrounding some of key portions of this project.

Q – Can I help?
A – Perhaps.  We are currently looking for artists to help us finish preparing a comprehensive and professional presentation for publication.

Q – What do you need?
A – Basically what we will need breaks down to seven categories:

Portraits of people and/or monsters
Full body depictions of people and/or monsters
Scenic settings including people and/or monsters
Local maps
Regional maps
World maps
Filler material

Q – Will I be compensated?
A – Again, perhaps.  We’re really not sure how the final compensation will be structured.  In the original concept we were going to self-publish and offer the artists a fixed percentage of the net, but now that the project has matured it is definitely going to be a robust work which is very likely to attract a serious publisher, who may have his own ideas about what to include.  Because of this what we are asking from prospective artists is "placeholder" artwork.  It doesn't have to be finished and polished work, it only has to be representative of the artwork that will eventually take its place in that position.

Q – So, I give you my artwork and you “might” compensate me?
A – We would have a non-exclusive right-to-use your artwork for the purposes of attracting a publisher.  You keep all rights to the artwork and we won't actually publish the work without negotiating a formal contract.

Q – Okay, I can deal with that.  How do I get a contract out of this?
A – If a publisher chooses to pick up the project then he will *need* artwork.  If the artwork that we submit for publication is publication ready then he might very well choose to buy the artwork that we have presented rather than having an editor searching for replacement artwork.

Q – So it’s still a “maybe?”
A – All we can really guarantee is that if this work is being seriously looked at by a publisher then so will the artwork within.

Q – Is my artwork really going to help anyway?
A – Yes.  We need multiple styles and forms.  The more artists that we employ the more diverse, and therefore professional, the final product will look.

Q – There has got to be a better way, right?
A – We are still in the beginning stages here and nothing is set in stone.  If you have any additional ideas or suggestions they would be welcome.

Q – When is this all happening?
A – We’re hoping to be ready for submission in a little over a year.

e-mail me at cyrissia@hotmail.com