Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So a couple of days after posting hopefully here, alas, I have my rejection. I feel I may as well post my tests here:

The servos in Brother Markos' bionic leg whirred as he swung his body out of the path of the greenskin; his superhuman reflexes the only thing stopping his arm being torn from his black-armoured body by a blade of screaming teeth.
He regained his balance, but the ork was unrelenting and Markos was propelled to the floor. The beast was on top of him, drool pooling on his breastplate, but Markos' iron fist careered into its jaw, throwing the monster off him.
A guttural roar left the greenskin's mouth as it charged again, teeth bared in a foul grimace, weapon abandoned on the cold steel of the factory floor. Markos knew its primitive yellow-daubed armour would be redundant against a bullet exploding in its skull. It was weak. He unleashed his fury at the alien, the sound of his weapon reassuring him, echoing off the steel walls.
He hit twice. Shoulder. Stomach. Still the beast ran. And then he saw. Markos knew the creature's plan. His enhanced legs propelled him away from the crude explosives strapped to the ork's body, too late. As the blast ripped through him, he chastised himself for not noticing the biggest threat. The Iron Hands' mission was compromised because of his weakness. He hoped the orks found him, alive. He hoped they tore his weak flesh from his bones, leaving only unfailing steel. His final act was to remove his helmet, he wanted to look his killer impassively in the eye when he died.


And the second:

"You are power! You are precision!" growled a bear's voice in Brother Ospinus' earpiece; his sergeant was in mid-flow.
The bear thundered on. "You are here to do a job, and you will do that job!" Ospinus was to be second to disembark, following Lyceus and his heavy bolter, securing the dropsite.
"Look to your left. Look to your right, brothers!" Ospinus' eyes lingered over their unscathed blue armour, pristine bolters, unsullied faces.
"These brothers will have your back! You will have theirs!" Ospinus only half listened, his gaze had been caught by the rocky pillars of the planet below, a forest of stone trying to swat them from the sky.
"Look at the badge each of you wear on your shoulder!" The sergeant's voice was a frenzied roar. "That is the seal of Ultramar, you are Ultramarines!
"You are honour! You are vengeance!" This was a daemon world. Its rocky skin hosted an iridescent sheen, giving it an ethereal quality.
"They will not repent!" The ruinous powers had infiltrated the minds of the planet's elite before spreading like poison, choking it, smothering it.
"But you shall know no fear!" Ospinus did not feel fear, only a sense of duty. He had a duty to destroy this heresy at its source.
"Disembark!"
The land speeder's descending arc had positioned it over the dropsite, and as Brother Ospinus leapt towards the unknown ground, he was sure he heard a bear become a cub and murmur "May the Emperor guide our bolters."

I have the impression reading each rejection, that the more recent rejections are better than the earlier ones.

Perhaps GW is whittling down an ever decreasing pool of submissions? Keeping their favourites and then repeating the process of rejecting from those.

 Wulfmar wrote:
I have the impression reading each rejection, that the more recent rejections are better than the earlier ones.

Perhaps GW is whittling down an ever decreasing pool of submissions? Keeping their favourites and then repeating the process of rejecting from those.

Could be. But, and I don't know if this is the same for everyone, they did say I could try again. So they'll end up going around in circles if they're trying to whittle it down, whilst new ones are still coming in on top of

 Thunderfrog wrote:
I literally started my first email with " I would like to write about Naestra and Arahan because..."


And they rejected me saying I didn't tell them what I wanted to write about and why.

Has anyone else noticed this comment?


I sure hope you didn't just make that up because if that's true that is hilarious.

Akragth wrote:
Welp, today I joined the rejection club. For reference, I submitted on March 24th.

I don't really mind the rejection, but some of the criteria I supposedly failed to show were clearly displayed in the writing, so it was a little annoying on that front. It left me wondering if they'd properly read it, really, lol.

Same here. I've got no interest in writing more if they don't bother reading it

For anyone still awaiting a reply, I reckon that means you're in a good position. I sent in my test submissions Tuesday morning and received a rejection by mid-day Thursday. Unless they have a really wonky queuing system, you're probably in the running.

I literally didn't hit a single one of the objectives with either test piece apparently!

Test 1:


The force of the impact drove Brother-Chaplain Archidon backwards, his armour’s servos grinding in protest as the creature’s vast bulk pummelled into him, threatening to topple the pair from the towering ramparts. Rank, stinking breath washed over the Imperial Fist as he delivered a bone-shattering punch into the Ork’s torso. The beast bellowed, cruel features, tattooed with a crimson pair of crossed axes, distending in a grimace, the ramshackle rocket pack strapped to its back still burning.


Locked together, the greenskin tried to sink its crude blade down into the seam between the black polished ceramite of Archidon’s breast plate and his skull faced helm. Despite the immense strain, Archidon heaved upwards to meet the strike, the jagged weapon turning to one side as it deflected off his armour’s raised gorget. Staggering and off balance, the xenos’s grip on the Marine faltered, allowing the Chaplain to plunge a gauntleted hand deep into the machinery on its back. While the rocket pack sputtered, he kicked the creature away and reached for his fallen weaponry. Long streamers of past battle honours billowed from his armour’s pauldrons as he rose, firing round after round into the xenos, forcing it back. As it reached the parapet, the Astartes thumbed the activator on his Crozius, a deep hum greeting him in return. Closing the gap, he swung the ancient weapon round in a brutal swipe, the skull topped Aquilla shattering tusk and bone, and plunging the screaming creature over the edge into the darkness below.



Test 2:


The jungle clearing was eerily quiet, save for the metallic cracking of the Marines’ cooling drop pods, and the soft, whirring motors of assault cannons as their accompanying Deathstorm launches scanned the treeline. Sergeant Ennius carefully surveyed the scene, the dying light gleaming off the burnished gold chapter markings that adorned the deep sapphire of his battle plate.


Arrayed around him were nine of Ultramar’s finest, a full squad of the Ultramarines’ Tenth Company. His men waited patiently, checking their gear for any damage during the drop.


“Brothers, the Strike Cruiser Fidelis and elements of 4th Company will break orbit three days from now. Be that as it may, our current theoreticals predict that Geoven-6 will fall to the Tyranid host long before they arrive.


“Our best hope of prolonging this conflict is if we can relieve the xenos pressure on the capitol by breaking the back of their forces in this region. Auspex scans place a Synapse creature of significant power within the vicinity, and we need it dead.”


The Astartes knew the odds of survival without support were slim, but in the faces of the Marines before him, Ennius saw nothing but grit and determination staring back.


“You are the Emperor’s finest, and we will not fail our oaths of duty and honour this day. The blood of Guilliman flows through our veins, it is time to remind these abominations of the consequences of challenging the dominance of Ultramar.


“Squad, you have a new practical – kill the xenos.”

Just got my rejection email, over 2 months after submitting my own briefs. Evidently I didn't get one thing right that they asked for, either...

I've still heard nothing after 2.3 months.

I was thinking that myself, that working for GW must be one of the most frustrating experiences of all time.

It's not often I find myself wanting to come to GW's defence these days, but there's really nothing out of the ordinary going on here. There was no promise to respond after a month. And the fact that they're still plodding through replies, late as they may be, is somewhat commendable. For a large part of freelance work rejection comes as a form letter if you're lucky.

The idea of waiting months for payment really isn't all that foreign to most writers either. The phrase "Paid on Publication" has sent shivers down many a writer's spine when the bill collector comes knocking.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Plus, as has already been mentioned, we're not likely to hear success stories with the way GW likes to throw things like NDAs around.

 hungryp wrote:
It's not often I find myself wanting to come to GW's defence these days, but there's really nothing out of the ordinary going on here. There was no promise to respond after a month. And the fact that they're still plodding through replies, late as they may be, is somewhat commendable. For a large part of freelance work rejection comes as a form letter if you're lucky.

The idea of waiting months for payment really isn't all that foreign to most writers either. The phrase "Paid on Publication" has sent shivers down many a writer's spine when the bill collector comes knocking.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Plus, as has already been mentioned, we're not likely to hear success stories with the way GW likes to throw things like NDAs around.

You're likely right, I don't have experience with this sort of written work. My previous and current written work is for scientific journals - so I'm used to a situation where a deadline is a deadline and there is no negotiation (and that goes both ways, the guys on the other end have to get back to you by the time they state - otherwise depending on the paper, legal action may be taken or a competitor will submit). This all just seems.... Well, I'm not keen on it?

That thought crossed my mind as well. Back when I played regularly, during 5th edition, I would drive out to Games Workshop maybe once a month (it was in the next town over). I'd hang out for a few hours with the staff. Trouble was, every other month all the staff would be replaced. The first month they'd talk about the hobby, the second month they'd rag on GW.

Still, I'd take the job just for the credit.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
After a little bit of thought, I want to add on to that. I'd take the job for the credit, sure. But what's more, despite all the nonsense of GW's policies and the substandard quality of their game, the ideas and themes present in Warhammer 40k continue to influence me.

I don't want to work in a GW store selling miniatures because I don't think that's what's ultimately important about 40k. I want to contribute to this massive allegory of human existence. Maybe my half page story will open someone else up to the larger ideas in 40k so they can think critically about them, just as it happened to me.

Work has been brutal, hence my absence for the past month, but I've finally completed a couple of projects.

Here are my test briefs:

The Test Brief Part 1
As the Bad Moons convoy raced along the defile, Veteran Sergeant Fe’ron triggered the melta bombs. The lead truck exploded as the defile’s walls collapsed, burying the rear trucks. This was one convoy that would not assault the sprawling Maysa spaceport or the millions of evacuees.

Fe’ron launched, leading the assault. “Into the fires of battle!”

“Unto the anvil of war!” His squad completed the Salamanders’ battle cry.

Below, orks piled out of the wrecks. Hearing the roar of jump packs, the greenskins raised their heads and fired wildly. Bolter shells ricocheted off green power armor. Fe’ron cut power to his jump pack. Plummeting, he slammed an ork into the sands. With a bellow, the greenskin slashed at his left greave, the crude cleaver gouged ceramite.

Thumbing the activation rune, Fe’ron hacked down with his ornate chainsword. The revving teeth bit into a gold-plated bracer, then snarled through the underlying leather and flesh.

Roaring, the ork brought up a fat pistol. Fe’ron brought down his plasma pistol, and ignoring the jittering targeting reticule, fired into the ork’s slavering maw. The blinding energy pulse blasted through the back of its throat.

When a status icon on his tactical display flashed red, Fe’ron snapped his head up and saw Battle-brother Ki’tor tossed onto the burning wreck by the huge ork mob leader bulling its way through the fires.

When the greenskin saw Fe’ron, it charged, bellowing, “Waaagh!” Triggering his jump pack, Fe’ron barreled into it, hammering his flame-embossed pauldron into its tusks.


The Test Brief Part 2
On the flickering hololith, Espadarosa, capital of Manos-Piedras, burned.

“Long-range augur probes show that the situation has… improved. The loyalists have driven off Governor Ruthven and his heretical forces.” Sergeant Cyprian tapped another rune on the strategium's control panel. The image zoomed out to the whole peninsula.

“Reports from the surface indicate Ruthven fled to his ancestral family estate.” The image scrolled across the ocean, to an archipelago, and then zoomed into to one island and its palatial mountain estate. On one scout, Cyprian regarded the emerging smirk.

“Alexandros, what is warfare to the Great Enemy?”

Beneath his camo-cloak, the scout straightened. “‘All warfare is based on deception,’ Sergeant.”

“Hmph. Reports state Ruthven’s shuttle arrived at the estate. However, no one has actually seen him. Your primary objective is still to confirm Ruthven’s whereabouts.” Cyprian tapped a rune. The image zoomed in onto the estate nestled in a caldera. Structural layouts arranged themselves around the central image. Lastly, a geological survey completed the underground terrain. “Not on these plans are the ferrocrete-reinforced crater walls and anti-air defense emplacements.”

Cyprian turned to another scout frowning at the hololith. “Nicanor, means of infiltration?”

“Lava tubes honeycomb the island. Any of the many openings would provide a means of infiltration and exfiltration, Sergeant.”

For the first time, Cyprian smiled. “For exfil, a Thunderhawk will wait in this sea cave.” He tapped another rune. “These are your primary, secondary, and tertiary routes. Memorize them.”

At briefing’s end, Cyprian watched them file out, grudgingly satisfied.


And I received my rejection letter on 28 May, so it took them 59 days to reply (I submitted on 30 March). And of the 10 criteria, both my test briefs did not meet any of them, not a one. The rejection letter does go on to say that I am welcome to retry should I wish (with all new pieces of course).

I don't understand this at all. If both my pieces failed on every single criteria, why invite me to retry? I could understand if my briefs had met some of the criteria, but to not meet any, I would figure would mean that I should look elsewhere for publication opportunities.

I'm undecided if I want to continue to pursue this or not as I do have more time to focus on writing if I wish to do so. In any case, I'll be posting my briefs in that fiction thread.

 Wulfmar wrote:
Submission: 25/03/2015 - accepted
Chaser e-mail: 01/05/2015 - no reply
Second chaser e-mail: 21/05/2015 - nothing yet

Update: 12/06/2015 - still no reply to any email sent.

79 days since submission received and nothing.

Aye. Likewise in my world as well. Not even the faintest whisper of a reply since that submission day so long ago: March 24th, 2015.

I keep the message in my inbox, filled with a naive hope that it will suddenly turn bold with a new reply. And yet, day after day, I'm met with... not disappointment, but a begrudging acceptance of fate. In truth, most days I do think quite little of those submissions, and the chance granted to us all.

But on the quieter nights, when alone to my thoughts, I dream... I dream of the world where my email notifications greet me with a new dawn, filled with an unwritten future that my imagination and keyboard will create.

Hm, submission on March 31st, rejection on June 12th. It seems that longer replies do not correlate better prospects because they didn't think my work met any criteria. Work I thought superior to my own also 0/10'd. I've only seen one person able to meet any criteria.

I can submit again, but I think I'll wait a little while. Perhaps if someone else can meet a couple more criteria we'll have a better picture of what they want.

My submission met 3 of their criteria (points 2,3 and 4), which I guess is something to be happy about. I'm still of a half mind as to if I'm going to re-apply or not though...

My pieces hit 4 and 1 of the criteria respectively.

I reapplied, and got rejected again, but without any explanation the second time xD

 Thunderfrog wrote:
I was thinking that myself, that working for GW must be one of the most frustrating experiences of all time.

As an ex-GW freelancer (Flesh Tearers and great gobs of the Armageddon campaign, among other things), I can tell you it is pretty cool. You get to work on funky stuff, you may get the occasional preview, if you are in the area you might get invited to the Studio - and while you can take money for your work, you get offered a lot more in product which, if you are into these games, is a good move.

However...

With the amount of interest in writing for them, they are kinda doing you the favour - I know how that sounds, but look at it this way,. Competition is _fierce_. If you don't like how they work, pull out and give someone else a chance. Otherwise, hang in there and they will get back to you. It is very much a buyer's market when it comes to games writing because so many people want to take a crack at it.

I can also well believe they are heavily over-subscribed with submissions and, speaking as a publisher now, that can take time to do things properly.

So, hang in there if you are still in the running. Remember that just because you think something is good, it does not mean an editor will. And that if they get back to you in six months time, it will still be worthwhile.

Just be patient

MongooseMatt wrote:
As an ex-GW freelancer...

you get offered a lot more in product which, if you are into these games, is a good move.

Thank you for your great insight mate, I genuinely appreciate your post and it has made me reconsider being churlish about it as it seems a lot of other folks are getting different feedback, so they must be actually reading something.

Can you explain more about the offers of product? Do you know what I would do for plasticrack? DO YOU?

They pay you in miniatures??? Where's my pen!? Time to write my resubmission

kb_lock wrote:

MongooseMatt wrote:
As an ex-GW freelancer...

you get offered a lot more in product which, if you are into these games, is a good move.

Thank you for your great insight mate, I genuinely appreciate your post and it has made me reconsider being churlish about it as it seems a lot of other folks are getting different feedback, so they must be actually reading something.

Can you explain more about the offers of product? Do you know what I would do for plasticrack? DO YOU?

I completely misread this as "do with plasticrack", and was about to say "I don't know, but it probably involves a grinder, a straw and a codex!"
... Although I too would like to know about being paid in plastic.

Their advert has been taken down, but they did say there was no time limit.

I've submitted a request for them to test me. I don't want to feth my chances up by posting my email here. Once I've had some kind of reply, or if they don't reply over the next few weeks, I'll post my email and everyone can point at me and laugh.

A reply!

I didn't meet a single criteria according to GW.

I'm no expert but I reckon saying NO criteria met is a bit... yea

Who knows, maybe someone else will like the writing style

I don't see a lot wrong with that, Wulfmar. I've read a lot of army books/codex over the years, and it's just as good as some of the stuff that's been included.

Thanks Do_I_Not_Like_That

They did the customary 'you can resubmit' offer but I won't be as I can't figure out what they're after.

Yeah Wulfmar, I only read the first, but it was pretty excellent by GW short story standards! I think your use of some of the big words scared the reader at GW.

0 out of 10 (and I'm trying to remember the prompts) sounds like somebody didn't even give you a token effort.

I got the initial rejection in less than 24 hours, saying that my enthusiasm is wonderful but what I want to write about does not match what the Games Workshop is looking for.

I told them I want to write anything: 40K, Warhammer and the Heresy, and why I wanted to write for them. I also said I'd do comic book dialogue. I did not give specific story ideas.

Therefore, according to the email, writing about Games Workshop products is not what the Games Workshop is looking for.

I believe the initial rejection is actually the first test and the writing samples are the second test.

I've finished my Scouts story and will work on the battle story tonight or tomorrow.

Are they looking for grammar issues with these? Several of the last few submissions that were posted had some issues with grammatical tense. Just curious how picky they are being.

When I get home, I am hoping to have some time to offer feedback on people's entries for next time the GW open their doors. I agree with Samurai_Eduh though, the grammar and punctuation are not brilliant in some of them.