My Bad

Jan, the usual order for submitting games to pontential publishers is like this:

1) Send them query letter detailing your game to them; I.E. What's special about it, why it's different from other games on the market, why you think it fits into their current catalog, etc.
2) They send you a letter back requesting a prototype:
3) You send them a Non Disclosure Letter.
4) They send it back signed.
5) You ship them the prototype.
6) They sit on your prototype while you anxiously await their decision.

Of course number 6 is said somewhat jokingly. Somewhat.

Hope this helps!
-Darke

P.S. If you give better descriptions of your question in your message subject you will be more likely to get a meaningful response sooner.

Jan,

The order is like this:

Submit the letter

1) Send them query letter detailing your game to them; I.E. What's special about it, why it's different from other games on the market, why you think it fits into their current catalog, etc.
2) They send you a letter back requesting a prototype:
3) You send them a Non Disclosure Letter.
4) They send it back signed.
5) You ship them the prototype.
6) They sit on your prototype while you anxiously await their decision.

Of course, I've never completed steps 3 or 4, and can't imagine why I would when dealing with a reputable publisher - it seems far more likely to prevent #5 than anything you want it to prevent...

The best solution to #6 is to submit enough games to enough publishers that you forget what all is out and just how long it's been... :)

Joe

Hobbyist designer indeed! That's *exactly* what I was talking about.

-Darke

Aye, my advice is also to completely ignore an NDA. This is the surest way to convince a publisher that you're not worth bothering with, from all that I've heard.

However, you should also contact them to find out how they like things submitted: some publishers require a signed form that they provide, indicating that you agree that they might already be working on a similar design and that if they subsequently publish something similar to your idea then you won't hold them responsible. Kind of a reverse NDA, at least as far as any "protection" is concerned. They have far too many designers/inventors who think they've invented the latest, most amazing thing ever, something that they've already seen in 10 different submissions in the last 2 years alone, and understandably these folks won't even bother to look at your ideas without such a signed agreement: it's far to onerous for them to have to prove in court that you're not the first guy to send the idea in. This is even more true for companies that have in-house designers.

-- Matthew

I think Joe is a perfect example of why I'll probably choose not to use one of the badges. As Joe shows, there is some ambiguity -- do they reflect a status, or a philosophy? In some cases, it's very clear -- one either is or is not a publisher, or an illustrator, etc. But does someone like Joe count as a "hobbyist designer" (his approach to design) or a "published designer" (his actual status)?

My guess is that Joe doesn't want to set himself up as an authority and have the default assumption be that because he is a "published designer" his word should be taken as gospel. But, the simple fact is that Joe is a lot further along than most of us, having not only had 2 games accepted but many games submitted. So, he's well up to speed on how the process works. If he says, "I've never used an NDA in the 20 games I've submitted", that should carry more weight than hobbyist designer Jeff saying "I don't think you need an NDA". So, my feeling is that the badges are more useful if they are objective rather than subjective. Then again, I suppose it depends on whom they are intended to be useful for. Obviously, most of the "regulars" know where each other is at, but for "newbies", it's a way to get a quick sense of who is where and so on. Of course you'll inevitably get some snotty person who says "I only want to have my question answered by a published designer, not you hobbyists", but that can't be avoided.

Anyway, that's all for me. Bottom line, the badges are a good idea to convey information quickly, but there's currently some ambiguity as to what some of them convey.

You may now resume your discussion about NDAs (I don't think you need one, for whatever that's worth from a "badgeless" designer!)

-Jeff