Fail Faster, Meeple Syrup and D6 Publisher Resources present:
Do you have games that you’d like to pitch to publishers?
With large gatherings being out of the question, currently, wouldn’t you love to have access to a ton of top publishers all at the same time? We’re reaching out to offer you an opportunity to participate in the Pitch Project, an event that provides the winning designers the chance to pitch their games to some of the top publishers in the hobby gaming industry:
Thank you for registering to The Pitch Project! When uploading your sell sheets:
- Ensure you only upload the number of sell sheets equal to the quantity that you paid for
- Remember to remove your contact information (like your name, email, phone number, website etc…) from your sell sheet before uploading. There should be nothing that links this game back to you (so you can’t say, “from the designer that brought you…”)
Deadline to get your sell sheets uploaded: Oct 2nd, 2020, 11:59pm EST
While you’re getting your sell sheets ready, please join our exclusive Facebook page as that’s where all our workshops will be taking place, as well as The Pitch Project itself!
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3341811372524248
Workshops:
Everyone is invited to attend our live workshops (or watch them on the Facebook page if you missed them afterwards). They will be interactive, so try to attend if you’re able to.
Workshop 1: How to Create Great Sell Sheets – September 13th, 12-1pm EST
We’ll provide samples of sell sheets for games that were published and give you tips on how to make yours efficient and effective. The group will share and provide feedback as time allows.
Workshop 2: How to Pitch Virtually – October 25th, 12pm-1pm EST
We’ll review how to write strong elevator pitches, how to use technology to your advantage, and how to make the most of what little time you have while you have a captive audience.
Workshop 3: What Next? – November 1st, 12pm-1pm EST
We’ll discuss how to navigate publisher requests including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), exclusivity and right of first refusal, contract negotiations, and development.
Gold Level Publishers
Silver Level Publishers
Bronze Level Publishers
Submitting Games to the Pitch Project
Register for the event, providing the required information. To submit your games, you must upload one sell sheet per game without your contact information. In order to decrease bias, the jury members will only see the sell sheets without contact information. Register each game in one of these categories:
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Please add meta tags to each of your submissions to improve sorting and searching (e.g. “take that”, “deck builder”, etc.). Once you’ve completed entry, your fees are calculated at $10 USD per game entered in The Pitch Project. You may add or edit your submissions until the deadline:
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: OCTOBER 2nd, 11:59PM EST
Jury Process
Starting on October 3rd, our jury of industry experts will review and rate your sell sheets based on the three following criteria:
Criteria 1: After reviewing the sell sheet, do you know how the key aspects
of the game work?
1 I have no idea how the key aspects of the game work.
2 I understand some of the key aspects of the game but do not see how they work together.
3 I understand the key aspects of the game but I could not explain them to others.
4 I comprehend the key aspects of the game and could communicate the main concepts to others.
5 I comprehend the key aspects of the game and could easily explain them to others.
Criteria 2: How original is the game?
1 This game is a clone of an existing game with few meaningful differences if any (e.g. CAH).
2 The game might work, but it has elements that are very common and/or used in uninteresting ways.
3 The combination of game elements would make me take a second glance at this on the table.
4 The game promises to accomplish things in a different way from similar games, even if it doesn’t have a unique mechanic.
5 This brings something to the table that I’ve never seen before either thematically, mechanically, or experientially (e.g. The Mind, Hanabi, Dominion)
Criteria 3: How much do you think the target audience would want to play
the game?
1 They would refuse to play this game.
2 They would only play this game under extreme pressure or coercion.
3 They would play it if their group were interested, but would not seek it out.
4 They would definitely want to play this game if it was published.
5 They would want to play this game right now.
Each sell sheet will be reviewed by at least three judges and each game’s averaged rating will be visible after the jury process is complete.
Our industry experts (more to come!):
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What Else Do You Get For Your Registration Fee?
The Workshops
Sen-Foong Lim and Jay Cormier will host exclusive online workshops to ensure you are as prepared as possible. All participants are welcome! Special guests may pop in to assist as well! Note: If you cannot make it to the workshop, they will be recorded for later viewing.
Workshop 1: How to Create Great Sell Sheets – September 13th, 12-1pm EST
We’ll provide samples of sell sheets for games that were published and give you tips on how to make yours efficient and effective. The group will share and provide feedback as time allows.
Workshop 2: How to Pitch Virtually – October 25th, 12pm-1pm EST
We’ll review how to write strong elevator pitches, how to use technology to your advantage, and how to make the most of what little time you have while you have a captive audience.
Workshop 3: What Next? – November 1st, 12pm-1pm EST
We’ll discuss how to navigate publisher requests including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), exclusivity and right of first refusal, contract negotiations, and development.
The Videos
Prior to the submission deadline, we will be hosting each of the Gold and Silver tier publishers and recording a series of videos with them to find out what they individually want to see in pitches, what techniques fall flat with them, and, ultimately, what kind of games best fit their brand and what kind of designers they’re looking to work with.
Legal
To participate in the Pitch Project, you will be required to sign NDAs specifically for some of the publishers involved. If you do not wish to, you will not be able to participate.WHY NDAs ARE NECESSARY:
NDAs are meant to protect trade information. You should not discuss anything a publisher tells you with outside parties unless you have their express permission. Some of the things they tell you, in passing, may have an enormous financial impact if that information is leaked from an unofficial source.
You may be concerned with signing a document that Indemnifies a publisher against you suing them in the future for theft of your idea. The reality is this – they may have another game like yours in development. They may have heard a pitch similar to yours a few days before and decided to sign that game instead. They may be part of a team and be unaware that another agent signed a game that was similar at the same time they were discussing yours with you. They may sign a game several years in the future that is similar to yours without remembering your pitch as it didn’t fit their needs at the time when you pitched it.
Signing an NDA is just one part of being a professional designer in the game industry. We are not lawyers so none of this constitutes legal advice. If you have more specific questions about the nature of any NDA, consult with your lawyer before signing.
The Live Event
If one of your sell sheets is selected in the Top 50, congratulations! You’ve won the opportunity to pitch to every publisher in attendance within a 5-minute window. We facilitate a very short Q&A session within your window, so you need to bring your A game! If you pique their interest, publishers schedule follow-up appointments for full demonstrations at their convenience.
We’ll be announcing other perks as we roll out the event. We’ve got some great goodies lined up and we can’t wait to tell you! Good luck and we hope to see you at the Pitch Project!
Sen-Foong Lim, Jay Cormier, and Tyler Smith
THE PITCH PROJECT: NOVEMBER 7th, 12-5PM EST
