Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

The Tabletop Writers Guild is a group of written reviewers, editors, bloggers, and general content creators who foolishly continue to produce and provide written content to readers across the gaming community.
At its most basic, the TWG is a means of providing an online space for writers in tabletop gaming to congregate, network with their peers, and discuss the unique advantages and difficulties of writing despite the explosion of interest in podcast and video content the hobby.

In turn, the hope is to use its membership list to provide a helpful reference point for readers to find written sites and outlets for consumption.
At present the TWG is mostly just an online group. While the current intent is to operate the organization in the full spirit of a non-profit, from a legal perspective, at present it is not a 501(c)(3) entity, no.
No. The TWG is an affiliation of writers, but each member still writes, edits, and publishes their own work in their respective areas of the hobby.
Any personal information gathered by the TWG is used solely and strictly for communicating with its members or for infographic purposes. No individual user data will be shared or disseminated outside of the guild without that user's approval, and no gathered or provided data will be sold or otherwise profited on for any reason.

Members have a right to inquire what information of theirs we have stored at any given time. An individual's collected data is removed upon a separation from the guild.

Membership Questions

Camaraderie and a place to commiserate, mostly.

We kid.

Mostly.

But you can find the full list of member benefits here.
Despite what some may think, the board game media community is not as interconnected as it may outwardly seem. Aside from engagement on social media and at conventions, interaction and collaboration between content creators is surprisingly sparse, and dedicated areas to discuss matters in a professional setting without the entire world chiming in even less so. And even of the fractional handful that do exist, most of the conversation revolves around audio and video than writing. An online space purely for writers didn't exist. So...we made one.
At the moment, yes, membership is free. That may change down the line, however.
Requirements vary depending on primary the nature of your written work. The quick version:

First, you must be someone with whom more than 50% of your regularly-created content on the web or in publication is in written form.

Additionally:

Game reviewers, news editors, and general content creators must demonstrate that they have been generating content with regularity (at least once a month), for at least six months prior to applying. (Consistency is the more important trait than volume, however.)

Rulebook editors and game fiction writers must demonstrate their rulebook contributions to at least two published games upon applying.

Tabletop RPG writers & editors must demonstrate that the majority of their RPG efforts involve editing or in-game fiction writing. However, please take special note: this Guild is not a design-focused community. If your role is regarding fiction or editing, you are welcome to inquire, but if your main focus is RPG design then this probably isn't the hangout for you. This is primary a place about game coverage, not game creation.

Additionally, we intend to post links to members' primary sites, blogs, or portfolios so that the gaming community can check out your content.
You can head over to this page and fill out the form!

Once it's complete, your information will be reviewed by our Nominating Committee to determine its accuracy and validity. After which you will be contacted with a decision.
Largely speaking, no. Oversight of one's content is still at the discretion of their outlets and editors, including any opinions provided within to that end. Nor are there any quotas for things such as article frequency or length.

The one right the TWG does reserve is that its members adhere to its Code of Ethics, which prohibits people from engaging in plagiarism, harassment, violence, or personal attacks along lines such as race or gender - any of which risks removal from the guild.

It's basically a requirement to not be a terrible person.
While membership is free, maintaining membership requires that you are still actively writing content to some degree. This will be reviewed on an annual basis. Significant inactivity could (but is not guaranteed to) result in removal from the role.
Much like the members directory, the Outlet Directory is a list of websites where you can find primarily written content.

To be on the Outlet Directory, it must be a site where more than 50% of its content is in written form and at least 75% of its writers be TWG members.

If your site qualifies, please email us at: tabletopwritersguild@gmail.com