OK, so this is a bit of a "sour grapes" post. Let's just get that out of the way right up front.
Over the years, I have put in the hours as well as the blood, sweat, and tears (oh, so many tears) to deliver quality books, tabletop roleplaying games, audio drama scripts, short fiction, podcasts, and other exciting works to fans, and seeing my name on these things has been both rewarding and empowering. What puzzles me, though, is that even today, many people act surprised when I inform them of my accomplishments.
A recent thread about Pinebox Middle School posted in the Official Savage Worlds Facebook Group made mention of three contributors to the project, but completely skipped over me in the conversation despite my name being the very first one on the title page! I wrote the original 80,000+ word draft of the core rulebook, I've been interviewed about it (both podcasts and livestreams), I've participated in AMAs, and my name topped the list of credits when it was nominated for an ENNIE Award in 2024!
Related to this, I've been completely ignored when I've enquired about being a convention guest or even when I've simply offered to sit on various panels, and I once had a "guest liaison" (note the air quotes) at a small, local con tell me to my face that they only wanted "professionals" as guests despite my bibliography and resume. At the time, that con was promoting two guests – one who had a Kickstarter for a card game he had designed (it didn't fund) and another who hosted a little-known gaming podcast (to my knowledge, it no longer exists).
I just find all this so baffling.
Are there any other creators out there who have found themselves in a similar predicament? I don't recall kicking the dogs of any of these people and I have always been civil and polite to each and every one of them.
Perhaps we are truly cursed!
