July 3rd is my birthday, and the first day on my new job as Editor-In-Chief at StarCityCCG. There are definitely worse ways to start off a new year.
With that in mind, I figured I’d better answer some questions that ch’all might have about the new guy, and what plans he has in store for StarCity.
The answer? Not much.
There are some improvements I’m hoping to make, but StarCity’s strength has always been the excellent writing you can find here, writing that covers everything from casual multiplayer bashing to deep analyses of Pro Tour metagame strategies. It’s always been here, it’s always been good, and I’m not going to muck with a winning formula.
That said, I figured I might as well speak on a few topics that might get asked:
Q: Do people really call you "The Ferrett"?
A: Yep. My wife’s vows started out with, "I take you, Ferrett…" and went from there. Only people who hate me and employers call me by my real name, so kindly only call me "Bill" unless you’re writing me hatemail.
Q: So why you? Weren’t there better-qualified people to run a major Magic site like StarCity?
A: Absolutely – but StarCity was very concerned about continuing their long tradition of having Editors With Unusual Names. Who else could follow "Omeed" but a guy named "Ferrett"?
The major concern is what happens when *I* leave. The next editor’s going to have to be named something really outlandish, like "Sysquavious O’Shaughnessy".
Q: Do your bile-filled, hatemongering, anti-tournament editorials mean that StarCity’s going to have an anti-tourney bias?
A: No. My opinion is a personal quirk, not a condemnation of tourney players in general. While I personally avoid Pro Tour invites like the plague*, I know there are a lot of people who are really into professional-level play – and if you like tournaments, you will continue to find the latest tourneys reports, news, and miscellany here at StarCityCCG.com. Like I said, I’m not mucking with things.
Besides, if you’re taking anything I say seriously, you’re probably reading too much into it. I just like complaining.
Q: How do I become a writer for StarCity?
A: Send submissions to me, dude! We welcome fresh opinions on Magic-related stuff. If you want basic guidelines for new writers, see Omeed’s excellent articles "You Can Write About Magic, Part I" and "You Can Write About Magic, Part II".
The only things I would have to add to Omeed’s advice are threefold:
1) Don’t start off an article with a rant about how you’ve never written before, how you hope to be a regular writer, et cetera; it’s just not of that much interest to the outside world. Say what you have to about Magic, and let everyone else decide how good you are.
2) We don’t publish straight decklists. If you have a good deck, at least write a strategy article about why you chose which cards, what metagames it does well in, and how to play it.
3) Remember that *I* wasn’t a name player before I became a Featured Writer here – and you don’t have to be, either. Writing well can be more important than playing well.
Q: How do I become a Featured Writer?
A: Write a lot. Send it to us. If you’re published often enough, we’ll make the decision to promote you, at which point you will receive a small plaque and a card that’s good for 10% off a Sunday breakfast meal at any participating "Denny’s".
Q: Do you really suck at Magic?
A: We’ll find out on July 31st, now won’t we?
Signing off,
The Ferrett
[email protected]
Visit The Ferrett Domain if you’re not easily offended. Matter of fact, stay away if you’re offended at all. Probably it’s best if you leave now, really?.’
* – As if.