Graham McNeill off to Pastures New.

[Austin Becht]

Ciaphas Cain remains their besterest character evar though.

CAIN FOR THE WIN! Those books are my personal favorite if the Black Library stuff I've read.

Can't say I've read and of McNiel's stuff, but I plan to get through some of it.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Since I didn't claim the ship was sinking and rats are leaving it, just that another company valued creativity more than GW's managers, you didn't win the bet. You get nothing. You lose. Good day, sir!

Oooooor, he moved to somewhere with a solid salary rather than freelance work. This is extremely common. You can get mortgages much easier on a salary, for example.

[Erik Setzer]

Oooooor, he moved to somewhere with a solid salary rather than freelance work. This is extremely common. You can get mortgages much easier on a salary, for example.

But the point still remains that if GW valued him as much as Riot apparently does, they'd have made him a salaried employee.

However, I'm not even seeing any mention in there of whether he was salaried or not. Seems people assume he was freelance just because he'll continue to work on stuff, when it's possible he was salaried and is just changing his arrangement with GW to better suit his changing to a new employer, so that he can continue to work on projects he'd had on deck and get paid for them.

McNeill started as a staff writer at GW. He used to work on rules, even. I don't see that being "freelance" work, especially when he talks about how he was "hired" to do articles, then it moved onto rules. So if being salaried is better than freelancing, why would he have changed from salary to freelance? And why would he leave a salaried position at GW just to take a non-salaries position at GW, when they could just change his title?

[Mr Mystery]

Except BL don't have salaried authors it would seem.

And, here's the funny bit....he's still going to be writing for BL.

You raised a slightly bizarre point about how it's always better to hire experienced people over new blood. That's patent nonsense. Every single great writer has started out a untested new blood. If no publishing house gave new writers a shot, the book world would be without many great novels and series (like, you know, Harry Potter).....though I'll grant you it would have prevented Stephanie Meyer and E L James peddling utter tripe, so not always a good approach.

Just had a quick long range squizz at one of my book cases....Dan Abnett - experienced author. Mike Lee - experienced author. C L Werner - experienced author. Nick Kyme - GW home grown. Gav Thorpe - GW home grown. Sandy Mitchell - GW home grown. Graham McNeill - GW home grown.

All very competent authors. Some came with experience, some nOoBs at the time.

As someone gains experience, and in the case of Graham McNeill wins quite a few awards, they will naturally attract the attention of other companies. Only takes a single generous offer, and they're off. Now, granted I'm not an author, but I am very good at what I do. My technical knowledge is strong, my view writing is coming along leaps and bounds. I'm good with customers, complainants, businesses and colleagues. I am also very happy in my job. But hey, guess what would happen if someone offered me a similar position, with the same generous benefits and a larger salary? My current employer wouldn't see me for dust, especially if I could wangle a job working from home, no matter where I chose to live.

So yeah, totes claiming my £5!

[40kGamer]

So yeah, totes claiming my £5!

I really should have been faster releasing the bunny pic flood.

[BrianDavion]

Just because Mcneil is a freelancer doesn't mean he's not valued. novel writers in that position are freelance, that's how the industry works. the number of writers whom have a salary is proably pretty damned low. here's the thing, McNeil's new job is NOT a novel writing job. (indeed if he produces a LoL novel chances are it'll be a free lance job seperate from his role) rather his job is a staff position of overseeing the greater storyline. Basicly his job is gonna be very differnt from his job writing novels for GW

[madlib]

Abnett and Dembski-Bowden, personally. I did enjoy Vengeful Spirit quite a lot, so it's not that I don't like McNeill at all.

The point about him being freelance is it's hard to make claims about being negatively impacted by a bad "corporate environment" when you're not actually part of it day to day.

Abnett and ADB are the best BL writers by far.

- - - Updated - - -

Not that big a fan of Abnett. I find various of his books difficult to get into. I guess I just prefer my fiction a little more pulpy.

Ciaphas Cain remains their besterest character evar though.

Yeah, some of Abnett's stuff is less pulpy and more cerebral. You could say the same for a few other BL authors too though. Rob Sanders comes to mind. I personally like a little depth with my pulp.

[daboarder]

Mitchel (Ciahpas Cain) Has to be my favourite.

Even his books that are not tongue in cheek (read the scourge the heretic and its sequel) are wonderful. Its such a shame that the IP legallity tanked that series (it was based on the FFG RPG background)

[Denzark]

I think its appropriate here to mention his comment about 'turning up for the final chapter'. Whilst we know for a fact GW will make the assault on Earth last 34 books and 18 SE novellas (Book 33 - Kharn takes his last dump before the assault on the palace) the key for me is who will write the Emp/Horus confrontation. I think you have to struggle to beat the Bill King piece in RoC - Lost and the Damned.

If MacNeil is turning up for the final chapter, will him and Abnett tag team the last bit like Prospero etc?

[daboarder]

The lemartes piece about the clash of Sanguinius in the BA 3rd ed book is also an epic piece of work