Do You Want to Walk the Onyx Path?

Disclosure Form (public)

Sounds ominous, doesn’t it?

We’re looking for some new writers. That’s the long and short of it. We have some really awesome people working on our books right now, but the problem is that some of the same people are working on all our books, and that’s not a good situation long term. Leads to burnout and so forth. And having new perspectives and voices is a good thing.

Here’s the way this is going to work, then.

1) Digitally sign the submission NDA (attached to this post).

2) Attach that with your submission (see below) and send it to opp.submissions@gmail.com. Make sure you include your name, address, a quick CV with any other published work (especially for RPGs), and tell us what game line(s) you think you’d be best suited for.

3) Wait feverishly.

The Submission:

We’re looking for submissions no longer than 1000 words. Ideally, that’s 500 words of setting or fiction and 500 words of mechanics. If the proportions aren’t exactly even, don’t worry about it. What we’re really looking for are writers that can create compelling and evocative game material, and that know how the mechanics work.

We’ll accept mechanics for CWoD, NWoD, and GMC rulesets. If you’re doing NWoD, you’re probably best served doing something compatible with the God-Machine Chronicle rules revisions, because…well, you’ve seen the release schedule, use your imagination.

Want to take a bloodline that appeared in a prior Requiem book and update it to GMC rules? Awesome. Want to make up a faction of mages and give them a few sample spells? Terrific. Write some flash fiction about an unnameable horror from the Deeps and then tell us how it works in a mechanical context? Great.

Some things to consider that are pretty much true across game lines:

1) “Affect” and “effect” trip a lot of people up. Know the difference.

2) “Loose” isn’t the same as “lose.” Know the difference.

3) Avoid using “there is” and “there are.” It’s a passive construction, but more than that, it doesn’t really tell us much. “There is a chair in the corner.” Yawn. “An overturned chair sits in the corner.” Better. At least we know something happened.

4) Different game lines shoot for different tones, but in general you want not quite as chatty as a forum post, not quite as formal as an essay. Don’t talk to the reader (this is OK is some circumstances, but generally don’t do it), and don’t begin sentences with “OK,” “See,” “Now,” “Look,” or “Hell.”

5) Taking inspiration is OK, but if I can recognize that your bloodline is just the Night’s Watch (or whatever) with the serial numbers filed down, that’s not good.

Sound good? OK, let’s see it. There’s no time limit on this; we’re always looking for good writers. But, y’know, the sooner you submit, the sooner we can read your submission. We will try to respond to all submissions with at least a “yes, we’d like to hire you, we’ll let you know when something comes up” or “sorry, your writing isn’t what we’re looking for right now,” but that’ll depend on how busy we get.

Part II: Follow-Up


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117 responses to “Do You Want to Walk the Onyx Path?”

  1. IanW Avatar
    IanW

    Also note that’s “flash fiction” and NOT “slash fiction.”

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Fiction inspired by World of Darkness: Slashers is fine, though.

      1. IanW Avatar
        IanW

        Slasher slash fiction?

        Jason was startled to realize that when Freddy said “how sweet, fresh meat,” what he meant was “I love you.”

        1. Mechalith Avatar
          Mechalith

          If this leads to submissions that contain the phrase ‘lubricated machete’ or ‘throbbing icepick’, you really only have yourself to blame.

          1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

            I can’t decide which of those is more disturbing. Probably the icepick.

    2. Stew Avatar
      Stew

      Damnit, Watson! Don’t give people ideas.

      1. Neall Avatar
        Neall

        Oh, I dunno. I kind of like where this is headed.

    3. machineiv Avatar
      machineiv

      Addendum: Felix and Count Fucking Dracula slash fiction will instantly get you consideration for employment in any project I’m developing.

    4. Jeremy Puckett Avatar
      Jeremy Puckett

      Been waiting for this! Expect my submission by the end of the weekend! ^_^

    5. Nobody Avatar
      Nobody

      …what if we want to make a submission involving one of your OTHER lines? Such as the Scarred Lands line you acquired? =)

  2. Gregório Tkotz Avatar
    Gregório Tkotz

    This is USA only? I want to know before start writhing and hoping.

    1. IanW Avatar
      IanW

      I’m in Canada. Our Werewolf and Mage devs are both in the UK. I think it’s a safe bet to assume non-US applications are fine.

      1. machineiv Avatar
        machineiv

        And Filamena Young and I are freshly living in Japan.

        The Onyx Path is rather worldly.

      2. DaveB Avatar
        DaveB

        You will grow to hate currency conversion charges, and you’ll have rare late-night / early morning skype calls if you’re in a far-off timezone, but yes, it’s fine.

  3. Alex Greene Avatar
    Alex Greene

    Any chance for someone who put in a few articles a few years back, and who would like to pick up the pen and write again?

  4. Kevin Carney Avatar
    Kevin Carney

    Is there a deadline when submissions need to be submitted by? I don’t see that information in the above article.

    1. IanW Avatar
      IanW

      The final paragraph.

      There’s no time limit on this; we’re always looking for good writers. But, y’know, the sooner you submit, the sooner we can read your submission.

  5. Brendan W Avatar
    Brendan W

    <..>

    “Praise Caine!”

    /flee

    1. Alex Greene Avatar
      Alex Greene

      Who is Caine?

  6. Jacob Klünder Avatar
    Jacob Klünder

    Ohhhhh, I loved writing for WW back in the day and I would love to do so again – need to submit!

  7. Tommy Latour Avatar
    Tommy Latour

    I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity. submission soon to follow. 🙂

  8. Lee Sampere Avatar
    Lee Sampere

    I’ve been waiting for something like this for a very long time.

    Stormy brain, go! 🙂

  9. Will I. Avatar
    Will I.

    Will you be supplying feedback even if a person is not selected, time permitting?

    1. IanW Avatar
      IanW

      That’s what it says in the final paragraph.

  10. Lee Sampere Avatar
    Lee Sampere

    I’ve been waiting for something like this for a very long time. Stormy brain, go! 🙂

  11. Darius Avatar
    Darius

    Ian and/or Matt, I sent a submission back in October 2013 hoping to write for game design, if I wish to be considered for fiction, should I make a separate submission? Thank you in advance!

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Go ahead and resubmit, so it’s all in the same place.

  12. Rhett Avatar
    Rhett

    I’m extremely interested in trying my hand at this, but curious to know more about the availability or work schedule you’d be looking for from potential applicants.

    I understand that posting terms of a contract here would be incredibly cumbersome, but what are the possible hours?

    For instance, I’d love to do this on evenings and weekends, but personally wouldn’t be able to accommodate full-time writing.

    I suspect that this kind of information might also be helpful to others.

    1. Rhett Avatar
      Rhett

      Just to clarify, I’m not looking for any specific numbers here. I’d just like a rough sense of what the expectations and time commitment would be. Are you guys fairly flexible with this?

    2. DaveB Avatar
      DaveB

      We’re all freelancers (except for Rich) – we get a new contract with every book, which says how many words you’re hired to write, how much you’ll be paid, and when you have to write them by.

      Almost all of us have day jobs, too, and word counts / deadlines are pitched accordingly. Full time writers are quite rare in the roleplaying game “industry”.

      1. Rhett Avatar
        Rhett

        Thanks! Super helpful.

        And now I’m excited.

  13. jude Avatar
    jude

    are multiple submissions acceptable?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Sure, but you’re probably best served sending us your best stuff.

  14. Jaron Kaplan-Parr Avatar
    Jaron Kaplan-Parr

    I have a project I would love to submit, but it is far more than 1000 words. Are you looking for samples of larger projects that are only 1000 words, or only for really small projects, that are complete with only 1000 words?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Just 1000 words for now. We’ve got our schedule planned out pretty far in advance, so we’re looking more for freelancers rather than pitched projects.

  15. Jeremy Puckett Avatar
    Jeremy Puckett

    Been waiting for this! Expect my submission by the end of the weekend! ^_^

  16. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    So, with a 1000 word count limit, are we permitted to send in multiple submissions for different ideas?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Sure, but again, sending your best stuff might be better than sending multiple submissions. If it were me, I’d send whatever I felt was most solid, and in the email say, “This submission is Werewolf, but I’d also like to work on Vampire, etc.”

  17. Woody Purdy Avatar
    Woody Purdy

    Are you okay with a re-write of a current set of rules?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      If you can re-write a rules set in 1000 words, you’re HIRED, man.

      No, seriously, though, it depends on what you mean. If you’re talking about converting something pre-GMC to GMC, that’s awesome. If you talking about a revision of an existing rules-set, that’s *ok*, but it’s not necessarily ideal because, like, we have a rules set and we’re not likely to do another heavy revision any time soon.

  18. Devon Avatar

    Is there any interest in expanding either Exalted or Scion? I intend to submit based on the requirements in the above posting, but I am also very interested in those other lines. If there is any intention to expand either line, will you assign new writers to them?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Indicate your interests in the email and we’ll make sure the right people know about it.

    2. Chris Shaffer Avatar
      Chris Shaffer

      I can’t get into specifics, as such (or at least I probably can but shouldn’t), but I have it on good authority that if you can prove you’re capable, a WoD-related sample will do the trick.

  19. Keegan Clements-Housser Avatar

    So, I don’t have any experience writing for RPGs, but I DO have an abundance of feature writing experience as a magazine journalist (bonus: I’m grammar savvy, because editors are scary otherwise). Worth shooting you 1000 words, or are you strictly looking for RPG chops?

      1. Keegan Avatar

        Just for clarity: I would send you RPG stuff, but that’s not where my background lies. Would you base your decision on the quality of the sample I sent, or would my lack of background experience be the disqualifying factor?

        1. Stew Avatar

          As long as your submission fits what we’re looking for (1000 words, roughly split between setting/mechanics, for either cWoD or post-GMC nWoD), you’ll be good.

    1. Neall Avatar
      Neall

      I have a previous life as a journalist. Other than the Oxford comma, you’ll find the transition an easy one.

  20. Eolirin Avatar
    Eolirin

    As I recall that loose/lose one is especially irritating to McFarland. Make extra sure to avoid it.

    Not talented enough to do anything more than abstract design work, but best of luck to everyone submitting.

  21. Amy Veeres Avatar
    Amy Veeres

    I’m beyond excited for another chance to completely screw this up. Time to get to work!

    Or, more accurately, time to have a panic attack and start crying!

    1. Becky Schoen Avatar
      Becky Schoen

      I know, right?

      I mean RIGHT?! 🙂

  22. reseru Avatar
    reseru

    Is it valid to just send 1000 words of fiction?

    Fiddling with mechanics scares me, honestly, and I’d be more proud to have a story published than some rules. Thanks for the opportunity, though! This is great 🙂

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      You *can* give us 1000 words of fiction, sure.

      Here’s the thing, though (and I’m speaking only for myself; other developers might feel differently): I have a lot of people I can tap to write fiction. It’s not that fiction’s easy, per se, but I don’t have as many talented mechanics folks as I do folks who can do setting or fiction. But what I really need is people who can do *both*, and weave them together.

      That doesn’t mean, if you’re really mechanics-challenged, that you’ve got no chance. It just means you’ve got a slightly higher bar (with me, at least, but I’m only one developer).

      1. Eolirin Avatar
        Eolirin

        Wait, is there any use for people that are the opposite? Mechanically talented but fictionally challenged? Is a submission of (almost) only mechanics okay too?

        1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

          It’s very hard to do pure mechanics with *no* setting at all. Even if you do a Gift list or something, you still have to write some evocative, interesting words, because otherwise it’ll just be “you can turn into a pig” and it’ll be boring.

          (Porcine Gifts. G’head, y’all have that for free.)

          1. Eolirin Avatar
            Eolirin

            Yeah, I said almost for a reason. It’s just, writing fiction is definitely very different than, say, evocative gift descriptions, or at least it is to me. You get to avoid things like narrative structure and characterization and dialog.

            Obviously you have to be able to write, but it’s a different kind of writing. Is that still useful? To be able to do, say, an Arcanum level with spell effects, and be evocative about it, but not be able to do a short story?

          2. Eolirin Avatar
            Eolirin

            Or, even, would it be useful and worth trying a submission that takes one of the Fiction Anthology stories and builds some mechanics based on the concepts in it (all original writing mind)? With no separate fiction/setting piece?

          3. Jim Fisher Avatar
            Jim Fisher

            Matt, you have given me terrible, terrible ideas. Thank you. Or maybe you should start apologizing to Stew now. One of those.

  23. Jonathan Avatar
    Jonathan

    Fiction and mechanics both sound easy to do. It’s that 1000 word ceiling that’s killing me (though I suppose some of my Uratha Gift ideas can be done in that but my 7.5k DtD character background is right out). 😀

    1. Eddy Webb Avatar

      We have a lot of writers who can write lots and lots of words. Brevity is a rare quality.

  24. GregN Avatar
    GregN

    The Bunnicula-Caine connection. Yes, it gets hairy.

  25. Joshua Avatar
    Joshua

    Are pieces of a whole acceptable? Like if I were to post part of say my personal elder project would that be something you’d look at? And what about submitting multiple pieces?

  26. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    Does CWoD mean just 20th book lines? Or older all of the old lines?

    I’m interested in writing a submission for Hunter: The Reckoning.

    1. IanW Avatar
      IanW

      You could probably get away with it, but consider that this is our way of seeing if you’ve got what we want. A submission for Hunter won’t do that as well as a submission for a line we’re currently actively developing.

      1. Kevin Avatar
        Kevin

        I thought as much, but I wanted to verify.

        Thanks for verifying!

  27. Kevin D. Avatar
    Kevin D.

    When you say we can submit for CWoD, does that include non-20th Anniversary lines?

    I’d like to write something for Hunter: The Reckoning.

  28. Walksforever Avatar
    Walksforever

    Pity I just can’t say, read my FEAR Corp stuff of Mr Gone’s site and let me know, sadly it’s not the best of writing. Hmmmmm, I am going to have to really dredge to do only 1000 words.

  29. GClaycomb Avatar
    GClaycomb

    Quick Question of Clarification: Are you looking for Splat-info Fiction (i.e. descriptions of a Bloodline/Lodge/etc.) or more like Chapter Introduction Fiction?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Either’s good. Remember, we’re not looking to buy what you submit, we’re just looking at it to see your capabilities.

  30. Jerad Sayler Avatar

    Hello All,

    Before I breakdown some of the Chronicle rules and setting for a Mage game I have been keeping going since 2007, I wanted to ask what being a writer entails? Writing is my dream, do I have to give up the military?

    1. Time Consumption, does being a writer have a set amount of time that must be allocated?
    2. How does pay work? Do you become an employee of Onyx Path? Do you become a freelance writer that gets paid for turning in completed documents?
    3. Do you do it from home?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      1. No. You have a word count and a deadline, and then you get redlines, and then you have a final draft deadline.
      2. You’re paid per word based on a set word count. You’re not an employee, you’re a contractor (so you get a 1099 for tax purposes and you’re responsible for paying taxes on it). The way contracts are structured right now, you generally get 50% of the fee on final draft and the other 50% on publication of the work.
      3. You can write anywhere you darn well please. I generally work at home, but I’ve been known to work at coffee shops when my corgi gets too annoying.

  31. FGumm Avatar
    FGumm

    “We’ll” is not the same thing as “well.” Know the difference.

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Cute. Yes, you found a typo. Congrats!

  32. Yiodan Avatar
    Yiodan

    Any other positions you might be interested in? I’d love to help out but if i’m being honest i’m more of a storyteller/designer than I am a writer. I’m also good at finding mistakes and pointing them out (but you got armies doing that now :p)

  33. Alexander Brown Avatar
    Alexander Brown

    One thing I noticed is your requesting references to other things one has worked on in the RPG industry. If someone is wishing to send in a submission, but has no previous published works, do they have an equal chance on the “People have to get a start somewhere” theory, or are you only accepting from people who have previous experience in the industry?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Not having previous experience doesn’t give you a disadvantage, at least not with me (other developers may have their own criteria). We just want to know what people’s experience is like, and I’ll be honest, if your submission is awesome and I see you’ve worked on other games, I’m likely to check those games out. If your submission is awesome and I see you haven’t worked on other games, well, that’s keen, too. If your submission is crap and you’ve worked on other games, you don’t get a pass just because someone else was able to polish your work up to spec. Make sense?

  34. Epimetheus Avatar
    Epimetheus

    Question, though the submission is only 500 words is possible to use a few more to describe why we did it the way we did if it isn’t just a direct conversion of mechanics if we go that route?

  35. Tobie Avatar

    This is real.

    I can’t believe it.
    This is real.

    A chance to contribute to both World of Darknesses.
    Thank you for the opportunity.

    (*starts working on my outlines*)

  36. Battler Avatar
    Battler

    Just because of that I MUST do a “Night’s Watch” bloodline in my chronicle.

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      I actually wouldn’t know the difference. I couldn’t get past the kid getting pushed out of the window.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    Hello Mr. McFarland,

    I’m really interested in submitting some work to you. I did have a few questions beforehand.

    1- My experience is mainly concerning the classic World of Darkness (and the LARP version to boot!), and I shamefully admit to having pretty much zero knowledge of the current WoD, including the God-Machine Chronicle. Is there a place, somewhere, where I could possibly read up on the current trends and settings you are working on?

    2- Do you have a preference on the version of game mechanics that we can submit? Like I stated earlier, I’m more of a LARPer myself, but I will write up game mechanics for tabletop versions if that is what’s preferred.

    3- Is it acceptable to write up a small commentary before/after the submitted work, at least to say hello and present myself?

    Thank you for this opportunity.

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      1) The God-Machine Chronicle Rules Revisions are available for free download on Drive-Thru RPG. That doesn’t provide the base rules engine (you need the World of Darkness Rulebook for that). That said, we need CWoD authors, too, so if that’s where your strengths are, submit CWoD material.

      2) LARP/MES isn’t published through OPP, and I’m afraid I don’t know what the needs are for MES books.

      3) Sure, either in the body of the submission or in the email.

    2. Eddy Webb Avatar

      LARP/MET is handled by By Night Studios, which is a different company.

  38. David, again Avatar
    David, again

    Hi again, Mr. McFarland.

    So… Tabletop rules it is, then.

    Thank you for the clarification, sir.

  39. David (again) Avatar
    David (again)

    Hi, Mr. McFarland.

    Thank you for the clarification. I’ll stick to my strengths, but also underline that I have no problem with learning new stuff and writing about said new stuff.

    Again, thank you for this opportunity. I’ll send you my very best work… As long as it’s 1000 words, more or less.

  40. […] all-call (you know, this thing) is going well. We’ve got a few dozen submissions so far, and I’m looking forward to […]

  41. Josh Avatar
    Josh

    Maybe I’m just stupid, but how does one go about electronically signing that form?

    1. IanW Avatar
      IanW

      Adobe Reader, Foxit Reader, and others have a Signature button in the toolbar.

      1. Lee Sampere Avatar
        Lee Sampere

        Would printing/ signing/ scanning/ combining files into a PDF work for you?

        1. Stew Avatar
  42. […] newbies or seasoned professionals. If you think you have what it takes, check it out here: https://theonyxpath.com/do-you-want-to-walk-the-onyx-path/ and then this […]

  43. Kyle Avatar
    Kyle

    Welp, submitted. Both excited and nervous and taking a stab because, well, we were invited to try ^^

  44. Minkers Avatar
    Minkers

    Hello everyone,

    I’ve been pondering on my submission and I was thinking about writing up a small group (hunter cell, coterie, wolf pack) that could be easily dropped in any city or setting. Would those who walk the Onyx Path be interested in such a thing?

    -Minkers

    1. David Avatar
      David

      I think I read somewhere that they basically want to see how you write, not necessarily what you write about. If you, say, create some kind of super-secret, high-tech Hunter cell, they probably won’t hire you to write about that specific gang. I think they just want to see the type of text you can whip up.

      1. Minkers Avatar
        Minkers

        I understood OPP’s intention. I just wanted to know if it’s something they would be interested in reading. The fact that they don’t intend to use it doesn’t mean that I should waste their time by providing an article that isn’t something that they are looking for.

        I thank you for the heads up, though.

  45. […] those that don’t know, Onyx Path Publishing is holding an open call for new freelancer writers (and they clarified a few things). While I’m not involved in the process, I spent years going […]

  46. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    Hello,

    Are submissions being accepted for potential proofreaders and/or copy and content editors? If so, what’s the submission process for this?

    Thank you!

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      I think we do need editors, but that’s more Rose’s area. I will see if we can get some submission guidelines for editors, as long as we’re doin’ this.

  47. Entropy Avatar
    Entropy

    “a quick CV with any other published work (especially for RPGs)”

    So, if I have no published work yet, is there still a need for some kind of CV?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Need? Maybe not. If you have other publication credits, even if they’re academic rather than fiction, we’re interested, though.

  48. Steffie Avatar
    Steffie

    I have a question about the mechanics part of the submission.

    Are you looking for brand new mechanics that work with the existing mechanics (an add-on of sorts)? Or more for new powers that function within the already existing mechanics? By that token, how about providing stats for creatures from the fiction part of the scenario. Since I can’t do all three within 500 words, I was wondering which would be valued most.

    Thanks!

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      Actually, any of those are good. Of the three, I guess statting up a creature would be least effective in showing your mechanics-chops, but that doesn’t mean it would be a bad idea. Making a useful NPC is a good skill to have (I know I use the characters from the books when I run games).

      1. Steffie Avatar
        Steffie

        Thank you for answering that so quickly! *Gets back to writing*

  49. Jeremy Shuman Avatar

    I finished and submitted my Requiem Bloodline.
    Now the hard part. Waiting.
    Good luck to everyone who submits a sample!

  50. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    If I sent in a submission about an idea I’d like to share with the community, should I wait until I hear back before posting it for feedback?

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar
  51. Meredith Avatar
    Meredith

    Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to comb through all the submissions and thank you for opening up such an opportunity 🙂

  52. Peter Flanagan Avatar

    I got an odd hiccup when sending my submission; the program popped up with an error indicating difficulty in sending, but it’s *also* showing that the message was sent. How long should I wait before querying about receipt, or resending?

  53. Jordan Goldfarb Avatar

    Hello,

    I have two questions. Firstly, the lines for which I feel I could make an interesting submission have not received rules updates, to the best of my knowledge, but God Machine Chronicle compatibility is encouraged. If I wanted to write a submission involving, say, Changeling: the Lost, does that mean I should just integrate the core updates with the existing Changeling rules as best as I can? The answer seems like an obvious “yes,” but I just like making sure about this sort of thing.

    Secondly, the linked style guide mentions a template document to follow if you are using Word, but I can’t seem to find the document, and the style guide seems to focus primarily on how to deal with not having a copy of Word. Is there a place to download the template document that I haven’t found?

    Thanks for your time!

  54. Lee Sampere Avatar
    Lee Sampere

    Hey guys, are submissions still being accepted/ reviewed?

  55. Jason Dennison Avatar
    Jason Dennison

    Ok, seriously, where the hell is the NDA I’m supposed to sign? Am I just completely blind, because I’m not seeing it. I have a submission and I’d like to get it sent in, but I’ll be bludgeoned with a shovel and buried alive if I can find the damned NDA.

    1. Matthew McFarland Avatar

      It’s at the very top of this post. Like, right below the “by Matthew McFarland” byline, there’s a link. It’s easy to miss, I grant you.

  56. Jason Dennison Avatar
    Jason Dennison

    Oh dear gods, I feel like a moron…I kept seeing that as “Forum” not “FORM” holy crap…seriously, I apologize. I feel like such a tool now

  57. Ryan George Herden Avatar
    Ryan George Herden

    So, I did a mildly unconventional submission, because I did what I thought I’d be really passionate about and such, as you’ll well know because hey, you’ll have it there in the inbox.

    Should I write a second, more conventional one? I saw you mentioned somewhere that one good sub is better than ten sub par ones, but what about two hopefully really good ones, one that does what I want to write and one that does what you want to read?