Welcome to Sebastian Yūe’s Newsletter!
What to expect from this publication
Hi! I’ve decided to start a newsletter. I’ve been working in the tabletop industry for four years and I think I’ve somewhat figured it out—at least enough to impart some wisdom to curious folks, to folks who are just starting out, and to folks who want to figure out the rest with me. I don’t have a regular posting schedule; I’ll update when I have time.
What is this newsletter about?
My goal is for it to be casual and conversational. I’ll be sharing actionable advice, learning experiences I’ve had, and game design thoughts. Though this newsletter is for anyone, I especially want to help people of colour thrive in the tabletop industry. My perspective is that of a queer, trans person of Chinese descent living and working in Canada.
The topics I’ve written about so far are:
Publishing. I’ve been heavily involved with the publishing side of things at my day job. I’ve learned a lot from reading submissions, working with creators, and managing projects end-to-end. I clear up misconceptions, clarify what publishing actually is, and tell you what I, personally, am, interested in. Read more about how to pitch your game to a publisher here.
Wizards. I designed five thematic wizard subclasses compatible with D&D (2024), the Bladesinger, Chronomancer, Enchanter, Gravitist, and Leximancer. I had a lot of fun creating new mechanics and visualising how they’d look in play. Check out this post to find out more.
The topics I’m planning to write about are:
Career trajectory. As I said, I’ve been working professionally in this industry for three years and I’m lucky enough to have a full-time job and plenty of freelance work. There will be less practical advice on this subject, but I can talk about how I got started and how I got to where I am now. I like reading other people’s career stories and I figured I may as well write about mine.
Editing. I’ve put some serious work into improving my editing skills this year. I got my first developmental editing job and I took a course on copy and stylistic editing this summer. I’m undecided what exactly I’ll write about, only that I want to talk about it more. I might even put my journalism degree to use and interview someone else for this piece. Check back later.
For the editors among you, this newsletter uses British spellings, closed em dashes, North American speech marks, and down style capitalisation. I have a style sheet.
New releases. I learn something new with every project I work on and I’d love to share that with you. This will be a recurring feature of the newsletter and you’ll get updates around the time that the project becomes publicly available.
Other stuff. The above topics are what I can think of right now. I’m more than open to suggestions on what to write about. If there’s something you’d like my thoughts on, please let me know!
What isn’t this newsletter about?
Some disclaimers:
Not universal. I recognize that everyone’s situation is different and different people need different things, different strategies work for different folks—and so on, and so forth. Nothing I write here is prescriptive. My goal is to share stuff from my perspective, and you’re here because you’re interested in what I think. Further to that:
All opinions mine. I have learned a lot about tabletop from working at my day job, but everything I write is solely my thoughts. Nothing I say or do represents Hit Point Press or other individuals who work there. I also will not share confidential company stuff for legal reasons.
Production value, or lack thereof. Text is my medium. I’ll at least find an image to go with each post I make, but that’s all I’m committing to in terms of visuals. Don’t expect anything fancy.
What’s next?
That’s your introduction to my little corner of the internet! I want to leave you with something, so here is a selection of interviews I’ve done. Check these out if you want to get a sense of how I talk about my work. You can find more recent interviews on my website.
Of Doppelgangers, Tentacle Monsters & Shame with Sebastian Yue! | DICEY BANTER
I joined Valiant Dorian, the host of TTRPG talk show Dicey Banter to chat about my work on Apocalypse Keys: Doomsday Delights and my experience as a publisher in the TTRPG space.
Design Dash, Episode 1 | Roll20 (2023)
I return for a new series of Design Dash where I design a D&D encounter in only 15 minutes! This episode features fellow designers Lyla Fujiwara and Erin Tierney; be sure to visit their portfolios for some excellent games!
Making A Monster Podcast, Episode 11: Rime of the Frostmaiden Double Feature | Scintilla Studio (2021)
I talk about designing a 5e boss who personifies toxic corporate culture. A transcript of the episode is available here. This episode features fellow designer Cassandra MacDonald; check out her work!
Dungeon Masters Guild House, Episode 86 | Matthew Whitby (2021)
I discuss adventure design, tackling emotional experiences, and designing RPGs from the ground up. A transcript of the episode is available here.
Creative Curiosity, Episode 1 | Grim Press (2020)
I chat about Lake of Secrets, my first-ever published game! Closed captions are included in the video.
Find me elsewhere
Website & portfolio: sebastianyue.ca
Bluesky Social: @sebastianyue