BLUE FORGE GROUP
A volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1989.
Company Policies & Lexicon
Purpose Statement
Educate. Empower. Elevate. Blue Forge Group has supported authors, filmmakers, actors, game designers, musicians and other storytellers for more than thirty years who have been marginalized due to age, disability, race, religion, sexuality, economic status, or other factors. We provide studio space, mentors, life-skills, housing, job training, career opprotunities, and social and professional networking for artisans from all walks of life. Art brings hope and creative careers change lives. Together we've brought light to the darkness and voice to the silence since 1989.
Our Washington State Campus
Blue Forge Group was founded in 1989 in Seattle, Washington, but our one-acre campus has been across the Puget Sound from Seattle for more than twenty years in Port Orchard, Washington, on the outskirts of Banner Forest Heritage Park. The campus has gardens, rescued jungle fowl, sports equipment, outdoor tables and benches for artisans, access to a restroom, and free and low-rent studio spaces. Use of the campus is by-appointment only and reserved for artisans, creative clubs, and mentors.
Glossary of Terms
Terms and definitions frequently used by our mentors and editors: Blue Forge Press: A novel is a minimum of 50,000 words. Less than 50,000 words is a novella. Blue Forge Films: A feature film is 90 minutes or longer. A short film is 30 to 60 minutes. An ultra short film is under 10 minutes. Blue Forge Gaming: The acronyms d20 and d6 refer to twenty-sided and six-sided dice. An RPG is a role-playing game. CCG and TCG refer to collectible card games and trading card games.
Nondiscrimination
Blue Forge Group believes that no artisan who believes in inclusivity for all Americans should be excluded from our services, employment or volunteer participation. We will not partner with artisans, vendors or partners that engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief, or for any other discriminatory reason that pits Americans against one another or places them in a caste hierarchy.
Content Limitations
While we will publish and produce nonfiction works that explore even the most brutal real-life experiences of our artisans, we will not work with fictional books, games, films, shows, albums, or podcasts that feature explicit violence against children or any sexual violence. Furthermore, if your work includes exclusionary, devisive material or deminishes the humanity or value of a group of people as part of the narrative, we cannot publish or produce the work. Bodies of work that fall into these categories or contain these elements, are best taken to another company or self-published.
Acceptance Ratio
Based on 2023 submissions: Eight hundred sixty manuscripts received and twenty-one accepted. Ten albums received and one accepted. Twenty-seven scripts received and twenty-five produced. Twelve games received and ten produced.
Communication
We limit phone calls in order to keep everything in writing. Artisans have the freedom of working with any staff member because commincations are all on file and can be reviewed easily. Artisans under contract with us can reach us by text, email, and post, all year 'round. Phone calls will be recorded and transcribed, and the content of the call will be confirmed with you via email. There are work shifts 24/7/365 but office hours for phone conversations, when required, are limited to between 2pm and 7pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, and are by appointment only. In-person meetings are available between 2pm and 7pm PT, seven days a week, by appointment only.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
"How can a publisher of books, music, games and films be nonprofit?" and "Can I pay you to publish my work?" Far too many nonprofit companies pay their executives too much... and far too many publishers charge their authors.
Only artisans are paid and our artisan royalty is 20 to 90% depending on the work. All the mentors, editors and staff at Blue Forge Group are volunteers. No one is salaried or receives an hourly wage. Any profit made by the company is used to keep all works in print indefinitely. We are not driven by profit. We are driven by how many artisans we can serve.
Artisans cannot pay us to print or produce their work. Blue Forge Group is a traditional publishing house and creative studio. This means authors never pay us. "Publishers" that charge authors aren't publishers; they are vanity print services. We are adamently against vanity print services because they dramatically over-charge. If you want to handle everything yourself, self-publish your work using a free platform; never use a vanity "publisher."