Help:Writing an article about a book
Articles about books can be about sourcebooks, adventures, or fiction.
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| Creating articles |
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| Copyrights |
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Template
Use the {{Book}} template to begin articles about sourcebooks and fiction, and {{Adventure}} for articles about adventures. Go to the template's page and simply copy the text in the usage box. You can then paste this into your article and fill in the blanks.
Fill in as much information as you can. The template will know which fields you have left blank, and optional fields will not be displayed. You can refer to the template's documentation for more information about each field's purpose and usage.
Real-world information, trivia, and overall overview
Follow the template with any non-content based information about the book. This includes special conditions of publication or release, or if a particular books kicks off or ends a series or trend. For example:
'''Hollow's Last Hope''' can be run as a prequel to [[Crown of the Kobold King]] or can serve as a standalone adventure. As an introduction to its new line of [[GameMastery Modules]], [[Paizo Publishing, LLC]] provides this adventure as a free PDF download from their [http://paizo.com/store/paizoExclusives/v5748btpy82r0 website]. Printed editions were given as free gifts at local gaming stores on ''Free Game Day'' 2007.
No header is needed for this information, and it will appear above the table of contents to separate it from content-based information. If there is anything further to be said about the book in question, it can be presented here. This might include notable information, such as any reissue details, number of copies sold, whether this is the author's first publication, or anything else that might enhance the article. Remember to provide references where necessary.
You can also include the back-cover copy of the product if it has any. The Community Use Policy allows for the direct quoting of this copy from the Paizo Store page for the product. To quote this copy, use the {{Quote}} template:
{{Quote
| header = We Be Goblins—You Be Food!
| quote = The [[Rise of the Runelords]] Adventure Path begins here ...
}}
| “ | We Be Goblins—You Be Food!The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path begins here ... | ” |
Remember to link pertinent information in this copy to wiki articles that can provide additional context.
Contents
Many Starfinder sourcebooks include a table of contents, or at least easily discernible sections. If this is the case, list these sections in a definitions list with a short description or teaser of the contents of each section. Be sure to list the author of any specific part in their respective section, as well as page numbers for easy reference. For an example, see Seven Days to the Grave or any other Starfinder Adventure Path volume, as these books encompass almost every element possible in a book.
Adventure overview
For books containing one or more adventures or quests, include a section outlining the adventure as its own entity within the book as a whole. Do not create individual pages for each adventure or quest. Use the {{Adventure overview}} template, including as much information as you have available. Simply go to the template's page and copy the text from there, and consult the template's documentation for instructions on how to fill it. Below the template, add a brief synopsis of the adventure.
Series templates
Most books (at least released by Paizo Inc., will be part of an ongoing series or product line. Include the relevant template at the bottom of the page, below references and external links, to make navigation from product to product easier for other users.
Categorization
| Defining different book types |
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A sourcebook primarily contains rules or setting content. Most hardcover books, like the Core Rulebook, are sourcebooks. Use the {{Book}} infobox template, and read the documentation for information about how it automatically categorizes works. An adventure book tells a story around one or more structured encounters using the Starfinder Roleplaying Game rules. Starfinder Adventure Path issues are considered adventures too, even though they also contain new rules options and setting details, and other non-adventure content. Use the {{Adventure}} infobox template and refer to its documentation. A fiction book tells a story through a traditional linear narrative. Use the {{Book}} infobox template and refer to its documentation. There's one more type of work: an accessory. These are usually non-book products, like map packs. See Writing an article about an accessory for more information. |
All books should be added to various categories depending on their content. In any case, all sourcebooks should belong to the Category:Sourcebooks category, all adventures should belong to the Category:Adventures category, and all fiction should belong to the Category:Fiction category.
Many infobox templates that cover books, particularly {{Book}} and {{Adventure}}, automatically add many of these categories for you. For more information, see the infobox's documentation.
Rules set
For sourcebooks, add a category according to the rules set the book contains. For example:
Author
Also, add a category for works by each author, for example:
- Category:Works by James Jacobs
- Category:Fiction by Elaine Cunningham1
- Category:Works by Richard Pett
If the category does not exist, check for alternate spellings of the author's name. For example, Sean K Reynolds is sometimes incorrectly credited with a period after his middle initial. As a rule of thumb, the author's name in the category title should be the same spelling as used in the article about that author. If there is no article about that author, use the most common spelling.
Most infobox templates offer features to automatically add these categories for you. Look for the authorn attributes in the infobox's documentation.
Year
Include a category indicating the year of the publication, such as Category:2007 sourcebooks or Category:2009 fiction.
Most infobox templates will automatically add a year category if you specify year and type attributes.
Product line
Additionally, each book should belong to a category indicating its product line, for example Category:Starfinder Adventure Path or Category:Starfinder Modules.
Some infobox templates will automatically add a product line category if you specify the line in the series attribute. Consult the infobox's documentation for help.
Adventure information
For books containing an adventure, include tags for pertinent information regarding adventure type (such as Category:Dungeon adventures) and level (such as Category:5th level adventures).
The {{Adventure overview}} template (documentation) will automatically add these tags for you.
Fiction Type
Since the fiction set in Golarion can take several forms, indicate through categories what format this volume contains, such as Category:Serial fiction or Category:Novels.
The type attribute of most infobox templates can automatically categorize fiction appropriately.
Unsure about categories?
If you have written an article and are unsure about which categories to apply, or simply want your categories double checked, then please feel free to add this text at the bottom of your article in this format:
[[Category:Please check categories]]
This will flag to others that the article's categories need checking or adding. We hope that, soon thereafter, another wiki member will be along to help.