Charles Ryan (and others) out at WotC?

[Erik Mona]

If anyone knows of a game company that pays $.10/word, please let me know, as I'd like to start writing for them.

Dragon and Dungeon start at $.05/word and go up from there based on how dependable the freelancer is and whether or not we can sell more issues with him or her in the magazine. The list of people who fall into that last category is shorter than 20, and I'd guess most authors you haven't heard of make $.05 or $.06/word, whereas the "names" make from $.07/word to $.10/word.

The sad fact of the matter is that the industry is so small (and shrinking) that freelance writing for RPGs will never be a sustainable career. Hell, working as a professional editor or game designer is hardly a sustainable career, and even the most "rock solid" company in terms of pay and benefits is subject to annual Christmas pogroms that sweep through and lay off people for reasons other than merit. Fun.

Basically, my best advice for anyone hoping to "make it" in this field: Get a wife or a husband with a good job.

--Erik

 

[diaglo]

Basically, my best advice for anyone hoping to "make it" in this field: Get a wife or a husband with a good job.

my wife is triple boarded.

i would write for free. if could write anything anyone would read. sadly, i suck at writing more than d02 does at being a worthwhile game.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I keep trying to convince my wife that she'd love to get a good job and support me in my endeavors to become a world-famous author.

She said she would, but only if I promised to stop writing "crap with absolutely no cultural capital" like RPGs and write the great american break-out list-topper.

Then she went and got knocked up and told me -I- needed to support -her- and the kid.

The nerve.

--fje

 

[buzz]

It discussions like these that make me even more incredulous of people who complain about the cost of RPG books. But that's another ex-equine to bludgeon.

It means that good writers will either move to another industry or go into business for themselves, retarding development of the roeplaying form accordingly.

I can understand how writers leaving the industry would be a bad thing (e.g., I used to read John Tynes blog pertty regularly; sad to see that he's all about video games now). But how does a writer starting their own company have a "retarding" effect? They're still working in the hobby and their work is available to us, right?

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

It discussions like these that make me even more incredulous of people who complain about the cost of RPG books. But that's another ex-equine to bludgeon.


I can understand how writers leaving the industry would be a bad thing (e.g., I used to read John Tynes blog pertty regularly; sad to see that he's all about video games now). But how does a writer starting their own company have a "retarding" effect? They're still working in the hobby and their work is available to us, right?

Personally? By starting a new small company with tight margins and the inability to pay anybody else which tries to scrape by with bargain basement pricing.

Plus, even the best writers' work can be improved, on a project like RPG rules and balance and the like, when working in concert with other talented writers.

--fje

 

[philreed]

If anyone knows of a game company that pays $.10/word, please let me know, as I'd like to start writing for them.

Scrye pays me $0.10/word for articles.

I like writing for Scrye.

 

[Erik Mona]

That is very surprising to hear (though a touch heartwarming). Any idea what Scrye quotes in terms of circulation?

--Erik

 

[philreed]

That is very surprising to hear (though a touch heartwarming). Any idea what Scrye quotes in terms of circulation?

Unfortunately, no. Sorry I can't be more helpful, Erik.

 

[Ghostwind]

Would you say that one of the problems with the pay scale is an oversupply of writers? Sort of like the NBA, and MLB: where there are so many teams out there the real talent gets diluted amongst the average, mediocre and poor. If the number of teams was reduced, the low performers would be squeezed out…in this case I mean simply that there are two many writers out there; if those low end guys got forced out then perhaps pay would get better?

It's not so much an oversupply of writers as it is an under supply of smart retailers who choose their purchases wisely and demand that their distributors carry quality products and not everything under the sun that might make them a buck. If the distribution tier had the brains and guts to enact any form of quality control during the early days of d20, there would not have been such a drop in sales across the board. (But that's an argument for another thread.) Pay will never go up until RPGs begin to sell 5000+ copies consistently on a regular basis and not just a couple of times a year with the rest selling less than 500-1000 copies.

Good writers are worth their weight. They not only write to spec but hit their deadlines and have a proven track record of quality. Of all of the designers that have leaped into the d20 field since 3rd edition first came out, the number of writers that fit into this criteria is less than two dozen.

I would love to make .07/word again from a d20 publisher. But the reality is that sales and development costs do not support that wage, nor are they likely too in the foreseeable future. The facts are that most publishers are paying .03/word to an established name and less to non-established authors. Some publishers are also only paying a flat fee (which is far less than even .01/word) in addition to a royalty percentage of sales (paid after dev. costs are met).

This really is a niche hobby and making a career from it is very difficult. The recent round of layoffs should further illustrate to everyone just how fickle sales and success are.

 

[Fighter1]

It's not so much an oversupply of writers as it is an under supply of smart retailers who choose their purchases wisely and demand that their distributors carry quality products and not everything under the sun that might make them a buck. If the distribution tier had the brains and guts to enact any form of quality control during the early days of d20, there would not have been such a drop in sales across the board.

Whoa…hold on now; lets keep in mind that distributers and many retailers may or may not know anything about RPG’s; it is not like say Wine where if you know a few things you can at least tell the difference between 2-buck chuck and actual Napa wine.

For example: It is pretty easy to find WoTC stuff at every major book outlet; why; the name itself makes the quality check (no opinions please – this is just as an example) – Hasbro & WoTC, etc.

Pay will never go up until RPGs begin to sell 5000+ copies consistently on a regular basis and not just a couple of times a year with the rest selling less than 500-1000 copies.

That only happened when say V3.0 & 3.5 happened; when everyone needed to get the new books to play the game. Now people just pick and choose what they want so the sales, compared to previously, are far lower. But RPG books are like reference books; once you got them you got them; not like a paperback novel where you keep buying new ones over and over.

Good writers are worth their weight. They not only write to spec but hit their deadlines and have a proven track record of quality. Of all of the designers that have leaped into the d20 field since 3rd edition first came out, the number of writers that fit into this criteria is less than two dozen.

I would love to make .07/word again from a d20 publisher. But the reality is that sales and development costs do not support that wage, nor are they likely too in the foreseeable future. The facts are that most publishers are paying .03/word to an established name and less to non-established authors. Some publishers are also only paying a flat fee (which is far less than even .01/word) in addition to a royalty percentage of sales (paid after dev. costs are met).

This really is a niche hobby and making a career from it is very difficult. The recent round of layoffs should further illustrate to everyone just how fickle sales and success are.

Layoffs are part of every industry – let me tell ya form experience! They happen more in those industries that are dependant upon volume sales (like catering to the retail market). Plus, after reading all these threads on the actual industry that are out here over the past couple of weeks, the industry is full of free lancers at all levels so why in the world would anyone pay for an actual employee when they can get a private contractor for less?

In any event why all the doom and gloom people? Think about it; even if Hasbro nixed WoTC someone would pop in and take hold of the industry and make a living at it. There are MILLIONS of gamers worldwide.

After posting on this now – I think the big issue these days is like the post I made above; far to many players sucking sales away from the quality guys - the highest quality guys in my limited experience are WoTC, Malkovich Press and Mongoose. I am sure there may be others (but of the 8-10 or so I have sampled and bought these three were the best by far) but if the field narrowed to three (or less) like these guys I would bet that profits and pay would be far better.