TTRPG Freelancer Writer/Editor Rate Survey

A few years ago I gathered data on tabletop roleplaying game industry freelancer rates. I'm doing that again with this anonymous survey. The results will be published publicly. The idea is that freelancers will be able to compare their rates with the rest of the industry when deciding what to charge.

This survey is for is writers/editors; other surveys for artists etc will be coming soon.

Click here to take the survey!

 

[MacDhomnuill]

Wow, most copy writers for marketing (mostly 500-2000 words) make from .40-1.00 per word. Rates vary based on experience but anything under .10 is fresh out of school zero experience or portfolio

 

[Dyson Logos]

Wow, most copy writers for marketing (mostly 500-2000 words) make from .40-1.00 per word. Rates vary based on experience but anything under .10 is fresh out of school zero experience or portfolio

In the height of the d20 era (early 2000s prior to the market crash), the common rate for freelance writers was 3c a word, as high as 10c a word writing for Paizo. At the same time, technical writers were making 27-50c a word standard.

There are still companies operating offering less than that rate. I've seen penny a word in the last 5 years still.

I used to work in adcopy as my main living, and couldn't imagine working at RPG rates as a writer.

I'm definitely getting better rates as an artist.

(Looking forward to the artist survey)

 

[gamerprinter]

Even before I was Gamer Printshop, as a publisher, every writing project I was involved in, I was also one of the 'publishers', so I was getting a share in profits, not a 'rate' per se. I did write the City of Kasai Gazetteer for Paizo, but that was part of a commission for a map, and I was paid well for the map, and it included a writing assignment, but no actual 'rate'. Now the only things I write, I self publish under Gamer Printshop, and unless I working with any freelancers (often not), I get the entire profit. The authors I've published, I've split the profits of the publication in perpetude - basically the same 'rate' I was getting. I rarely do freelance anymore, making far more as a publisher than I ever did as a freelancer...

 

[Morrus]

So far (and this is early days yet) the average rate excluding those which didn't pay a word rate is 9.5c/w (mean) or 10c/w (mode). The highest is 35c/w and the lowest is 0.14c/w. 85% of jobs were work-for-hire, and 50% were paid within one month of acceptance. 98% got a contributor copy, and 9% got royalties.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

As an editor, I didn't get paid by the word, got paid by the hour. I put 2000
And my first job was last week, so wasn't sure how to answer the "how many years" question. I put 1

 

[Morrus]

As an editor, I didn't get paid by the word, got paid by the hour. I put 2000
And my first job was last week, so wasn't sure how to answer the "how many years" question. I put 1

You put 2000 cents per word? $20 per word is 200 times the industry average... I mean, congratulations if you are! You're the highest paid person in the TTRPG industry!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

You put 2000 cents per word? $20 per word is 200 times the industry average... I mean, congratulations if you are! You're the highest paid person in the TTRPG industry!

I got paid $20 per hour.
No option for per hour rates as an editor.
So either I left it blank, put in a true looking but actually untrue value, or added a value that you can ignore. I chose the last option.
I can probably go and update my info if you'd like me to fill it out a different way

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I am having a tough time finding it, but did you ever publish an article on Editor rates based on your survey @Morrus ?