What are the going rates for online game dialogue writing?
July 28, 2015 4:41 PM   Subscribe

A friends son is very keen on creative writing - he publishes online via Reddit and his own blog. He is currently negotiating with an online gaming company (based in the Netherlands) to write dialogue for their new game that is in development (they send him prompts and basic outlines of the game sequence). Can you give me any advice about the average rates for online writing. Do you you charge by the hour or for a written piece? What would you recommend would be a good rate, considering his age (17) and his skill level (he is still in high school!). From my research I have seen a range of quotes - anything from $20 per hour or $50 per article up to $900 for skilled writers. Any advice much appreciated.
posted by drinkmaildave to Work & Money (3 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I write for a major education publisher and get $50 for an article (around 1000-1200 words). It generally takes me about an hour to write a single post, or at most, two hours.

They presumably know he is young, and would probably be willing to negotiate. I'd ask for a minimum of $20/hour, and see if they counter.
posted by guster4lovers at 5:29 PM on July 28, 2015 [1 favorite]


First thing, "high school" isn't necessarily his skill level when it comes to writing.

Also make sure he understands the tax implications of any money he earns. $50USD/hr isn't quite so much after the government gets its share.

This is a good chance for him to learn how to negotiate. If he really wants to do this, either for experience or to say that he's worked in a game, say $20USD/hr and roll with it. If he's willing to walk away with nothing, say $100USD/hr. and be willing to accept their counter. If there's any chance this whole project will go belly up before he gets paid, ask them to estimate the scope of the project. Then bid on the whole thing and demand 50% upfront.

For reference, I write marketing copy (around 10 years experience) and won't consider any freelance work under $100/hr., unless there are special circumstances (friends, fun work, etc.). That's mostly because I'm not into freelance projects and enjoy my free time.
posted by paulcole at 9:00 PM on July 28, 2015 [1 favorite]


You'll want to take into consideration the size/scope of the project and the studio, as it would be an indicator of the project's overall budget.

A large studio has more resources and willing to pay more than a small one (although not always; unfriendly studios may want to take advantage of their "coolness" factor and not pay decently).

If you go the hourly route, ask them for an estimate of work as well, so there are no surprises if your son works 100 hours when the company was expecting 10.

Get a sense for the screen time of each scene he will be writing for, and the context. For example, are we talking full on 3D cutscenes, or static 2D avatar images next to speech boxes? The former has a higher quality bar; the latter can also deliver high emotional impact if that's what the studio wants. Or it could mean all that's needed is a way to convey information to get on with the game.

For the record, the Phoenix Wright series is essentially all text with some basic animations and static backgrounds, but the writing is genius and millions love the series.

As more of a style guide advice, hopefully your son is familiar with the genre of the online game and plays a few himself, as writing for them can be quite different from other styles of writing!
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 8:58 AM on July 30, 2015


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