Don't let the length scare you. I'm just trying to make sure you have all of the information you need before deciding whether to contact me or not.
Guidelines and requirements are further down. But before that, let's start with why you would want to hire me to begin with.
Experience
You can check out some of the games I've worked on by looking at my signature.
They are also listed on my website: https://zetsubou.games/
Games I've worked on can be broken up into two categories: my games, and commissioned games.
My games were all written by me alone, whereas commissioned games are split between those I wrote myself, and those I co-wrote with one or more other writers.
My games
Sable's Grimoire - Work In Progress, 210k words - BxG, comedy, magic, monster girls
Tomboys Need Love Too - May 2017, 70k words - BxG, comedy, school life, drama
Humanity Must Perish - April 2017, 20k words - comedy, sci-fi, apocalyptic
Max Massacre - November 2016, 15k words - BxG, action, fantasy
Wander No More - March 2016, 12k words, made for NaNoRenO 2016 - action, drama, historic
Sickness - January 2016, 180k words - violent crime, action, comedy, BxG
Commissioned games
*Please note that these games were written to the specifications of my commissioners at the time.
They provided descriptions for characters, events, the setting, writing style, and so on.
I just put their ideas into words, and wrote the prose, dialogue, etc. in their desired style, format, and so on.
I take no credit for the actual story, or for the success/failure of an individual game.
Also, note that there are other games I've worked on which are not listed below. I've only listed complete/released games, and only games for which I made a sizable contribution.
Happy Campers - April 2017 - BxG/GxG, comedy, ecchi
Love Ribbon - January 2017 - GxG, drama, incest
Diamond Rose - April 2016, made for NaNoRenO 2016 - comedy, fantasy, RPG
To Libertad - November 2016, made for Yuri Jam 2016 - GxG, slavery, action
Catch Canvas - October 2016 - BxG/GxG, comedy, ecchi
No One But You - February 2016 - BxG, comedy, school life, drama
Written In The Sky - November 2015, made for Yuri Jam 2015 - GxG, comedy
Pricing
Whether the game is free or commercial makes no difference to the price.
My standard rate is $0.05 USD (five cents US) per word, paid via Paypal.
I will also accept payment in AUD via either Paypal or bank deposit.
Rewriting is the same price as ordinary writing.
However, if they're very minor changes, or they're necessary because I made a mistake, then there likely won't be a charge.
Finally, I count words based on what is written, not what Renpy reports.
For example, if I write:
Code: Select all
mary "Hey there!"Content
I'm pretty open-minded about what I write. I'm willing to work on a variety of themes, including "taboos", offensive/sacrilegious material, etc.
That being said, I do have preferences about what I write, and I'm more experienced at writing some themes than others.
I'll give most things a go, but I can't promise that I'll be able to write as well or as quickly with unfamiliar themes, or content that I'm not fond of.
What I will do / have experience writing
-Fantasy
-Sci-fi
-Monster girls, youkai, spirits, etc.
-RPG settings
-High school setting
-Alternate Earth / other fantasy world
-Romance (BxG or GxG)
-18+ / sex scenes
-Comedy
-Crime/violence
-Yandere / other warped personalities
And so on.
What I "won't" do
By which I mean, I haven't done it before, or I'll charge you extra, or I simply don't want to write about it.
-BxB or BxG (I can try, but I haven't written it before, so temper your expectations)
-Rape (reverse-rape is okay
) or other female degradation / sex slave kind of stuff-Stories requiring extensive knowledge of a subject. I don't want to become an armchair expert on something I have no interest in just to be able to write your story.
There are probably more. I'll add things if/when they come up.
Length
I'm comfortable writing games of pretty much any length.
However, if the target is too short, then that doesn't give me much to work with. And I don't want to commit to anything too long if I don't think you'll see this game through to completion.
I suppose the ideal length for a new client's script would be 10k-70k words.
*If you've already published other lengthy games yourself, I'll consider longer games than suggested above.
Script format
All scripts are written straight into .rpy files in a format which Renpy can read.
I will use labels, jump/call commands, and probably scene/show statements.
I may also write in comments, or expression changes for characters.
Yes, doing this will increase the word count slightly. But the end result is that you will have scripts which can be placed straight into a Renpy game, will run as-is, and will contain information that makes the next step (programming) much more straightforward.
My additions are NOT a replacement for any other roles. You WILL want to make changes to visuals, transitions, and so on. My notes and formatting are only there to help keep things clear, and to make the remaining work easier.
The process
What do I, the commissioner, need to have prepared?
-Your game's story, events and characters should already be fleshed-out.
If the details of your game are still changing, or you're uncertain about basic aspects of your game (eg. the setting, characters, time period), then you are not ready to commission me.
I'm willing to help you to decide on things, and I may ask about changing certain scenes, but ultimately, I want to be able to jump straight in and write, without rewriting scenes later on because you've changed your mind half way through.
-You should either have an outline written, or be prepared to pay me to write one for you.
Having a rough outline of the events of your game will allow us both to agree on how scenes should play out long before they are written, and how the game should flow in general. It saves time and money by reducing rewrites later on, and makes it much easier for both of us to know where the game is heading.
-If you want me to write in a certain style (first vs third-person, dialogue-heavy vs ample narration, past or present tense, length of sentences, language complexity, etc.), then please say so right from the beginning.
I'm fine with writing in different styles, and I've done so in several of the commissioned games I've listed above, but I need to know what you want before I sign up.
-If I'll be taking over for another writer (ie. continuing the writing of an existing script), or working with another writer, I'll need examples of their script, straight from the game in question, before I decide on whether to accept the writing commission.
-You must be able to pay commissions right away. I will not work for future Kickstarter proceeds, or for a percentage of sales.
-Your game's content should not deviate greatly from what was originally proposed. Please, come up with an outline and stick to it.
What do I, the commissioner, get in return?
-You own the writing. Once you have paid for it, it's yours. I will not post or share the writing you commission, even for demonstrative purposes. All I expect is to be credited properly, and paid promptly.
-In accordance with the above, you can have another writer replace me at any time, and continue my script as if it were their own.
-I can regularly write 500+ words per day during the week, and a few thousand words per day over a weekend.
-If you have a deadline, and we both agree on this deadline ahead of time, then I will do my best to meet your deadline.
-I will not share detailed information about your game until it's released, or until you make that information public yourself.
-We can continue to converse about your game via Skype (text only), Telegram, email, or PM.
Payment
You will pay for the amount of words you want me to write in advance, at least 500 words at a time.
500 words at a time is the minimum, but there is no maximum. If you want to pay for 10k words at a time, that's perfectly fine.
Keep in mind that if you want to order the minimum each time, this process will take longer, because I'll be stopping and starting frequently, and we'll likely be waiting for correspondence from one another (time zone differences, different sleep schedules, etc.)
There are no refunds unless, for whatever unforeseen reason, I cannot continue working on your game.
I've never needed to bail on a game before, and I see no reason why I would. But if I do, the payment for the current, unfinished increment (and only that increment) will be refunded.
Keep in mind that you if you decide after the first 500 words that you don't want to hire me after all, or you change your mind half way through, that is not enough to warrant a refund.
How do I hire you?
Send me a PM containing the following:
-Game title (if it has one)
-Expected length (how many words you want me to write). A rough estimate is fine. 10k? 50k? 100k?
-Current progress. Any artwork or other assets complete? Do you have a completed outline?
-Your experience (desired, but not necessary). Do you have any completed games under your belt? Is this your first game?
-Deadline, if applicable (for my writing, not for the complete game)
-Genre, themes
-Setting, rough description of the game
I will attempt to get back to you within 3 days (typically sooner), either to ask for more information or to accept/decline your proposal.
If I accept, we will continue to converse using one of the systems mentioned above.
Once we're both ready, you will send the initial payment, and I will start writing.