I submitted to this packager back in mid-October and never heard anything back. Does anyone have any info on response times?
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[Packager] Wildcard Storymakers
- Thread starter whitegirlbkcvrs
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"Industry pros snap up the stories we created" (paraphrase). Oh boy. Beyond the feelgood vibes of the site, this looks like standard work for hire. No mention of payscale.
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They do mention this in the "Deal" section though:
These may be our stories, our concepts, characters, worlds and ideas – but you’ll be bringing them to life, giving them a voice. We value your part in the equation – not just as a writer but as the co-creator of awesome.
So, with us, you get more than the standard deal. We expect your best, and we’ll reward you you for it. That means we’re offering more than a flat fee and an “adios, pardner.”
In other words, if a book we work on together makes money, you’ll know it, and you’ll get a share of the pot. From royalties to foreign rights, we’ll keep you in the game.
When we say we’re a “whole new deal,” we mean it. So send us a sample and see for yourself.
These may be our stories, our concepts, characters, worlds and ideas – but you’ll be bringing them to life, giving them a voice. We value your part in the equation – not just as a writer but as the co-creator of awesome.
So, with us, you get more than the standard deal. We expect your best, and we’ll reward you you for it. That means we’re offering more than a flat fee and an “adios, pardner.”
In other words, if a book we work on together makes money, you’ll know it, and you’ll get a share of the pot. From royalties to foreign rights, we’ll keep you in the game.
When we say we’re a “whole new deal,” we mean it. So send us a sample and see for yourself.
Looking over "The Game" page, it seems to imply that the writer doesn't get paid until they hit "the jackpot." It also doesn't mention contracts until that point. These arn't necissarily red flags, just points that need clarified.
Wanted to add that I found this brief Publishers Weekly article, which sounds promising. The last paragraph is of particular interest.
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So, what this looks like is a packager. I've worked with places like this: what they do is they work up a concept they think they can sell to a publisher and then they get a writer to produce enough of a sample to sell from. The publisher pays the packager, who retain copyright over the work, and royalties are paid to them rather than to the actual scribe - who would typically get a flat fee.
There's nothing at all wrong with this business model. I have friends who do this kind of work - supplementing their main income, usually - and they learn some good chops along the way. The devil is in the details. Does the packager look like they're going to sell any work? Do you get paid for the work you did on spec if you didn't? How much do you get before / after the sale? It might be that you'd countenance working purely on spec if the fee to actually write the books was attractive enough.
Judging by the article MJNL linked, and the slick (and only mildly grating) website, they sound like a decent bet to me, but you'd have to see their offer to decide whether it's for you.
There's nothing at all wrong with this business model. I have friends who do this kind of work - supplementing their main income, usually - and they learn some good chops along the way. The devil is in the details. Does the packager look like they're going to sell any work? Do you get paid for the work you did on spec if you didn't? How much do you get before / after the sale? It might be that you'd countenance working purely on spec if the fee to actually write the books was attractive enough.
Judging by the article MJNL linked, and the slick (and only mildly grating) website, they sound like a decent bet to me, but you'd have to see their offer to decide whether it's for you.
I submitted to this packager in August and never heard back. They also haven't updated any of their social media profiles, blog, or website since they announced they were in business. Makes me wonder if they ever got off the ground.
*shrug*
*shrug*
Their debut project (which two of the principals wrote under a pen name), was published in '14, but no further activity.