Login:

Password:





Who's online? | Login | Leaderboard | Anagrams

How Much Can You Sell Crosswords For?

One of the most common questions that people have when they start writing crosswords, is what the going rate is.

However there is no clear answer, as it varies on so many different factors. These include:

- The grid size: generally the larger the puzzle, the more you can charge. If there are twice as many answers in a grid as another puzzle then you would typically look to charge twice as much, for instance. Therefore a good jumbo can fetch a lot more than a quick crossword, for instance.

- The publication you are writing for: some have set rates and will share these for you, whilst others will have a deal negotiated with each individual writer. Remember that the wider the audience and the better the reputation of the publication, typically the more you can charge.

- However, there is greater competition for prestigious newspapers and magazines, and it can be very hard to get on the roster; or they may use a range of writers who just create a few a year each.

- The harder the puzzle is to create, the more it can fetch. Thus a themed puzzle can expect to get more than an unthemed puzzle, and a tricky barred cryptic crossword can expect to get more than a standard cryptic puzzle.

- Generally cryptic puzzles are prized more than quick puzzles, with general knowledge puzzles somewhere in the middle between the two types.

- Different publications will put different demands on the material provided, and this can impact on price too. For instance, if you have to sell full rights and copyright to your puzzle and can't use it elsewhere, then you could typically expect to get better remuneration than if you simply syndicate a puzzle or don't give away any rights, meaning you can resell the puzzle or reuse it as you wish in the future.

You should certainly check all of this out with a client in advance: if you offer a puzzle exclusively then you should negotiate a better deal than if you are providing the puzzle to several different publications.

- The more demands the publisher places, again the more you could expect to be paid. For instance, if you have to use a specific grid pattern, or have an exacting house style to follow with several rounds of revisions you are expected to make at the behest of an editor, then you should again charge more.

- Rather than committing yourself to a large number of puzzles at a certain rate straight off, it might be prudent to do one or two and see how long it takes you, then adjust the rate as necessary. Many people underestimate how long it takes to create a good puzzle and end up creating it for less than the minimum wage: if a puzzle takes you half a day or a whole day to create then you will want to get remunerated accordingly. You could decide what your hourly rate is - for instance £20 an hour, and then if a puzzle takes you five hours to create you will know you need at least £100 for it to cover your time in the creation.

Are you a crossword writer, or an aspiring one? How do you set your rates? Do you have any questions about the commercial side of being a crossword writer? Feel free to share your thoughts and questions on this area that is not often discussed in the comments section below.
Date written: 24 May 2015



Comment on this post

You must be logged in to comment - please Register or Login

Other Blog Posts You Might Find Interesting...

Using Our Online Puzzle Solving Tools
We have online player tools for a large range of different word puzzles. These include arrow words, pangrams, general knowledge crosswords, quick crosswords, wordwheels, word ladders, word fit, skeleton crosswords, A - Z puzzles, codewords, cryptograms...
Added: 26 Apr 2015


The Differences Between US And UK Crossword Grids
British and US crossword grids are very different. This is not something you might expect to be the case, but any puzzle lover who visits the other country soon realises that they are very different beasts. It starts very much with the grid. With US...
Added: 27 Apr 2015


Computers And Cryptic Crosswords
One of the debates that pops up from time to time is around cryptic crosswords and computers - and specifically whether a computer program can be written to create a good cryptic crossword. Now, in this debate it is generally assumed that what is...
Added: 19 Mar 2015


Introduction To Word Fit Puzzles
Word fit puzzles are one of those types of puzzle that have a huge range of different names: you might know it as letter fit, or kriss kross, or indeed as criss cross. Whatever you know it as, the rules are the same: place each word into the grid once....
Added: 24 Apr 2015


Novelty Crosswords: Missing Vowel Puzzles
A missing vowel puzzle is a type of crossword variant that, as the name implies, is rather light on vowels! The puzzle is presented as a normal crossword, but with a novel twist: instead of orthodox clues, all the answers appear under the grid, BUT...
Added: 27 Mar 2015




Back to Puzzle Blog


Puzzle Types:
Arrow word Puzzles
Pangram Puzzles
General Knowledge Crosswords
Quick Crosswords
Wordwheels
Word Ladders
Word Fit
Skeleton Crosswords
A to Z Puzzles
Codewords
Cryprograms Online
Every Letter Counts