So, let’s say that my local newspaper doesn’t have a daily or weekly crossword puzzle (it does, but let’s stay hypothetical for the moment) and I decided to pick up the slack by writing my own and attempting to publish them in the paper.
Any advice/stories from people who’ve had experience in these fields (puzzles in papers in general) would be greatly appreciated, but also answers to the following questions:
How would I go about approaching the newspaper. Do I write them with samples, call them and ask, get an agent, or some other avenue?
How much, on average, does a crossword puzzle writer get paid for a daily puzzle? A weekly?
How does syndication work? If the puzzles are good enough and I desire to have them published in multiple newspapers, who controls the syndication rights?
How would I go about setting it up so that I can publish it both in the newspapers (syndicated or not) and on my own website (e.g. http://www.jumble.com)?
What are the best methods to write crossword puzzles? I have seen several pieces of software, but I’m not impressed and would prefer to do it by hand.
Is there any database software set up specifically for crossword puzzles, so that I can input a word and see when I’ve used it before, what clues I’ve used, and other information about the word?
I’m thinking about writing some myself, but don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Or maybe I should, just for the experience.
I am not a crossword puzzle constructor, but I do know of a website that you’ll be interested in: http://www.cruciverb.com. I think there are many folks there who could answer your questions.
You can submit individual puzzles to the New York Times, and probably to other syndicates as well. Here are the New York Times puzzle guidelines. Looks like you get $90 for a daily 15x15; $350 for a Sunday 21x21; $400 for a Sunday 23x23; and $100 for a novelty puzzle.
You might also inquire about selling puzzles to Games magazine. They use all kinds of different pencil-and-paper puzzles.
I’ve written crosswords on a freelance basis, so I can offer you some guidance there. But it sounds as if you want to create a semi-regular puzzle for a publication that doesn’t have one, which is a bit of a different story.
If you were to write a standard 15x15 crossword (most publications require the puzzle to have a theme, by the way) for a daily newspaper, you could get $75.00 from the New York Times. Smaller newspapers typically pay about $45-50 for a standard 15x15 puzzle. Sunday puzzle, of course, are larger (usually 21x21 or 23x23) and pay better: $150-250, as a rule.
Now, if you’re want to approach a publication that DOESN’T have a puzzle and offer to sell them a weekly/monthly puzzle, there are no hard or fast rules. Your puzzles are worth whatever you can convince the editor to pay for them. If you want to make an outrageous request and hope the editor bites, go ahead- you might get lucky. But use good judgement! A few things to consider:
I don’t know the publication(s) you’re interested in selling puzzles to, and I don’t know how much money they make, but you should know those things. If it’s a small, local publication, you may get laughed out the door if you ask for too much.
Have a good feel for the readership. If the readers are mostly senior citizens, for instance (and a HUGE percentage of crossword fans are), themes and clues that you and I find clever may offend your target audience.
If the publication is devoted to a particular topic, be sure your puzzles deal extensively with that topic. Or, if you were approaching a publication dedicated to nightlife and culture in your hometown, fill your puzzles with references to local celebs, restaurants and/or businesses. I know, this may sound too crassly commercial, but let’s face it: editors won’t pay you for a puzzle unless they think it will make them money in the long run. A puzzle that pleases the publication’s sponsors will be more marketable than one that sticks to standard, stale crossword themes.
I can tell you this: I’ve tried, without success, to sell my puzzles to local Austin publications. I’m not trying to discourage you! I’m just telling it like it is. Most editors at successful publications aren’t eager to add new features, ESPECIALLY features created by unknown amateurs. (Aspiring cartoonists have the same problem.) Most editors figure, “I don’t really want a puzzle… and if I DID want one, I’d get one from a syndicate, rather than buy it from some local nobody!” But… assuming you have a thick skin and don’t mind rejection, I say “Give it your best shot.”
I would suggest a few things, though.
If you’re still pretty new to puzzle construction, and haven’t been published yet, send your work to the editor of an established puzzle, and ask for a critique. Believe it or not, most leading puzzle editors are VERY nice people, and most will be happy to give you some worthwhile guidance.
That’s what I did when I was first starting out (all I did then was photocopy empty puzzle grids from newspapers, and fill them in with a pencil), and almost all the editors I submitted work to wrote back with detailed praise AND criticism of my work. It was all helpful.
Sell at least a few of your puzzles to well-known publications before trying to market them to a local publication. I GUARANTEE your local editors will give your submissions more attention and respect if you can tell them, “My work has appeared in the New York Times” rather than “I’m a rank amateur with an idea.”
There’s nothing illegal or immoral about writing your puzzles with a pencil and paper, BUT… the work will LOOK a whole lot more professional if you use a good software package. I know for a fact that some of the best constructors in the business create their puzzles the old-fashioned, low-tech way… but if you want to impress an editor (one who doesn’t know you from Adam), you do NOT want to give him hand-written puzzles on notebook paper! I advise you to get a good software package (I can suggest a few, if you like). By all means, do the first drafts in pencil, but use software to create a professional-looking finished product.
The Chicago Trib (4 years ago) paid $30 for a daily. That crossword appears in many newspapers, notably the Chicago Tribune and Washington Post.
The method I’ve used, and I think most crossword puzzle constructors use, is to put the long words in first. Fit the rest of the puzzle around that.
The grid has to be concentric about the origin - that is, if the square 1 from the left, 5 from the top is black, the square 1 from the right, 5 from the bottom is too.
Don’t use too many 3-letter words - no more than about a dozen for a 15x15 daily.
The New York Times is looking for really inventive things - new themes, twists, etc - Will Shortz doesn’t mind ‘symbols’ for squares in themed clues, or whatever you can think of. He also likes unusual letters - Z’s, J’s, etc., showing up.
The Trib looks for a bit more traditional stuff- 3 15-letter long answers that all have the same word, etc - Monday thru Friday. Saturday is a themeless one, but the words are longer on average (and has fewer black squares).
I could never do it as a real source of income - it takes me 50-80 hours to do one I’m proud of, for $30 or maybe someday $90 (if I get into the Times).