Question:
cibet44 wrote:
Why don't you write RPG material full time? Based on what I've read of your published work, your comments, and your RPG Superstar feedback it seems to me you are certainly qualified to do so. I assume you don't do it full time by choice, not due to lack of an opportunity, correct? I would guess the financial challenge is probably what's holding you back. If so, unfortunate but understandable.
I've considered it before. Back when Paizo had some openings, I allowed myself to daydream about it. I even expressed some interest and made a few discreet inquiries to look into it as a possibility. But then, reality set in. There's basically a lot of compounding reasons why I consciously choose not to pursue a full-time career in the RPG industry. First and foremost, no one's offered me one...hah! ;-D
But neither have I aggressively sought one out. So, I actually don't know how viable it would be. Then, I also have a growing family. A wife and three small children (ages 7, 6, and 2). We're in a period where their growth and development takes a higher priority...i.e., their formative years. And their development needs to take a higher priority if I'm going to be a good parent. I also can't just leave that burden on my wife while I sequester myself away to work on one RPG assignment after another. I face that challenge even now, just as a freelancer. And I'm certain it would become an even larger challenge if I made a full-time career of it.
But what's that you say? All that work would be done at the office and I wouldn't have to do it at home in my off-hours anymore, so that'd free me up to spend more time with the family, right? Well, not exactly, no. And I guess that brings me to another reason I'm compelled (or incented really) to set aside any notions of a full-time career in the RPG industry.
There's a money factor to it. Many full-time developers and writers in the RPG industry still struggle to make ends meet. Their success hinges on the publishing schedule and each product launch for their employer. So, when deadlines hit or they're in risk of being missed, they wind up working far more overtime than most, just to make sure the company stays afloat or stays successful. From observation, I think Paizo's staff faces that challenge a lot more often than they'd like. And, from my tremendously non-scientific research, a full-time salary in the RPG industry is generally lower (comparatively-speaking) to some other professions. So, at the same time full-time developers are overworking themselves at their regular job for somewhat less pay, they're often still compelled to take freelance assignments on the side just to make ends meet. It happens more often than you might think. But it also depends just as much on how well a particular RPG company has secured its success...and their capability to maintain it.
So, when I compare that kind of environment to my current day-job, I pretty much know a full-time RPG career probably isn't for me. I don't talk all that often about what I do in real-life. But I'm essentially a contract negotiator for the IT department of a mid-sized corporation in the southeast US. It's a very good job, particularly for our area of the country. And I've worked at the same company for over 20 years now while working my way up the ladder. I have seniority over a lot of my co-workers. And, my company has a really good medical benefits package. I'm fully vested in my 401K and they provide a fully insured pension plan. My annual salary is...well, I'll just say it's over six figures. As a result, my family is very comfortable, settled, and secure where we are...especially at this point in our lives.
Lining up all those things, a cross-country move to a place like Seattle (the gaming capital of the world) starts to look less attractive. I'd basically have to uproot everything here. Move very far away from the extended families of both me and my wife. I'd likely take a reduction in income. I'd probably take on longer work hours at the office to keep an RPG company like Paizo or Wizards on schedule. And, I'd probably still wind up taking freelance assignments on the side to augment our income. For what? So I can selfishly live my dream of working in the RPG industry? What about the dreams (and needs, honestly) of my wife and children? They should always take priority. And they all have a future here. One which I've planned out with the same long-range vision and meticulous nature as any effort I put forth here on the Paizo messageboards or any freelance assignment I've ever been given.
You see, I'm at a point in my life where other things have a greater importance (and rightly so!) than my hobby...even if I wanted to turn it into my career. And I think that's probably the wisest thing for not just me, but those who are dependent on me, and those who I care about more than I care about myself.
Now, all that said, I still get the best of both worlds. Paizo (and a handful of other 3PP publishers) keep me plenty busy as a freelancer. I have to say no just as often as I say yes to something. And that gives me a lot more liberty to pick and choose my projects. It also helps me avoid burn out...a problem which I fully expect those working full-time in the RPG industry face everyday. And, as a freelancer, I still get to taste all the same rewards in writing for the RPG industry. I get to involve myself in gaming products that see use at any number of gaming tables. My name is on the cover of books you can buy off the shelf at the local store. I get to volunteer and work alongside actual employees of RPG companies at conventions...to serve as an extension of them in such situations to represent their best interests. And, I have a platform from which to talk and write about virtually any topic concerning the RPG hobby I care to address. I have a name and a voice people can recognize (whether they enjoy it or not)...
So, even as a freelancer, I consider myself to be both a resource and a colleague to those I know in the field. And I have fun. It's not really a job. It's still more of a hobby. Granted, however, I still have to treat every freelance assignment I receive just like a real a job, because each one certainly is a job. But that work comes at a different pace of my choosing. And, in the meantime, I have the security of my regular day-job as a foundation for the future to chart the financial security of my family and my children. So far, everything's worked out pretty well in that regard. I'm just not sure it would be the same if I hit the reset button and jumped headlong into an actual full-time career in the RPG industry. I'm certain I'd enjoy it if I did. I'm just not certain it would meet all the goals I have in other areas of my life where it concerns my family and my children. I know they don't have to be mutually exclusive. But it's probably a much larger challenge (and therefore, a greater risk) to pursue it.
So, yeah...wow. That's a whole melancholy wall-of-text to ponder there. Sorry about that. Your question doesn't come with an easy answer, because there's so many factors to consider. And, believe me, I've considered them. And I still do sometimes.
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