Hi, Alex!
Paizo's HQ is located in Redmond, WA. The most direct way to land a staff position would be monitoring this link to see when something comes available:
http://paizo.com/paizo/careers
Most staff positions I have seen advertised require relocation if you aren't local. As far as contract work and contributors, an actual staff member or someone who has done contract work for Paizo would be best to answer your questions there.
Best of luck with Empyrean.
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Paizo does use a fair amount of freelance work, as do other publishers. It's likely you'll need to be able to show them some writing work you've done if they're to hire you, but it probably differs for everyone what exactly it takes to get a foot in the door. Freelancers come from all over the world. As Yossarin says, they also have full-time employees, almost all of whom are based in Redmond, I believe.
I recommend checking out Freelance Forge; its a forum for freelancers that might interest you and help answer more of your questions.
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As others said, freelancing is your ground floor, working to spec on publishers' preexisting concepts. As for getting that work, I know some third party publishers have open calls. My prospects expanded a ton when I went to GenCon and talked to folks about wanting to write for them. Having writing samples ready to go for your post con followups is also important; it sounds like you have plenty of prose samples, but also have examples of mechanics you've developed for whatever system you want to write for.
If cons aren't in your future, definitely find a community of other writers. Freelance Forge is full of helpful people whose thoughtful critiques were a huge boon when I was starting out! It's also a big relief/comfort to have peers you can talk to about the ins and outs of the business.
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Hi, Alexander! As someone who also started with fantasy fiction before branching out into RPG writing as well, I may have a sense of where you're coming from.
Freelancing with third-party companies is the best way to get your work known and out there. In most of these cases, they'll give you a set thing they want you to work on, though the specifics of that vary depending on the company and the particular project. For example, some of my jobs in the past have been: write a short adventure for a particular level set in a tavern, create several magic items based around a theme, or create a hybrid class with some archetypes.
You'll make a really good impression if you can demonstrate on your first few jobs that you can write to spec, keep a deadline, stay within the required wordcount, etc. Although writing fiction is a bit different than writing RPG mechanics, it can definitely help because you've already been working at putting out polished writing.
If you're able to, I recommend going to cons; GenCon was already mentioned, but PaizoCon is especially good for this because it's smaller and entirely focused on Pathfinder. Also, the forums here have a board where third-party companies often put up requests for writers/artists/etc. to work on a particular project. If you don't already, have samples of Pathfinder work on hand to send on request (not sure if your guide is for Pathfinder or a different system). A few short samples of various types of mechanics (e.g., a monster, a brief encounter, an archetype) are best.
Also, check out Wayfinder. It's not paid (because it has to adhere to the Community Use license), but submitting things there is a great way to get your name out there and give you an idea of what to expect from pro jobs.
Good luck!
Organized Play Lead Developer
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If you're able to, I recommend going to cons; GenCon was already mentioned, but PaizoCon is especially good for this because it's smaller and entirely focused on Pathfinder. Also, the forums here have a board where third-party companies often put up requests for writers/artists/etc. to work on a particular project. If you don't already, have samples of Pathfinder work on hand to send on request (not sure if your guide is for Pathfinder or a different system). A few short samples of various types of mechanics (e.g., a monster, a brief encounter, an archetype) are best.
A common piece of follow-up advice I provide is "Have a business card." Conventions are busy experiences, and the folks you meet—publishers, developers, and other folks looking to hire talent—are going to have a tough time remembering each person they meet. By providing a business card with your basic contact information, skill set, and interests, you can provide that person with something with which to help remember you; it's a way they can contact you directly, not just wait for you to contact them. On top of that, having a business card in the first place shows that you've taken that step in taking your work seriously and having the initiative to network at these shows.
I receive numerous business cards at larger shows, and there are a few trends I've noticed.
Having a sample of your work to hand to someone you meet can be nice. My one counterpoint that I've run into occasionally is that I'll get handed a writing sample in some busy context where I won't be able to read or store it easily for several hours, at which point I'm carrying it in my hand for the rest of the day. Don't see this as discouragement so much as advice to be cognizant of your surroundings.
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For payments, it depends on the company and the job. Some will pay a flat fee for your work; others will pay in royalties (usually for a set period of time).
I'd definitely recommend having some Pathfinder-specific samples. Other writing may show your writing skills, but doesn't really give a sense of your grasp of Pathfinder mechanics. Familiarity with the system is important, so I'd also recommend GMing some games if you haven't already. This gives you a lot more experience with the game than just playing, as you have to keep track of a number of different rules, characters, etc. (Though playing is good too!)
What do you mean "you don't want to read my 250 page treatment of the movie Moana rewritten in the Pathfinder universe while we stand here in this busy Convention hall?" I thought this was your business. Maybe you're not as serious about it as me ;)
Also, please note that we cannot look at unsolicited manuscripts.
Hey! Get in line, I've been sending them my Moana Meets Arazni manuscript for months now!
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I do some independent contract editing work for Paizo. I contacted the editor in chief and asked if they hired freelance editors. They asked for my resume and for me to take an editing test (I passed).
I therefore presume (but absolutely cannot guarantee) if you want to do design or fiction work, therefore, the person to send a brief and polite inquiry would be whoever's in charge of the division you want to work for.
Make sure you consider the business aspects of getting paid for freelance or contract work. How it could affect your taxes & what you will need for that.
Specifically, check to be sure the state you live in does not require a license to do writing or editing work. Some do and some don't.
If you earn a certain amount of income as a freelancer, you may need to formally register yourself as a business as well (and state laws on that can also vary widely).
Paizo sends me a nice 1099-Misc that shows me what they paid me in a year, and I report that on my annual taxes if it's more than a certain amount (since taxes aren't deducted prior on contract income). If you're making a notable living as a freelancer, there may be additional tax stuff you need to do (like supply a Schedule C form, etc.) so best to consult with a CPA or other tax advisor. I mainly freelance because I'm a weirdo who enjoys correcting italics in spell lists and to beef up my resume; therefore I don't do anything complicated enough to require a lot of bureaucratic hoop jumping, but others might, so do some research (especially as I might even be wrong on some things I've just said here).
(The above is general advice; I recognize the OP may be aware of some or all of it.)
On the other hand, you can then write-off all your gaming purchases (including cons).*
* NOTE: At least, you could under previous tax law. I have [ib]no idea[/b] about that under our new tax code, so please see a qualified professional and don't rely on my advice.
On the other hand, you can then write-off all your gaming purchases (including cons).*
* NOTE: At least, you could under previous tax law. I have [ib]no idea[/b] about that under our new tax code, so please see a qualified professional and don't rely on my advice.
I am not anything close to a qualified professional, and anyone curious should still ask one. FWIW, I *think* if you have a registered editing/writing/design business you can write it off, but with the new tax code (applying to 2018's taxes, not the ones due next week), the average person is likely to get less of a refund from itemizing deductions than from using the (new, higher) standard deduction. Definitely something to discuss with a CPA.
On the other hand, you can then write-off all your gaming purchases (including cons).*
* NOTE: At least, you could under previous tax law. I have [ib]no idea[/b] about that under our new tax code, so please see a qualified professional and don't rely on my advice.
I know it worked for last year, because I wrote off PaizoCon (along with the hotel and airfare), but yeah, no idea how the new one is going to affect it.
