Tweet

Đɇnnɨs Đɇŧwɨłłɇɍ

23 Mar, 9 tweets, 3 min read

If you #freelance, in general, they can do what they want with your work. They own it. They can edit as they like. If there is no “no edit” or “pre-approval” clause, forget it.

This is the price you pay to play with properties like #SpiderMan, #StarWars, or #DungeonsandDragons.

Freelance #writers and #artists expecting to have input and editorial clout—to really shape an entire product from soup to nuts, to have final say over nearly anything: don’t bother freelancing.

It’s not for you.

Next up, if you’re out to create something amazing, I can almost guarantee that it only comes along in vast, company driven group project once in a blue moon, and only then randomly, because stars align or something and the people click.

You buy the freelance ticket, you take the freelance ride. Now note, I’m not saying it’s a “good” ride (I think it sucks, though I’ve ridden it many times) but it’s what *you* signed up for. Looking back after-the-fact bemoaning that your work was changed is kind of pointless.

At best, depending on the stink you raise, it just means you won’t get hired as much for freelance. At its worst, it can mean no more work in that field of any kind.

But this doesn’t even approach the real point. When you freelance, you generate value. That’s your job.

Worse, you *generate value for other people*. You walk away with nothing but a credit. If that thing you make is successful, guess what? You get nada! You’ve built value, and given it to a corporation which then runs the money machine on it and you get to say “uh, I wrote that.”

I was trained up in school by a generation of freelancers. Guys that lived and bled to make great content for the money machine. Then, when the younger and new showed up, and they slowed down, they found themselves washed up on the rocks.

The guys that survived had 1) Either made an amazing, indelible mark with a licensed property, or 2) Had created their own property.

#1 is FUCKING HARD. #2 is hard, but it’s certainly easier to fail quietly at it and try again.

Long story short, freelancing is fire and forget (usually), freelancing is demanding, freelancing generates value for people other than yourself, and in the end, freelancing will generate you no real lasting value. So don’t imagine it’s some type of deep collaboration.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @drgonzo123

Đɇnnɨs Đɇŧwɨłłɇɍ

@drgonzo123

22 Mar

When we emigrated to Canada, my wife had American medical “system” PTSD. We had just paid $18,000 for a bog-standard broken leg my son suffered while fully insured. Most of that was from an unnecessary ambulance we were forced to take from the receiving hospital to another ER.

Turns out this whole “ferry them onward” scam is quite common, of course we didn’t know that. The broken leg? Oh yeah, that was fine FAST. Our bills, not so much. When we finally moved to Canada, my wife was so nervous she called up the BC ambulance service.

“Yeah, how much is an ambulance?” “$50” “Per mile?” “Ha. No. Just $50.” My wife was stymied by this, but then continued, “What about an air ambulance?” “Oh, that’s more expensive.” *My wife looks triumphant* “It’s more expensive for sure. $80.”

We’ve finally fully acclimatized.

Read 6 tweets

Đɇnnɨs Đɇŧwɨłłɇɍ

@drgonzo123

22 Mar

“Any game book that changes the setting constitutes metaplot!”

Uh. That’s almost every game book…ever.

People in TTRPGs hang on to utterly bizarre, easily falsifiable beliefs like security blankets, when the TRUE core of their complaint is: “I don’t want the game to do that.”

And “I don’t like this!” Is a FINE point of view. It’s your opinion! However saying “A game book that changes this established world is METAPLOT AND RUINS A GAME!” is not. How? “Oh, er. Uh. It makes it harder to set up a game!”

Don’t buy it.

VOILA! NOW IT DOESN’T

(But I’ll let you in on a secret, it never could make your game harder to set up. *YOU* are the one making your game harder to set up by believing there is some baseline “DO NOT GO PAST THIS LINE” in *ANY* TTRPG game. Here’s a hint: THERE ISN’T).

Read 4 tweets

Đɇnnɨs Đɇŧwɨłłɇɍ

@drgonzo123

25 Oct 19

Here's the deal #America; whatever you had before, forget it. That is all gone. The moment Trump violated the law and nothing was done (day 1), rule of law in the States was over. The Presidential lawyer claims the President is above the law. It's been 1,000 days since then.

In those 1000 days, the President has whittled the 3 branches of government down to 1.5. There is the Executive (which OWNS the Judicial, for the most part, and the Senate), vs. the House. Without major legislation or changes, the President has crippled checks and balances.

The President owns the Justice Department. He owns the Supreme Court and Senate. The Reps continue to pack all courts with Trumpers (44 in a single day!). This is like John Gotti being in complete charge of the Justice Dept. while they investigated him. What does this mean?

Read 12 tweets

Đɇnnɨs Đɇŧwɨłłɇɍ

@drgonzo123

18 Jan 19

99.9% of my interactions with fans are delightful. #DeltaGreen fans, in particular, are a great bunch. They want to talk, they want to explore ideas within the paradigm, and most of all, they want to be frightened. So, new publisher, how to deal with the OTHER .1%?

Clear lines of communication make some people feel that they can say ANYTHING to you. I've had more than a few "WELL ASSHOLE!" emails and DMs. Usually, this is for something exceedingly stupid — like shipping a book to Australia with real, live, postal rates.

Other times, it's some political tangle and the language and insults are invariably worse. My policy is the same for both. 1) Did you order something <nameless numberhead guy>? 2) Here's your money back. 3) You're fired, don't come back.

Read 8 tweets

Đɇnnɨs Đɇŧwɨłłɇɍ

@drgonzo123

16 Dec 18

If you estimated how much THE LAST JEDI made in theatres by measuring positive/negative comments on social media, you’d end up somewhere in the $12 range, not the 1.33 BILLION it actually earned.

The minority that shouts and screams about nearly anything that does not fall in line with their...limited worldview is in a sounding chamber that amplifies the negative, while the positive is barely audible.

Luckily, as can be seen by all the latest “controversies” (they’re not ACTUALLY controversies, just whiny little assholes trying to control something) the products just keep on succeeding despite the shrieking.

Read 5 tweets

Đɇnnɨs Đɇŧwɨłłɇɍ

@drgonzo123

22 Jul 18

Someone asked for financial advice for artists and writers. OK. Here it goes: the biggest one—live somewhere cheap. I have lived in New York City, Vancouver, and San Francisco. THEY ARE ALL TOO EXPENSIVE. I now live in a town with a pop. of 8k. It's awesome and cheap.

If you work for yourself, remove 30% from your income automatically and keep it in another account for taxes. Keep your business purchases on a separate credit card so you can get the maximum deductions in the easiest way.

Avoid owning a car if you can. They are expensive and ultimately end up as a loss. If you can exist without a car, you will save SO much money. Reduce all outgoing costs to a minimum. I do internet (duh), but we haven't had cable in a decade, for example.

Read 7 tweets

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!