I agree that tech writing is probably the best analogue for developers, and I've been saying that TTRPG editing is technical editing for a decade now.
In 2009-ish at Microsoft I started at mid-$80k as a technical editor. (Not counting stock, bonuses, etc.)
In 2009-ish at Microsoft I started at mid-$80k as a technical editor. (Not counting stock, bonuses, etc.)
https://twitter.com/tectonomancer/status/1450644516541661186
A lot of people are under the mistaken impression that "editing" is fixing grammar/typos/etc. That is, copyediting.
But RPG editors do a lot more than that.
(Arguably development is actually a combo of game design and developmental editing, but it's a weird beast.)
But RPG editors do a lot more than that.
(Arguably development is actually a combo of game design and developmental editing, but it's a weird beast.)
RPG editors also check designers' math, do layout tasks like copyfitting, work with designers and developers when something in the text doesn't make sense, rewrite portions that are unclear, and do sensitivity reads and geopolitical risk assessment.
RPG writing is highly technical (one of the things that helped me edit/develop RPG text was having a legal background and noting when things might be unclear or exploited by rules lawyers) because like technical procedures and legal documentation, it's meant to be *used.*
It has to be highly precise, and sometimes it has to be intentionally ambiguous, while other times it has to eliminate ambiguity.
RPG editors, because in general they're *not* game designers, are usually the customer advocates, the ones saying, "the players aren't psychic."
RPG editors, because in general they're *not* game designers, are usually the customer advocates, the ones saying, "the players aren't psychic."
That is, they're often the ones to point out when stuff doesn't make sense if you don't have inside knowledge, if you're not someone who designed the game, if you don't have a lot of the internal resources for design that the public doesn't see.
It's super-precise and highly technical. And while I understand that most TTRPG companies don't have Microsoft-level money, it's still worth noting what those editors would be making if they were doing technical editing in tech.
And btw, if you were appalled by the low developer salaries in the WIRED article about TTRPGs, contemplate the fact that editors are usually paid less than developers.
BTW, the technical editors I worked with at Microsoft are mostly making between $125k and $200k now, not counting stock/bonuses/etc.
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