Has anyone worked with IGG inc.?

[Paul_Michaels]

Hey everyone. I had somebody reach out to me, about being invited to work for IGG inc. It's a freelance writing gig for a text adventure game? Just didn't know if anyone else has worked with them before. Just wanted to know if they are on the level.
Thx

 

[TotallyHuman]

A quick google search (I am ashamed of myself) tells that it's at least legit, as for the rest - just read the terms?

 

[Audrissa]

They're legit, they make browser and mobile games. I played Galaxy Online 2 back in the day and Lord's Mobile most recently.

 

[Paul_Michaels]

Yeah I know the company is real. It's more if they treat their authors right? And pay them on time and stuff. I have their contract. I have some questions for them but nothing to interesting.

 

[apexaltra]

I would consider any company soliciting authors to be a red flag, it's a very common sign of a scam in the book publishing industry. If this really is IGG then maybe they found you through work you've done for other companies/projects, or found your resume if you have one for freelance writing work. If you don't have any industry experience then I'd be highly suspicious.

This could be someone impersonating them (idk why you'd do that, but); does the email come from an igg.com address like these? I also find it suspicious that their Careers page doesn't have any listings for writing jobs.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Even if it's a legit company, do beware. Scammers steal the names of real publishers all the time.

 

[Paul_Michaels]

I would consider any company soliciting authors to be a red flag, it's a very common sign of a scam in the book publishing industry. If this really is IGG then maybe they found you through work you've done for other companies/projects, or found your resume if you have one for freelance writing work. If you don't have any industry experience then I'd be highly suspicious.

This could be someone impersonating them (idk why you'd do that, but); does the email come from an igg.com address like these? I also find it suspicious that their Careers page doesn't have any listings for writing jobs.

Yeah they seem to have legit IGG email? And when I was looking at their profile earlier around March 2nd they had a link to a jobs post for authors on good old LinkedIn. But I can't find it anymore. (Likely deleted) I might be able to find it doing the way back machine.
I don't know. I feel like a part of me that wants to give them the benefit of the doubt and the other part of me saying this might be trying to take advantage of a hobbyist like myself.

 

[Corty]

@Paul_Michaels I was also approached this morning. Woke up to a PM from them.

It may be legit. Maybe not. But I am highly skeptical that a multi-million dollar company would go around sites, DMing authors instead of putting out a legit notice on their site or in their games, or on social media, asking for resumes and announcing they are looking for freelance writers. In my opinion, companies on that scale would not do it like this.

Just Lords Mobile earned since its inception $2,576,700,000. And they send a private message to us... here? Sure...

I may be wrong, but I doubt that.

Edit: It occurred to me to check the profile the message came from. It is completely empty. Nothing. No contact info, links, further details, or anything. Reported.

Edit 2: I checked IGG's website more thoroughly, and there are NO OPENINGS for writers listed on it. No carrier options for writing. So... yeah.

 

[Paul_Michaels]

Well I guess technically the company that I would be contracted with is called Apps Innova Limited which is most likely the subsidiary of IGG. And I have their address which is in Hong Kong.
The thing that I'm on the fence about is the fact that it is a minimal amount of pay for a crap ton of work. With the "possibility" of getting shared profit if the text adventure/book does well on their app.
And right now they say that deadlines are pretty lax. But I don't know what they will do or ask for after I complete set book.
Cuz the only thing that's guaranteed in their contract right now is that they will pay $0.015 per word and want a minimum of 2500 words to 4000 words per chapter. With six chapters for the first contract. And it's supposed to be a interactive text adventure so you have to have the different sets put in there.
The only thing I know that they said that they would do was update the amount they would pay per word if they wish to continue. Like $0.05 per word.
And since I'm not a professional author by any means, I feel it is a pretty lackluster but I dont' 100% know what a proper contract is for authors.

 

[melchi]

A quick google search says freelance writers get paid somewhere between $0.02 and $1 per word. IMO it seems like a terrible deal. They looked at the floor and decided to go a step lower.

Also, the average wage for a video game writer is $36 per hour.

If you can write 4000 words in 1 hour you'd be making 6 dollars per hour. (Below min wage)

 

[TheEldritchGod]

A quick google search says freelance writers get paid somewhere between $0.02 and $1 per word. IMO it seems like a terrible deal. They looked at the floor and decided to go a step lower.

Also, the average wage for a video game writer is $36 per hour.

If you can write 4000 words in 1 hour you'd be making 6 dollars per hour. (Below min wage)

Uhhh... 0.02 x 4000/hour is 80.00/hour
OKAY. As a ghost writer, here's my advice:

IS YOUR NAME GOING ON IT?

If your name is going on it, DEMAND FINAL SAY IN WHAT THE PRODUCT IS.

If you do NOT get final say in the product, MAKE SURE you have the right to PULL YOUR NAME FROM THE PRODUCT IF YOU DO NOT APPROVE OF THE FINAL VERSION.

Listen up. Listen good...

THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX A BROKEN REPUTATION. ONCE YOUR NAME GOES ON A BAD PRODUCT, THERE IS NO WAY TO TAKE IT BACK. I DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY PAY YOU, YOU CANNOT REVERSE THE DAMAGE DONE BY A TERRIBLE EDITOR.

Make sure you have the right to have them remove your name from the product at any time, if they are not giving you final say in said product. YOU CAN MAKE MORE MONEY. YOU CAN MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME. YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. YOU CANNOT FIX A BAD REPUTATION.

Protect your reputation.

ASSUMING they agree to this, up front, IN WRITING, AS A CONTACT. Ask them to explain the method of payment, the unit of payment, when you get paid, what they expect in return for this payment.

If it is pennies per word, is it per word of the final product, or how many words you write, every time they demand you rewrite it?

I made the mistake of going with one guy who thought that his offer included free-rewrites. I must have written 180k works, but only got paid for 60k. I finished the job, and never talked to him again.

How long does it take to write for you? Figure they want 1,000/hour, where as if you are new, most likely 300. so they'll offer something like 0.02 to newbies. I got .16 on my last job, but that was a rush job, and an old friend. Usually I got .08 a word.

Are you getting a cut of the profit, or you getting paid for your work, then you walk away?

I recommend you go with the latter.

I would ask:

How many words Minimum, and maximum? (For example, they might set min/max at 80k/80k. This means you write 80k words and don't get paid for anything over that, so if you go over, you are writing for free, however, you are EXPECTED to write the story to the end, which means, if your story takes you 97.3k words, that's what you write. BE A PROFESSIONAL. This is part of the job. Sometimes you have to write more than what you are paid for in order to do the job well.

Part of doing the job well is to get rehired in the future.

Ask the company for references. Any one else that has worked for them.

Ask when they need it by and determine if you can meet their expectations.

Tell them you expect 25% of the minimum up front, refundable if you fail to meet the deadline.

Typically, jobs like this are: They hire several people to write the same story/concept. They expect about half to fail to finish. If you hire 6, you expect 3 to complete. They take the 3 stories and hand them to the final editor who takes the best from all three, combines them, then makes the final product. At least that's how it worked when I was writing bodice rippers.

ASK IF THEY WANT FLUFF OR MEAT.

Most editors know how to fluff, what they want is meat. Read my story below, HKN and FTS, but just the first 10-20 chapters each. That was back when I was still reflexively writing as a ghost writer. Notice how I Bunch up paragraphs by topic, not by who is talking. This is because the editor will want to know where certain sections end and begin so they can chop it up easier. Ask if he wants it written as a finished producte (with fluff) or if he wants it only as the MEAT of the story, and he plans on adding the fluff later.

If he doesn't want fluff, then skimp on descriptions as much as possible, only including the parts of the descriptions that are needed for PLOT REASONS.

If Joe has a purple mohawk, there had better be a reason for Joe's Purple Mohawk. Like everyone in his gang as a Purple Mohawk.

If they are not paying up front, tell them you want to talk to at least THREE FORMER GHOST WRITERS. If they won't let you talk to someone else, they are shady as fuck and move on.

Ask if you have more questions.

 

[Paul_Michaels]

Uhhh... 0.02 x 4000/hour is 80.00/hour
OKAY. As a ghost writer, here's my advice:

IS YOUR NAME GOING ON IT?

If your name is going on it, DEMAND FINAL SAY IN WHAT THE PRODUCT IS.

If you do NOT get final say in the product, MAKE SURE you have the right to PULL YOUR NAME FROM THE PRODUCT IF YOU DO NOT APPROVE OF THE FINAL VERSION.

Listen up. Listen good...

THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX A BROKEN REPUTATION. ONCE YOUR NAME GOES ON A BAD PRODUCT, THERE IS NO WAY TO TAKE IT BACK. I DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY PAY YOU, YOU CANNOT REVERSE THE DAMAGE DONE BY A TERRIBLE EDITOR.

Make sure you have the right to have them remove your name from the product at any time, if they are not giving you final say in said product. YOU CAN MAKE MORE MONEY. YOU CAN MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME. YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. YOU CANNOT FIX A BAD REPUTATION.

Protect your reputation.

ASSUMING they agree to this, up front, IN WRITING, AS A CONTACT. Ask them to explain the method of payment, the unit of payment, when you get paid, what they expect in return for this payment.

If it is pennies per word, is it per word of the final product, or how many words you write, every time they demand you rewrite it?

I made the mistake of going with one guy who thought that his offer included free-rewrites. I must have written 180k works, but only got paid for 60k. I finished the job, and never talked to him again.

How long does it take to write for you? Figure they want 1,000/hour, where as if you are new, most likely 300. so they'll offer something like 0.02 to newbies. I got .16 on my last job, but that was a rush job, and an old friend. Usually I got .08 a word.

Are you getting a cut of the profit, or you getting paid for your work, then you walk away?

I recommend you go with the latter.

I would ask:

How many words Minimum, and maximum? (For example, they might set min/max at 80k/80k. This means you write 80k words and don't get paid for anything over that, so if you go over, you are writing for free, however, you are EXPECTED to write the story to the end, which means, if your story takes you 97.3k words, that's what you write. BE A PROFESSIONAL. This is part of the job. Sometimes you have to write more than what you are paid for in order to do the job well.

Part of doing the job well is to get rehired in the future.

Ask the company for references. Any one else that has worked for them.

Ask when they need it by and determine if you can meet their expectations.

Tell them you expect 25% of the minimum up front, refundable if you fail to meet the deadline.

Typically, jobs like this are: They hire several people to write the same story/concept. They expect about half to fail to finish. If you hire 6, you expect 3 to complete. They take the 3 stories and hand them to the final editor who takes the best from all three, combines them, then makes the final product. At least that's how it worked when I was writing bodice rippers.

ASK IF THEY WANT FLUFF OR MEAT.

Most editors know how to fluff, what they want is meat. Read my story below, HKN and FTS, but just the first 10-20 chapters each. That was back when I was still reflexively writing as a ghost writer. Notice how I Bunch up paragraphs by topic, not by who is talking. This is because the editor will want to know where certain sections end and begin so they can chop it up easier. Ask if he wants it written as a finished producte (with fluff) or if he wants it only as the MEAT of the story, and he plans on adding the fluff later.

If he doesn't want fluff, then skimp on descriptions as much as possible, only including the parts of the descriptions that are needed for PLOT REASONS.

If Joe has a purple mohawk, there had better be a reason for Joe's Purple Mohawk. Like everyone in his gang as a Purple Mohawk.

If they are not paying up front, tell them you want to talk to at least THREE FORMER GHOST WRITERS. If they won't let you talk to someone else, they are shady as fuck and move on.

Ask if you have more questions.

Hey I really appreciate the input on this.
Your advice really helped. I'm think they would be asking for rewrites left and right on me. Mostly because I struggle with dyslexia, so it would mostly be a guarantee that I be killing myself on the writing front.
Thanks

 

[melchi]

Uhhh... 0.02 x 4000/hour is 80.00/hour
OKAY. As a ghost writer, here's my advice:

IS YOUR NAME GOING ON IT?

If your name is going on it, DEMAND FINAL SAY IN WHAT THE PRODUCT IS.

If you do NOT get final say in the product, MAKE SURE you have the right to PULL YOUR NAME FROM THE PRODUCT IF YOU DO NOT APPROVE OF THE FINAL VERSION.

Listen up. Listen good...

THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX A BROKEN REPUTATION. ONCE YOUR NAME GOES ON A BAD PRODUCT, THERE IS NO WAY TO TAKE IT BACK. I DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY PAY YOU, YOU CANNOT REVERSE THE DAMAGE DONE BY A TERRIBLE EDITOR.

Make sure you have the right to have them remove your name from the product at any time, if they are not giving you final say in said product. YOU CAN MAKE MORE MONEY. YOU CAN MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME. YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. YOU CANNOT FIX A BAD REPUTATION.

Protect your reputation.

ASSUMING they agree to this, up front, IN WRITING, AS A CONTACT. Ask them to explain the method of payment, the unit of payment, when you get paid, what they expect in return for this payment.

If it is pennies per word, is it per word of the final product, or how many words you write, every time they demand you rewrite it?

I made the mistake of going with one guy who thought that his offer included free-rewrites. I must have written 180k works, but only got paid for 60k. I finished the job, and never talked to him again.

How long does it take to write for you? Figure they want 1,000/hour, where as if you are new, most likely 300. so they'll offer something like 0.02 to newbies. I got .16 on my last job, but that was a rush job, and an old friend. Usually I got .08 a word.

Are you getting a cut of the profit, or you getting paid for your work, then you walk away?

I recommend you go with the latter.

I would ask:

How many words Minimum, and maximum? (For example, they might set min/max at 80k/80k. This means you write 80k words and don't get paid for anything over that, so if you go over, you are writing for free, however, you are EXPECTED to write the story to the end, which means, if your story takes you 97.3k words, that's what you write. BE A PROFESSIONAL. This is part of the job. Sometimes you have to write more than what you are paid for in order to do the job well.

Part of doing the job well is to get rehired in the future.

Ask the company for references. Any one else that has worked for them.

Ask when they need it by and determine if you can meet their expectations.

Tell them you expect 25% of the minimum up front, refundable if you fail to meet the deadline.

Typically, jobs like this are: They hire several people to write the same story/concept. They expect about half to fail to finish. If you hire 6, you expect 3 to complete. They take the 3 stories and hand them to the final editor who takes the best from all three, combines them, then makes the final product. At least that's how it worked when I was writing bodice rippers.

ASK IF THEY WANT FLUFF OR MEAT.

Most editors know how to fluff, what they want is meat. Read my story below, HKN and FTS, but just the first 10-20 chapters each. That was back when I was still reflexively writing as a ghost writer. Notice how I Bunch up paragraphs by topic, not by who is talking. This is because the editor will want to know where certain sections end and begin so they can chop it up easier. Ask if he wants it written as a finished producte (with fluff) or if he wants it only as the MEAT of the story, and he plans on adding the fluff later.

If he doesn't want fluff, then skimp on descriptions as much as possible, only including the parts of the descriptions that are needed for PLOT REASONS.

If Joe has a purple mohawk, there had better be a reason for Joe's Purple Mohawk. Like everyone in his gang as a Purple Mohawk.

If they are not paying up front, tell them you want to talk to at least THREE FORMER GHOST WRITERS. If they won't let you talk to someone else, they are shady as fuck and move on.

Ask if you have more questions.

This post got a whole lot longer O_O