Friday, December 28, 2012
new puzzle! 'the ick factor'
The latest puzzle is up at World of Crosswords - the theme is 'the ick factor.' Have fun with it!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Ben Tausig on the "Broken Crossword Puzzle Economy"
People who have done crossword puzzle construction in the hopes of making even a little money off of it might find Ben Tausig's recent article, "Solving The Broken Crossword Puzzle Economy," to be of interest.
It's true that puzzle constructors just aren't paid very well, and crossword puzzles appear to be something of a cash cow for The New York Times and similar media outlets. The New York Times has brand recognition, like a Starbucks or McDonald's - you know what to expect when you go there. And crossword solvers have the time to solve, perhaps, at most one puzzle per day. I don't think it's unreasonable that they'd prefer to devote this time to solving a puzzle that's a "known quantity."
Some constructors - Brendan Emmett Quigley comes to mind - have done a great job at developing a reputation, and apparently no longer need to work under an aegis to attract an audience. But less well-known constructors still need an imprimatur to gain the trust of solvers. For them, an increase in the base rate and the addition of royalty payments, as urged by Tausig, would make a huge difference. Let's hope this becomes the norm.
It's true that puzzle constructors just aren't paid very well, and crossword puzzles appear to be something of a cash cow for The New York Times and similar media outlets. The New York Times has brand recognition, like a Starbucks or McDonald's - you know what to expect when you go there. And crossword solvers have the time to solve, perhaps, at most one puzzle per day. I don't think it's unreasonable that they'd prefer to devote this time to solving a puzzle that's a "known quantity."
Some constructors - Brendan Emmett Quigley comes to mind - have done a great job at developing a reputation, and apparently no longer need to work under an aegis to attract an audience. But less well-known constructors still need an imprimatur to gain the trust of solvers. For them, an increase in the base rate and the addition of royalty payments, as urged by Tausig, would make a huge difference. Let's hope this becomes the norm.
Monday, December 10, 2012
new puzzle! - 'themeless 11'
The latest puzzle is up at World of Crosswords. It's another themeless puzzle this week, our eleventh. We hope you enjoy the additional challenge!
Both my sister and I have been exceptionally busy of late. We've turned over a couple of theme ideas, but haven't yet found one that's up to our standards. We hope to publish a new themed puzzle soon, though. Meantime, we hope the themeless puzzles will be a treat for those who enjoy that type.
Both my sister and I have been exceptionally busy of late. We've turned over a couple of theme ideas, but haven't yet found one that's up to our standards. We hope to publish a new themed puzzle soon, though. Meantime, we hope the themeless puzzles will be a treat for those who enjoy that type.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
new puzzle! 'themeless 10'
The new World of Crosswords puzzle is now available. It's another themeless, our tenth. Have fun with it!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
new puzzle! 'superlative!'
The weekly puzzle is up at World of Crosswords. The theme is 'superlative!' - enjoy!
Monday, November 19, 2012
new puzzle! 'place for my stuffing'
We've carried the theme from last week ('place for my stuff') a little further... this week's theme is 'place for my stuffing' to give it a seasonal twist. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
new puzzle! 'place for my stuff'
The crossword puzzle for the week of November 11th is themed 'place for my stuff' - fans of comedian George Carlin might recognize this reference. Please note that our crossword puzzle is free of obscenity! :)
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