Guild publishes online guidelines

The Writers’ Guild has produced new guidelines to help members writing online drama and other content. While some online content falls within existing minimum terms agreements, much does not, and the guidelines will provide a benchmark for both writers and producers.

The introduction to the guidelines states that:

The Writers' Guild is aware that its members are increasingly being commissioned to write online drama and other literary content for ‘new’ or ‘non-traditional’ media, particularly as part of initiatives like the BBC’s ‘Multi-platform Commissioning’ drive.

This content may be developed to compliment existing radio or television programming or as standalone new media content. It can be almost anything ranging from fixed diary entries, interactive blogs, daily character blogs, biographies, single voice ‘vox pops’, audio diaries, in-vision blogs, online games and a myriad of other types of short-form audio, audio-visual or literary content intended as existing programme support material or as standalone on-line only propositions.

We hope that these guidelines will give members some idea of how they might be approached, contracted and paid for this kind of work. As with all our rates, these are minimums and members may be able to negotiate upwards of these. As with any commission, the writer is at liberty to accept the fee and terms offered, or not. If you are a Guild member and you need further advice as to a particular commission or deal you are offered, please contact the Guild office.

The full text can be downloaded from the WGGB website.