How to Properly Advertise a Revshare/Collab Project
Revenue share (AKA Revshare) is becoming a popular for indie developers to come together and work on a project since it doesn't require any up-front capital or monetary investment. Unfortunately, trying to onboard people onto a Revshare project is quite hard, and most of the posts I see are often rife with mistakes and missing info that makes me think people might be struggling to find others to work with them.
In this post, I'll go over the do's and don'ts of advertising a project like this. I'm looking at it from a game development perspective but this really applies to any programming project out there, whether it's revenue share or just generally collaborating on a project that's free or open source.
0. Understand people's perspective
Before making your post or starting to invite people to your project, it's important to understand why people are skeptical of revenue share projects. It's not about the money or lack thereof, revshare projects are almost exclusively built on trust.
When you ask for a programmer for your project, you're asking more than you might think. You're asking that:
You want a programmer who will dedicate themselves to the project and free their schedule for it, potentially for over a year.
You want a programmer that trusts you won't bail in the middle of the project for whatever reason, and that you will work as hard as he/she does.
You want a programmer that trusts you will hold your end of the deal when the project is over (obviously legal papers should be involved in revshare but nobody wants to have to start suing).
Not to mention trusting your leadership and ability to see through the project to its end. It's not as simple as just jumping onto a project that sounds fun, it has more to do with how serious and responsible-sounding the person making the post is. The more serious and ready you are to work, the more likely you are to find other people that are serious and ready to work. Your post needs to show that and convince others to join you.
1. Who are you?
Always start your post with who you are, even if it's just one sentence. If someone has no idea who they're going to work with, it's unlikely they would respond. Some important info you should be honest and upfront about is how old you are, whether you've worked on something like this before, and how much time you can dedicate to the project. It's good to set expectations rather than hit people with the "oh btw this is my first game and I have no idea how to make one" a week after everyone started working.
To be clear, there isn't anything wrong with being young or having little experience. Plenty of amazing fangames are made by people just learning game development. It's just a good indicator for people seeking more serious projects that this one might not be for them.
That said, having zero experience or no previous projects will be a hard sell. To others, it means you're asking for someone to teach you how to make a project or you are an "idea guy". Never be the "idea guy".
2. What is your role in the project?
Somehow, most people forget to mention this part and the first comment is usually someone asking this. Make it clear what you will contribute to the team. As the owner of the project, you have to contribute something significant (whether it be programming, art, or even publishing/legal stuff). If the rest of the team doing almost all the work, would it really be your project?
We've all seen "idea guys", where someone has a brilliant concept (citation needed) and just needs people to work on it. I've seen posts asking for programmers, artists, a musician, a level designer, someone to handle legalities, etc. with their only contribution being ideas and motivation. This person isn't asking for help, they're asking for an entire department. Nobody is going to bother replying to a post where the OP is reluctant to work and demands too much. Providing ideas and feedback is not work.
3. How much have you done so far?
So you've introduced yourself and talked a little about the project and what you're doing in it. Now is a great time to prove how serious you are about the project. Remember: The more serious you are, the more likely people will be interested.
The best way to show how serious you are is by having at least some things done. A prototype, GDD (Game Design Document), screenshots and videos, etc. would be fantastic to have ready. It doesn't necessarily have to be work on the game itself, I've seen some people create websites of their project or presentations pitching it. These are equally good, because it means a lot of effort has been put into the concept and you're actually prepared to work on it.
If you're still in the concept stage, at least make sure there is a clear direction or end goal for the project.
4. What's your game plan?
This part isn't too important if you're working on a free/non-profit game, but it is very necessary if this project will earn money.
You should have some plans for how the game will earn cash. "Just release it and hope for the best" is not a plan. Some questions you can answer are: How long do you estimate the project to take? What's the scope? Will there be a Kickstarter? Are you going to market it to a publisher, or will it be completely indie? How are you going to advertise the game? Do you know someone to handle the legal part of the project? It's also a great time to settle on the revenue split and announce the cut if you
Not everything has to have an answer this early into the project, but it's something to keep in mind. Being able to answer these and give some clarification in your post is a huge boon and will help avoid drama when it feels like the project is going nowhere.
Examples
Note: These examples are made up, but I've seen many posts that are similar to these.
Terrible Example:
Hi! I'm making a game like call of duty. Looking for someone who is good at 3D modelling, we will split revenue 50/50. Contact me.
Why this sucks: Who is this? Does this person have any experience? Is this person older than 13 years old? The project is vague and the post explains nothing.
Bad Example #1:
Hello everyone. I'm looking to create a game that's like MegaMan but 3D. I can do the 3D models and have some ideas written down. I've never worked on a game before but I'm confident in my skills. This will be a revshare project.
Why this is bad: Not making a single game before is a major red flag. Again, no introduction and no portfolio makes this person hard to believe.
Bad Example #2:
Hi, is anyone here good at designing game systems? I want someone to design and program the combat system in my game. I will pay a portion of the game's revenue.
Why this is bad: Same as the last one: No introduction, no explanation of the project, unclear requirements, and a general lack of effort.
Good Example:
Hello, everyone! I'm building a team to create an open source pixel-art MMORPG somewhat similar to old school runescape. I'm the writer and designer of the game, and [username] is the lead artist. We're looking for programmers, artists, and specifically anyone with server experience. We've made the design document attached below, please feel free to contact me for more info!
How this can be better: This is a good post that will get people's attention, but it could've been better if the OP introduced themself and showed any portfolio/previous projects. The requirements can also be tighter, "We are looking for programmers" is somewhat vague. What areas do you need done? Combat, UI programming, something else?
Best Example:
Greetings! My name is CoolGuy77, I'm a 22 year old that recently graduated from Computer Engineering, and am working full time on a 3D JRPG similar to that of Dragon Quest. Over the past year I've developed a working prototype using Godot 4 and Blender [link], but my art skills are lacking.
I'm seeking people experienced in 3D modeling and animation to replace the ones I have, and a writer to help make the story and dialogue a bit tighter. The plan is to get the project to a state where I can market it to publishers and try to get more funding, or release it on Steam if I couldn't. DM me if you need any more info or want to talk!
Why this is great: CoolGuy introduces himself, quickly explains what the project is about, provides evidence that this game is real and in development, and provides realistic goals for the project. It's a great example that covers basically everything one might want to know before asking for more details.
Final Thoughts
In the end, the only thing you need to do as a person looking for contributors is to convince good people to join your cause. My final advice is: above all, be confident in yourself and your project.
I've seen posters publicly admitting they doubt their project ever being released or selling well. Don't be this person. If you won't be confident in your project, who will? Push forward and do the best you can, and if it doesn't work out then there's always next time.
Good luck!
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