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Money & Outlook

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Myles Mellor is a crossword puzzle constructor in California. He estimates there may be as many as 1,500 active constructors in North America.

"As crossword-creation software becomes more ubiquitous," says crossword puzzle constructor Coral Amende, "I would imagine the figures are on an upward trend."

Even the most successful constructors earn, on average, only around $10,000 a year. "You get paid by the newspapers or magazines you write for," says Mellor.

"They do not pay much. Will Shortz, The New York Times' crossword editor, pays $100 per puzzle and $350 for a large-sized Sunday puzzle. There is not a lot of money in it."

With few exceptions, most constructors have to hold other jobs to make ends meet. By day, Mellor works as the vice-president of a software company.

Having a steady job gives many constructors the financial security they need to keep creating puzzles. But it also forces them to juggle the demands of their work with the time-consuming task of constructing.

For most people, says Mellor, creating a single puzzle "takes 20 to 30 hours or more. Sometimes it actually takes a month."

And since it can take a long time to create a puzzle, Amende notes that constructing often works out to less than minimum wage. "But the pay isn't the point, obviously."

Constructors, especially newcomers, must also be prepared for the very real possibility of not getting paid at all. "It takes years, sometimes, to break in and sell a puzzle -- years of sweating the small stuff, reworking puzzles and stacks of rejection letters," says Amende.

Earnings and employment information from the U.S. Department of Labor is not available for this field at this time.

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