A Site That Doesn't Pay Its Writers - Why It Matters to Me

I've been hooked on Japanese crosswords since I was a kid. I already shared my passion in a previous review, check it out here.

Today, I'm excited to share my experience with the 'Nonograms' website, which I've been a part of for about 4 years now.

What are Japanese crosswords (nonograms)?

They're puzzles where images are hidden using numbers instead of words. There are both colored and black-and-white options available.

The website's design.

I stumbled upon the site in the summer of 2015. At first, I just casually solved crosswords in my free time, without registering. It wasn't until 2016 that I finally joined.

The website's design hasn't changed much since then. It's clean and unobtrusive, allowing me to focus on the crosswords. The site is available in two languages: Russian and English. Unfortunately, comments under crosswords aren't synchronized, so you'll need to post on either the Russian or English version of the site.

Navigation is a breeze.

The site is divided into two main sections: black-and-white and colored crosswords.

The website's menu

You can search for nonograms based on various parameters.

Searching for Japanese crosswords

The authors' ratings are also available.

Rating system

Solving Japanese crosswords methods A bit about solving crosswords on the site.

I've found it's pretty easy to solve smaller crosswords on the site. That's probably why the creator encouraged us to do so. Check out how clunky it gets with bigger ones, though. A nonogram with 140x100 cells is a real challenge. You'll be constantly scrolling up and down, left and right. Even in full-screen mode, it's a pain. Will you have the patience to finish it? I've got a decent-sized screen on my computer, but I still feel like I'm stuck at the beginning. How do you tackle it on a smartphone?

A massive 140x100 cell crossword. Here's what solving a 45x45 cell crossword looks like in full-screen mode. I randomly drew a smiley face and the errors got corrected automatically. It's like painting the whole screen black and then tidying up the crosses. Not exactly the most elegant solution, but it gets the job done.

Solving a 45x45 cell crossword. A working example. Simple as that.

Solving through a blocked screen Solving through a blocked screen I've noticed that the old app in Google Play is no longer available, and the link from the website doesn't work for me either.

\xa0

Website functionality. "Pay for crosswords" promotion.

Occasionally, a pop-up window "Pay for crosswords" appears at the bottom of the menu. Anyone can upload their crossword puzzle to the website.

I appreciate the variety of formats that authors allow for submitting crosswords.

We work with the following formats: 1) Miniature crossword image (bmp, png, gif) - an image corresponding to the answer to the solved crossword. 2) Formats for working with crosswords: JAC (JaC2a), JMP (JMPuzzles v1.6), JCD (PPPWorld), JCC (Japan). 3) Screenshot (bmp, jpg, png, gif) of the solved crossword.

You can also send a link to your profile from another site - in this case, we'll import all your crosswords ourselves.

You can also send the crossword by email.

The list of possible options and formats is excellent, unlike "Krot", where the author has to work in their editor or send the work via email with no guarantee.

We Pay for Crosswords ConditionBefore uploading, I recommend checking out the forbidden topics for drawings and upload rules.

Unacceptable crosswords for publication.

- Single-letter or single-digit images. Exception - elaborately decorated miniatures and/or ornaments. Note: In some cases, Chinese characters may be considered standalone ornaments (at the discretion of the admin). - Images containing only printed text (in any language). Exception - puzzles. - Company logos and brand logos, road signs, flags. Exception - visually interesting crosswords (at the discretion of the admin) - Images in the style of "childhood drawing", where the crossword size allows for a more detailed image. - Images of genitals in close-up, LGBTQ. - Political cartoons and crosswords that incite inter-ethnic, racial, and religious hatred (note: portraits of politicians are not prohibited). - It's extremely undesirable to use Russian words or individual letters in the crossword itself, especially if it's a hint for the crossword title. After all, your crossword will be available on the English version of the site as well, where the title will be completely different. This rule doesn't apply to puzzles.

\xa0

We only pay for nonograms with a maximum size of 45x45 cells.

\xa0

The site promises to publish moderated works within 24 hours. Moderation starts around 23-24 MSK.

\xa0

After you publish, you've got 31 days to get feedback from people.

Payout information from your author dashboard.To make crosswords profitable, they've got to be crowd-pleasers! Crosswords with a rating below 4 stars don't get paid.

\xa0

The image needs to be detailed and visually appealing. The crossword should be challenging but not impossible to solve. It's a bonus if it's on a topic that resonates with the solver.

You can bet some people will leave negative comments. A few might even send you a private message, like this guy did over the design of the hedgehog.

The hedgehog in questionBut these cases are few and far between. Most people are positive.

A positive review in my DMs

A positive review in my DMsI've had my fair share of playing tech support for the site, and it's always a relief when the customer service is in my native language, not French.

I'm not tech supportForeigners often ask me about the software I use, how I edit images, and other behind-the-scenes stuff.

\xa0

Let's get back to the crossword puzzle review. I've never received a 5-star rating for my work. Here are some examples of my highly-rated pieces from different time periods.

In 2016, I uploaded four works to the site, one of which earned a 4.5-star rating. My rating has since dropped. Back then, I was drawing on paper and then transferring it to the digital version using the software. Fast forward to 2025, and it looks outdated. A simple piece like that would probably get around 2-3 stars today.

First pieceIn 2020, I returned to the site thinking it would be a decent side hustle during my maternity leave. I worked with the PPPWorld software, which was super user-friendly.

My early rated works were pretty basic, but over time, I honed my skills and could create decent nonograms quickly.

Looking back at my work from 2020. It's crazy to see how far I've come.

Scorpion 2020 Fisherman 2020 Rotweiller 2020These are pretty much what my designs looked like in 2022-2023.

Zebra 2022 Basset Hound 2022 Red Panda 2023 Saint Bernard 2023And here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on in 2024-2025.

Gryphon 2024 Cat 2024 Lion 2024 - Not Paid Old Man 2025 - Not Paid Crab 2025 - Not Paid Gecko 2025 - Not PaidWhen people asked me where the feet were, I just said: "The size of the paid area doesn't allow me to create a detailed image with feet, so enjoy the portraits. Although... you can choose to ignore or ban me."

\xa0

After 31 days of uploading the crossword, the status changes to "Crossword rating locked: 4-5 stars. Payment expected." Expected... expected...

\xa0

I've gotta say, I was really surprised that there was no mention of payout periods anywhere on the site or in the author guidelines. That's just not something I've ever seen before.

The rules do mention that you need to have a verified Y-mani wallet to make a payout, but that's about it.

When I first started out, I sent my first few crosswords without any payment, just to see if I'd get paid or not. It was like a lottery, and it continued like that throughout my time working on the site.

\xa0

By May 2022, I was getting tired of waiting, so I moved on to the 'Ideas and Proposals' tab. But then I got redirected to a different site for feedback. When I made a suggestion, I got the following response.

Response from the adminNow that I look back, that was the last response from the author... My profile has been inactive since then.

I found a screenshot from September 10, 2022, with information about the delayed payouts. Now, you won't see those notifications anymore, and I've got a decent amount of money stuck.

Information about delayed payoutsThe site rules do mention a certain payout threshold, right? At first, I was getting those big payouts, but then they started taking a commission from authors.

The last payout I received was in late December 2024, just before New Year's. As I'm writing this review, it's now May 2025.

The site feels like a ghost town now. On average, only 4-5 new crosswords are published per day.

\xa0

That's my take on it.

This site has been around for a while now, and to be honest, it hasn't changed much over the years. There are some issues that still need to be addressed, and compared to 2024, the site feels a bit bare-bones in terms of fresh content.

That being said, the community here is really something special. People are sharing their poetry, posting pictures, and even sending personal messages. Of course, there are always exceptions, but overall, my experience has been overwhelmingly positive.

Despite all the problems, I want to give a big thank you to the site authors for the opportunity to earn some money creating crosswords. I was hoping to get my payment and continue working with them, but I'm not holding my breath...

\xa0

PS: As it turns out, the debt was paid off in July 2025.