How do you hook up with a Flash sponsor?

There are many ways to get a sponsor to pay you for your work, and it can actually work in many different ways. You should explore your options with your sponsor when you first start to work together. Here are the more popular options:

Flat Fee
This is the most common Flash sponsorship type. It allows the developer and sponsor to agree on a flat rate for the entire Flash production. For example, you and your sponsor may agree to $1500 for a game about tanks. They get the exclusive branding to the game, meaning you will not put anyone elses (but your own) advertising in the game.

Flat Fee + Bonus

Many sponsors are geared towards this sponsorship type now, because it's a win-win situation; if the game does really well, you may earn a few extra bucks and the sponsor is going to get more traffic for better work. An example of this is getting a flat $1500, and a $100 if the game gets high traffic on the site.

Exclusive, Non-Shared Branding

Sometimes a Flash site does not want you to put your own logos into the game. In return, they should give you a much higher sum of money. This sort of sponsorship is actually more tailored towards other areas of development; for example, a Flash company wants you to make a specific project for them tailored to their exact needs. While it is definitely nicer getting your name out there, these sorts of development projects can definitely pay out a lot if you are looking for more freelance.

Non-Exclusive Licensing

This is a new form of sponsorship cropping up. Non-exclusive licensing allows you to specifically brand certain games for different sites, each for a much lower value. An example of this is to offer a licensed version of the game, site-locked to xyz.com... then go to zyw.com and license a copy to them. The cost per site is very, very low, but once you get many sites getting licensed copies, it may add up to even more than regular sponsorships! However, you definitely run the risk if you cannot get enough sites to sign on.

Hybrid/Alternative Sponsorship

Sometimes there are special circumstances that make the situation different. For example, you may want to enter a contest with the Flash you are getting sponsored, and you agree to split any of the winnings. Sponsors will help work with you to get the best win-win sutation, and don't be scared to mix it up a bit if something peaks your interest.