So you want to be a game journalist, but you aren't sure you're cut out for it. Why not start freelancing and find out?
Though many people think of a publication staff when they hear the word game journalist the majority of game journalists are freelancers
Unlike staff who are employees with the salary and benefits freelance writers are paid by the article to get work
They email editors a summary of the piece they want to write and then write it if the pitch gets commissioned freelancers work for themselves
Piecing together a living between one-off assignments regular appearances as colonists and non game related work. It's grueling
it's stressful even depressing at times when the work drives up, but it's also flexible and
Crucially for our purposes you can start freelancing alongside other work
Maintaining the financial stability of your regular gig while dipping a toe into the world of games journalism
so today let's talk about how to get your first couple of credits as a
Freelancer because once you've achieved that you'll have a much better idea about whether you want to try doing this as a career step 1
Put points into your writing skill game journalism is first and foremost a writing job
You could be the world's leading expert on street fighter or have industry contacts that span the globe
But if you can't communicate an idea to readers, you will not last so how do you learn to write?
One option is to go to college and take classes that Force you to write
Between classes see if the student paper will let you write for them, too
It doesn't matter if this writing is games related
Just put yourself in a position where you've got to produce whether you go to college or not start
Practising set up a blog at Gamma Sutra or medium or wordpress and start writing about games
Invite Feedback and don't get defensive when people make suggestions consider this beta testing the purpose isn't to turn out perfect work
It's to discover your strengths and weaknesses and address any problem areas Meanwhile
Take some articles that you've liked and start picking them apart
Try to puzzle out why you enjoyed them and then transfer those lessons into your own writing after
Blogging regularly for a few months you should have a few pieces good enough to serve as writing samples Step 2 look
Opportunities start reading game sites like it is your job get obsessive and make lists what kind of articles do each outlet
Publish do they like Mainstream?
Stories or oddball ones figure out their unique voice and write a few paragraphs in that style then find the email
Address where you can start sending them pitches at this point your training?
Phase is done, and you now have one goal to get one article published preferably in a paying outlet
I say a paying outlet because unfortunately there are some sites out there that prey on Eager young writers
I won't tell you to never work for free, but let's get something straight if you do work for an enthusiast site
It should be like an internship they need to compensate you with experience and training
never work for exposure if they're too small to pay you then they're too small to give you an audience and
Also, Beware if an Editor is making money
But you're not that's another red flag learn what you can and then move on because I mean there are mentors at painting Outlets
Too so now you've produced a few writing samples and maybe you've gotten some work under your belt at a college paper or an enthusiast
publication so what now
step 3 start pitching articles let's go over the basics your pitch should be succinct try for fewer than
200 words it should summarize the proposed article and list the people you need to interview or resources that you'll draw from
include a short bio at the end
Listing where you've been published before and linking to some writing samples that are similar to what you're pitching
also include an estimate of how many words the finished product will be and maybe stick to the
1000 to 1500 word range for now to start focus on pitching features
Articles that illuminate some notable aspect of a game or its development they can be profiles
Analyses human interest even historical pieces to get a handle on this category just head to the site that you want to pitch to
Click on its features tab and start reading it's easier to start with features because sites
Generally trust their in-house team for things like news and reviews and opinion pieces
You might land yourself a review gig for something small like a mobile game or even get an opinion piece if the editor thinks you
Can approach the sub with nuance but ultimately your first article is about proving that you can
Deliver and the features are your best bet to do that. So what's the pitch well start small
Publications are usually flooded with pitches about triple-a releases, so unless you've got a stellar angle
maybe find a less well-known game to write about
alternatively find a small games related event near you and write a pitch about what makes it unique and different best of all if you
Can score an interview with a developer which is a lot easier to do with Indie Dev. That's a pretty big
Incentive for somebody to greenlight your story
But the most important thing with a feature pitch is the hook an interesting angle that sells the concept ask yourself
Why will someone read this article? What's the question being posed?
What makes it unique even better what perspective can you add? Do you have life?
Experience or special knowledge about the subject did you react to the game in a way that surprised you and that nobody's written about yet?
Just as an example if you pitch star wars battlefront is good because it looks and sounds like the movies
No, Editor is going to pay for that, but if you pitch Star Wars battlefront captures how for everyone?
But the Hero's life is cheap in the star Wars universe
That's an idea that will sell and I know that because rob here sold a device not long ago if the publication commission's the article
Congratulations. Go write it
If they don't well go back to your pitch and see if you can improve it then send it to another publication
always approach Editors one at a time
It's considered rude to pitch to multiple outlets simultaneously and one more thing remember to be polite and professional
Especially if your pitch gets rejected your pitch is essentially a job interview in
Addition to evaluating your idea the editor is also going to try to gauge if they can work with you so don't burn bridges
Editor's do talk to each other and hey
It's possible that same editor might buy your next pitch. It will take a while to get comfortable with pitching
But there are books and even training events that can help you improve
We've linked a few of them down in the comments once you've gotten that first publication celebrate get yourself paid
And then do it again up your output try to sell an article every month then try to sell one every two weeks
Start applying for news positions or pitching for Column work after a few months of steady work
You will know whether freelancing is for you
Maybe you'll want to go full-time or maybe it'll just be something you do for extra
Cash whichever you decide is okay because you're a freelancer after all you are the boss. Good luck out there. See you next week