The game journalism industry is a precarious place to say the least. There aren’t nearly enough jobs for the number of people who want a coveted position at one of the top sites or magazines in the world. In the last few years, the glory of the job has drawn so many people it would blow your mind. Those who can write well, those who think they can write, those looking for free games, and those who just want to work with video games. Some of these people will give the career a chance, some will flounder and fail, and others will work their asses off trying to get somewhere while not being given the chance to shine.
Coming into this field you need to understand, it is not an easy journey.
You will work long hours, long days, long weeks for months, more likely years. You will apply to every publication under the sun and most likely never hear back from a single one of them. You will be told to find a new career on more than one occasion. And eventually you will end up writing for small sites, making little money and hoping for it to grow into something larger. It rarely does. You will find a vice, you may grow cynical, but it could be worth the trouble.
Those first two paragraphs probably sound extremely discouraging. I’ve personally experienced every single aspect of that myself over the past two years I’ve been working in this field. And yet I continue waking up at 7:30 AM every morning and not going to bed until Midnight or later. Why? Because I love this world, I love writing, and I love the gaming industry. I’m willing to put in the required work over and over to get a foothold here. Sure I get discouraged, nearly every day I think. I see kids younger than me scoring jobs at big sites like GameSpot and IGN, people straight out of high school. Many of these land roles because they have a pretty face and video content is huge today.
Start off with a small site.
You will be treated horribly and asked to work more than a normal day job doing menial tasks. It’s good practice and good padding for your résumé. I’ll pray that you don’t end up there longer than required. Volunteer writing is a good place to start for some; it helps to get some experience, learn the industry and find good sources, and to refine your writing skills. Just remember that working for free isn’t fun, it’s slavery. Use it wisely and don’t let yourself be taken advantage of. Learn what you can and move on before it turns into something more permanent.
Sure the opportunity is always there to find a great site you’d like to see grow and help be a part of. Working voluntarily here is completely up to you. Sometimes you just have to face that it isn’t worth it. Bills aren’t being paid, school loans are piling up, and you need some steady work to take care of that stuff. You won’t find that at small sites, no matter how promising their owner makes it out to be. It’s their job to find writers like you who are looking for a step into the gaming industry and they will exploit that with promises of future pay, free games, and industry contacts.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, tips, or some help from those within the industry.
More often than not they will ignore you completely. I’ve had that happen all too often. When I finally did receive a response back from someone within a major publication, it was to tell me to find a new career. That hurts more than you can believe.
He stated the obvious to me: there are too few jobs, too few good writers, and too many people who want those positions. He did give me some words of advice, however, should I continue on this path–which I did. He told me to find a niche, find something to set you apart and use that. Become a master in a certain area of gaming, whether it is survival horror, indie, walkthroughs, or whatever. This will give you experience and set you apart from the masses.
Finally, don’t trust an editor completely.
Learn to edit your own work subjectively. I know that sounds nearly impossible as we all think our work is good. But really take the time to read through every word once, twice, maybe even a third time. Fix errors, grammar, replace some words with something that sounds better, and be thorough.
When the time comes to apply to a position at a major outlet or magazine, make sure to read the requirements carefully as well as your writing samples. The more experience you have the better you will look. Unfortunately that doesn’t always score you a job. I’ve applied to nearly every big site and have been turned down by all. The key to getting into this career is persistence and practice. You cannot get enough of either of these. Social media presence is a key part to the job as well, learn it quickly and utilize it effectively.
If you’re looking to get into game journalism, start by being realistic with yourself. Keep telling yourself it is hard and it may not work out, but keep fighting for it.
Published: Jan 22, 2014 07:38 am