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So you want to write about video games? You love playing video games, you love writing -- and everyone told you that you should do what you love, right?
But that's OK, you've made the initial step: You're at Bitmob, one of the best places for an aspiring writer to find readers. Here you'll get constructive feedback from your peers, and if your ideas are good and your writing shows merit, you'll have an incredibly experienced editorial staff vetting your work.
If you truly want to break into the business, it's going to take some work. The Tutorial is a series of articles about video game writing that will better prepare you for what's ahead -- or help you figure out if it's even for you.
In the first installment, we'll take a look at freelancing, which will probably be your first step. Recently I've begun freelancing in addition to working as Bitmob's Community Manager. (See, it works!) I thought I had it made: free games that I could write about! Sure there was no pay, but, free games!
Within an hour of playing my first game for review, I realized that this wasn't going to be everything it was cracked up to be. Nothing shows how much work freelancing can be than forcing yourself through a terrible game. And this is in your future, Aspiring Games Writer.
But don't take it from me. I touched base with Bitmob's own Demian Linn, who has sent many freelancers right to the bottom of the review pile. Demian pokes holes in some assumptions I had (and you may share), while providing a dash of optimism for those willing to put the work in.
Andrew Hiscock: How did you find freelancers?
Demian Linn: When I was at EGM, I would hear about possible freelancers in a few different ways -- from my editor-in-chief, Dan Hsu, from other editors at our parent company Ziff Davis, and occasionally freelancers would email me directly. The conversion rate on that last one was very low, though; I found most of my reliable freelancers through my coworkers' word of mouth.
AH: What makes a good freelancer?
DL: Reliability, writing skill and creativity, attention to detail, and flexibility, in that order (although all of those traits are very important). Well, expertise in the subject matter goes in there somewhere, too. And this is from an editor's point of view. From a freelancer's point of view, it's networking/hustling by a huge margin, followed by reliability and writing skill.
AH: In your experience, what did your freelancers expect as remuneration for their services?
DL: Freelance rates for game editorial are pretty rough. If you're writing for Wired (the print mag) or something you can get about $1 a word, and print strategy guides pay thousands for two to three hellish weeks of work. But on average, you can spend 20 hours playing a game you hate and writing a 1200+ word review and be lucky to earn a couple hundred bucks, if that. I think rates have actually declined over the last few years, too. It's not uncommon for news freelancers at major sites to get like $10 per story. Or you can write for Bitmob for free!
AH: What is the output (ie: articles and/or hours worked) that a freelancer can expect to put in to make a living, if at all?
DL: Oh, man. I guess it depends on your idea of 'make a living.' Freelancing requires A LOT of hustling. Excellent, established freelancers can make a decent living, especially if you're writing for some more mainstream outlets, or doing stuff like strategy guides or consulting. But if you're freelancing reviews for IGN or something like that as your main gig, well, that's a situation where you do want to be living in your parents' basement.
AH: Do editors within an outlet share freelancers for a variety of articles/purposes?
DL: Totally, at least where I've worked. Freelancers become known for their areas of expertise, and editors in need of something in particular will ask around for recommendations from coworkers.
AH: How can a freelancer get noticed by editors?
DL: A great cover letter and great writing samples, ideally samples that are written in the style of the publication you want to write for. If you're a writer but you've never written in the field you're trying to break into, write some stuff 'on spec' to show you can do it. A good writer should be able to write about anything he or she is knowledgeable about, but you still need to prove it. And pay attention to the tiniest details -- if you want to write for GameSpy and you write a review in their style, look at how they list systems, the developer, publisher, etc., and include all of that info, in their format.
AH: Are freelancers at an advantage/disadvantage based on geographic location?
DL: Freelancers new to the game industry are at a significant disadvantage if they aren't based near the publication they're working for, because game previews and reviews usually require access to 'debug' consoles, which can play pre-retail versions of games. Debugs are in limited supply, and shipping them around the country isn't very practical. Established freelancers who have their own debugs (provided by the console manufacturers) can be based pretty much anywhere. Although being in Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle is a plus.
AH: Is the use of freelancers different whether the article will see print or online publication?
DL: I'm not necessarily sure what you mean -- print pays a bit more than online, as a general rule, if that's what you're asking. But if you do write something for print, don't be surprised to see it show up in some form online as well, and don't expect to be paid extra for that.
AH: To clarify: Print is a curated and limited space, while the larger (and sometimes smaller) online outlets try to cover everything. Are the freelancers chosen for different reasons if the article in question will be in print or whether it will be online? It seems to me, and this may be a false impression, but someone like Robert Ashley would travel all over the world for preview coverage of triple A games, while freelancers for 1UP get to review shitty games.... It seems there is a disconnect between how freelancers are used for either type of media.
DL: Print freelancers do have to adhere to stricter word counts, yes. Your Robert Ashley example...Robert was reviewing shitty games for me at EGM years ago; he rose through the ranks as a freelancer because he was reliable and an excellent writer, which in turn made him a good choice for more interesting assignments. But travel 'junkets' aren't a print-only thing by any means. I expect the number of print-only events is dwindling along with the number of print outlets.
I know that to someone on the outside looking in, the idea that you could get paid to travel to some exotic location and write about a game seems incredible. But those trips are egregious and need to stop. The majority of writers and editors on those trips have their flight and hotel expenses covered by the publisher of the game they're covering, and that's a conflict of interest. And there is absolutely no reason why a horde of 30+ journalists need to travel to Russia in order to cover a game.
AH: Are media outlets using more or less freelancers since you started?
DL: It really depends on the outlet. When I worked for a game magazine published by Computec Media, we didn't use any freelancers, everything was in-house. At EGM and 1UP, we used lots of freelancers for a while, then cut back due to cash. Most of the major online outlets use freelancers because they're on the hook to produce incredible amounts of content, and freelancers do that for cheap. I'd say that the number of staff jobs in game editorial continues to dwindle, while freelance and contract freelance spots are on the rise.
AH: Do freelancers make the jump to editor/staff writer positions often? Is freelancing a good way to convert your writing into a full time gig?
DL: Sure, freelancing is definitely a good way to get your foot in the door and snag a staff job, if you're skilled and lucky. There just aren't that many full-time jobs to go around, though, so even a great freelancer may not end up with a staff position. But if a staff job is your goal, your best path to that is either through freelancing or an internship.
Thanks for the advice, Demian!
Are you a freelancer? Post your experiences in the comments!
