Interview Fu: The Game Journo Guide To Conducting Killer Interviews is OUT NOW!

InterviewfuBowkersI’m really psyched to announce that my new book, Interview Fu: The Game Journo Guide To Conducting Killer Interviews, is OUT NOW (Print + Kindle)! I’ve been hard at work since the launch of UUDDLW last year to crack open my brain and pour out a decade’s worth of interviewing advice from my years as both a newspaper reporter and a freelance game journalist onto the page. Interview Fu distills all of my knowhow and experience on this important subject into useful tips and intriguing tales of troubleshooting. Even better, I also interviewed other notable writing pros from the game industry and a handful of game developers to get their take on what makes a great interview, how to better engage interviewees, and much more. This small but useful tome is exploding with a one-two punch of intel designed to take your journalism skills to the next level – whether you’re a freelancer, newsie, feature writer, author, or aspiring game journo ninja!

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Shop Talk: Game Journo Gift Guide Vol. 1 (Book Edition)

shoptalk copyOh, man. It’s that holiday season thing again, isn’t it? What? Gahhh! That means there’s so much crazy holiday shopping to look forward to in the months ahead. Awesome?! If you’re looking for that special gift (or massive pile of gifts) for that special game journo or writerly-type person in your life, never fear! Here’s the first installment of my multi-part series on killer gift picks for writers, game journalists, and nerd-folks. First up? BOOKS. BOOKS. BOOKS. BOOKS!

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UUDDLW Kindle Edition Now $2.99 Until Nov. 1st!

uuddlwThis week I’m kicking off a MEGA SALE on the Kindle Edition of my recent book Up Up Down Down Left WRITE: The Freelance Guide to Video Game Journalism. For a super limited time, you can grab the Kindle version for a whopping 70% (ish) off! This sale only last until the end of the week, after which the price returns to its usual $8.99 point. Get your digital copy now while it’s hot and cheap, and benefit from the massive amount of info packed into this bad boy!

Here’s what critics are saying:

Official Xbox Magazine:

“A solid top-level view of the industry [that] gives crucial insight into what it takes to be a freelancer…[the book] covers a good selection of topics, from surviving tough income tax rates to dealing with public relations folks; it also doles out advice on crafting and delivering a good pitch, making the entirety essential reading.”

Destructoid:

“An earnest look into the geek-glamorous lifestyle of the paid videogames publication word-spewer, and
how to sneak in uninvited. This book is as useful as it is just outright brutal, and that’s what makes it a page-turner.”

VideoGameWriters.com:

“A frank and to-the-point assessment of most of the situations that one would encounter in the world of freelance games journalism coupled together with a never-ending supply of encouragement and humor. Meunier clearly wants his readers to succeed, and he does everything in his power to help them out.”

The Koalition:

“If you can discipline yourself to work from home, create a dedicated home office space, prioritize and organize your time and actually dedicate yourself to writing as a freelance journalist – you need to buy this book. It has so much more than the basic outlines of advice you’ll find online that are mostly vague. No, this book is all about details.”

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Shop Talk: The Five Commandments of Self-Publishing Your Book

by Nathan Meunier

shoptalk copyThe publishing landscape is changing dramatically. When it comes to writing and launching a new book, DIY is increasingly becoming the way to go these days. The reasons are numerous. You have more control over the end product and more freedom to experiment. Also, it’s faster, there’s less risk involved, and you can get a disgustingly better royalty rate than with traditional publishers. Self-publishing isn’t what it was a decade ago. It’s way better, though you still have to do most of the heavy lifting yourself. Sadly, that’s often becoming the case with a lot of traditionally published authors too. So why not take control and put together your book on your own terms?

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UUDDLW Book Signing Pics

event3I gathered last night with a group of friends at our local gaming store to sign copies of my new book Up Up Down Down Left WRITE: The Freelance Guide to Video Game Journalism. It was really cool to be setup right in the middle of a massive pile of nerdy awesomeness. Warhammer figurines to my left, used games to my right, a huge rack of AD&D manual across the room, and a GIANT Magic The Gathering tournament going on at the other side of the shop. I spent a little time talking about how I got started, what it’s like being a professional nerd, and all of that good stuff. Fun night! My pal and excellent local photographer Tim Hunt snapped a few pics while I was noodling around before the discussion. Figured I’d share them! The book is available in print and on Kindle now! Check it out!

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Shop Talk: Keeping a Pitch Graveyard

shoptalk copyPitching a steady stream of articles is one of the most important recurring tasks you need to stay on top of as a freelancer. Whether you’re trying to break into a new outlet or are simply feeding fresh ideas to editors you already work with, it can be a real challenge to track the status of the many queries you’re constantly sending out into the editorial world. Many fall by the wayside, but you shouldn’t let them grow cold for too long. Undead pitches can sometimes make the best pitches.

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Shop Talk: 5 Great Sites for Finding Paying Freelance Gigs

shoptalk copyEven when you have a decent amount of work on your plate, hunting down fresh gig leads is an important part of any freelancer’s regular routine. I spend a lot of time researching new publications to pitch, scoping out potential opportunities, and gathering resources to keep my freelance ship afloat during the inevitable slow spells and rough patches that pop-up along the way on this thrilling writing adventure. Here’s a rundown of some great hotspots around the web for sleuthing out paying gig leads. Read on for the goods!

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Shop Talk: Quick Tips To Simplify Your Writing

shoptalk copyIt’s possible to write elegantly without weaving an overabundance of flowery words throughout your prose. Just because a big word looks and sounds cool in the thesaurus doesn’t mean it belongs in your game review or feature article. Instead of writing to make yourself sound intellectually stimulating, try writing in a conversational tone that’s more digestible and easier to read. Your readers shouldn’t have to pull out a dictionary to decode what you’re trying to say.

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Freelance Game Journalism Video Chat w/ Nathan Meunier and Dan Amrich at GameZone

gamezoneYesterday, I joined former game journo editor and Critical Path author Dan Amrich for a video interview on Google Hangout with the rad folks at GameZone. We had a fun time chatting about how we got our start as freelancers in the game industry and tackled a range of questions related to writing, freelancing, and game journalism. It was a great time and a fun way to promote our books. If you’re interested in writing about games at all, check out my new book Up Up Down Down Left WRITE: The Freelance Guide to Video Game Journalism which is heavily focused on the freelance end of things. Dan also has a great book that’s been out for a while now called Critical Path: How to Review Videogames for a Living, which is more of a general tome focused on the art of reviewing games and working on staff at game publications.

Oh hey, before I forget, here’s the link to the video interview chat!