Dear Freelance Dude,

What are the repercussions of having a pitch rejected? Will getting a pitch rejection put you on “The List” of writers to ignore future pitches from, since there are a ton of other writers who can fill your place instead? Failure is a lot easier to cope with when there are future opportunities to try again! Also, are there any actions, outside of full-on disrespect and rudeness, that can jeopardize your relationship with a publication before it even starts? I don’t want to relocate to San Francisco in order to further my goal of becoming a games writer, only to find out that no one will take me because of something I did two years prior.

Thanks,
Andrew T.

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Dear Andrew,

Thankfully there’s no “victory or death” in freelancing. It’s not all Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome up in here. You’re not drawn and quartered if your pitch isn’t accepted…usually. Even the best writers and freelancers have their pitches rejected from time to time. It’s actually pretty common, so don’t worry about that. It is still important, however, to make a good impression and be professional when you’re getting in touch with editors.

Most of the time having a pitch rejected is nothing personal. Even when you’re convinced you’ve got the perfect idea, sometimes it just doesn’t jive with what a particular publication or editor is looking for. Other times the concept is great, but the execution is lacking or someone else already pitched something too similar. That said, if you consistently send pitches that are exceptionally awful, full of typos and grammar mistakes, or just pain old obnoxious, then you’re not doing yourself any favors. You might not get blacklisted per se, but you won’t be endearing yourself to the people you want to hire you.

How you deal with rejection is important too. Hurling insults, arguing, or acting in a similarly inappropriate manner with an editor who declines your idea is the quickest way onto their shit list. That is not a list you want to be on. While it sounds silly that a freelance writer would lambaste the person their trying to get to hire them, it happens. Don’t be that person. Also, avoid pitching the same idea to more than one outlet at a time. Fire off a pitch. Get a response one way or the other. Then re-tool it and try again elsewhere if the response is not favorable.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t sweat it. If you’re sending in well-written pitches that are being rejected, just keep pitching new ones until something sticks, and if you get feedback from an editor as to why you’ve been rejected, then take that lump gracefully, listen carefully, and learn from it.

Best,
The Freelance Dude

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Follow @nmeunier on Twitter for more writing advice, game industry commentary, and freelance shenanigans.

Have a writing, freelancing, or game journalism related question you’d like answered? No problem! Hop on over here for details on how to submit it to The Freelance Dude!

It’s no surprise that plenty of “me too” imitators have come pouring out of the woodwork to vie for a piece of the action, especially on platforms like the Xbox 360, where it has been unavailable. If you’re an Xbox 360 owner itching to get a taste of Minecraft’s RPG-survivalist building, crafting, and exploring adventure, that’s not such a bad thing. The Xbox Live Indie Games Channel is already packing a few crafty clones that offer a similar experience — and they’re pretty awesome for the few bucks you’ll spend on them. We still have a few months to wait before Minecraft hits Xbox Live this spring, so why not dig into these indies in the meantime?”

Check out the full article here at OXM.

Dear Freelance Dude,

So I’ve been writing for an average sized gaming site for a few months now (we get around 10-20k hits a day now that the holiday season is over), and now I feel like I need to seek bigger and better opportunities, mainly because writing for this site doesn’t pay anything. I mean, sure, it gets me free games, and that is nice; but I want to pay bills with my writing.

Everywhere I look, all I ever seem to find are freelance jobs that want to pay as little as $2 per article or are simply volunteer jobs. I own every current gen system, aside from the 3DS, and will be getting a Vita on day one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Signed,
GamerDadtheGreatPlus8

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Dear GamerDadtheGreatPlus8

It sounds like you’ve got a solid start and some published writing clips under your belt, which is one of the few good reasons to do a little freebie writing when you’re just getting started out. But like any situation where you’re providing a whole lot of something for a whole lot of nothing in exchange, writing for volunteer sites can turn into a real soul-sapping grind.

When you’re eager to make the transition to paying work, finding paying opportunities is tough. There’s an abundance of slick-looking gaming sites out there that either pay zilch ($2 an article is atrocious), and you’re not going to find many good-paying outlets by searching for freelance gigs through traditional means. Even Googling “we’re hiring” in combination with a bevy of game journalism-related terms won’t get you far, since many sites disingenuously say they’re “hiring” when they really are just looking for volunteers.

So where are all the paying gigs? A few publications, like The Escapist, have a “write for us” page where they spell out their payment and submission details. The vast majority, however, don’t publish submission info. You have to be a detective. Get familiar with the freelance game journo world, and look for sites that well-known writers in the industry contribute to. That’s usually a good sign they pay. Then conduct a little research to figure out the appropriate editor to contact, find out how to contact them, and hit them a well-written pitch for an article idea.

Don’t write editors and simply ask for review and preview work. There are plenty of other established writers they can rely on already for that. Instead, get their attention with a good feature pitch, prove you can deliver on it, and then keep the ideas coming. That’s the best way to quickly establish a foothold with new outlets and become a regular freelance contributor.

I wouldn’t aim for the biggest sites yet until you’ve made some inroads with a few reputable medium size outlets, but each new high-profile gig you score bolsters your resume and makes it a little easier to get the attention of editors you’re pitching.

Best,
The Freelance Dude

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Follow @nmeunier on Twitter for more writing advice, game industry commentary, and freelance shenanigans.

Have a writing, freelancing, or game journalism related question you’d like answered? No problem! Hop on over here for details on how to submit it to The Freelance Dude!

Dear Freelance Dude,

With the current economic state in mind, do you think games journalism is (still) a viable career option?

Signed,
KnucklesSonic8

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Dear Friend of Furry Virtual Critters,

Yes.

Best,
The Freelance Dude

.

..

…

Oh wait. You probably wanted me to elaborate. Right, sure thing (*cough* *ahem*). Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to it. First: the bad news.

The nation’s economy has been playing around on the murky banks of sh*t creek for a while now, taking a moment every so often to lap up those foul waters and splash some on its face for good measure. It’s certainly affecting video game publishers and the publications that cover games. Staff gets downsized. Magazines go under. Freelance budgets get the axe. The past few years have had some major ups and downs, but 2011 was a particularly rough one that saw some amazing writing folks in the industry suddenly without jobs.

IGN did a lot of fat trimming this past year. The company shuttered the excellent parent-focused gaming site What The Play early in the year. Shortly after, it laid off a bunch of editors across its properties, including some excellent people I enjoyed working with. That was hard to stomach.

IDG’s decision to suddenly pull the plug on GamePro’s print and web editions at the end of the year also put a lot of great editors out of work, and nuked a steady source of assignments for quite a few freelancers all in one fell swoop.

Don’t be surprised to see more of this in the coming years as gaming coverage evolves and struggles with its inevitable transition to digital formats. However, there’s good news too.

The video game industry is still booming and expanding. Consumers spent $25.1 billion on games and hardware in 2010 (the most current available data). Video games aren’t going anywhere, and as long as there is a steady stream of games coming out, there will be paying opportunities to cover them. In the wake of reputable outlets shutting down, the launch of promising new media ventures like Vox Games is encouraging.

Whether you’re freelancing or working on-staff on a gaming outlet, there will always be hardships and setbacks to overcome. But the changing media landscape is ripe with new opportunities as well. Is it a viable career? Absolutely, but established writers and newcomers alike will have to continue working hard to carve out new footholds.

Best,
The Freelance Dude

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Follow @nmeunier on Twitter for more writing advice, game industry commentary, and freelance shenanigans.

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Check out the full article here at Official Xbox Magazine.

Dear Freelance Dude,

I’m wondering what the rule is for debug consoles and freelancers. I’m trying to branch out, and one of the things I’ve realized makes one more enticing to publications is access to a debug. As freelancers, are we able to obtain these magical machines? If so, how?

Signed,
Matt H.

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Dear Matt,

You speak of a magical techno-wizardry coveted by many established and aspiring freelance game journos alike – artifacts that are necessary for certain kinds of coverage, particularly in the print world, but not easily acquired by freelancers. Editors do indeed value freelance writers with access to debug units that let them play early pre-release code on. The problem is so few freelancers are granted access to these machines, without the direct assistance from an editor at a reputable publication, that pursuing them on your own becomes an exercise in futility and frustration.

Is it possible to obtain debugs as a freelancer? Yes. But you have to be super well-connected and have editorial support flexing its muscle for you. PR is the gatekeepers to the debug world, and each console maker has its own warriors to guard access. Microsoft uses Edelman. Nintendo uses Golin Harris. Sony has its own internal hardware PR folks. Appealing to them, assuming you get any response at all, often gets you plunked down on “the list.” 90 percent of the time, it’s a nicey-nice way of saying you’ve just been round-filed. Do not pass Go. Do not collect your debug unit. Do not expect to get anywhere with repeated attempts to get updates on your request. Etc.

That’s the reality for a lot of folks. Yet others manage to score these coveted units with relative ease. The good news is you can still break into a lot of print outlets without one. You just need to pitch them with features instead of review and preview coverage. Hopefully things will change in the future, but for now, trying to score a debug as a freelancer is like pissing into a tornado with your mouth open.

Best,
The Freelance Dude

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Follow @nmeunier on Twitter for more writing advice, game industry commentary, and freelance shenanigans.

Have a writing, freelancing, or game journalism related question you’d like answered? No problem! Hop on over here for details on how to submit it to The Freelance Dude!

Check out the full preview here at GameSpy.

Dear Freelance Dude,

I’ve been studying journalism for about three years now, and I got a job in layout at a newspaper currently. I want to make the jump in writing (gaming, sports, etc.), but I try to send writing samples to get critiques and advice from different outlets and I don’t get anything back. So, my question is, how can I get some sort of feedback in regards to sending samples to professionals?

Signed,
Tanner L.

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Dear Tanner,

Woah there buddy, stop the presses! (Sorry, always wanted to say that). Your well-intentioned quest for writing feedback from established folks in the industry is both noble and commendable, but you just need to adjust your aim a little. Contacting publications and editors out of the blue and requesting they read your work and offer a critique is like being shouting for help at a passing ship in the distance while you’re stuck on a deserted island. You’re not likely to get heard and even less likely to get any kind of response. They simply don’t have time for that sort of thing – keep in mind that editors get constantly deluged with pitches, press releases, and other correspondence on a daily basis. Hell, it can be tough enough just getting busy editors to respond to legitimate article pitches. It’s better to save your energy and redirect it lower down the totem pole.

Don’t feel discouraged, as there are other places to seek help. You’d be surprised how accessible and friendly fellow writer folks can be. I’d suggest seeking out some of your favorite writers in the gaming industry and connect with them on Twitter or drop them a polite e-mail. While freelance folks tend to be busy, I think you’ll find someone willing to give your samples a quick look-over and offer a few nuggets of feedback. You may not get the same in-depth level of detail you would from an editor who’s getting paid to go over your work, but short-and-sweet feedback can be just useful too. Just be prepared: if you’re requesting honest constructive criticism it might not be all roses and puppies.

Best,
The Freelance Dude

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Follow @nmeunier on Twitter for more writing advice, game industry commentary, and freelance shenanigans.

Have a writing, freelancing, or game journalism related question you’d like answered? No problem! Hop on over here for details on how to submit it to The Freelance Dude!

Check out the full review here at GameSpot.

It’s an itch that needs scratching every so often, which is why we’re also looking forward to scoping out the weirdest and wackiest gaming offerings developers can throw at us. Here’s a heaping dose of the strangeness headed our way; watch out for these oddities in 2012 and beyond. “

Check out the full article here at IGN.