Posts Tagged ‘how to be a game journalist’
January 23, 2013
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Dear Freelance Dude,
I’ve been writing for a volunteer website doing news, reviews, and features – mostly news. However, being recently laid-off has forced me to search for paying opportunities, and I feel I don’t have the experience yet to attain one, freelance or staff (I’ve only been in games journalism for six months). Should I focus on writing features to submit to other websites or should I continue developing my skills until I feel ready?
And are there websites that hire staff writers that work remotely or is that, basically, freelancing?
Signed,
Anthony S.
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, ask the freelance dude, Column, freelance, freelance game journalism, game industry, gigs, how to be a game journalist, nathan meunier, paying, pitches, reviews, up up down down left write, writing, writing advice
Posted in Ask The Freelance Dude | 1 Comment »
October 31, 2012
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Dear Freelance Dude,
I’m trying my hardest to break into the world of freelance games journalism. I’ve had a couple of paid assignments which I managed to land without needing to submit any pitches. Since then, I’ve followed your advice about what makes a good pitch, and have tried several ideas tailoring them to several publications. After waiting a reasonable time, I have not had any responses whatsoever. What can I do if I’m simply being ignored?
Signed,
David O.
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, ask the freelance dude, Column, freelance, freelance game journalism, game industry, gigs, how to be a game journalist, nathan meunier, paying, pitches, reviews, video games, writing, writing advice
Posted in Ask The Freelance Dude | Leave a Comment »
August 27, 2012
Poking around the internet this weekend, I discovered that Wired’s GeekDad blog did a nice news blurb about Up Up Down Down Left WRITE and the Kickstarter. Super psyched! With only 12 days left to the Kickstarter and approx $5,200 left to raise, this is a nice little boost! Getting close to the home stretch, which is when I’ll really need any interested folks who’ve been considering backing it to step up to the plate and kick out the backer jams – uh yeah, mixed metaphors.
Anyway! You can read the Wired piece here on GeekDad.
Tags:freelance, freelancing, game journalism, game journo book, geekdad, how to, how to be a game journalist, kickstarter, nathan meunier, wired, writing
Posted in Up Up Down Down Left WRITE | 1 Comment »
August 21, 2012
Though I’m still a relative youngin’ compared to lots of other gaming folks in our midst, I remember a time before the NES existed. And I remember subscribing to Nintendo Power magazine when it first was launched. Many years later, I was lucky enough to fulfill a childhood dream when I scored a steady freelance gig writing for the magazine. I’ve really enjoyed penning articles for the mag the past few years and working with some great folks on their editorial team, which makes today’s news that Nintendo Power will be closing down all the more crushing.
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, closing, freelance, game journalism, how to be a game journalist, kickstarter, nathan meunier, Nintendo Power, nintendo power to close, shop talk, shutting down, tax advice, tax deductions for freelance game journalists, taxes, writing
Posted in Freelance Game Journo Shop Talk | 5 Comments »
August 15, 2012
Hunting down games to review or preview is as easy as looking at online retail lists of upcoming games or fire up a web search to see what’s cooking in the development world. Coming up with good ideas for articles and columns, on the other hand, takes a lot more effort, but it doesn’t have to be a total drag. There will be times when your creativity wanes and good ideas don’t come as easily. You can overcome these mental droughts with a little research and some brainstorming. Here are a few quick tips on how to get the noggin juices flowing and track down leads for ideas to pitch.
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, book, freelance, game journalism, game journalism book, getting idea for articles, how to be a game journalist, kickstarter, nathan meunier, shop talk, tax advice, up up down down left write, writing
Posted in Freelance Game Journo Shop Talk, Up Up Down Down Left WRITE | 4 Comments »
July 27, 2012
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Dear Freelance Dude,
I’m a student and games editor for our university newspaper. Being a student, my loan is covering me and allowing me put time into my degree and other hobbies. I’ve secured interviews with some big names and am planning to write some features. My goal is for these to be of a good enough standard to get paid for the writing. Yet, I’m going to write these regardless of whether a publication agrees to pay me for it. Can I pitch a feature I have already completed/ partially completed? How would I go about doing so?
Signed,
Marcus B.
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, ask the freelance dude, Column, conventions, freelance, freelance game journalism, game industry, gigs, how to be a game journalist, meeting editors, moving west coast, nathan meunier, networking, PAX East, paying, pitches, pitching reviews, reviews, video games, volunteer, writing, writing advice
Posted in Ask The Freelance Dude | Leave a Comment »
July 10, 2012
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Dear Freelance Dude,
You’ve talked about reviews, but I’m curious about how pitching reviews differs from pitching features. For instance, do you need to find a way to secure your own copy of a game or does the outlet you’re writing for take care of that? And how does the approach of pitching reviews differ from other pitches? You wouldn’t pitch a review to a features editor when there’s a reviews editor on staff, so how would you best make the transition from one editor to another?
Signed,
Derek T.
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, ask the freelance dude, Column, conventions, freelance, freelance game journalism, game industry, game journalism, gigs, how to be a game journalist, meeting editors, moving west coast, nathan meunier, networking, PAX East, paying, pitches, pitching reviews, reviews, video games, volunteer, writing, writing advice
Posted in Ask The Freelance Dude | 3 Comments »
April 16, 2012
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Dear Freelance Dude,
I’ve seen a number of folks comment on how luck played a role in their obtaining a paying gig as a games journalist. Do you see luck as a big factor that plays into a person’s success in this field, or are there other variables that have greater importance?
Signed
KnucklesSonic8
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, ask the freelance dude, breaking in, Column, conventions, freelance, freelance game journalism, game industry, game journalism, gigs, how to be a game journalist, luck, meeting editors, moving west coast, nathan meunier, networking, PAX East, paying, pitches, pitching reviews, reviews, video games, volunteer, writing, writing advice
Posted in Ask The Freelance Dude | 1 Comment »
March 30, 2012
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Dear Freelance Dude,
I’m a soon-to-be college grad just starting to try his hand in the freelancing world. After being published on a handful of sites, I’ve managed to get a media pass to the PAX East convention in my hometown of Boston. It’s common knowledge that networking is a key to success for freelance journos, and conventions like these seem to be one of the best places to get started on making friends in the industry.
Could you shed some light on how to go about this whole networking process? Are there any particular do’s and don’ts that I should be aware of before walking up to complete strangers? I’ve got my personal business cards printed out and ready to be shared, so what can I do to get people to remember my name (without looking like a total weirdo)?
Signed,
Jeff D.
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Tags:@nmeunier, advice, ask the freelance dude, Column, conventions, freelance, freelance game journalism, game industry, game journalism, gigs, how to be a game journalist, meeting editors, moving west coast, nathan meunier, networking, PAX East, paying, pitches, pitching reviews, reviews, video games, volunteer, writing, writing advice
Posted in Ask The Freelance Dude | Leave a Comment »
March 20, 2012
Looking back to the very first year that I made enough income from freelancing for gaming publications to have to pay estimated taxes, I was freaked out. Like very freaked out. On one hand it meant I was doing well – making some decent money and pushing closer to my goal of eventually quitting my day job as a news reporter and pursuing game-focused writing full-time. On the other hand, it meant being forced to wade neck-deep into the murky, putrid swamp of tax hell.
Estimated taxes in particular are the bane of every freelance noob, and the first year you’re stuck doing them is usually the most confusing and terrifying. How the hell do you hit a moving target that fluctuates widely depending on how much income you make from one year to the next? Very carefully. It gets easier after you clear that first hurdle. Since every person’s situation is different, I’ll leave the real in-depth nitty-gritty on estimated taxes to the tax professionals. But one piece of advice that I’ve come to live by as a freelancer when it comes to estimated taxes and keeping your ass covered is to follow the 30 percent rule. More on that in a minute.
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Tags:30 percent, @nmeunier, advice, estimated taxes, freelance, game journalism, how to be a game journalist, nathan meunier, shop talk, tax advice, tax deductions for freelance game journalists, taxes, writing
Posted in Freelance Game Journo Shop Talk | 1 Comment »
