How to write about games for a living

I’ve always thought the ideal job involved doing something you love. As hardcore gamers, there’s little you and I love more than playing video games, so making a living from playing games sounds like a dream come true, right?

One way to achieve this is to become a games journalist. If you can string a sentence together or edit video while sharing your thoughts on the latest releases, it’s a viable path to take. But making money from writing isn’t easy, so the ROG team spoke to several professional games journalists in the UK and asked them to share their top tips for getting started in the industry.

Just start writing about games

Firstly, games journalism is a competitive space. You’ll need to be able to write well and have examples of your work to show to editors. Kirk McKeand, freelance journalist and games reporter for PCGamesN, advises working on a blog, rather than writing for free on a random website.

“My main piece of advice would be to just start writing, preferably for your own blog – don't let small sites take advantage of your free labour. I did that early on and I would have been just as well off putting my words on Medium or somewhere."

Build your reputation

Once you’ve started writing and feel confident to reach out to editors, don’t ask to review the latest blockbuster game releases. Instead, you’ll need to think of clever feature ideas.

“Don't bother trying to review games off the bat – nobody will commission you to do that until you're established. You first need to build rapport and trust with editors by pitching freelance features, then smashing the commission by turning in good work, and on time. Deadlines are important – don't miss them,” added Kirk.

But how should you write a pitch, let alone a whole article? Freelance writer George Osborn says pitches need to be informative, but brief: 

“If you can communicate in a couple of paragraphs the angle of a piece, why you are the right person to write it and how you'll make the piece stand out, it'll help you get freelance work,” he said.

Be a professional

And once you’ve written a piece, don’t be put off or defensive if an editor asks for changes, says Alice Bell, content editor for VideoGamer. Alice was nominated for UK video games trade paper MCV’s '30 Under 30' list of the top young talent in the UK games industry.

“Be entertaining, because nobody wants to read an article and be bored. Don’t be precious about your work and accept editorial changes with grace,” she explains. “You ain’t going to win a Pulitzer writing about games, so don’t go in with the attitude that you’re Lord Byron, and Greek rebels will live or die by your words, and thus any changes to them are nothing short of SACRILEGIOUS!”

Most importantly, be professional! Your reputation will be one of your best assets in getting more work.

“The games journo industry, in terms of boots on the ground, is actually pretty small, so people all know each other, by and large,” says Alice.

“If an editor is choosing whether to commission you or someone else and you’re both equally competent, they’re more likely to go with the one that isn’t a nightmare to work with.”

So there’s your walkthrough for breaking into the industry: write a lot, make lots of pitches, and act like a professional. Follow that combo and you’ll be a games journalist in no time! An ROG Strix GL502 will keep you up-to-date with the latest games while being light enough to carry around wherever you go for when you have inspiration for that next piece.

Share your thoughts on the industry with other gamers in the ROG forum or Flipboard. 

 

By Luke Graham