How To Be A Games Journalist

Below are some tips on how to penetrate that prude maiden known as Games Journalism. Follow this advice and you’ll have no trouble landing your dream job.

Probably.

1) Read anything and everything, from Trainspotting to The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Bury yourself beneath a mountain of videogame mags and don’t emerge until their wisdom has seeped into your soul. At one point I was devouring everything I could get my hands on: NGamer, EDGE, Games tm, Wired. Yes, it’s an expensive hobby but it will prove invaluable as an aid to developing your writing style and, crucially, keeping it fresh. There is nothing worse than stale and clichéd writing. “All the video game experience in the world doesn't mean jack if you can't put a decent sentence together” (random games journalist). This is probably the most valuable advice anyone will ever give you so I’ll say it again. READ ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.


2) Practice your writing skills on videogame forums. And then brace yourself for the inevitable bombardment of blunt feedback you’ll receive. Veteran forumites, those faceless souls that live in cyberspace, are often well-informed and never afraid to point out your short-comings. Use these forums as a training camp to hone your skills. If you can survive, as a respected member of the community, amongst hardened gamers, you’re that smidgeon closer to your dream.

Almost all videogame mags now support an online forum that allows direct contact with the Editor and Staff Writers. Use this to your advantage and try to build a rapport with them. Note: this does NOT involve stalking, irritating or pestering them with incessant begging letters. Instead, suggest new ideas for the magazine. Offer to contribute articles you have written. If you’re lucky, as I was, you may find them receptive to your ideas and willing to use them. This is how I got my first official writing credit.


3) Create your own blog. Once you’ve survived the proving grounds of a specialist videogame forum you may wish to graduate to Blogging. Blogging is an excellent way of relieving the chaotic tangle of ideas that swell your brain. Any time a game-related thought pops into your head, jot it down in your Blog. What may have seemed like a trivial and inane point at the time could develop and blossom into a fully-fledged article. It also creates an easily accessible database of your work that you can show to any possible future employers. If you’re new to blogging and need some ideas I suggest giving ‘A Rough Guide To Blogging – Jonathan Yang’ a try.

Sexy Videogameland is a good example of how to blog about videogames.


4) Passion. You must have a genuine, unwavering passion for games and a determined self-belief that you can do this with the best of them. I had been reading NGamer for 14 years before I felt confident enough to write into them. And when I did I enjoyed a very rewarding period of success. The three letters I sent were all printed, one even getting ‘Star Letter’. Seeing your name and your words printed in your favourite magazine and knowing that thousands of likeminded enthusiasts are reading those very words is a massive buzz and will give you the confidence to continue.

Good luck!