Have you always had a passion for video games, as well as a way with words? Video game journalism is often considered a competitive field, but there are so many ways to make this career work for you.
With the right amount of motivation and dedication, there are many things you can do to stand out. Knowledge of video games is one thing, but your writing ability is another.
What Is Video Game Journalism?
If you want to write about your hobbies for a living, this is an ideal career to work towards. It's also a good side hustle if you currently work in another technical field. Instead of reporting on traditional news stories, such as local news or the weather, video game journalism is about the latest trends or news in the gaming industry.
This industry can report on what games are becoming popular, discuss controversial topics about gameplay themes or characters, what game mechanics work better than others, or whether some games are being adapted into film and TV. There's always scope for creativity, but the question being asked most often is, where do you start? How can you land a job? Surprisingly, there are a lot of ways to break into the field of games journalism.
1. Learn About Video Game Journalism
Before branching out into video games, you want to know the basics of journalism. How does news work? What do employees look for, and what do audiences care about or want to read? Many news stories, especially hard news, go by a news pyramid of what is most interesting. This is news that is sharp and to the point.
Features or human interest stories, on the other hand, are more personal and could include a video game creator and how they built a game from scratch. The key is figuring out what you want to write about, and what you're looking to gain from writing video game stories. Do you want to get those big scoops, or are you happy writing the small stories too? Learn everything you can about journalism and the rules of how these pieces are written, and you'll be ready to delve into video game journalism.
2. Find Your Gaming Niche
Finding a niche can be one of the most difficult decisions, but in the longer scheme of things, it makes you stand out in a crowd of writers who want to write about video games, too. Do you want to review video games for a living? Or would you prefer writing lists as opposed to longer-form content?
Is there a specific genre of video games you want to write about? For example, you might want to stick to survival games like Minecraft, horror games like Resident Evil Village, or cozy games such as Stardew Valley. No matter what your choices are, narrowing down your interests will help employers differentiate you from other candidates applying for the same role.
3. Produce Your Own Content
When building any journalism portfolio, the last thing you want to do is copy someone else's content. Producing your own content is your pathway to getting employers to understand your writing style, what you write about, and why you should be part of their team.
What if you don't have an online portfolio—or any content to publish just yet? You can easily create a free WordPress website or Clippings.me account, and post all of your writing material there. You can also try numerous other website builders, such as Wix and Squarespace.
Likewise, with content, you can make up your own article ideas and write them, volunteer for small gaming companies, write social media, or simply write a review about your favorite games! With this, you'll be on your way to a solid portfolio. Want to know where else to look? Here are some free platforms to showcase your freelance writing portfolio.
4. Attend Video Game Events
As well as being a fun weekend hobby, attending gaming events is a smart way to involve yourself with the right people. When you're confident enough, networking at gaming events can be an amazing way to get to know others in the video game journalism industry, and this can lead to jobs in the future.
Set up a stall with your work, let people know who you are, have a business card available, and offer other professionals your writing skills. How can this help your career overall? You might be lucky enough to meet a company willing to give your writing services a go. The E3 Gaming Expo, for example, has been one of the most popular video game trade events in the United States.
5. Know How to Pitch Stories
Having a strong portfolio and experience is one thing, but pitching to editors is a skill on its own that can land you a writing role in video game journalism. Strong pitches are short and quickly detail your points, such as your story idea, angle, what you'll be writing about, and why it's worth writing. Likewise, if you're not feeling too confident yet want to try pitching, always ask for feedback from an editor, so you can improve for future pitching.
What websites accept pitches? Games Radar, Game Informer, and Nintendo Life are one of the many online websites that accept pitches, including video game news stories, reviews, opinion pieces, and more. If you want some more pitching tips, here is how to cold pitch your way to career success.
Delve Into a Video Game Journalism Career
The path to a video game journalist, whether that's freelance or not, can seem daunting and competitive, but it is very rewarding if you're disciplined, consistent, and passionate enough to do what you love for a living.
As an aspiring video game journalist with a great portfolio, experience, knowledge of journalism, and feeling comfortable in your niche, there are many opportunities to grow and build a career. Video games aren't going away anytime soon, after all. What will you choose to write about, and how will you start your journey?