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Breaking into Freelance

So I went down to EA Guildford a couple o' weeks ago with The Games Tribe and their training course, and freelance games journalism was touched upon. Many questions were asked, and answered, but one remains in my mind.

Where do I start? Who do I talk to at first? Am I ready/good enough? If not, should I wait and refine my work? May seem like dumb questions, but then again, there must be someone out there who is wondering the same.


1 topics   4 posts
I approach various sites, there's plenty to choose from, you can literally google "Game review site" drop them an E-mail and so on.
However it's become a much more difficult task lately as many people are doing it for free. I could easily find £100 per week once upon a time, now I'm looking at much less and actually have to branch into new qualifications!

2 topics   8 posts
I guess everyone takes their own path into Freelance. Like you Joe, I'm at that stage where I've been hovering around a couple of small sites for a year and a bit, and I want to make the jump to Freelance and make a little cash (I work full-time and have no intention of changing profession at this stage of my life, but writing is a hobby and I wouldn't complain about earning a little more money on the side!)

Currently I'm just trying to write for as many different sites as I can (voluntarily) to get the experience of writing for different audiences (As well as getting my name out there and to add to my portfolio). When I feel my writing, grammar etc. is tight enough, then I'll start pitching to the bigger sites. I thought my knowledge of proper punctuation was sufficient, then Nick from TheGamesTribe/Made2Game recommended the book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss - I now appreciate the usefulness of having a good grasp of punctuation and grammar. Well worth checking out.

One last thing - I remember a conversation on Games Press about how long you should write for free. The general consensus on there was: Only write for free if you can get some other reward. This could be free games, writing experience or even PR/business contacts). Once you stop getting a useful reward, then it's time to start asking for pay.

1 topics   10 posts
In regards to actually getting Freelance gigs, the gist I got from our course was to contact the Editor/Games editor for publications and pitch article ideas. I'm sure there is someone on here who could elaborate further.

1 topics   10 posts
Hi guys - we'll be putting a lot more posts on this on the gameleon.thegamestribe.com site over the next few months.

0 topics   2 posts
Great news Rich, looking forward to it!

1 topics   10 posts
Sounds good Rich, thanks.

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 Where do I start? Who do I talk to at first?

Anywhere! Go to your favorite publications, find the contact information for the relevant editor (generally, there are different contacts for previews, reviews and features), and send them a message. It's probably easiest to start with features, as most publications tend to save their big reviews for writers they have long-running connections with or staff. Features, on the other hand, are more difficult to produce on a consistent basis, so they look to freelancers to fill in the blank spots on their editorial calendars. 

Am I ready/good enough?

The biggest hurdle I had to overcome. Think of it this way - what's the worst that can happen? They'll deny your pitch or decided to kill it before it's published. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

If not, should I wait and refine my work?

Don't wait, but it's always a good idea to keep practicing. Work in voluntary spots as you continue to develop your skills. This gives you more clips to show prospective employers, helps you develop your reputation and keeps that creative juice flowing.

Also, create a portfolio of all of your work so you can show potential employers. It doesn't have to be a big production, I just made a simple WordPress blog for mine. I love it for two reasons: First, it gives me a central place to post all my stuff in case a website I write for gets shuts down. Second, it tracks visitors, which helps me determine if editors are actually reading my pitches or ignoring my emails (if I send a pitch and the same day I see clicks to my portfolio or specific pieces, I know they checked it out).

0 topics   1 posts
Freelancing jobs seem to be drying up in favour of volunteer positions. I'm trying to break out of freelance and into full time - still an equally tricky task.

1 topics   4 posts
Thanks for that response Nicholas, same for you Russ. I'd heard similar about freelancing drying up, but I'd be interested in pursuing it regardless. Might be a waste of time, but meh, at least I'll have tried.

1 topics   4 posts



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