Hi!

I'm a new Freelancer and before I begin I must thank Mitchell Dyer with all my heart for pointing me to this site here. Without it I wouldn't be happy again. =)

Okay, first, I know nothing about the Freelancer world. I simply like the idea that I can decide when I do reviews and articles and news, etc.

So, what I'm writing to you about, is that I'm finding it hard to write my first resume to outline and showcase the links for my published works (I've been writing for a site for about a year now, so I want to show my work).

Okay, obviously you resume is meant to showcase your published works, but can you say...pull out three reviews that are your best pieces to showcase while still showing the rest if potential Contractor wants to read the rest of them. But you're the idea is to say, "Look, these three I'm most proud of, the rest I like too, you're welcome to read them but to save you time I'm going to show you my best work."

Also, if I've been a ghost writer on some reviews, can I put them in my resume? I ask because some of these I've helped write were AAA games. Perhaps choose a top three I'm most proud of to put at the top and put the rest at the below it should they potential contractor/boss wish to read some of them.

Also, what about pieces I've edited? I had a thought that I could put in three pieces that were my best pieces in keeping the writer's vision but also keeping the site's vision too. I thought maybe the idea of picking three edited reviews would help make that a theme throughout my resume? My thought was to help save the reader time, but leave things open so they could choose to do what they want.

Just a thought I had.

Okay, now for my biggest questions of the post. I'm curious about the best way to list the reviews. Should I list them by console? I tried that and if I list each one of those three the reviews I wrote, reviews I was a ghost writer, and the ones I edited; it was extremely long! Several pages! I'm leaning towards listing them alphabetically and placing the console on the same line using parenthesises. But I was curious how you listed them? 

Also, what about references? If I'm still on good terms with my boss of the site I was exclusive with but now am Freelancing, since he knows how much hard work I put into what I do, would it be a good idea to include him as a reference if he agrees to allow me to list him?

What about Extra skills? If I have extra skills that would be of help to the site I'm applying to freelance with, how should I list these? Like Search Engine Optimization? Leadership Skills? etc....etc...

What about the game genre's I play? Do I include a small bit of information about the consoles I have and the genre's I play and the genre's I refuse to play? Anyways, my thoughts were, even though I play every genre (except survival horror); I have certain genre's I tend to lean towards more than others. I should probably include those as preferences?

Or am I thinking too far into this? Is some of this stuff that I spoke about, things that I should wait until a potential Client contacts me back with interest in hiring me out, at which time we will discuss some of these more detail oriented items?
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I apologize for all these questions, I'm just a little nervous. I want to get started freelancing for some other sites besides the one that I was working exclusively with so I can network and meet more folks on this side of the industry.

I appreciate any and all help you can offer. If anyone would be willing to offer examples of their resumes for me to see so I can get some ideas of what to do that would be fantastic. If you don't want or can't post it here, you can email it to my email: leigh (dot) bain (at) comcast (dot) com

Thanks everyone, again, sorry for asking so much!

Hello!

All this sort of stuff depends on what you're pitching and who to.

As a guide, I'd always link to between three and five pieces of work that you're most pleased with. Unless you're going for an editing gig, there's no reason to include stuff you've edited. Keep it relevant.

Are you pitching a six-page feature on a controversial topic in gaming? Link to your last six-page feature on a controversial topic in gaming.

Are you wanting to do reviews? Link to reviews. And, um, good luck. I hear quite a lot of people want to be a games reviewer these days. ;-)

As far as the other stuff, don't worry too much. Show you're good and reliable, and if you're good and reliable *enough* the work will come.

Thanks Lewis, I found a two websites that help me with creating my resume. Here are the two sites:

How to Create a Freelance Writer's Resume

Formatting a Freelance Writer's Resume

I'm mostly looking to do review's and news right now. I know it's typically more news-worthy to do articles, but I'm also in school full-time. I'm working on my Bachelor's in Game Design and Programming (Called Game Simulation & Programming). Honestly reviewing games gives me a great education towards what I learn in my classes in the various areas of game design. It often shows when I write my reviews as well, but that's why I enjoy doing reviews.

However, that doesn't mean I don't get the occasion or ideas to write an article about gaming. I often find that what I want to write about or review further are things that have to do with my education.

I feel that I'm good at remaining reliable and after writing for years, my writing has improved massively. I think it's improved enough to continue, but it won't hurt my feelings if it's not. =). All my reviews are with one site right now, because I was exclusive with them. I re-negotiated to become a freelancer. The only problems I've ever had getting a review in on time, comes from those rare things that happen in real life, for example, last year a review was late thanks to Hurricane Ike. You can't really help things like that! I doubt that I would have been left in charge of the site I was working exclusively with for two weeks if I wasn't reliable. =)

I would like to do some previews as well. I actually have some banked from E3, so...they're available because my boss, who originally sent me there, said he wasn't interested in them. His loss, another's gain. I'm just not sure how to proceed with that, because he sent me there, well I paid for the trip, hotel and airfare, all my food, he signed me up for the media badge. Then said he didn't want the previews. I just want to be sure if I go and let someone else have a banked preview that he turned down, there's not going to be trouble. All he told me when I went freelance was I was only doing reviews for him, and that I couldn't repost the reviews I did there on another site.

Which brings another question to mind? I was thinking of making an online portfolio. Can I repost the reviews on my portfolio? It's not reposting them on another site technically, but is that legal to put up those reviews? Or should I just use a link. I thought that'd be annoying if they are looking at my portfolio. I had the idea to create a flash program and use a reader-like window for the pieces in my portfolio. Thoughts on that?

Just curious and I thank you for all the information you offer.

Thanks again for the encouragement =)

Always link. Most pro publications have a clause that says you can't publish text in full anywhere else.

There's no shortage of reviews and news writers. That's going to be your main problem. There are huge freelance pools worldwide of people that have been doing that sort of stuff for years, and extremely well. What can you bring sites and mags that they can't? Think very carefully about that unless you want a tonne of rejections or no response whatsoever.

That's why you'd be better off pitching interesting editorials and stuff. That's personal work that no one else is going to do except for you, and will get you a lot more interest. It's also great stuff to have in a portfolio.