How to Get a Career in Game Reviews

If you're a gamer, being able to become a chore writing game reviews can sound astonishing. And, why not? At that place are countless dissimilar games out at that place now, along with many different platforms to cull from. In this post, I'll show you some ways that you tin can country a job in this field, forth with why y'all might want to.

Table of Contents

• What Does Writing Game Reviews Really Involve?
• How Do Y'all Get Started?
  • Consider An Internship
  • What You lot Need To Be Successful
• Self-Employment Approaches

What Does Writing Game Reviews Actually Involve?

Virtually people who write game reviews are in the video game field. You might find some variations, similar board games or tabletop roleplaying games. But, if you're interested in this type of review, you lot're probably looking at video games.

Regardless, many people who write games reviews don't just focus on reviews specifically. Instead, they might be classified as a games reporter or a games journalist. This means that some of their writing is on games reviews only they'll besides write about other areas – similar breaking news about projects and highly anticipated games.

That variation isn't a bad thing. After all, writing a game review involves spending hours on a given game – one that might non be any good. So, having some other things to write about increases efficiency and makes the task that much more interesting.

If you want a total-time job in the field, and so a games journalist would be a more than realistic goal. And, in that location are some companies that rent people in this field. Although, as you can probably imagine, the competition is intense.

On the other hand, if you want to make money on the side, you can go work reviewing individual games. For example, the site Polygon regularly hires people to write game reviews. They pay compensation for individual reviews, which can be $300 or more than, depending on what yous're actually reviewing.

But, as they point out, don't expect to exist viewing the big games, not at the kickoff. No one is going to rent a new writer to review Destiny two or the next Rockstar game. Just, they may hire for more obscure games, peculiarly indie titles.

Any style you follow, y'all're going to be reviewing games some of the time, which means you lot'll be playing them.

That sounds amazing – simply, it'south not e'er fourth dimension efficient. Call up, y'all accept to play enough of the game to write a decent review. If the game isn't peculiarly proficient, y'all may become sick of it long before you've played enough.

How Do You Get Started?

Writing game reviews is a tough field – because anybody wants to practice it. Well, non everyone, but the level of interest is loftier. Equally such, the start claiming is breaking into the manufacture. You need to become your talent noticed. To do so, you'll need to pitch your services and your reviews to many unlike companies.

I arroyo is to await into popular game review sites, both large ones and small ones. Polygon is i instance, some other is the site That Videogame Blog. There are also various posts that tin guide you, such as this listing from Nerd'southward Magazine. Some of the data may be out of engagement but lists can notwithstanding help yous observe many sites quickly.

When you've found the sites, y'all then demand to work out which ones are looking for writers. Some volition have specific information that is easy to find, including details nigh what they want and what is on offer.

For example, the apparently defunct site  Game Crazy wanted at least one original piece of content per calendar month just offered no financial bounty. Instead, reviewing for them seems to be just a manner to get exposure and content published online. In that location are some merits to doing then just in most cases, y'all'd want to be getting something in render.

In other cases, y'all'll need to reach out to the site and find out whether they are looking for writers. If you exercise this, accept the time to get your pitch right. That's particularly true for large sites, every bit people do judge quickly.

Regardless of where you apply, yous'll need good samples of your writing. After all, you have to evidence exactly what y'all can do – and what makes y'all different than the people you lot're competing against.

In some cases, you lot may even desire to write a sample or ii specifically for the company that y'all're targeting. This tin can exist useful, every bit the approaches that companies take vary considerably. For example, Polygon states that its reviews are 'holistic', focusing on the entire game and the positives and negatives. In contrast, other sites may rely more than heavily on the experience of the reviewer.

If y'all desire the best take chances of landing a contract or a position, matching your style to the company in question simply makes sense.

Consider An Internship

Some companies also offer internships. An internship isn't ideal financially just it can exist a expert way to get a foot in the door. Some interns do terminate upwards being employed at the visitor they work for. Additionally, you become experience in the industry, which is incredibly valuable.

This approach is mostly limited to students and you have to be able to physically work at the company. As such, the idea isn't perfect. But, if you fit the criteria, it may be worth considering.

What You Need To Be Successful

More than than anything, success in this field takes patience – a lot of it. Y'all should exist prepared for rejection too. Companies receive many proposals from potential writers and only a fraction of those are even entertained. This means you have to continue trying and pushing your reviews at every take a chance that you get.

You also need to be proactive. Companies aren't going to come looking for you, even if y'all're a prolific review writer that regularly posts on other sites. Instead, y'all have to accept the first pace (and the 2nd, and the third). This includes following upwards if your first email goes unanswered and always looking for new opportunities.

Even if you get a task, patience and perseverance are withal required. Many companies have strict requirements near the content they desire and your piece may need to be tweaked and edited multiple times. This tin can be frustrating at offset, especially when you are just learning the rules.

You also need to be relatively decent at writing and at gaming. If you suck at either area, y'all're in the incorrect field.

A game review needs to be compelling and interesting to read. It also needs to give people the information they actually want. For example, you lot can't just tell your readers that a game is horrible. You also have to tell them why. Key topics include how enjoyability, replayability, graphics and gameplay, although there are other areas too.

Too, y'all demand the basics of writing downwardly. Yous're not going to make any coin if your spelling and grammer are oftentimes incorrect – or if you're incredibly boring. Writing skills can be learned just you need to do that first, before y'all try to sell your writing.

You don't need to be world's greatest gamer to write reviews. But, you do need a good agreement of the types of games that you lot're focusing on. This includes the ability to spot issues and to know what is practiced and what isn't.

One example would be the game Persona 5, which is classified every bit a JRPG. The game is incredibly popular among its target audience and tends to get extremely high ratings. However, for people who don't play JRPGs, the style is confusing and adequately unappealing.

You don't need to be an avid fan of JRPGs to review Persona five, nor do you need to enjoy them. But, yous would desire at least a bones understanding of the genre and what to expect.

Self-Employment Approaches

Of class, you don't have to work for someone to brand money with game reviews. Some people discover success working for themselves instead.

1 style is to freelance. Hither, you tin can plough to sites up Upwork and Freelancer. Both options contain a large range of writing jobs, including some in the field of gaming. The style tin work well but y'all're competing against a big range of other writers and the pay ofttimes isn't that great.

For the right person, sites similar these tin can be a way to jumpstart a freelance writing career and find some skillful clients. Just, for nearly, they terminate up being a frustrating feel. They also aren't well-suited to game reviews.

As mentioned earlier, you tin also sell reviews on an private basis. To do and then, you might approach large companies and enquire if they desire a review on a specific game. Your chances are better if you're reviewing something obscure or a game other reviewers wouldn't desire to bother with.

One approach may be to choose a game that you observe interesting, 1 which y'all've already played. You could then arroyo multiple sites and attempt to get them interested. Doing so is more time-efficient than trying to focus on multiple games at the aforementioned time. Information technology as well gives you the most income potential for the time yous spent gaming.

An culling would exist building your ain site and using this equally a platform to write reviews and to talk about games in full general. This approach won't pay you per article just instead you can earn money from sales or traffic. Plus, the manner ways that you lot can write about the games that interest you, rather than relying on the games other people desire reviews for.

Having a site can also be a adept way to showcase your work, peculiarly if y'all desire to sell reviews on the side.

As a writer, you have an in-demand talent that tin be used to earn yous TONS of money online. Yous can earn coin freelance writing, for sure, but it's however just trading dollars for hours. Personally, I recommend starting your ain website! Information is the currency of the internet, then why not leverage your talents to build yourself a serious online income! Learn how to create your own blog-way website and brand money through advertising.

Nathaniell

What's upwardly ladies and dudes! Great to finally see you, and I hope you enjoyed this post. My proper noun is Nathaniell and I'm the owner of One More Cup of Java. I started my commencement online business in 2010 promoting computer software and now I help newbies start their own businesses. Sign upwardly for my #one recommended grooming course and learn how to start your business concern for FREE!

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