a lot of people ask me, on the reg, how to get into gaming journalism, or advance their career in gaming.

there's not good advice that fits across the board, tbh, so instead, I'm going to walk you through my career so far and throw in some pointers.

let's go!

so. I started in 2010 on Amazon (attached is my first review.)

every game I played, I made sure I reviewed. the more I reviewed, the more I made my reviews like the ones on big sites

@Relytia was one of my early role models there!

I did this for a few years. Regular, weekly, unpaid practice. Looking at the games I played in a critical way, making notes, engaging with critics I liked (mainly on @destructoid back then)... this stuff was foundational for me, and helped me grind out experience really fast.

in around 2013-2014, I wanted to take the next step. so I DM'd Tony Ponce and asked for advice. he told me to start a blog, because that'd be easier to show off as a portfolio.

so I did! I started a blog with reviews and long-form essays. unpaid, but building a portfolio.

sidebar: work for free for yourself only. do not give away your labor or work for exposure. if you're going to put your work on a free site, it might as well be your own. it's your work, and if you're not being paid for it, you should own it.

anyway, I did this for a few years. all the while, I made friends with a bunch of people I respected and admired. over time, they knew I blogged and started engaging with my content and sharing it around.

in 2016, @Jed05 DM'd me out of the blue and said he might have something.

another sidebar.

do not make friends with the sole intent of advancing your career, because people can see that shit from a mile away. be genuine. be honest. be yourself and be humble.

anyway! that "something" was a freelance gig at CGM. I cranked out tons of content. I reviewed over 100 video games in the span of a single year. eventually, I burned out and I quit out of exhaustion.

fast forward two years later. my life is exploding and I need a job. I wind up falling back on games bc it's uhhh l know how to do.

I notice a site called TheGamer is building out an editorial team.

at CGM, an amazing and resourceful and talented person named Melanie was one of the de facto editors. she needed help editing folks, I offered. I got paid a few bucks for every article I edited.

the pay back then was rough. but by making myself useful, I learned a lot fast.

so. I get my interview with TG.

@PatrickSklar Skypes me and starts asking about my knowledge about esports (bc that's what my role originally was) and my body of work.

so, this is where luck comes in.

Patrick is... one of the kindest people I've ever met. here was this edgy trans woman who had quit the industry and only really blogged in the interim, and he looked at me and my work and said, "yeah, I'll take a chance on this person." that's a lot of what this industry is.

(Another sidebar is that Patrick actually knew @Cody_Orme, one of my besties from CGM. Again: make friends! Be nice! It really comes in handy!)

in almost 2 years (!) since, TG has challenged me. we kind of built a site out of... well, what was originally a list site!

luckily, the amazing work @EpicSwitzer, @sergiosolorzano, @RealChipotleSam and so many more did made me hang in there.

that's another key, by the way. whether you're a freelancer or an editor, learn from your team.

when @cianmaher0 or @Maajora does a Pokémon story that does well, I immediately think, "cool, let's keep the momentum going and do Pokémon."

don't isolate. know your crew.

so. advice?

first off, luck and privilege play a huge part in this. there is no "one size fits all" advice, bc this industry is extremely biased.

that said

- keep a living portfolio
- apply everywhere
- make real friends, not contacts
- work with your team
- stay on top of niches bc everybody wants to talk about the big games

also, bonus advice
- don't quit a job without backup if you can help it!!!

being in game journalism, for me, means that gaming is rarely fun for me. you have to break down every single thing you play critically and you never stop doing it.

it's also draining. generally, you're going to need a backup gig if you're a freelancer at first.

anyway. I had a lot of help on my way here. from family. from friends. you'll probably need it too.

you're not going to make it big overnight. you have to make friends, build connections, bust ass, and suffer in this industry a ton before something maybe happens.

luckily, tho, there are more resources for freelancing now more than ever.

@FanbyteMedia has an incredible intern program for students, so if you're in school, apply for that.

otherwise - talk to your freelancer pals and learn where to pitch, how to pitch. ask for advice.