Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
spam, you could also include a contact e-mail address - this ensures that the
reader of the article can contact you easily.The value of writing articles can
again be demonstrated by my own experience - the opportunity to write
this topic came about as a direct result of the commissioning editor reading
one of my online articles. Links to these articles should also be placed on your
website so visitors can see for themselves that you take your craft seriously.
Interviews about your writing can be a very useful way of putting over
your ideas and experience in a more informal manner than writing articles
and also have the benefit of making you respond to questions that you may
never have thought of. Many of the interview requests I have received have
been from fan sites (being a developer as well as a writer means that it is
important for me to have a connection to my potential customers) but I have
also done them for gaming news sites and for writers' newsletters. Sometimes
they are done in conjunction with the developer you are working for, in
which case the emphasis will be on that project and act as a marketing piece
for the game, too. All interviews can have long term value if you approach
them professionally and link to them from your website.
Creating your own weblog (or blog) is also a way of maintaining a regular
presence online. By posting your thoughts and comments on writing and
gaming - linking to other sites, news items, articles, reviews, etc. - you
encourage other people to visit your site regularly and link to it from their
own. Some people believe a blog should be updated every day, but it is better
to update less regularly and ensure that what you write is of interest. Blogs
are not for everyone; if you become a blogger it may take a little time to settle
into a suitable style, but it should be one that reflects your interests and skills.
Non-internet marketing
Games conventions and conferences are a valuable place to mix with
developers, publishers and others involved in the industry, particularly if you
can get together with other game writers and share those experiences that
are not currently covered by NDAs. Sometimes conferences are a valuable
place to see the latest technology or demonstrations of up and coming game
releases, but their real value to a freelance writer lies in the opportunities to
network.
Although the internet is incredibly valuable, being able to meet people in
the flesh has no substitute. Talking directly to developers gives both parties
the opportunity to weigh each other up and to get a sense of whether they
will be able to work together.
