I'm looking for a few good writers...

As you likely know from checking around this site, I am the editor-in-chief over at HonestGamers. I've been working hard to grow the community for years because I believe that the site is capable of producing some of the finest game-related content on the Internet. In my opinion, we often do precisely that.

There's only so much growth that's possible without investment, though, so lately I've begun putting my money where my mouth is. I'm paying for some types of content and I'm looking to bring on a few more of the right people to help push the site to the next level. If you're reading this post, it's possible that you're one of those people. Please read carefully, as I'm not keeping any of the important details a secret.

The Terms

Starting in May (or later, if necessary), I'm looking to add an additional couple of writers to our news team. The pay, on a month-to-month basis, is $100. Though you will be listed on the site as staff for the time you hold this paid position and will have administrative privileges (necessary to post content), this is not a contract position and I can't guarantee its availability for more than one month at a time.

Pay will be distributed via PayPal in the month following your performed work, provided you invoice me. As an example, you would write content for May 1 - May 30th, 2012, and your payment would in general arrive between June 15th and June 30th. You would receive the full $100 for a flat month of work, which usually works out to around 21 articles and means that you earn just under $5/article. In the event that you need to be away from the site for a few days, your pay for that month would be prorated accordingly. You are responsible for withholding any taxes that are owed in the event that your income from this position is sufficient to become taxable.

Qualities That Count

I'm looking for a specific type of person. Though the pay sucks (sorry about that!), I believe that this can be a positive experience for everyone if we conduct ourselves professionally and push ourselves to perform our very best. By building the right team, I hope to gain momentum so that I can pay better down the road.
The reality, though, is that "down the road" may never happen. Certainly, it won't happen if I'm not particular about who I bring on board. That's one reason I'm looking for such special people. The more of the following qualities you possess, the better.

• Writing skill. This is listed first because it's absolutely the most important quality you can possess when writing for HonestGamers. You need to be able to produce clean copy that requires no additional editing to meet site standards. In particular, I'm looking for people who know enough to avoid simple grammatical errors (comma splices, you/you're issues, etc.). You also need to understand how newswriting works in general, though you don't need to have a formal education in that field (obviously, since I'm not paying you much).


• Female-ness. Although we have had a number of female writers on the site staff throughout the years, that's not currently the case. I believe that a diverse writing team is important, and I believe that women should be able to enter the industry on all levels. I'd like to bring a talented lady (or two) on board if the right ones are interested.


• Old age. We're looking for writers who are 18 or older.


• Industry Knowledge. You should possess strong knowledge of the game industry, and not just the obvious stuff. Most people know that Microsoft and Halo go hand-in-hand, or that a yearly Madden game has been a certainty for decades. Not as many people can name three titles developed by Vanillaware and not as many can intelligently discuss the differences between the various Final Fantasy games of the pre-PSX era. Fewer still could easily name an Irem-developed title that isn't R-Type. The more of that "unimportant" sort of stuff you know, the better.


• Indie Connections. We have a lot of writers who totally dig mainstream games, but we don't have many who really get the indie scene. We cover plenty of indie games at HonestGamers because there's so much opportunity for niche sites to cover that sector well, but I think we can do better and I'd love to work with someone who counts indie games as a true passion.


• Charisma. I want someone who writes content that people like to read. I'll be asking you to find and report on news that sometimes can be rather dull, but I expect you to turn that into something readable. I also need to find people who I believe will interact well with current staff team and the community.


• Social savvy. As HonestGamers looks to grow, I'm hoping to bring people on board who are active in social media and who are proud enough of what they're writing that they'd love to share it with their contacts on Twitter or Facebook (and wherever else they may be involved).

In Summary

Most people who want to write about video games may not be right for a position at HonestGamers. I require quality output and dependability, which I realize means that I am asking an awful lot from people who will only receive $100 per month. I'm willing to wait for the perfect candidates for these two positions, though. If you know someone who fits the above criteria, or if that someone is you, then the next step is to apply.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should use the Contact form on this site. While writing, be sure to include the following information:

• First and last name


• Your location (US writers strongly preferred)


• Twitter handle (if applicable)


• A few favorite games/genres


• A brief bio, including systems currently owned


• A link to your most recent 2 or 3 news articles available online (posts on a persona blog are fine, if necessary)

I may not respond to every applicant, but certainly you'll hear from me if you're an especially promising candidate. Ideally, I'll be able to start working with someone just ahead of the first of May, but I'm willing to wait for the right candidate.Thanks for your interest, and remember to read all of the above and follow directions carefully. It could impact your likelihood of joining the team!

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