Call For Writers -- 2009

Section: 

Gamerswithjobs.com is looking for writers!

Luxurious trips, fabulous wealth and the adoration of millions, these are just a few of the things we don’t offer. However, if you are passionate about gaming and more importantly about creating witty, interesting, compelling written content, then we can provide you with both a platform and one of the best communities on the web.

As a writer for GWJ you have the opportunity to build a portfolio of work that can and has launched more than a few writing careers. If you’ve longed for an opportunity to get your shot at writing about video games for a living, then we provide an avenue for reaching that goal. If you have a unique perspective you simply want to share with thousands of your closest friends — well, we can help you with that as well.

Read on to find out details on submitting. Ability to read and follow basic instructions will be part of the deciding factor, so please read carefully.

What to Submit: Submissions should be attached to an e-mail. E-mail entries should be sent to [email protected] with the subject “Call for Writers '09 Entry.” Any entries submitted to an incorrect address, with an incorrect subject or without proper attachments will not be considered.

Submissions should be between 750 and 1,000 words. The topic is unrestricted, but should relate in some way to the video game industry or gamer culture. Submissions should be double spaced with traditional 1” margins and submitted as a Word (.doc) document.

Do not submit links to your blog, old articles on other sites, or your resume. We are looking for original, unpublished material which would be suitable for publication on our front page.

Writers retain all rights to submissions, and we will not print or distribute your submission without prior approval.

When to Submit: Submissions will be accepted through 11:59 pm CST June 20, 2009.

Things You Need to Know: GWJ is not a paying outlet at this time, and there is no guarantee, or even really a plan for compensating our writers.

Instead, GWJ expects all writers (yes, even including me) to participate in a peer feedback and editorial review process. This is really the compensation for being a GWJ writer -- you will get regular, intense feedback from some of the best editors and writers in the business. Of course, you will have to be able to play nice with others and be gracious in accepting criticism.

We do not guarantee that a new writer position will be made available if submitted drafts fail to meet our needs or standards. This isn't a contest where we announce a winner. It's a job application. By the same token, we retain the right to terminate writer relationships at any time and for any reason.

Tips of Crafting a Good Submission:

Be creative — seriously, points for creativity
Hook us from the start — We tend to get a lot of submissions, and are easily distracted.
Proofread — Typos, that’s a paddlin’.
Edit, tighten and improve — Your first draft can be better. Get someone to look at what you write, take your time and put something together that stands out. Rabbit wanted in so bad he sent his "Nigerian Prince" submission out to millions for comments before it came our way.

Good luck and we can’t wait to read your articles!

Comments

VDOWhoNeedsDD wrote:

Okay, that's nice to know. I have gotten a lot of rubbish about that from some people in various settings - I'll bide my time and wait for recolonisation, and then we shall see who is laughing...

Fight the power!! *Raises fist*

rabbit wrote:
Elysium wrote:

Also, it's pronounced a-loom-i-num

Wrong choice -- I actually have to give Aluminium to the brits. We totally rolled over that little bit of language.

And yet you are okay with the devowling of other words like colour? Some people confuse me

*BTW, i take devowlination as a personal insult.

Duoae wrote:
rabbit wrote:
Elysium wrote:

Also, it's pronounced a-loom-i-num

Wrong choice -- I actually have to give Aluminium to the brits. We totally rolled over that little bit of language.

And yet you are okay with the devowling of other words like colour? Some people confuse me

*BTW, i take devowlination as a personal insult.

I prefer disemvowelling.

MechaSlinky wrote:

AN AWESOME SUPERHERO STORY

Is it wrong that I had an image in my head of a guy with the hands of a bear before I read the "BECAUSE HE IS PART BEAR" part of the sentence?

rabbit wrote:
Elysium wrote:

Also, it's pronounced a-loom-i-num

Wrong choice -- I actually have to give Aluminium to the brits. We totally rolled over that little bit of language.

Can I please have that in writing? I want to laminate it and carry it around in my wallet. I could use it several times a month, given the amount of crap from my coworkers.

Mr. Chigurh has flipped his coin of fate and I remain alive, which I take as a sign to get off my game playing ass and back into the writing fray. Therefore I am working up an article. If anyone would be interested in previewing it and offering criticism, please PM me.

I'd be happy to provide an incentive if I could think of one. We need GWJerStars or something...

Deadron wrote:

If anyone would be interested in previewing it and offering criticism, please PM me.

Isn't that like cheating?

Spaz wrote:

Isn't that like cheating? ;)

Well yeah, but the teacher told me to...

Elysium wrote:

Your first draft can be better. Get someone to look at what you write, take your time and put something together that stands out. Rabbit wanted in so bad he sent his "Nigerian Prince" submission out to millions for comments before it came our way.

We're a colony and we still know how to spell colour. Americans love to hide behind their freedom and independence.
I've had an idea bubbling for a while now, i'll submit if time is available, but life, love and studies constrain me.
(Boo to the oxford comma)

MrDeVil909 wrote:

We're a colony and we still know how to spell colour.

I know how to spell nonsense words, too.

wordsmythe wrote:
MrDeVil909 wrote:

We're a colony and we still know how to spell colour.

I know how to spell nonsense words, too.

Hey, colour is a perfectly cromulent word.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

I've had an idea bubbling for a while now, i'll submit if time is available, but life, love and studies constrain me.
(Boo to the oxford comma)

Work on the regular comma first.

- Alan

Itsatrap wrote:
MrDeVil909 wrote:

I've had an idea bubbling for a while now, i'll submit if time is available, but life, love and studies constrain me.
(Boo to the oxford comma)

Work on the regular comma first.

- Alan

Hey, I was posting from my phone. Give a guy a break.

Minarchist wrote:

Hey, colour is a perfectly cromulent word.

Perhaps, but its limited use is quite the duketastrophy!

I'd be willing to try, but knowing me I'd probably end up penning the next set of hits for Journey. Then I'd be dead to the Robot Panic people ... oh wait, I'm already dead to them. :p

I will bite (and write), so long as it's understood that should I be successful the peer review process will be regularly interrupted by my uncontrollable sobbing.

Edit: I also insist on using correct english, except in cases where I am dumb.

So, has anyone started a 2009 wannabe writer's group thread yet? I recognize that we'd all be competing with each other, but on the other hand I think it would be nice to have a place where we could pitch ideas, give each other moral support, and browbeat those feigning writer's block to get back to work.

jdzappa wrote:

So, has anyone started a 2009 wannabe writer's group thread yet? I recognize that we'd all be competing with each other, but on the other hand I think it would be nice to have a place where we could pitch ideas, give each other moral support, and browbeat those feigning writer's block to get back to work.

That'd be awesome. My current idea is a tired one and even adding my voice to the piece doesn't breathe enough life into it to make it a worthwhile read.

jdzappa wrote:

So, has anyone started a 2009 wannabe writer's group thread yet?

Why not just use this one?

adam.greenbrier wrote:
jdzappa wrote:

So, has anyone started a 2009 wannabe writer's group thread yet?

Why not just use this one?

Seemed pretty certain to me that this thread was all about folks trying to earn favor in the eyes of the Writers Guild, anyway. That said, I'll both be submitting and more than happy to help people tighten their writing and grammar.

harrisben wrote:

I also insist on using correct english

We capitalize languages and nationalities in English. The only time I can think of that it's left uncapitalized (as "english") is when it's used like in billiards or bowling (e.g., "Put some english on the ball").

Use english with Relish.

Are dangling participles accepted grammar now? Did the AP sneak that in when I wasn't looking? I've started to see them all over the place.

Minarchist wrote:

Are dangling participles accepted grammar now? Did the AP sneak that in when I wasn't looking? I've started to see them all over the place.

The "rule" against misplaced modifiers (including but not limited to dangling participles) is a caution against confusing grammar. If a sentence has an adjectival phrase set aside with a comma, that doesn't necessarily mean that the sentence is "wrong." The real judgment lies in the clarity of the syntax.

Further reading on dangling participles.

Ah, thanks.

If TotalBiscuit, of Blue Plz fame is successful in launching the Baker Hero Class - The Army of the Bread, I want to do a "Pain Aléatoire" column.

I'm not as useful as Wordy, but I'm always willing to look at someone's piece and toss some feedback their way.

Spaz wrote:

I'm not as useful as Wordy, but I'm always willing to look at someone's piece and toss some feedback their way. :)

Same here. I don't even know what half of Word said, but I'm sure I can tell you if it sounds or looks funny.

BlackSheep wrote:
jdzappa wrote:

So, has anyone started a 2009 wannabe writer's group thread yet? I recognize that we'd all be competing with each other, but on the other hand I think it would be nice to have a place where we could pitch ideas, give each other moral support, and browbeat those feigning writer's block to get back to work.

That'd be awesome. My current idea is a tired one and even adding my voice to the piece doesn't breathe enough life into it to make it a worthwhile read.

I formed a writers circle on another forum I used to frequent. Everyone set up a blog and wrote whatever they felt like. When one person updated it was then critiqued.

It was pretty functional, but died out. With the number of people expressing interest here it may get momentum.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

It was pretty functional, but died out. With the number of people expressing interest here it may get momentum.

We had a writing group on google groups but then everyone stopped updating and i was the only one left doing so.... so i stopped.

Now i write 'articles' all the time... i just crept around the whole process by starting up somewhere else Plus, this means that i get to apply to any competitions that come up here (not that i'd ever win any).

Duoae wrote:
MrDeVil909 wrote:

It was pretty functional, but died out. With the number of people expressing interest here it may get momentum.

We had a writing group on google groups but then everyone stopped updating and i was the only one left doing so.... so i stopped.

Now i write 'articles' all the time... i just crept around the whole process by starting up somewhere else Plus, this means that i get to apply to any competitions that come up here (not that i'd ever win any).

It's OK. I mostly hide my work in less popular pages, too. Let's be coward friends!

I have a draft of my article, and would be happy to send it to anyone who would be willing to comment (many thanks to the GWJer who already took me up on this).

May I say: Word limits shackle the brilliance that is my verbiage.

The world deserves all my words!

(Actually I was delighted that my first draft was 330 words over...much easier to cut something to be better than to add words that make it better...)