Then follow us into these ominous shadows over here so we can show you the excellent selection of typewriters and quill pens and other writing-y doodads we’ve got precariously hidden in this awkwardly oversized trench coat we’re wearing. We’ve somehow managed to squeeze the entire NAG team into this stretch of shady clothing, and it’s starting to get a touch uncomfortable because RedTide’s being a little too handsy. You’ll understand then that we’d prefer to get this over with as quickly as possible.
Go on. We shan’t wait all day.
So! Now that we’ve lured you here, this is what you need to know. We’re looking for talented gamers who’re keen to pursue a path in online games journalism for NAG Online. What we want you to do, if you’re even the slightest bit interested in this procession of text you see before you, is to send us your CV along with a brief opening letter describing yourself / your gaming credentials / your writing credentials / why you think you’re the best person for this job and / or should be crowned Ruler of the Known Universe and Beyond.
We’d also like two writing samples: a preview of a game of your choice, and a general gaming piece containing your opinion on a gaming topic about which you’re keen to have a quick rant. Each of these should be no more than 500 words.
We understand that this is incredibly exciting, because who doesn’t want to be paid to play video games? Here’s the thing though: while we’re sure it’s very impressive that you’ve played every Call of Duty that’s come out since yesterday, that doesn’t qualify you for this job. Even if you’ve been gaming since before you could blow a successful snot bubble whilst simultaneously standing upright, that does not mean you’re ready to be a video games journalist. 7,000 hours of Dota 2 does not equate to 7,000 Games Journalisms.
The dirty little secret that it seems nobody ever tells anybody about video games journalism, is that you’ve got to be equally passionate about writing coherent sequences of sensible words as you are about your memories of being marooned on Monkey Island with nobody but Herman Toothrot to keep you feeling somewhat sane.
That means that you’ve got to have as much desire to write about and discuss and publicly dissect video games as you have the desire to actually, you know, play them. I understand that this could potentially seem harsh, but it’s an unavoidable truth.
A quick tip in all this is to not get overzealous in your quest to prove your abilities to us. Don’t bombard us with fancy words, the meaning of which very obviously escapes you entirely, as does their spelling. Keep it simple. Keep it understandable. Seemingly simplistic writing can be plenty eloquent and expressive in its own way, especially when your target audience doesn’t want to have to grab a dictionary to understand your thoughts.
Anyway, this is a thing we’re doing. Anyone interested should send their application to sales@nag.co.za (this may seem a strange email address to supply, but it’s easiest this way) with the subject line “I want to be a games journalist”. A few of us will then sort through and cast a critical eye on your applications. From there on, anyone we hire will effectively be on probation, so we can gauge if they actually meet our requirements post-selection.
I think I’ve said all that needs to be said. If I’ve forgotten anything, I’ll update this post. Best of luck to you all!