AIGW - The Association of Independent Game Websites

Christmas drinks

Philip Morton — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:17:24 +0000

On Sunday, 11th December 2011 at 1pm

At The Crown Tavern, Clerkenwell Green, London

We plan on having an informal chat over a few drinks. If you run, write for or are otherwise involved in a videogames website, please come along and say hi. You don’t have to have been before either. Site owners, editors, staff writers, freelancers, budding journalists, designers, developers and anyone else with an interest is more than welcome.

If you think you might make it or have any questions, let us know via Twitter or email.

Back to Manchester

Philip Morton — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 08:38:08 +0000

On Saturday, 27th August 2011 at 12:30pm

At the Trof pub, 8 Thomas Street, Manchester

If you can’t find us, we’ll have a yellow book on our table.

If you think you might make it or have any questions, let us know via Twitter or email.

Summer social

Philip Morton — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:05:35 +0000

On Sunday, 24th July 2011 at 12 noon.

The Euston Tap, 190 Euston Rd, London.

If you can’t find us, we’ll have a bright yellow book on our table.

We plan on having an informal chat over a few drinks. If you run, write for or are otherwise involved in a videogames website, please come along and say hi. Site owners, editors, staff writers, freelancers, budding journalists, designers, developers and anyone else with an interest is more than welcome.

If you think you might make it or have any questions, let us know via Twitter or email.

E3 2011 meetup

Philip Morton — Wed, 04 May 2011 19:56:39 +0000

On Thursday, 9th June, at 8pm

The bar in the Hotel Figueroa (the one with the massive Skyrim advert on it), 939 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles

We’ll be at E3 2011 this year in force, so come and say hi!

If you think you might make it, let us know via Twitter or email.

Questions? Feel free to email us.

Please note: In case you were wondering, unlike the other events at E3, we can’t provide drinks free of charge. We might buy you a drink if you ask nicely though!

(Almost) summer social

Philip Morton — Wed, 04 May 2011 19:48:26 +0000

On Sunday, 15th May 2011 at 1pm.

The Porterhouse pub, 21-22 Maiden Lane, London.

If you can’t find us, we’ll have a bright yellow book on our table.

If you think you might make it or have any questions, let us know via Twitter or email.

Spring social

Philip Morton — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:31:08 +0000

On Sunday, 27th March 2011 at 1pm.

The Porterhouse pub, 21-22 Maiden Lane, London.

If you can’t find us, we’ll have a bright yellow book on our table.

If you think you might make it or have any questions, let us know via Twitter or email.

March Manchester meetup

Philip Morton — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:24:41 +0000

On Sunday, 6th March 2011 at 1pm.

Common pub, 41 Edge St, Manchester

If you can’t find us, we’ll have a bright yellow book on our table.

If you think you might make it or have any questions, let us know via Twitter or email.

Post-Christmas drinks

Philip Morton — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:52:03 +0000

On Sunday, 30th January 2010 at 1pm.

McGlynn’s Free House, 1-5 Whidborne Street, London.

If you can’t find us, we’ll have a bright yellow book on our table.

If you think you might make it, let us know via Twitter or email.

Questions? Feel free to email us.

Nintendo 3DS event meetup

Philip Morton — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:43:18 +0000

On Wednesday, 19th January 2011, at 4pm.

Amsterdam, in the press area outside the conference event.

There’s a Nintendo 3DS event in Amsterdam and we’re going to be there.

We plan on having an informal chat over a few drinks after the event. If you run, write for or are otherwise involved in a videogames website, please come along and say hi. Site owners, editors, staff writers, freelancers, budding journalists, designers, developers and anyone else with an interest is more than welcome.

Our host in Amsterdam are the guys at Game People. Let them know via Twitter if you’re going.

Questions? Feel free to email us.

Starting a career in videogames journalism through volunteering

Philip Morton — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 11:01:57 +0000

It’s no secret that to begin a career in videogames journalism (or any kind, for that matter), you need to work for free. Building a portfolio of work can take time, but it develops your writing skills and helps you slowly make a name for yourself.

Your options

There are generally three places you can volunteer your time to write about videogames:

Your own, one-person blog
A small, unknown website
A larger, more established volunteer-run website

Writing on your own blog gives you absolute freedom over what the site looks like and what direction it’s heading in. Your only responsibility is to yourself and if you have them, your readers. Working on a small, unknown site is much the same, although you might not have to deal with the administration side of things, which can be a bonus.

However, these first two options have two huge drawbacks:

There’s rarely anyone to edit your articles or give you feedback
Few people will read your work, limiting your exposure and chance to build a reputation

The advantages of an established site

Along with practice, feedback is an extremely important part of improving your writing. Without it, you may never know where you’re going wrong. Under the guidance of a good editor, you can accelerate your learning and refine your style much faster than if you were working alone.

Larger, more established volunteer-run websites can provide this feedback. These publications have staff with years of experience who peer-review every article and have a track record of developing writers who go on to work in the industry professionally. Their articles are seen by many more people than on smaller sites and their reputation is sufficient to give your CV/resume a significant boost.

Getting started

These are the kind of sites that we represent at the AIGW. Our members are amongst the largest and most established volunteer-run publications out there. AIGW sites are always looking for new talent, whether you’ve been writing about games for a while or are just getting started.

Applying to these sites is usually done by sending them an email with a sample article and a bit about yourself. If they see enough potential in your work and decide to hire you, you’ll be in a perfect position to start a career in journalism.