Feb 242017
I’m taking a break from my usual topics today to talk about some of the online resources that have helped me:
- Find markets for short stories
- Get into video game writing
Short Story Markets
I have a few different sources for finding short story markets.
Brian Scott’s Online Writing Jobs eNewsletter sends you alerts about new freelance writing jobs as well as short story markets. Jobs are usually listed first, followed by a selection of new story submission calls at the end.
Next, since I write horror and dark fantasy, I also follow Dark Markets, a site that lists both established and new publications seeking dark fiction. You can also browse Dark Markets specifically for anthologies, magazines, etc.
Finally, there are a few genre-specific Open Call groups on Facebook where people can post new open markets:
- Open Call: Horror Markets
- Open Call: Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Pulp Markets
- Open Call: Crime, Thriller, Mystery Markets
I haven’t found Open Call groups for other genres yet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. These are my main resources for finding new markets to submit short fiction to.
Video Game Writing Jobs
More than short story markets, people often ask how to find video game writing jobs.
When I started, I thought the only way was for a big game developer to hire a writer. Jobs like that can sometimes be found at Gamasutra, although they’re uncommon. They also usually require you to be on-site and have a proven history of video game writing, which doesn’t help if you’re just starting out.
The first thing I did was play around with ChoiceScript. I don’t have a completed ChoiceScript game yet, but it gave me a small amount of game writing experience to show developers.
Then I moved on to writing for indie games.
Whenever you look into an indie game job, make sure you know the details. Will you get paid directly for your work? Is it a revenue-sharing project instead? Is it a free job that will give you nothing more than another credit? Look into the details and check out the company to make sure everything is legitimate.
Now, where can you find these jobs?
First, the newsletter I mentioned above occasionally lists video game opportunities as well. Other resources, however, are specifically geared toward games.
The Indie DB Job Board and the Mod DB Job Board are two places where indie developers list jobs.
Reddit is also surprisingly useful. My first job writing for an indie game came from /r/gameDevClassifieds, where developers post jobs and freelancers post portfolios.
There is a similar one, geared toward paid work only, called /r/gameDevJobs. Finally, while they aren’t gaming-specific, game writing jobs occasionally surface on /r/forhire and /r/HireaWriter.
I’ve also found game writing jobs through Upwork. Many writers will tell you to steer clear of sites like Upwork, but if you search carefully, you can find solid, well-paying jobs even there.
And finally, I also use the Lemma Soft Recruitment & Services Offered Forums to find opportunities specifically for visual novels.
Other Resources
On a side note, if you’re looking for an editor/agent for your finished novel, I recommend following the MSWL hashtag to see what agents/editors want, participating in pitch events like PitMad and SFFpit, and checking the New Agency Alerts at Writer’s Digest.
Finally, if you’re just starting your blog for the first time and need some blogging advice, Blogging.com gives a step-by-step guide.
I hope these resources help you if you have short stories to publish or want to get into video game writing. Questions? Know of other good resources? Let me know in the comments.