Hello VGChartz community!

It's been a little over a year since we last opened up applications for writing staff. With our yearly GotY write-ups on the horizon, it's time for recruitment once again. 

Just like last year, we’re looking primarily for review writers, although people looking to post more general feature articles are also welcome to apply. If you love to play and analyze games and/or you have a lot of fun op-ed ideas bouncing around in your head, we hope you'll submit an application. 

Benefits:

As a writer you'll have the opportunity to contribute to this site and community, gain a wider audience for your ramblings, broadcast your reviews on OpenCritic, have the potential to acquire review codes/copies ahead of launch, and also earn some money based on article traffic (please note that pay is modest; don’t go into it expecting to make a living).

Requirements:

A small checklist of things we’re looking for from prospective writers:

• You must be a member of VGChartz. If you don’t yet have an account please make one before applying.
• Good English is a must. We’re not looking for perfect English by any means, but you must at least have a good foundation, otherwise it will take too long to polish and edit your reviews.
• Being a thoughtful and critical reviewer is also a must. We explore the full range of scoring options, and like to think of ourselves as "firm but fair". This is reflected in our review methodology, which we strongly encourage prospective applicants to read through before applying. 
• Be receptive to constructive criticism. All game reviews are subject to a peer-review process.
• Active on Discord (or at least willing to be). We use Discord to communicate as a team, speeding up the editing process and making it possible to plan stuff - both for the writing team and for all staff.
• Own at least one "active" video game platform (i.e. NS, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X)

Procedure:

If you're interested in applying to become a writer, please send an e-mail to Editor-in-Chief Craig Snow at csnow@vgchartz.com. Use the subject line "VGChartz Writer Application 2021" and please include the following:

• Your VGChartz username
• Your Discord name & number
• A little bit about yourself
• Platforms you own
• At least one scored review sample

The deadline to apply is 11:59pm ET on Wednesday, November 3. Good luck!

FAQs:

Do I need to be published to apply?

No previous professional writing experience is required.

What should a sample review look like?

Try to stick with the typical formula: an intro, a body with the meat of your argument, and a conclusion. Within that, we really just want to see your style and command of language. There’s no minimum or maximum word count, but try to find something that's long enough to support your arguments but not so long that you become lost in the details.

How are reviews assigned?

Craig, our Editor-in-Chief, posts a thread with the marquee games in a given month. Writers then post the games they wish to play, in order of preference, identifying those titles they plan to buy and those they hope to secure via review codes/copies. Games are assigned based on this process. When two or more writers request the same game, the writer who was not approved gets priority for the next conflict.

Will I be getting review copies/codes?

Sometimes, yes. Writers source their own review copies/codes. Success rate depends on a number of factors, including the size of the publisher (small publishers are more likely to hand out codes).

How much time does a writer have to review a newly released game?

We have a rule that a review must be published no later than 30 days from launch in your region. We may make exceptions for longer games, like RPGs.

What is the team's review scoring scale?

Check out our scoring methodology here. 

Is VGChartz on any review aggregators?

We’re featured on OpenCritic, and our reviews and scores are listed on N4G. We’re not currently on MetaCritic.

What kind of features can I write?

Anything video game related. It could be a top 10 list, a retrospective, an interview, or an opinion piece about the state of the industry. Here's one recent example.

If you have any more questions please ask below.

I look forward to hearing from the community!

I'm banned on discord, would this effect my application or does my writing do the job for me?

Potentially interested but how frequent do you want writers to post?

There's no quota, exactly. The most active writers complete 3-4 reviews per month; others tackle one review per month on average.

What happens if someone says "I'll review X" then either takes too long to turn in a review, or simply doesn't get the game for whatever reason?

Also, while you mentioned that there is no quota, what happens if you go a few months without writing any reviews?

I ask these questions because I am theoretically interested in writing for VGC. But, I have a family with a young child, and I own and operate a business. Sometimes I have extremely busy periods where there is zero chance that I'd be able to write quality reviews, and little chance that I could write opinion pieces. It is often difficult for me to forecast when an extremely busy period will occur. So, I have some concerns about whether I'd be helpful, or more of a hinderance.

What happens if someone says "I'll review X" then either takes too long to turn in a review, or simply doesn't get the game for whatever reason?

This is a good question. Ideally, you would alert the team that you can no longer review the game so another staff member might provide coverage within the 30 day window. The sooner we know, the better. This is especially true when the situation involves a review code provided by a publisher.

I feel strongly that real life comes first, and if something important pops up that prevents you from completing a review, the team can rally and provide backup. That said, if a writer consistently fails to follow through on commitments, that would be a problem.

Also, while you mentioned that there is no quota, what happens if you go a few months without writing any reviews?

Another good question. Team members certainly go through dry spells. At my peak, I was turning out 5 reviews a month. Right now, it's closer to 1 per month.

In general, though, we want engaged and active writers. We're opening these applications to recruit folks who can produce content on a fairly regular basis.

Threads like this remind me of the past too lol.

Sir, I'm banned on discord... lol.  You should give it a shot - things can be sorted out later.