Writing for Gamers.com.mt - An Awesome Experience

It was about this time last year, that a 16 year old sat aimlessly at his desk contemplating an upcoming Chemistry O'level, while dreaming of the long summer to come. While 'studying', he went for a quick scroll through Facebook, and found a little invitation from a local esports company to become a content writer - one year later, it's my part-time job. Yes, I've been working with Gamers.com.mt for a total of 1 year; I'm here to share my experience with anyone who is interested in perhaps trying it out or learning how I came about. 

Before I applied for the job, two of my favourite activites were gaming and writing. My enthusiasm for gaming came from a childhood dense in gaming culture through consoles and iconic titles - thanks to my three older brothers I got to experience many things I would have otherwise missed, but then again, I was Player 4 for most of the time! Writing was always a hobby of mine - having been brought up in a household were we primarily conversed in English and attending an English speaking school, this is no shock. Until I had learnt of the job of an esports writer, combining the two hobbies seemed unlikely, but then again, I'm here now. 

After applying, I was given an incredibly warm welcome from the Gamers.com.mt team. Firstly, they asked that I produce a small sample article to be sure of my writing abilities - trust me when I state that they were satisfied. This was then followed up by a Skype interview, where I was asked about my hobbies, ideas and motives. During this interview, my role was also broken down, and prospective ideas of perhaps reviewing hardware and attending events for free really got me excited about the future. Just like that, I started grinding out articles. 

Articles? What kind? Anything I wanted really, and this fact remains to this day. My job as an esports journalist has no limitations to what is possible to write about. Of course, I was asked to pay attention to the view counts on the website in order to maximise views on future articles because that's what I wanted and still want up to this day - for people to read my content on this platform. During the summer, I picked up a rate of 4 articles a day for almost 2 months straight - sending them as Word documents due to the fact that I didn't understand HTML yet and didn't have access to the Admin page yet. When requested to write with respect to a certain topic, I did so obediently.

Half-way through the summer, I was offered hardware products to review. With my interest in tech, I was already very familiar with the reviewing process and immediately took up the opportunity, which allowed me to develop reviewing skills in the form of lengthy article reviews. It was at this point, that I was asked to take my own photos, which was another lesson to be learnt. 

As the summer ended, roughly in the September of last year, I was granted Admin access after I had taught myself the basics of HTML. By this time, I had completed roughly 250 articles without any notion of getting paid. One visit to Gamers.com.mt, and the team kindly offered to pay me; an offer which I happily accepted. I never started the job to get paid, but I'm glad that I can help myself out while writing. My articles then evolved into discursive articles focusing on the local scene and also interviews. Contacting local players and organisations bridged the gap between writer and journalist. That's where I find myself right now. 

Overall the experience has been flexible, enjoyable and educational. Regarding flexibility, the team at Gamers.com.mt allows me to take time off for exam periods and holiday seasons, of course with the proper notation beforehand. Excited for the future. 

If you're interested in gaming and you've got a keyboard along with an initiative to write, contact Gamers.com.mt to get a start now through Facebook like I did. Gamers.com.mt is always ready to welcome guest writers who'd like to get involved. Perhaps you're not the best writer out there - it's the mentality that counts; don't be shy. I've written this article out of my own will, as a form of 'milestone' piece of content for you all, beginning with the above photo!