Write for JRPG Pursuit
The JRPG Pursuit is paying for news writers and reviewers. Keep in mind, this is a paid side gig, not a living wage. What we offer is money paid on time and a byline at a site publishers take seriously.
We’re a three-host podcast and a games-press site covering JRPGs and adjacent genres: Western RPGs, visual novels, farming life sims. We publish reviews, features, guides, a release calendar, and daily news. We’re looking for people who already follow this corner of gaming closely, can write clean and fast, and want their name on work that will get read.
The roles
News writer. You write news posts (300-500 words) from a shortlist we send each morning plus anything you spot yourself: announcements, trailers, release dates, delays, localization news, sales, etc. A post takes about 20-30 minutes once you’ve found your rhythm. We’re hiring for a set cadence, 5 posts a week, on days you choose, with the option to pick up extras.
Reviewer. You play a game we’ve received a code for and write a 1,500-2,000 word review with a score out of ten. Reviews come up sporadically. You keep the game you play for review (obviously).
You can do one or the other, or both! Features and guides are commissioned individually once we know your work.
What we pay
| Piece | Rate now | At $300/mo on Patreon | At $600/mo on Patreon |
|---|---|---|---|
| News post (300–500 words) | $10 | $15 | $20 |
| Review (1,000–1,500 words, code provided) | $40 | $75 | $100 |
| Feature or guide | Agreed per piece |
The honest math: a news post at $10 for 20 minutes of work is around $30 an hour. A review is a much bigger time commitment, which is why it comes with the game and a higher per-piece payment.
News writers are paid a flat monthly amount for their cadence ($200 a month for five posts a week, for example), on the 1st, for the previous month. Reviews and one-off pieces are paid within 15 days of publication. We don’t do the net-60 thing and you won’t have to chase us down for payment.
The raise ladder is tied to the site’s Patreon and it’s public. When Patreon passes the thresholds above, every writer’s rate goes up the following month. Our current Patreon total is posted on [the Patreon page]. If you can help the site grow, you get to share in it.
What you get beyond the check
- A byline and an author page. Every piece runs under your name, with your own page at jrpgpursuit.com/by/ and a bio you write. You keep copyright and can use anything we publish in your portfolio.
- The games. Review codes are yours to keep.
- Press access. Codes, embargoed news, and PR contacts through a site that’s listed with publishers, the kind of access that’s hard to get as a solo writer.
- An editor. Every piece gets a real edit with notes, and you can always ask why. If you want to get better at this, that’s the fastest way.
- A Contributor badge on your site profile, and the Founding Contributor badge if you’re with us in the first year. That one is never issued again.
- Flexibility. Pick your days, work from anywhere, no exclusivity. Write for other outlets too.
How it works
- A paid trial. Your first 10 news post or one review are paid at the full rate. At the end, either of us can call it, no explanation needed. We’d rather you find out it isn’t for you with money in hand than audition for free.
- Mornings start with a shortlist. News writers get a short list of stories each morning with links to the sources. Pick what you want, claim it in the writers’ channel on Discord so nobody doubles up, and write.
- You write in our site’s editor. You’ll get a contributor login. Drafts go in as News posts or Reviews with the details filled in (game, platforms, score, companies); the site handles the rest, from the front page to the socials to our Discord.
- We edit, then publish. An editor reads every piece before it runs. Light edits just happen; anything bigger comes back to you first.
- You get paid. Retainers on the 1st, everything else within 15 days of publication.
The only hard rules: use your own writing (no A.I.), link to your sources, honor any embargos, and don’t take gifts from publishers. We’ll send you the full contributor agreement before anything else happens.
How to apply
Email info@jrpgpursuit.com with the subject line “News writer” or “Reviewer” (or both) and include:
- Two or three sentences about you and which aspects of the genre you know best. Tell us what games you’ve played this year.
- Two clips, published or not, links or attachments. Any outlet, your own blog, a Substack, a long Reddit post you’re proud of. If you have nothing to show yet, skip to the next item.
- A sample news post (300-500 words) written from this press release: [link to a real, recent press release we pick]. Treat it exactly as you would for the site: a headline, the facts, the source linked, your own words. This is the thing we’ll read most closely.
- For reviewers: which console platforms you own (including PC, if it’s modern and capable), and a review you’ve written of any JRPG, any length.
We reply to everyone within two weeks. If it’s a fit, we’ll send the contributor agreement, set up your login, and start the paid trial. If it isn’t, we’ll say so, and we’ll tell you why if you ask.