Writing scales, talking doesn’t.

If you're not writing, you're not making use of the simplest forms of leverage.

Why is writing important within companies, and how to do it well?

(thread) 👇🏽

The first principles of selling online:

1. Increase the number of people who see your product.

2. Increase the percentage of people who see your product that buy it.

3. Increase the percentage of people who buy your product that rave about it.

Writing increases all three.

Someone asked me recently about breaking into the video game industry as a writer / narrative designer. There's so, so much good advice out there that I only tend to hit this topic on rare occasion. But it's been a while, so let's go!

(Why my answer is worth anything: I've been doing this for about fifteen years and I've hired a lot of writers and editors. Why my answer isn't worth anything: My view of the industry is fairly narrow and I haven't tried to break in for a while, so I'm arguably out of date.)

First: Write, write well, and write video games. Published non-games material is great, but at this point there's no reason not to put together a Twine game or similar to add to your portfolio. Show you're interested in the medium.

If you're applying to a job that requires a writing test (most companies serious about narrative will require one), do what the test says. Follow instructions. Show you can deliver what your client is asking for. Do it well.

If you're submitting other samples, make them diverse in style / tone / character voice--show range. If you want to be artsy and experimental, you can INCLUDE that but it shouldn't be the focus. I want to know someone can tell a straightforward story adeptly. Basics first!

You doing the academic book thing? Dope! A thread.
1. Do your homework. Sometimes the most prestigious academic press that (more) established scholars fawn over ain't meant for your research. Peep their acquisition editors, their titles, etc. Is it a fit?

2. Don't cold-submit a manuscript. Reach out to an editor. Talk about your work. Tell them where you are in the project. If y'all vibe, they'll ask to see what you got. Have it ready. Which leads to my next suggestions:

3. Don't waste your time or the editor/press' time. Bring your A game. If you are revising your diss, you need to scrap it to its bare bones starring YOU. You the authority. All that citing needs to fall back to the footnotes LOL. How are you changing/adding to the convo?

4. If you are starting from scratch - I did with Chronicling Stankonia - take some to figure out your burning question and its potential answer and learn to elevator pitch it. What you talking about? Why is it relevant? What new ground you breaking or revisiting?

5. Aight so boom you get invited to submit a proposal for peer review. Aaaaye! Your proposal is the blueprint: What's your project about? Why should it be published? Who would you be next to on the shelf? What makes you shine? Why xyz press? What is your timeline?

I never thought of myself as a writer.

So why do I now write one million words per year?

Because I discovered writing is a superpower.

Here are 67 benefits of writing.

👇🏼

1) 🧠 Clear your mind.

Stop using your brain as storage.

Start using your brain as processing power.

2) 💬 Communicate better.

Clear writers are clear thinkers.

Clear thinkers are clear communicators.

3) 👥 Build community.

Attract likeminded people.

Help connect people with similar interests who would have otherwise never met.

To go fast, go alone. To go far, go together.

4) 👩🏻‍🏫 Teach what you know.

You don’t have to be an expert to teach.

Leaders are seen as experts BECAUSE they teach.

Teach the person one step behind you.