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The following is
an excerpt from my book, FREELANCE POKER WRITING: How to Make Money Writing
for the Gaming Industry © Brian Konradt
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"Life is better as a poker writer than it is in most
areas of writing. You will be rubbing shoulders with people in Sin City and
many other casino destinations where money is no object. Remember, money is no
object to a great number of poker players."
Writing about
poker, the influences of poker, as well as the people who patronize the games,
both online and off-line, can be a very rewarding career. It isn’t easy to
become recognized for your efforts, but it is easy to become one of the better
writers if you take your time to learn the many angles of the business.
Offering suggestions to new writers isn’t always easy to do. There is
one thing no one can know when they are trying to offer good, sound advice to
writers who are ready and willing to embark on a different writing path. That
is, can you -- the person in search of information -- truly write?
Knowing if you can write will not be easy to discover if you have never
written for a client or a college professor. Even so, writers who want to
write, can indeed, write. Even the best writers in the world, people like
John Grisham or gaming author Frank Scoblete, will not appeal to
everyone. It isn’t possible. Editors deal with this all the time. The good
editors recognize talent even if they don’t particularly like the
style....
Writers are unusual people. Some of the best ones in the
world are hidden recluses as you may or may not know. Some of the best poker
players are the same way. They come out of hiding and play poker and then slide
back underground for a while. Some say Stuey Ungar was one of those
people. Stu Ungar was a poker player worth mentioning in any poker manual. As a
writer, you need to know that poker and gambling can lead to other things --
undesirable things -- which can become life-changing and life-ending. These are
the stories people also want to know more about.
Read more about Stuey Ungar.
Topics on poker and
gambling can provide a lifestyle for you as a writer that most people, even
wealthy people, can only dream about. Once you’ve made it to the top,
you’ll know you’re there because everything is different. Editors
contact you for articles. The pay rate is more. Readers know who you are. You
can branch out into other areas of writing more easily. Writers such as Grisham
and Stephen King may realize a lot of successes. So will you, if you are at the
right place at the right time, covering the right events.
You’ll
learn it doesn’t always matter what you know but who you know. Still, you
will need to know a lot about poker, as we’ve discussed. Readers
don’t take phonies lightly. Your readers demand you to write detailed
material on a continuous basis; if you do that, they will determine just how
far you go.
Life is better as a poker writer than it is in most areas
of writing. You will be rubbing shoulders with people in Sin City and many
other casino destinations where money is no object. Remember, money is no
object to a great number of poker players. Stakes are always high. With that in
mind, remember who you are and where you are. Remember to capture the story,
and not the party.
You will get a free ride pass as a poker writer if
you can achieve a name for yourself in the poker world. You will have the
things only high rollers can get just because the right people want YOU to
remember their name. Naturally, this will only happen after you become
recognized as a poker authority. If you strive to achieve it, you will know
what the inside of the suites at the MGM and Paris Las Vegas look like because
you’ll be staying in them. You won’t walk or hail a cab in Vegas.
You’ll be riding in a limo, free of charge. Best of all, when you are on a
job, you will drink and eat what you want and never see a bill. Welcome to
success. Revel in it and know you’ve worked hard for it.
Writers
have a particular challenge, especially poker and gaming writers -- they
don’t have the luxury of stopping once they’ve reached the top,
hoping to pull in royalties and the fruits of their labors. They can’t. If
you quit writing, another writer is standing behind you to steal your place,
along with your writing opportunities. Quitting too soon at the top, or on your
way to the top, is a risk for failure.
So here’s some advice for
the new poker writer just starting out: enjoy the ride to the top. Once you get
there, stay as long as you can. While you’re there, cash in big. Write the
books you’ve wanted to write. Cash in while somebody, somewhere, knows
your name. You can build a fan base with your writing over time. Readers will
look for your name on poker-related material. Once your career has ended, you
can settle in to play all the games you’ve learned how to play as a
writer. Retirement can consist of time well spent at the tables. One day some
unknown poker writer will write about you and how you played your poker hands.
Throughout this book, I highlight numerous quotes to ignite the writer
within. Hopefully, a line or two of inspiration will appeal to you. Remember
the words of French actor and playwright Moliere. He said, “I
always write a good first line, but I have trouble in writing the others.”
May your writing be witty and carry with it more lines than you can
type in one sitting! Get ready to hit the felt with pen, paper and a pampering
of poker knowledge....
|
The following is
an excerpt from my book, FREELANCE POKER WRITING: How to Make Money Writing
for the Gaming Industry © Brian Konradt
|
|
