Massively^™

Do you play Guild Wars, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Tabula Rasa or a small cadre of diverse MMOs? Have you played in the Age of Conan or Warhammer Online betas? Massively wants you! If you'd like to get Real Moniez to write about the MMOs you know and love, read on for application instructions. We are specifically looking for players well-versed in the following titles and interested in providing in-depth coverage:

• Guild Wars
• Lord of the Rings Online
• Pirates of the Burning Sea
• Tabula Rasa
• EVE Online
• City of Villains/Heroes
• Age of Conan beta players
• Warhammer Online beta players
  

We will also consider strong applications from players of other titles -- let us know why we need your particular flavor of coverage!

We are also looking for columnist applications for instructional content: guides, how-tos, walkthroughs, tips and tricks -- your column proposal should be focused on helping readers up their game(s). Column proposals may focus on one game or span several -- please include your ideas for the scope of the column in your summary and sample topics list.

Ready to apply? Hit the break and find out how to format your application and where to send it. The deadline for submissions will be Friday, February 15th.

Please read all instructions before submitting your application. Incomplete applications will be printed out and used for paper airplane races -- because if you can't follow instructions now, there's nothing to make us think you'll be able to follow instructions if we contract you to write for us.

First off, anyone who's interested must have:

• A passion for MMOs. You don't have to have an endgame character in every MMO known to humankind, but you have to have played more than one title fairly seriously (hint: including something other than WoW), and ideally have a broad interest in massively multiplayer games.
  
• Solid writing ability. Basic spelling and grammar are required -- and the ability to form words without any numbers in them a major plus. Insider tip: we're going to assume that the writing in your application is an example of the best writing you're capable of. Once we see a spelling mistake, grammatical error, or typo, we usually stop reading.
  
• Prolificacy! We want people who can commit to writing on a regular basis.
  
• For bloggers, we're looking for people who can commit to a minimum of 50 posts a month. (This may sound daunting, but it works out to about 1.5 posts a day.)
  
• For columnists, we're looking for people who can commit to either weekly or bi-weekly content articles of between 500 and 1000 words. (This is a vague definition because if we like your writing, we're happy with you writing twice a month or four times a month -- whatever works best for you.)
  

But there's a few technical requirements as well. Before you apply, be sure you:

• Possess a computer and a reliable Internet connection.
• Have the software and knowledge to create and manipulate photos and screenshots. (You'll need to be able to resize images, but you're welcome to do fancier stuff if you feel like it.)
  
• Know basic HTML. (Our CMS is all WYSIWYG, but sometimes a bit of additional knowledge helps.)
  
• Are eligible to work wherever you're writing from. We can, and often do, contract bloggers from outside the US. The only caveat is that people outside of the US must have a bank account and be able to accept payments by wire transfer.
  
• Are reachable outside of Azeroth, Norrath, or Paragon City -- via e-mail, IM, Skype, phone, etc.
  

Still think you're right for the job? Well then... Send apply at massively.com an email including:

• Absolutely no attachments. Every time we receive a Word DOC, somewhere a kitten cries. Please include all information in the body of your e-mail.
• Your full name and whether you're applying as a blogger or a columnist in the subject line. I.e. "John Doe -- blogger" or "John Doe -- columnist."
  
• Your city and state. (If outside of the US, include country as well.)
  
• Your contact information, including email address and any instant messenger addresses.
• Availability information -- when and how often you think you'll be able to post.
• An explanation of why you think you're the right person for the job.
  
• Some information about your background in any of the MMOs you currently play or previously played, including your current characters and any highlights or achievements you've earned.

For bloggers, also include:

• Three sample posts about MMO-related news, culture or opinion, in the style of a typical Massively post.
• Three links to posts on Massively that you feel exemplify our best content.
  
• Three suggestions for improving Massively.

For columnists, also include:

• A proposed theme for your column.
  
• Ten sample topics you might explore. (if you can't think of ten sample topics, you might want to re-consider your theme.)
• A sample first column of around 500 words. (Even if you're hoping to write longer pieces, 500 words represents the minimum length we're looking for columns and is enough to give us a feel for your writing ability. We get many applications -- please do not write a novel.)

Thanks -- we look forward to hearing from you at applyATmassively.com!