Getting your indie game covered by the press can be very hard sometimes, mostly because developers tend to concentrate on the game without actually knowing what they can do next in regards to marketing and promotion. This is why we’ve jotted down a few pointers here to help you get the best results and promote your game to the press.
Make a genuinely unique game
No gaming press writers like copycats, and this is why you will get more coverage if you have a very good game. You need to think about getting some core ideas which are unique and then expand on them the best way you can. You will be amazed with the results, and the best part about the whole experience is that the game will get a lot of promotion this way.
Get in touch with the right person
Promoting a game is, most of the time, a question of finding the right person to talk with. You should try to find a person that likes games in your genres, but even if you don’t, send a personal email that communicates your passion for the game and which also shows respect to what that person does. Be sincere and professional, don’t be a jerk.
Sell the story
It’s very important to try and sell the story of your game in the best way you can. The story is, most of the time, a great focus for the writers, so if you want to get coverage, ensure that one of your focal points is the story, as this is truly helpful.
Add all the necessary info
There is a lot of necessary info to send to the press. A game key, YouTube trailers, screenshots, descriptions and other similar content are all examples. Of course, only give the important stuff, don’t go off the rails with hundreds of screenshots.
Use social media
Social media is essential, because it is an easy way to connect with people. See what they write about on social media and focus on that when it comes to approaching them, and you’ll have a great chance to get your game covered.
Lastly, you don’t have to fear if your game wasn’t covered straight away. Many press-related companies usually have a lot on their plate all the time, so you just need to be patient, your game will get covered, there’s no need to panic!
All you have to do is to follow these tips and rest assured that they will help you get the desired coverage very fast. Be patient, follow them to the letter and interact with the journalist, then the results will be great!
Special thanks to our team for authoring this article.
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Thanks for the tips Black Shell Media ! Looks like we’re on the right track with our free endless surfer game, Space Surf : Shark Attack. Your posts and tips are great, thanks for supporting Indie Devs. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/18dff747584035825797bdbe819710bb5b874222f1cf2fa48dee8d21ff25ab61.png
So as someone who handles this side of things for a smaller gaming press site (TechRaptor) these are basically spot on. I have to see the info and I have to figure out who in our side to pass it on or try to get someone to write up on it.
A unique looking game either mechanically, visually or in another way goes so far in that. It makes it stand out from the crowd, and that is especially important in genres like platformers where there area LOT of indie games out there these days.
The story, we’re writers for the most part so it helps to see and it is also the one thing that is often easiest for us to parse and pass on. Mechanics unless we’re able to play it are always something we have to be a bit more distant from because in general even a great idea can be executed poorly. However a story can capture the imagination and while it can be executed poorly that tends to lead to less game breaking frustration so its easier to pass on the info.
Social media is a useful tool for following stories around – updates, blogs or other things as well as just remembering you – and that goes both ways there from my side.
For necessary info – what I like to see is a few screenshots, a description of the game and how it plays, contact info and things like that. Basically what makes your game stand out, how does it look, when is it coming out, where can I get more info, and who to talk with.
Coboney
Editor at TechRaptor