Mike Minotti Wants To Remind You That You're Doing Great | Winter Spectacular 2023
Somehow, I’ve actually been doing this job – this whole games media thing – for a long time. Well over a decade now. And yet, in some ways, it feels like my career has really only just started.
I don’t mean to diminish my earlier work, back when I was focusing on writing news and reviews. That was important. It was fun. It was a dream come true, even then. But it also sometimes felt invisible. I was not writing for the largest platforms. Sure, I was able to go to events like E3, but nobody knew who I was. Everyone was polite and helpful, but I’d often feel like an outsider. A tourist. Was it imposter syndrome? Probably.
Mike has had a busy year… fixing his problematic best girl.
I’m bringing all of this up because I want to encourage anyone in a similar situation. Breaking into the games media is itself incredibly hard. If you are already getting your work published, congratulations! That alone is a huge accomplishment. But I recognize how easy it is to get discouraged if you’re looking at low page views or if you publish a story that you’re proud of but never receive any feedback on.
Now, maybe it’s because of some unhealthy narcissistic tendencies, but I want to help you by talking about me. I’ve been there, writing and making podcasts while often having to pretend that people were paying attention. Playing the part instead of actually knowing I was where I wanted to be.
That’s why I’ve been so incredibly moved by how my circumstances have changed over the last few years. Suddenly, people were listening to the podcasts. Then I was appearing on videos at Giant Bomb. I didn’t have to pretend anymore. I knew that people were watching.
Suddenly, when I went to industry events, people knew who I was. It doesn't seem like much, but just having peers come up and offer a friendly “Hello!” while you’re walking around an event like Summer Game Fest can give you all of the validation that you ever needed.
Podcasting is magical.
People often ask me how to get into games media or how to break out from just writing. I don’t know the magic words to make it all happen. I do know that persistence is as important as anything. I only got my first gig, as an intern at a place called Bitmob, because I emailed them every day basically begging for the position. That got me started, but I had to find ways to persevere in the industry for years after that before I actually felt like I had “made it.”
I know that a lot of you are in a similar spot as I was. That’s why I want to offer you the encouragement to keep going. Keep writing, keep podcasting, keep making those videos, and keep getting your voice out there. I can’t promise success to everyone, but I do know that it can come at unexpected times, even after you’ve accepted that it probably never will happen for you.
And even if it doesn’t, even if you’re never as “big” as you hope, you’re still doing great. Your work matters. Your voice matters. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, people do see you. They do hear you. And, hey, forget about them anyway! It’s important to you. It’s all helping you grow. You’re still in the middle of your journey. Some of you are maybe just starting. Maybe you have a ways to go, but you’re getting there. Again, you’re doing great, and I’m proud of you.
