Write for Joking Joystick

Have a clear reader question, a collecting niche you understand, or an original story about games and their surrounding culture? Send a concise pitch through the contact form.

A useful pitch includes

• A proposed title and the specific question the piece will answer.
• Why you are well placed to write it, without inflated credentials.
• The evidence available: original reporting, documents, photographs, testing notes, or primary sources.
• Links to relevant writing samples, when available.
• Any relationship with a product, seller, manufacturer, or other subject of the piece.

We are particularly interested in precise explanations that are difficult to find elsewhere: edition differences, original packaging research, overlooked non-sports card sets, preservation experience, and documented hardware workflows.

Agree on scope first

Sending a pitch does not create an assignment or guarantee payment or publication. Rates, rights, deadlines, attribution, and any expenses must be agreed before commissioned work begins. Do not submit someone else’s work or material you do not have permission to share.

Be clear about your method

Disclose AI assistance, supplied review samples, affiliate interests, and any limits to your evidence. A hands-on review needs an actual test method. A historical claim needs a source. An opinion piece should be recognizable as opinion. We do not accept fictional first-person experiences, fabricated quotes, or an invented author identity.

Read our editorial policy before pitching. A focused idea with a useful source is more helpful than a long list of generic article titles.