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Why do they FAQing bother?
Why writing game guides is rewarding and soul destroying at the same time.
Date: Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Author: Matthew Reynolds

You can earn cash along the way

Well, some. Many websites offer prizes for submitting a full beginning-to-end guide for games that need covering, often up to fifty bucks. Others give out monthly awards for the best content - GameFAQs has given out over $21,000 in prize winnings from awards alone. It can also lead to freelance work and, for the extreme minority, a career in the video game industry. Cash in the FAQ-tic!

The Community

While individual games have die hard fans, due to the addictive nature of the hobby writers stick around for the long haul, many writing for a decade. They are incredibly helpful, providing critiques of your work, and host regular tournaments. You'll make a great set of cyber friends that wouldn't even dream of trying to get you on webcam. But a word to the wise: plagiarism is the number one crime to FAQ writers, and being caught will tarnish your image beyond recovery. It is a community that protects its rights and writers, and is proud because of it.

Others benefit from your work

Truth is, many writers do not write to help other people. They do it solely for themselves; a way of channeling their passion for the hobby through simple text documents. But you get more out of something by doing it properly, and going out of your way to get that extra bit of information helps more people—and it's a great feeling. It’s charity work for dexterity challenged!

The Ladies

Ok, maybe not.

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