Jason Venter is creating a video game community.
4
patrons
$15
per monthTwenty years ago, hunched over a computer screen in my dimly lit dorm room, I began work on the tiny little web site that today is HonestGamers (www.honestgamers.com). In the decades that have followed, I've not found anything I more consistently love than working on that site: building it, getting to know the community of awesome contributors and readers it has attracted, producing content and sometimes even playing video games. I love what the site has become and what its community has accomplished, but I know so much more is possible.
That's where you enter the picture. By pledging to become a monthly patron, you can contribute some of the funds that (if enough other people do the same) will allow me to quit my soul sucking day job and spend nearly every waking hour of every day working on the site. Your support will allow me to improve the site so everyone in its community will find participation more rewarding, and so the site can finally live up to its true potential... which could be really freaking cool for everyone involved!
So, you may have questions. If so, that's great. I'll be happy to answer them. Here are a few questions I anticipate, and my answers.
---
Why should I care if HonestGamers becomes a better site?
HonestGamers already hosts over 9000 game reviews, for games dating back to the dawn of the medium, all the way up to the hits and misses of today. It also hosts news articles that cover current events, including stories about games you might not hear of on other sites that either are too busy covering only monster hits or spend half their time keeping up with celebrity and movie news. And we have posted some great guides for games old and new.
That's only a small sample of the range of content the site might someday offer if it becomes a hub capable of attracting still more talented volunteers. Imagine a community that generates thousands of high-quality written reviews each year, provided by people who love video games every bit as much as you do, and who have the experience and writing chops to tell you all about them. Imagine looking up almost any game that crosses your mind and finding all sorts of resources all in one place, provided by people you have come to know and trust. That's the sort of future we can make happen!
What experience do you have writing about games?
Besides writing more than 800 reviews at HonestGamers, which is not surprisingly where I am most active, I have contributed more than 100 reviews to leading publications, including GameSpot, GamesRadar, Joystiq, Game Revolution and more. I have written dozens of high-quality guides for sites such as IGN and Polygon, and I have written hundreds of news articles that have run on sites ranging from IGN to the Nvidia blog. I was an editor at Hardcore Gamer Magazine during its entire print run, and community manager there for some time. Thanks to my work at HonestGamers, I've been in contact with various PR people and other writers in the industry for literally decades, and I'm ready to keep putting all of that experience to work at HonestGamers.
What sort of work will you be doing on the site?
I will continue to do a lot of what I always have. I'll code new features and improve old ones, as possible. I'll continue expanding the games database, which already includes more than 40,000 listings but could benefit from thousands more. I'll add image assets, respond to contributor concerns on the forums. I'll write news articles and reviews and guides, and process submissions from readers. One thing I've learned is that there's no "typical" day, but I'll do what needs doing when it needs doing as I continue to work with an eye on making the site a better resource for everyone.
How will I know you're doing anything in exchange for my support?
A lot of the work I'll be doing will take place behind the scenes and the results won't be obvious until you're taking advantage of a feature or finding some information that otherwise wouldn't exist. To make sure I can be held accountable, I will regularly contribute news content and I will periodically post here (probably about once a week, when things really get going) so you can see what content I've produced and sometimes hear about challenges overcome. Depending on how things go, I'm also open to the occasional podcast, once there are enough patrons (and if patrons seem to want it).
How much money do you need each month to really get going?
When I can consistently bring in $2000/month, I can quit my current day job and work on the site a lot more. When I can consistently bring in $3000/month, the site can be my full-time job and at that point I see myself devoting more like 70 or 80 hours a week to its development and upkeep. If this Patreon starts bringing in considerably more than that, I would be able to start paying contributors for guides and reviews, and possibly other content and work.
How can I help if I can't pledge money?
Are you a talented writer? Consider joining the community and getting to know everyone. We have a lot of fun reading reviews, writing them, and talking about games and writing. It's free, and the more people who join and participate, the better the overall experience tends to be for everyone.
Do you just like reading stuff other people write? That's okay too. Make sure to tell your friends about the site so they can read everything, too... or maybe even contribute. Post about articles or reviews you like on social media. Leave feedback on a review you found helpful, so our contributors know there are people paying attention.
Why can't you just get to work already, from ad revenue earnings?
HonestGamers traffic is on the rise, and I know that what we're doing is working. More people are contributing and participating in recent months than have in years. There's a lot of exciting momentum, but the revenue ads pay (unless a site has so many of them that everyone just decides in the end to block them) is pitiful. It's not an easy thing to generate 1000 visits to a web site these days, especially in the competitive game industry. But each 1000 visits won't typically generate more than maybe $0.25 or $0.50, and that's on a good day. It's simply not enough to pay myself, let alone contributors who might work on the site's behalf. That's why you see so many content creators turning to sites like Patreon. It's why I need your help today!
---
Have a question for me that I haven't answered here? Feel free to reach out to me by email (jason AT honestgamers DOT com) with any other queries you may have. Together, we can build the greatest video game community on the Internet. Thank you for your support!
That's where you enter the picture. By pledging to become a monthly patron, you can contribute some of the funds that (if enough other people do the same) will allow me to quit my soul sucking day job and spend nearly every waking hour of every day working on the site. Your support will allow me to improve the site so everyone in its community will find participation more rewarding, and so the site can finally live up to its true potential... which could be really freaking cool for everyone involved!
So, you may have questions. If so, that's great. I'll be happy to answer them. Here are a few questions I anticipate, and my answers.
---
Why should I care if HonestGamers becomes a better site?
HonestGamers already hosts over 9000 game reviews, for games dating back to the dawn of the medium, all the way up to the hits and misses of today. It also hosts news articles that cover current events, including stories about games you might not hear of on other sites that either are too busy covering only monster hits or spend half their time keeping up with celebrity and movie news. And we have posted some great guides for games old and new.
That's only a small sample of the range of content the site might someday offer if it becomes a hub capable of attracting still more talented volunteers. Imagine a community that generates thousands of high-quality written reviews each year, provided by people who love video games every bit as much as you do, and who have the experience and writing chops to tell you all about them. Imagine looking up almost any game that crosses your mind and finding all sorts of resources all in one place, provided by people you have come to know and trust. That's the sort of future we can make happen!
What experience do you have writing about games?
Besides writing more than 800 reviews at HonestGamers, which is not surprisingly where I am most active, I have contributed more than 100 reviews to leading publications, including GameSpot, GamesRadar, Joystiq, Game Revolution and more. I have written dozens of high-quality guides for sites such as IGN and Polygon, and I have written hundreds of news articles that have run on sites ranging from IGN to the Nvidia blog. I was an editor at Hardcore Gamer Magazine during its entire print run, and community manager there for some time. Thanks to my work at HonestGamers, I've been in contact with various PR people and other writers in the industry for literally decades, and I'm ready to keep putting all of that experience to work at HonestGamers.
What sort of work will you be doing on the site?
I will continue to do a lot of what I always have. I'll code new features and improve old ones, as possible. I'll continue expanding the games database, which already includes more than 40,000 listings but could benefit from thousands more. I'll add image assets, respond to contributor concerns on the forums. I'll write news articles and reviews and guides, and process submissions from readers. One thing I've learned is that there's no "typical" day, but I'll do what needs doing when it needs doing as I continue to work with an eye on making the site a better resource for everyone.
How will I know you're doing anything in exchange for my support?
A lot of the work I'll be doing will take place behind the scenes and the results won't be obvious until you're taking advantage of a feature or finding some information that otherwise wouldn't exist. To make sure I can be held accountable, I will regularly contribute news content and I will periodically post here (probably about once a week, when things really get going) so you can see what content I've produced and sometimes hear about challenges overcome. Depending on how things go, I'm also open to the occasional podcast, once there are enough patrons (and if patrons seem to want it).
How much money do you need each month to really get going?
When I can consistently bring in $2000/month, I can quit my current day job and work on the site a lot more. When I can consistently bring in $3000/month, the site can be my full-time job and at that point I see myself devoting more like 70 or 80 hours a week to its development and upkeep. If this Patreon starts bringing in considerably more than that, I would be able to start paying contributors for guides and reviews, and possibly other content and work.
How can I help if I can't pledge money?
Are you a talented writer? Consider joining the community and getting to know everyone. We have a lot of fun reading reviews, writing them, and talking about games and writing. It's free, and the more people who join and participate, the better the overall experience tends to be for everyone.
Do you just like reading stuff other people write? That's okay too. Make sure to tell your friends about the site so they can read everything, too... or maybe even contribute. Post about articles or reviews you like on social media. Leave feedback on a review you found helpful, so our contributors know there are people paying attention.
Why can't you just get to work already, from ad revenue earnings?
HonestGamers traffic is on the rise, and I know that what we're doing is working. More people are contributing and participating in recent months than have in years. There's a lot of exciting momentum, but the revenue ads pay (unless a site has so many of them that everyone just decides in the end to block them) is pitiful. It's not an easy thing to generate 1000 visits to a web site these days, especially in the competitive game industry. But each 1000 visits won't typically generate more than maybe $0.25 or $0.50, and that's on a good day. It's simply not enough to pay myself, let alone contributors who might work on the site's behalf. That's why you see so many content creators turning to sites like Patreon. It's why I need your help today!
---
Have a question for me that I haven't answered here? Feel free to reach out to me by email (jason AT honestgamers DOT com) with any other queries you may have. Together, we can build the greatest video game community on the Internet. Thank you for your support!
Tiers
Get Involved
$1 or more per month ∙ 4 patrons
Enable a steady stream of quality content, including game news and reviews from an independent voice.
Goals
$15 of $2,000 per month
I can quit my day job and work on the site full-time, which will allow me to be more responsive to the community's needs (which encourages more contributions and activity).
1 of 3Twenty years ago, hunched over a computer screen in my dimly lit dorm room, I began work on the tiny little web site that today is HonestGamers (www.honestgamers.com). In the decades that have followed, I've not found anything I more consistently love than working on that site: building it, getting to know the community of awesome contributors and readers it has attracted, producing content and sometimes even playing video games. I love what the site has become and what its community has accomplished, but I know so much more is possible.
That's where you enter the picture. By pledging to become a monthly patron, you can contribute some of the funds that (if enough other people do the same) will allow me to quit my soul sucking day job and spend nearly every waking hour of every day working on the site. Your support will allow me to improve the site so everyone in its community will find participation more rewarding, and so the site can finally live up to its true potential... which could be really freaking cool for everyone involved!
So, you may have questions. If so, that's great. I'll be happy to answer them. Here are a few questions I anticipate, and my answers.
---
Why should I care if HonestGamers becomes a better site?
HonestGamers already hosts over 9000 game reviews, for games dating back to the dawn of the medium, all the way up to the hits and misses of today. It also hosts news articles that cover current events, including stories about games you might not hear of on other sites that either are too busy covering only monster hits or spend half their time keeping up with celebrity and movie news. And we have posted some great guides for games old and new.
That's only a small sample of the range of content the site might someday offer if it becomes a hub capable of attracting still more talented volunteers. Imagine a community that generates thousands of high-quality written reviews each year, provided by people who love video games every bit as much as you do, and who have the experience and writing chops to tell you all about them. Imagine looking up almost any game that crosses your mind and finding all sorts of resources all in one place, provided by people you have come to know and trust. That's the sort of future we can make happen!
What experience do you have writing about games?
Besides writing more than 800 reviews at HonestGamers, which is not surprisingly where I am most active, I have contributed more than 100 reviews to leading publications, including GameSpot, GamesRadar, Joystiq, Game Revolution and more. I have written dozens of high-quality guides for sites such as IGN and Polygon, and I have written hundreds of news articles that have run on sites ranging from IGN to the Nvidia blog. I was an editor at Hardcore Gamer Magazine during its entire print run, and community manager there for some time. Thanks to my work at HonestGamers, I've been in contact with various PR people and other writers in the industry for literally decades, and I'm ready to keep putting all of that experience to work at HonestGamers.
What sort of work will you be doing on the site?
I will continue to do a lot of what I always have. I'll code new features and improve old ones, as possible. I'll continue expanding the games database, which already includes more than 40,000 listings but could benefit from thousands more. I'll add image assets, respond to contributor concerns on the forums. I'll write news articles and reviews and guides, and process submissions from readers. One thing I've learned is that there's no "typical" day, but I'll do what needs doing when it needs doing as I continue to work with an eye on making the site a better resource for everyone.
How will I know you're doing anything in exchange for my support?
A lot of the work I'll be doing will take place behind the scenes and the results won't be obvious until you're taking advantage of a feature or finding some information that otherwise wouldn't exist. To make sure I can be held accountable, I will regularly contribute news content and I will periodically post here (probably about once a week, when things really get going) so you can see what content I've produced and sometimes hear about challenges overcome. Depending on how things go, I'm also open to the occasional podcast, once there are enough patrons (and if patrons seem to want it).
How much money do you need each month to really get going?
When I can consistently bring in $2000/month, I can quit my current day job and work on the site a lot more. When I can consistently bring in $3000/month, the site can be my full-time job and at that point I see myself devoting more like 70 or 80 hours a week to its development and upkeep. If this Patreon starts bringing in considerably more than that, I would be able to start paying contributors for guides and reviews, and possibly other content and work.
How can I help if I can't pledge money?
Are you a talented writer? Consider joining the community and getting to know everyone. We have a lot of fun reading reviews, writing them, and talking about games and writing. It's free, and the more people who join and participate, the better the overall experience tends to be for everyone.
Do you just like reading stuff other people write? That's okay too. Make sure to tell your friends about the site so they can read everything, too... or maybe even contribute. Post about articles or reviews you like on social media. Leave feedback on a review you found helpful, so our contributors know there are people paying attention.
Why can't you just get to work already, from ad revenue earnings?
HonestGamers traffic is on the rise, and I know that what we're doing is working. More people are contributing and participating in recent months than have in years. There's a lot of exciting momentum, but the revenue ads pay (unless a site has so many of them that everyone just decides in the end to block them) is pitiful. It's not an easy thing to generate 1000 visits to a web site these days, especially in the competitive game industry. But each 1000 visits won't typically generate more than maybe $0.25 or $0.50, and that's on a good day. It's simply not enough to pay myself, let alone contributors who might work on the site's behalf. That's why you see so many content creators turning to sites like Patreon. It's why I need your help today!
---
Have a question for me that I haven't answered here? Feel free to reach out to me by email (jason AT honestgamers DOT com) with any other queries you may have. Together, we can build the greatest video game community on the Internet. Thank you for your support!
That's where you enter the picture. By pledging to become a monthly patron, you can contribute some of the funds that (if enough other people do the same) will allow me to quit my soul sucking day job and spend nearly every waking hour of every day working on the site. Your support will allow me to improve the site so everyone in its community will find participation more rewarding, and so the site can finally live up to its true potential... which could be really freaking cool for everyone involved!
So, you may have questions. If so, that's great. I'll be happy to answer them. Here are a few questions I anticipate, and my answers.
---
Why should I care if HonestGamers becomes a better site?
HonestGamers already hosts over 9000 game reviews, for games dating back to the dawn of the medium, all the way up to the hits and misses of today. It also hosts news articles that cover current events, including stories about games you might not hear of on other sites that either are too busy covering only monster hits or spend half their time keeping up with celebrity and movie news. And we have posted some great guides for games old and new.
That's only a small sample of the range of content the site might someday offer if it becomes a hub capable of attracting still more talented volunteers. Imagine a community that generates thousands of high-quality written reviews each year, provided by people who love video games every bit as much as you do, and who have the experience and writing chops to tell you all about them. Imagine looking up almost any game that crosses your mind and finding all sorts of resources all in one place, provided by people you have come to know and trust. That's the sort of future we can make happen!
What experience do you have writing about games?
Besides writing more than 800 reviews at HonestGamers, which is not surprisingly where I am most active, I have contributed more than 100 reviews to leading publications, including GameSpot, GamesRadar, Joystiq, Game Revolution and more. I have written dozens of high-quality guides for sites such as IGN and Polygon, and I have written hundreds of news articles that have run on sites ranging from IGN to the Nvidia blog. I was an editor at Hardcore Gamer Magazine during its entire print run, and community manager there for some time. Thanks to my work at HonestGamers, I've been in contact with various PR people and other writers in the industry for literally decades, and I'm ready to keep putting all of that experience to work at HonestGamers.
What sort of work will you be doing on the site?
I will continue to do a lot of what I always have. I'll code new features and improve old ones, as possible. I'll continue expanding the games database, which already includes more than 40,000 listings but could benefit from thousands more. I'll add image assets, respond to contributor concerns on the forums. I'll write news articles and reviews and guides, and process submissions from readers. One thing I've learned is that there's no "typical" day, but I'll do what needs doing when it needs doing as I continue to work with an eye on making the site a better resource for everyone.
How will I know you're doing anything in exchange for my support?
A lot of the work I'll be doing will take place behind the scenes and the results won't be obvious until you're taking advantage of a feature or finding some information that otherwise wouldn't exist. To make sure I can be held accountable, I will regularly contribute news content and I will periodically post here (probably about once a week, when things really get going) so you can see what content I've produced and sometimes hear about challenges overcome. Depending on how things go, I'm also open to the occasional podcast, once there are enough patrons (and if patrons seem to want it).
How much money do you need each month to really get going?
When I can consistently bring in $2000/month, I can quit my current day job and work on the site a lot more. When I can consistently bring in $3000/month, the site can be my full-time job and at that point I see myself devoting more like 70 or 80 hours a week to its development and upkeep. If this Patreon starts bringing in considerably more than that, I would be able to start paying contributors for guides and reviews, and possibly other content and work.
How can I help if I can't pledge money?
Are you a talented writer? Consider joining the community and getting to know everyone. We have a lot of fun reading reviews, writing them, and talking about games and writing. It's free, and the more people who join and participate, the better the overall experience tends to be for everyone.
Do you just like reading stuff other people write? That's okay too. Make sure to tell your friends about the site so they can read everything, too... or maybe even contribute. Post about articles or reviews you like on social media. Leave feedback on a review you found helpful, so our contributors know there are people paying attention.
Why can't you just get to work already, from ad revenue earnings?
HonestGamers traffic is on the rise, and I know that what we're doing is working. More people are contributing and participating in recent months than have in years. There's a lot of exciting momentum, but the revenue ads pay (unless a site has so many of them that everyone just decides in the end to block them) is pitiful. It's not an easy thing to generate 1000 visits to a web site these days, especially in the competitive game industry. But each 1000 visits won't typically generate more than maybe $0.25 or $0.50, and that's on a good day. It's simply not enough to pay myself, let alone contributors who might work on the site's behalf. That's why you see so many content creators turning to sites like Patreon. It's why I need your help today!
---
Have a question for me that I haven't answered here? Feel free to reach out to me by email (jason AT honestgamers DOT com) with any other queries you may have. Together, we can build the greatest video game community on the Internet. Thank you for your support!
Recent posts by Jason Venter
Tiers
Get Involved
$1 or more per month ∙ 4 patrons
Enable a steady stream of quality content, including game news and reviews from an independent voice.