Austin Conrad
Minnesota, United States
As seen in:
MSN,
MSN Canada,
Flipboard,
DualShockers,
SFWA Blog,
Fleet Equipment Magazine,
Author Magazine,
Rascal.News
Covers:
Gaming, Video Games, Tabletop Games, Fiction, Fantasy, Myth, Culture, Anthropology, History, Writing
I'm a freelance writer, editor & graphic designer mostly working in TTRPGs. I tweet things I find interesting. Oh, and pictures of The Fluffy Bastard.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Independent criticism
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Nope.
How is social media changing news?
Most substantial element is reduced attention span—news is now transmitted in short bites, not hour-long shows.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Does Arthur Dent count?
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To be honest, insightful, and inquisitive.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't recall.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Just drop a line by email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
LibreOffice and the Affinity suite.
What's your favorite social network?
Discord, because a server lets you restrict contact to actual friends, not just acquaintances.
Who do you wish followed you?
The folks over at Rascal News—they have a good eye for what's trending AND what's significant in the TTRPG world.
Why did you become a journalist?
Love of the written word.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope! We didn't have one.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
"To Hunt a God" due to the personal struggles I experienced whilst completing it.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write. Just write. If you don't sit down and do the work, none of the connections, networking, etc. will matter.
When's the best time to pitch you?
There's no best or worst time, really. Mornings increase the chance I'll be able to pivot and address a time-sensitive pitch.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Probably being invited to write a fictional travelogue.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Once, I was sent over 20 pages of material with basically "you might like it."
What's your favorite drink?
Either Drambuie or Bärenjäger.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Armchair or out on the porch, reading.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Funds for Writers newsletter - good combination of markets, inspiration, and advice.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That reviews ought to avoid criticism - the field can't grow if critics aren't willing to say in which ways a product didn't work.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.