Reminder: Columnist application deadline today!
by Elizabeth Harper 
Jan 15th 2010 at 9:00AM
Druid, paladin, and shaman columnists
AddOn/UI columnistEvery week you will dazzle our readers with your words of wisdom covering everything from leveling guides to raid tactics to PvP strats to major patch analysis to recommended addons. You will be covering these topics for talent specs listed above. Allison Robert will continue to cover the feral specs for the druid column, Gregg Reece will continue to cover protection and retribution specs for the paladin column, and Michael Sacco will be covering elemental for the shaman column.
Lore columnistYou will post a weekly AddOn Spotlight as well as the weekly Reader UI of the Week. We are specifically looking for a columnist who can write about the features of popular and useful addons in a way that is understandable and entertaining for the average player. For application purposes, you only need to submit a sample for AddOn Spotlight. Knowledge of macros is also expected.
Still interested? You'll find all the information you need to apply on our applications page. Be sure to submit everything asked for. Being able to follow simple instructions is part of the job. Again, you only have until end of today, Friday, January 15th to send in your application, so get to it!The successful lore columnist for WoW.com will focus on updating our extensive library of lore related material, as well as help create new lore-based content each week. With Cataclysm hitting, the WoW.com lore columnist will work with other members of the team on lore related features and guides. We are specifically seeking a person who has deep understanding of all of Warcraft's lore, and knows how to communicate the complexities of the lore in both an entertaining and knowledgeable fashion. Please see the specific requirements for the lore columnist on our application page.
Filed under: WoW Insider Business
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Axolotl Jan 15th 2010 9:07AM
I guess a columnist that says: "I have this character on that realm, now all readers send it 100G" isn't what you guys are looking for? ... Well if you change your minds, just let me know ;-)
SCHarper Jan 15th 2010 9:43AM
I do think that that kind of sense of humor is what we readers want, yes. When I read something on this website, I don't expect 100% seriousness. I don't look at lore and things like that, so it's not needed. I find that article A, which contains 100% of the facts and only the facts is far less useful than article B, containing 75% of the facts mixed in with some humor and opinions.
Don't know about the rest of you out there though. What do you want from your WoW.com articles?
Docp Jan 15th 2010 9:50AM
Given the fact that Arcane Brilliance seems to have universal love, even from warlocks, I guess the assessment that people like a little humor is well founded.
Swifteye Jan 15th 2010 10:01AM
Humor is absolutely essential in this particular venue, IMHO. If people wanted just the facts, cut-and-dried like a college lecture, they wouldn't be reading a site like this! There are plenty of encyclopedia-type sites for PURE info out there; people tend to come to a site like this for opinions, for lively debates, and certainly for laughs!
You'll also find that it affords the writers a little leeway with regards to their amount of knowledge... I used to write for a gaming website way back in the day, I was forced to bluff about things I had next to no experience with on more than one occasion, and I found that you're much more likely to be forgiven for the occasional flub if you can at least make the reader laugh aloud a few times, heh.
Docp Jan 15th 2010 9:09AM
Couldn't you poke Rossi with a stick or something to make him keep writing Enhancement Shaman posts. Whilst Shamans are only DPS/Healers each tree is as distinct from one another as druids or paladins and having a combined Restoration/Enhancement Shaman section seems to me like one side will be covered less.
Adam Holisky Jan 15th 2010 9:17AM
Have you seen the guy? He is the last person I'd want to poke with a stick. Maybe one that had some sort of poison attached to it, but even then, his adamantium frame would probably just absorb the poison and then he'd be forced to go all Canadian on me, which is always scary.
Docp Jan 15th 2010 9:22AM
It could be a really long stick if you'd prefer!
Ozzard Jan 15th 2010 12:56PM
@Adam, it could be worse. He might go native, roll a dwarf and go all Scottish on you.
"Aye, laddie, an' ye'll be havin' a Glasgae kiss* fer yersel'?"
* Look up "Glasgow kiss"
Swifteye Jan 15th 2010 9:21AM
I was going to apply for the Lore position, but I've decided I just don't have quite the mental library for it yet. I'm still at the stage where I'll read something new and my brain will light up as it connects multiple other lore points I'm already familiar with. It's exciting, but I gather you're looking more for someone who can give you oodles of information about any Warcraft topic you could come up with off the top of their head.
However, if the new lore columnist doesn't work out after a few months and, in that time, I've been able to assimilates scads of lore information, I'll be gunning for their job somethin' fierce. ;)
Good luck to everyone who's applying!
Swifteye Jan 15th 2010 9:23AM
*slays the last "s" on "assimilate" with a scowl*
Stupid lack of an edit button... not exactly the kind of impression I'd like to make if I EVER hope to write for wow.com. :-(
Docp Jan 15th 2010 9:33AM
Ha, I was just reading the application process and one of the requirements is suggesting three improvements to wow.com
I'd bet a steak dinner half the applicants mention adding a edit/delete button to comments.
Ullaana Jan 15th 2010 9:38AM
You did mean today at 11:59 PM, didn't you?
STARF Jan 15th 2010 9:43AM
I wonder if wow.com takes the odd freelance piece...
Ozzard Jan 15th 2010 12:57PM
No.
Adam Holisky Jan 15th 2010 4:53PM
While all writers are under a freelance contract, we do not accept non-contracted freelance articles at this time.
Mecer Jan 15th 2010 9:58AM
What about a tank columnist? With the advent of the dungeon finder we've gotten a small influx of tank articles, but its lacking focus. "Tanks get faster ques", "Dont piss off your tank", and "ARGH! this pisses me off when DPS do this when Im tanking" (the last being my favorite). Wow.com is a great place to kill time and allow less experienced players glean information and improve their play style/technique. A tanking article (similar to Raid RX), would give young tanks a great route to learning from the experience/mistakes of those before.
Tebla Jan 15th 2010 12:58PM
That's a great idea. I am leveling a prot warrior and I would very much like some sort of primer for leveling. I can go to tankspot or ask the tanks in my guild, but it's alway nice to have another post I can read dedicated to the subject.
Ozzard Jan 15th 2010 1:03PM
It's a good point. It's rather the equivalent of Blizzard's role forums, to complement the class forums. There's a healer (OK, raid healer) column, but no role equivalents elsewhere.
The one article I'd love to see is a role interaction piece, but it's difficult to see who would write it.
"To the tanks: here's how to be nice to a) your healer, b) your melee DPS, c) your ranged DPS.
"To the healers: here's how to be nice to a) your tank, b) your melee DPS, c) your ranged DPS.
"To melee DPS..."
etc.
Each role has its own quirks, ranging from "tanks, please don't drag around or re-orient mobs unnecessarily, us melee DPS are parked behind them for a reason" to "everyone, if you can Death Grip or interrupt a mob into the tank's melee range you'll have a friend for life".
Adam Holisky Jan 15th 2010 5:07PM
This is a good idea and something we'll consider for the future.
mcdingo Jan 15th 2010 9:59AM
I applied. I'm hoping they tell me how far in the process I got. Did they delete it immediately? Print it then make a paper airplane? Or print it, read it, shred it and use it in a hamster cage for tiny poopies.
@swifteye, knowing your lore is great and you sound like you do. But I'm sure they don't want a guy on a phone call constantly bringing up how totally awesome Thrall's cousin Eddy is when they were talking about their family. Unless they want that. Then I can totally fake social tourettes if you hire me!