Raph Koster – Self-promotion for game developers:

“If you do not take your field seriously enough to study it, and try to know everything about it, and try to add new knowledge and understanding to the field, then you probably shouldn’t be self-promoting.

[…] You will earn respect for being honest enough to admit mistakes. It will not harm your standing at all. […] You will learn more about those mistakes from writing about them, and that will make your own work better.

[…] Odds are very good that well over half your career will be “dark matter” — stuff that will not be seen by the public. So those parts that are seen matter more than you think.”

[…] Say “we” not “I.” Because it’s almost always the truth.

[…] Have your own website, and have a portfolio of some sort on it. Ideally, the website’s domain is your name. […] Slideshare and its widgets will be the detritus of history in fifteen years. Post/host copies of everything you can on your own site.

[…] Get comfortable with public speaking. Develop a sense of humor if you haven’t got one. Be very good at demoing. […] Your marketing dept will start asking for you because devs with these skills are rare and valuable.”

(Via Patrick Durusau.)