GW is after a Head Writer for 40k

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**beast_gts**

Link to job advert

HEAD WRITER (WARHAMMER 40,000)

Do you have experience in creative writing at a senior-level and would like to help inspire Warhammer 40,000 fans around the world?

We have a brand new opportunity for someone to manage and guide a team of writers and editors to achieve their best, turning briefs into amazing stories and rich background material for our Warhammer 40,000 books and box games. This is a senior position for one of Games Workshop’s biggest brands, responsible for setting the vision and narrative for the future of Warhammer 40,000.

As Head Writer, you will ensure all Warhammer 40,000 IP is delivered with a consistent voice, tone and content by ensuring all internally created expressions are of the highest standard and the tools and forums are available to ensure all external content is of the same standard.

You will have overall responsibility for creating and maintaining the internal Warhammer 40,000 IP guidebook, expanding as requests are made from internal or external sources and collating and curating new material as it is generated. You will also create and maintain the character guidebooks for all of Games Workshop’s key Warhammer 40,000 narrative characters, the pronunciation guides for all key Warhammer 40,000 IP terms and the style guide for the writing quality of the Warhammer 40,000 products. You will achieve all of this, by leading collaboration with other studios across the business including Black Library.

Day to day, you will coordinate writing projects from start to finish, ensuring that the work is done to schedule and meets our high-quality standards.

To be successful in this role you will have:

Proven experience in a similar role such as Head Writer, Showrunner, Managing Editor or Content Manager within Print, Video Games, Film/TV industries.
Degree level (or similar equivalent) qualification in English, Journalism or other relevant field.
Demonstrable professional creative writing and editorial experience.
Experience successfully managing a team.
Ability to build and curate a complex IP.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Be a creative and strategic thinker.
Knowledge of the Warhammer 40,000 IP would be a significant advantage.
On top of all this, you’ll be tireless in your commitment to raising the quality of our writing, using your experience of managing writers and editors, and your love of the craft of writing to get the best results. As the Head Writer, your creative judgement will be right at the heart of it all. If that sounds exciting, rather than daunting, we’d love to speak to you!

Working at Games Workshop
At Games Workshop we are looking for people who will do their best to understand the needs of the company and to put those needs first when they are at work. Because of this we believe that what you are like, hence the attitude you show to work and the way you choose to behave is just as important as your skills and experience.

The Warhammer World site is based just outside of Nottingham city centre and benefits from a nearby tram stop and free onsite car parking.

In return for your hard work, you will receive 33 days holiday per year (including public holidays), matching contributory pension scheme up to 7.5%, profit share bonus (subject to GW meeting profit targets) and option to join our Share Save scheme. Oh and let’s not forget, a staff discount of between 25% and 50% on our products!

Other Essential Information
Location: The role is based full time at our headquarters in Nottingham, UK.

Closing Date: Applications must be received by midnight, UK time, on Sunday 13th March 2022.

How to Apply
To apply, please send us a letter or a video telling us why you want this job. This is a great opportunity for you to let us know that you understand what we are looking for.

Please include an up-to-date CV to support your application. When you’re ready, please click apply, below.

**krijthebold**

At last, my time has come.

It's going to be all Snotling stories, all the time from now on.

**Wha-Mu-077**

Wow, a chance to be 40k's first writer.

**lord_blackfang**

Wait, they want an education, skills and experience now? What?

**Olthannon**

I'd be interested to see who they'd get. Based on that job description they are clearly hoping for someone with plenty of experience.

**Albino Squirrel**

Yeah, it's interesting that they're not looking to promote one of their current writers to head writer, they're looking for someone with experience leading a different IP to come in and learn 40k.

**Slipspace**

Olthannon wrote:
I'd be interested to see who they'd get. Based on that job description they are clearly hoping for someone with plenty of experience.

Yeah, the experience they're asking for is really weird unless GW have suddenly massively changed their approach to salaries. Showrunner in the TV industry or Head Writer for video games is a very well paid job compared to what GW are known to offer.

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

They may be advertising with the intent to promote internally anyway (helps keep markets & shareholders happy)

**Geifer**

lord_blackfang wrote:
Wait, they want an education, skills and experience now? What?

It's alright. They still value attitude equally, and don't promise to adequately pay you for all that extra nonsense you're supposed to bring.

No reason to lose your faith in GW just yet.

**stonehorse**

krijthebold wrote:
At last, my time has come.

It's going to be all Snotling stories, all the time from now on.

Enjoy your exalt!

**Albino Squirrel**

Maybe they can get Kathleen Kennedy.

**His Master's Voice**

OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
They may be advertising with the intent to promote internally anyway (helps keep markets & shareholders happy)

That is likely what's happening.

**The_Real_Chris**

Never apply to a junior job that doesn't list the salary range...

**The Phazer**

Slipspace wrote:
Olthannon wrote:
I'd be interested to see who they'd get. Based on that job description they are clearly hoping for someone with plenty of experience.

Yeah, the experience they're asking for is really weird unless GW have suddenly massively changed their approach to salaries. Showrunner in the TV industry or Head Writer for video games is a very well paid job compared to what GW are known to offer.

They are also a very well paid jobs compared to the other jobs in that sentence to be honest. TV showrunner by (at least one) order of magnitude.

I expect that's just a punt tbh.

**Danny76**

His Master's Voice wrote:
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
They may be advertising with the intent to promote internally anyway (helps keep markets & shareholders happy)

That is likely what's happening.

.

It’s 100% this.
All my companies have done it all the time.
However, they could take on one of those external applicants for in the replacement role of whoever they promote perhaps.

**NAVARRO**

Since when any job advert is to be believable content wise?

I mean all the fluff companies add sometimes is just smoke on a very predetermined agenda... Which no one knows about.

**chaos0xomega**

OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
They may be advertising with the intent to promote internally anyway (helps keep markets & shareholders happy)

Also can be a legal requirement depending on what tax incentives and government programs they are taking advantage of.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Albino Squirrel wrote:
Maybe they can get Kathleen Kennedy.

I know this is a poor attempt at humor, but it would be important to understand what the role of a producer (i.e. Kathleen Kennedy) is vis-a-vis what the role of a writer is. Only one of those two roles is actually a creative that would be involved with writing, and its not the producer.

**Pacific**

I have got my first lines submitted to GW already:

Abaddon wakes up, blinking. The Primaris? Cawl? Gulliman coming back from the dead? It was all a dream. He shudders to himself while getting out of bed. But, he can hear the shower running. Wondering who it is, he pulls back the curtain to look. "Ezekiele, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost" says Ursurkar E Creed

**The_Real_Chris**

Pacific wrote:
I have got my first lines submitted to GW already:

Abaddon wakes up, blinking. The Primaris? Cawl? Gulliman coming back from the dead? It was all a dream. He shudders to himself while getting out of bed. But, he can hear the shower running. Wondering who it is, he pulls back the curtain to look. "Ezekiele, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost" says Ursurkar E Creed

**Voss**

Danny76 wrote:
His Master's Voice wrote:
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
They may be advertising with the intent to promote internally anyway (helps keep markets & shareholders happy)

That is likely what's happening.
.

It’s 100% this.
All my companies have done it all the time.
However, they could take on one of those external applicants for in the replacement role of whoever they promote perhaps.

Yeah, might as well disgruntle new employees from the start. 'Hey, we know you applied for the Head position, how do you feel about being a minion level employee instead?'

**Stormonu**

Still a lot of “we hire for attitude” in the bottom half of that advert, as well as weasel words for “don’t expect to get paid a lot - the payment is the joy in doing the work in the first place”

Also, doesn’t sound like a position that will actually do any writing, just editing work and managing other writers.

**Geifer**

Stormonu wrote:
Also, doesn’t sound like a position that will actually do any writing, just editing work and managing other writers.

It's probably what GW needs most, someone with proper oversight. I've not read much of the recent background. I think the Necron Psychic Awakening was the last one. Another writer who produces that kind of "quality" won't make a difference. Somebody who might actually hold the writers to a standard... might. Not hopeful, to be honest. Especially if they end up promoting internally, as so many here suspect.

Still, to be optimistic at least GW acknowledges the need for some oversight. It's a start, if nothing else.

**warboss**

krijthebold wrote:
At last, my time has come.

It's going to be all Snotling stories, all the time from now on.

I'm hoping they will be submitted digitally or with gloves on paper.

**Mr. Burning**

....the style guide for the writing quality....

Please please tell me that the style guide has numerous spelling errors, poor translations, and instruction only barely decipherable through a day 0 Errata.

**drbored**

Wha-Mu-077 wrote:
Wow, a chance to be 40k's first writer.

I snorted. Good one.

**H.B.M.C.**

So... isn't Phil Kelly the head writer for 40k?

**silverstu**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
So... isn't Phil Kelly the head writer for 40k?

I thought that but just checked his twitter- creative lead [Age of Sigmar]. Someone else must have moved/left?

**techsoldaten**

I applied.

Bottom line: difference between a Fry Cook and Head Writer is medium of expression and what you are clogged with after consuming the final product. Both of us get you to part with something rare and precious, it's just a question of whether you place more value on your health or wealth.

**Albino Squirrel**

Andy Clark was listed as the senior background writer for 40k in White Dwarf.

**beast_gts**

Albino Squirrel wrote:
Andy Clark was listed as the senior background writer for 40k in White Dwarf.

And on his Twitter - "Warhammer 40,000 Studio Senior Background Writer".