Interview: Post Horn PR
Last month, at some late hour Monday night, I was scrolling through Twitter before bed (pro tip: never do that) and saw a tweet from Javy Gwaltney announcing Post Horn PR, his pro-bono initiative to help indie game developers with PR. What an awesome idea! It not only helps indie devs with navigating the media landscape and getting their game seen for the affordable price of zero dollars, but also helps PR professionals perhaps gain new skills, continue practicing existing skills, and even have room to experiment with new communications tactics.
Here’s the full interview with founder Javy Gwaltney and publicist Kaitlyn Red Wing:
Tell us about Post Horn PR! Why did you decide to start it?
Javy Gwaltney: I was one of the folks focusing on indie coverage at Game Informer and it was always sort of despairing to see a great game come out and not get the attention it deserved -- often because it had no PR support. So after some experience with Tara Bruno PR, I thought maybe I could put some of my newly acquired skills and knowledge (as well as bits I picked up working in media) to good use. I’d get some experience working with indies, and they’d get a little more support than they would have otherwise for free.
What was surprising to you in regards to the reception and response following the announcement of Post Horn PR?
Javy: A lot more people were interested in the initiative than I assumed, both on the volunteer and dev side. The inbox was chock full of requests from both during the first week. Unfortunately, we can’t accept all requests from developers simply because sometimes a game needs more development time before we can do anything to assist with presenting it to the public. But even those folks I tell them to come back a few months down the line to see if there’s anything we can do to help once the game’s getting closer to launch.
Kaitlyn Red Wing: Jumping in here as one of those volunteers. As soon as I saw what Post Horn PR was about, I knew I wanted to help out. There’s so much talent out there and I have a deep respect for indie developers making games—especially right now—and I wanted to help them out in any small way that I can. There’s no shortage of indie games so I’m only surprised we haven’t been completely overwhelmed with inquiries yet.
You just recently launched Bird Alone. What was your biggest takeaway from your first Post Horn PR campaign?
Javy: People like birbs. Joking aside, I think Bird Alone’s reception is yet another piece of proof that there is an audience out there for experiences that are conceptually on the fringe but are earnest in the themes they pursue and well-designed. I saw Bird Alone and knew immediately that if they didn’t have PR that I wanted us to rep it just because that game deserved to find an audience, so I reached out to the developer, George Batchelor and we banged out a press blast and code distribution all within three hours of him announcing the release. It was hectic but I hope we helped that little game get some more eyes on it. It’s so lovely.
Kaitlyn: Seriously, even if you don’t love birds, this game deserves all of the love and adoration out there and I’m so glad that Javy and the team were able to get this game out there so quickly. With the state of the world right now, a comforting game like Bird Alone is exactly what people need right now and I’m glad we get to be a small part of that.
What advice do you have for indie developers about PR?
Javy: You never have as much runway as you think you do, so try to make the best of it for both development and telling your people about your game. As you’re developing, try and work with your PR person to stockpile assets and ideas for pitches to the media outlets and content creators.
Try your best to exercise patience and strategy over spur of the moment impulses. It’s often tempting for indies to finish their game and then boot it out the door, proclaiming it exists, and hoping for the best. I gotta tell you, I’ve seen a bunch of people do that, and it rarely works out. Sometimes it does, especially if you’ve got a strong community backing you pre-release, but that’s not most developers. If you’ve got a charming adventure game or a tough-as-nails Metroidvania nearing release, put in the effort or get someone to help you (like us!) prepare for release.
Don’t let a review code email be the first time IGN or Rock, Paper, Shotgun or Kotaku or whomever has heard of your game. I think the best thing we do with our skills over at Post Horn is trying our best to make that possible and put these creative titles from talented developers in front of outlets and creators who can give a game the attention it deserves.
Kaitlyn: I couldn’t agree more to everything Javy said. There’s so much more to PR than sending review codes out and with an overwhelming number of games being released on the daily, those emails can get buried. What we can do is help you not only clearly define what makes your game special, but getting it to the right people and helping foster those relationships with people who are going to not only be interested in your game, but you as well.
Something that’s special about indie games is not only the game itself, but the people behind the game and the journey it’s taken them to get their game where it is now. Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself and that journey as well.
Lastly, a lot of times it helps to have us as a fresh set of eyes; especially when you’ve put your entire heart and soul into the game you’ve made. Having a PR team to come in and provide unbiased opinions on what works well and what needs work and improvement before launching can help you in the long-run – this applies to not only your game but your website, social channels, etc.
Can anyone get involved with Post Horn PR? What should a person interested in joining the team do?
Javy: We’re actually full up on volunteers right now but we’ve got a lot of developers still seeking services, so I don’t imagine that will be the case for long. If you’re interested in helping out, please just shoot an email to posthornpr@gmail.com and we’ll jot you down for future consideration!
Kaitlyn: Plus we have a pet Slack channel – so really, why wouldn’t you want to join?
For more about Post Horn PR, visit posthornpr.com.