Anime journalism might not be as much of a moonshot as I thought. After your huge response to my interview with Lynzee Lamb, I knew I had to keep these coming. And as it turns out, professional anime journalists really do exist! (Do you know one or are you one? I’m definitely looking for more people to interview.)
Today’s interview is with L.B. Bryant, another industry professional whom you might know as @otakureview. I asked him the same questions I asked Lynzee, but his answers show that no two anime journalists are alike. Bryant shared his daily routine, his favorite part of being a journalist, and his advice to fans who want to do the same.
Otaku Journalist: Tell me about your current jobs. Where do you work for a living?
L.B. Bryant: Currently I’m the Content Director for Ani.me, an associate editor on Japanator and a manga reviewer for ICv2.com.
How does that break up into a typical day or, if easier, week?
A typical day goes like this for me: I wake up between 7-8 am and spend an hour or so drinking coffee and waking up. Between 8-9 am I am scanning the headlines of various blogs and websites looking for news to write about. Between 9-11am I am working on articles and planning out the posting schedule for the day. Eleven to 12 is lunch. From 12-2pm I am back to work on articles, reviews, features and whatever else I need to get done. From 2 pm on I am watching anime DVDs or simulcasts depending on the day and which ones I need to have done for a review or a podcast.
I typically TRY to stop working around 4:30 pm but that doesn’t always happen. In fact it rarely happens. It’s not uncommon to find me watching anime that I have to review or working on articles all the way into the evening.
Did you have to learn Japanese in order to report on anime news?
I taught myself how to read hiragana and katakana but I’m not even in the vague realm of fluency so no.
What are the best parts about being an anime journalist?
Interacting with readers at conventions or even in the comment sections of the articles I write.
On the flipside, what are some sacrifices you’ve had to make?
I wouldn’t say that I’ve had to make any major sacrifices though I do occasionally have to forget about having a social life because I have to get ‘one more article’ written or work on watching an anime/reading a manga because I have a deadline approaching.
What is your advice to fans who want to become journalists?
Write. Every day. Doesn’t matter if it is a personal journal entry, a news article, a review or a shopping list. Just make sure that you’re always working on your writing skills so that you can be the best that you can be.