BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?

Subject: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 11:22 AM

I'm just looking for a little advice. I might be looking for a job, but I've never had a job that didn't involve heavy lifting, so it seems rather an unreal prospect. Reality has never been much of a factor in my decisions, though, so I'm probably going to give it a good shot. Anybody know about this business? Any so-called "alternative" newspapers in your area?

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Mr Red
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 05:38 PM

Well now I have written columns in Folwrite and Somer's Journals for nearly 20 years now. And before that I had a stint writing editorials for an Institution (techie ones not looney ones) magazine.
1) You can check yer facts till the cows come home but errors will happen.
2) What is plain obvious to you can be misconstrued by anyone and only when you go back with their mindset will the ambiguity shreik at you.
3) I love humour (particularly puns) and it was pointed-out by an editor who liked my stuff that she always told people to read it out loud - the jokes then rather fall into place. Beware the "aural" inferrences - unles you spell it out, meanings can fall on stoney ground.
4) Avoid too many me's & I's - the reader might think it is an ego trip rather than communication.
5) Good luck - and good judgement - and then you don't have to be apologetic.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 08:39 PM

Well, thanks. I write fake news, fake advice, fake reviews on non-existant things. But it's still better if I do everything as well as I possibly can, editing, honing, even checking facts to decorate the fiction.                   thanks again, fred

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: LadyJean
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 01:14 AM

I have, honor bright, a BS degree in journalism, from Ohio University.
The mark of a gifted journalist is if you can make a dull story interesting. I was once told to find out why it always rained at the three rivers arts festival, and write about it. I got lucky.
The weather bureau employed a certifiable character, for the purpose of talking to the press. After that, it was mostly a matter of sorting out the good quotes.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: mooman
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 08:53 AM

I do a monthly column for a medical magazine plus other assorted pieces every so often. (perhaps about 20-25 total a year).

I agree with LadyJean. Some of what I write about could be daunting to some readers without specialist knowledge of a particular area so, while remaining factually correct, I try and simplify as much as possible and, at the same time, make it interesting with different approaches and angles. I also sometimes also illustrate my pieces with a created "character" and sometimes do the article from "his" perspective. There are lots of tricks one can use!

Good luck and go for it!

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 10:12 AM

Thanks. I'm wondering a few things--are featured columns usually contractual? How do you work with an editor? I'm just a humor writer, but I don't want to spot-sell things because I think I need to build an identity, have a home.

    When I send things out, should I try to show range, or my most focused collection of pieces? Should I not send too much, do you think? I'm pretty ignorant of the mechanics.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 02:48 PM

Avoid journalism. Pay rates are dropping fast, and newspapers only hire temps and yellowpacks. There are no real promotion prospects. The profession is a sump for creative talent.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 03:14 PM

Fred, where are you?

In the U.S. I would suggest getting a copy of the Writer's Market and look at all of the possible categories you can contribute to. For the journals or newspapers you decide to send to, get sample copies first and verify that your work fits their format and requirements. Check to be sure that they accept freelance submissions. If you're interested in working for them as a regular columnist, then study the publication further and check into their openings. You can do a lot of work via the web and mail these days.

Keep copies of your published work ("tear sheets") that you can send along as samples when you submit an article or a query. Always include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) for all of your materials if you want them back (you can reuse the same tear sheets many times).

Don't sit and wait for an answer from one before you send the next. If you're serious about writing, keep the queries going out. If you write full articles for submission, if they are rejected you can keep submitting them (if they're timely) or reworking them as you wish. Simultaneous submissions may or may not be okay with editors--check the Writer's Market and see what they say. Here are some things about writing for online journals.

If you're writing to places about web publications, then keep copies of the web pages, current URLs, and PDF files of your work if appropriate. Find out how any editor feels about electronic submissions before you try it. I send most things electronically now, but always offer to back it up with a hard copy or a file on disk or CD.

If you're just hoping to get started and need some By-lines, then writing small pieces, reviews, etc. will at least get your name in print but may or may not help with the area you want to work in. Some people find this a step in the right direction.

I hope all of this helps. I have been a writer at this university for 7 years, and before that worked as a journalist at a small newspaper and sold freelance non-fiction articles. PM if you have questions.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 03:16 PM

P.S. Find a local writers' group to join. They can help with many of the answers to your questions for the market in which you live and want to work.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 03:24 PM

I started out asking the local paper, which happened to be the only state-wide paper, to give me a chance at writing articles and/or op/ed pieces for free, for a time. They did and it led to my interviewing some great acts, including the Moody Blues, INXS, Sawyer Brown and others. I also wrote various articles, but my forte was my op/ed column, "A Mind-full Spoken."© That came about as a monthly which they paid me for, but it was really a pittance, which I found out was quite common among newspapers, regardless of one's education/experience, unless of course one was a big name.

My editor got picked up by a national subscription paper, and when I approached them, they said yes, they'd carry me, too, based on his recommendation. So, for a couple of years, I rubbed column inches with the best of the liberal media, imo, such as Molly Ivins, Hillary Clinton, etc. You can see who they still carry at www.liberalopinion.com. The only reason they dropped me is I quit producing when my mom died. I just didn't have it in me, then.

Earlier, I'd approached a few syndicates, but was turned down, mostly because of not enough years of material being published consistently, plus they want YOU to tell them HOW to market you and who your market is, the same as book publishers do these days.

I'd not expect to make anything but pocket change from columns, unless something hits just right and you get picked up by the big guys. The one thing it can lead to is enough to fill a book and maybe get published that way.

The proliferation of so much writing for free on the internet has really made it more difficult to stand out, too, imo. I do have some pieces which have been published on the internet, but I've never pursued anything significant that way.

The best advice I ever received was to start local and go on from there. Good luck and most of all enjoy it!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: M.Ted
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 05:36 PM

If you want to write for actual money, forget journalism, and get into advertising/public relations--You don't need to be particularly creative, just dumb enough to enjoy hacking out brochures, application stories, sell sheets, catalogs and the odd articles and press releases. About half the people who write advertising copy are working on novels, and the other half are songwriters and musicians, so the company is fairly entertaining, as well--

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 07:33 PM

LOL, ya got that right, MTed!

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 09:20 PM

Well, funny you mention that, M.Ted. I do have an aquaintance who makes a great deal of money in advertising. And some of my nicer, friendlier things certainly lend themselves to it. Others lend themselves to some kind of opposite effect. I don't know if I need to make much money, I'd feel oddly burdened.

I do have a pretty good sense of my market, mainly because I'm just tweaking a few veins that are pretty popular. The Onion meets Dave Barry--a little older, a little warmer, more observational humor. But I tend to come up with the material whether I have a job doing it or not, and I've been surprised how well they develop--I just did a mock family newsletter and got drawn into it. And I have some published stuff in some literary reviews that are similar enough. My Frosty The Snowman/Hamlet piece a few years ago was the same kind of stuff. (I'm sure you all saw it.)

I'd forgotten Writer's market lists these things too! Mine last one is years old.

Thanks for the help and advice. The feedback and discussion lends this goofy notion a faint glint of plausibility.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 12:58 AM

Oh, well, ya shoulda said ya didn't care about the money!**bg**

As to Writer's Market, I'd never buy another hard copy. For $29.95 per year or $2.99 per month, you can access the constantly updated online version and also have your own submission tracker page, etc. It's like having a calendar secretary and a brand-new edition every month. Well worth the investment and a better investment, imo, than the hard copy which gets out of date so quickly.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 10:06 AM

Not that I don't care about the money, just not enough to deal with keeping the straight face of advertising. Not that I can't keep a straight face, I just like to pick the moments a little bit.

   Today I'm writing two straight-faced pieces in a combination. Acquiring A Rug, Or A Cat.
Rugs and cats are available in many beautiful colors and patterns, but there are a few things you may want to consider when choosing the right rug, or cat, for you. etc.

Thanks for the tip. I wouldn't have tried the online version without a recommendation. I'm really disappointed by Artsearch online, since there are more jobs in the arts in any local paper than Artsearch lists for the state and region. It's lousy.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 11:09 AM

I've got loads of other good writer's links in my old computer, if you are interested. It's still hooked up to the Internet, so I could get them easily and post them. (I may have already; will have to search.:-)

What's the difference between a rug and a cat?

A rug will lie down and take it.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: M.Ted
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 11:42 AM

Advertising doesn't really place much value on straight-faced business business types-- they like the writers to be "over-the-top"--it makes them seem more "creative", which is what they sell to prospective clients--

Nother thing to remember is that magazine and newspaper freelancers work hard but don't get paid very much--In advertising, you can right the same article for the same periodical and get payed $2000-4000, even if they don't print it--

And best of all, Fred, I can show you how to use that article about rugs and cats to make $10,000, $20,000, or even more!! In your spare time!!! And I'm not kidding, either!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: mooman
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 11:54 AM

I agree with M.Ted's point higher above.

The best, and easiest, money I ever made was writing advertising copy...mainly technical, where there are more possibilities. I got this work through approaching some specialist advertising agencies with my "portfolio" of previous work and my hand was almost bitten off they were so desperate! I almost gave up my regular job for it (and sometimes wish I had!)

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 12:25 PM

Well, I didn't want to admit it, but I made loads more in advertising, too. We had a "pseudo" ad agency back East, had a blast, didn't work very hard, made decent money from conceptual stage to finished product...*oh gawd* how easy it is to slip into it...witness the questionable offer above!**bg**

I did a series of articles for a hospital, based on radio interviews of their docs on various subjects. That was in 1987 or thereabouts, for which I charged $20/hour. I'd be happy with that now!:-)

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 01:01 PM

I haven't kept up-to-date with the Writer's Market, and when I do buy it, I never pay full-price. Every two or three years the folks at Writer's Digest Book Club send around an offer to get it and your choice of several others free if you'll rejoin their book club. I used to buy extra copies as those free books, and give them to friends. I never bought any more books, and they dropped me, until the offer came around again.

This is the kind of book that is good for post-it notes and marginalia. I haven't written freelance for a number of years, so would only investigate the online version if I decided to go back to it. It makes perfect sense that this book would be online. The cross-referencing may or maynot be as easy (or serendipitous) online as on paper. How do you think it compares, Kat? So many things are available through academic subscriptions that I would also check with my public library (or in my case, university) to see if there's a chance that this is one that is free through the school. Probably not, but it's worth a look. [Nope, didn't find it.] There is also another smaller magazine called Writer that also used to include a few good market tips. That one is still published and is available through Ebsco.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: M.Ted
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 01:14 PM

It's not a questionable offer--(even though I used "right" instead of "write")--I make the offer knowing full well that, for whatever reason, no one is likely to take me up on it--

Of course I know why Kat is not overly eager to admit that she did advertising work--for some reason, it is regarded as being a disreputable occupation, particularly in folkie circles.

Over the years, I have had many musicians, particularly(but not exclusively) folk types, approach me clandestinely, explain that they really were desperate for gigs, and ask for secret, evil advertising/marketing/PR tips--

I was never hesitant to share my sure-fire, never-fail, low-cost, easy-to-operate do-it-youself tips--and, with the predicatability of the sunrise, these same folks never did a single thing I suggested, chosing instead to continue falling in their own self-perpetuating spirals of failure--

Not coincidentally, they also continued to complain about not getting any work, not making any money, and not being recognized for their talent:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 02:56 PM

MTed, it's that way amongst fledgling classical musicians, too. I don't know how many times I had to turn down a budding artist when I was promoting my brother. My favourite slogans which we came up with for him were "Composers don't have to be dead to be good," and, "Support American music...it's right on your doorstep." (imagine the cirlce with a TM inside it, for the latter. Can't remember the right key for it.)

I had a lot of fun in advertising and even wrote a Christmas ad for a car dealer's tv spot a couple of years ago, after not having been in adverts for years. A like helping people to "find a better way to say...":-)

Now, about that offer..cats and a rug and $10-20 thou, eh? Word count? From what perspective? For what market? Details, man, details!:-)

SRS, I will never use the hardback, again, as long as it is avaibable online. I had sticky-notes, highlighted passages, etc. in my last hardback and it was a confused mess, PLUS tedious to search through.

The online version has a really great search function, saves your searches if you'd like. One can make a separate file folder for each piece of work and save their likely publishers, editors, etc., which they find through the search, to those specific files. Plus, as I said, one can track each submission. Your info stays on your private pages forever, unless you delete it. I cannot recommend it enough!

Best of all, updates, new pubs. agents, etc. are being added all of the time, new articles, links, etc. so it is always up to date on addresses, what thay are looking for/acepting, etc. Well worth it, imo.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 04:45 PM

MTed I'll take what I can get, guy, but as I mentioned I just find it hard to imagine things I'm not accustomed to. I like good advertising. But I also enjoy really bad advertising I guess. Remember how on Bewitched it seemed like any crazy supernatural mis-hap could be passed off as a brilliant ad campaign?
   Actually that might suit my lifestyle pretty well, now that I think about it....

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: M.Ted
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 06:35 PM

Well, Kat, the first thing is that this is Fred's article, so you've got to get you're own story idea;-)--

The next thing is that you've got to write the article-- then make a list of rug merchants--(make sure they're big and prosperous--and stay away from the hairclub for men type rugs!)


After that, you need a picture of a really great cat on an equally great rug--The next part is particularly sensitive, and worth it's weight in gold, and I'm not going to post it here for just any doofus to take advantage of--but clever advertising folks everywhere know just exactly where this is going--
Once you get a meeting with somebody you ought to be able to come up with enough story ideas to keep yourself busy for the next few months--I could sell them a press release a month, plus four articles over the next year, reprints of the articles, and probably a half dozen brochures on "How to Pick Out A Rug", "Cleaning and Maintaining Your Berber", "Is It Time to Rip Up that Orange Wall-to-Wall Stuff In Your Rec Room?" and a nice little piece called "When Good Cats do Bad things to Good Carpets"--

You ought to be able to get at least 25,000 for all that stuff, and a fair comission on the printing, to boot--and you'd be able to do it all in just a few days a month--

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 10:54 PM

Well. I believe you. In fact, I still work a few days for an antique rug dealer, rugs up to $80,000--how I know how to write the advice. I have 3 cats, but had to research that. In further fact, I've watched my employers work with their ad people, and our ads suck like an electrolux. I think a few might've been "borrowed" without permission from NY shops.

Hm. It's certainly something to think more about. One of the stories that most surprised me in how nicely it came together was based on my daughter's scale model of a cool local restaurant. Her project in itself is awesome--people inside the building are waving, you can read the headlines on the newspapers in the stands outside the door. We photographed her with it and it ran in our newsletter as Local Restaurant Terrorized By Giant 9 Year-Old Girl. (In a surprising series of events last week a local restaurant was uprooted and carried into another space/time dimension for a social-studies project, apparently. Etc.) Maybe I could do such silly things for certain kinds of clients, if I learn about it.

Do any of you mind if I pm you as I pursue things further? I really do appreciate all the response, y'all, I need time to digest it. Thanks! Fred

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 11:14 PM

Where are you living, Fred? Are you going to be working locally or become a virtual citizen of the world, writing for web publications?

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 10:05 AM

I live in Louisville, KY. I'm hoping to get something going here, preferably focused in the hipster-doofus village of the Highlands, which is our little attempt to develop a San Fran sort of feel. (Louisville is very tribal, and I live in a disputed territory. It's the original highlands, germantown, or paristown, depending on who you ask.)

I'd rather write for paper, with perhaps an online version. To me there's something about having paper pages, even if it's just a rag.
I set out a while back to paint portraits, and it's going okay, but I like to take my time--I'm not very business-like about it. There are a couple of local papers I might try to hook up with, but I don't know much about what I'm trying to get into.

   There's nothing sacrosanct about the kind of material I've found I can reliably produce, and I had thought it might lend itself to advertising. But I don't know anything about advertising, and imagine some people actually do. Maybe those people could direct me, if that's how it works sometimes.

It's kind of embarrassing to have this thread going about how I think I can write funny, but, I do think so. I'm not funny, but I can do the tedious work, and I remember jokes and devices forever. It's probably a sad social pathology, and I might as well try to do something with it.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 11:30 AM

There ya go, you have the right attitude and that counts for at least half of anyone's success, imo!

M.Ted, stories I've got a'plenty, just hadn't thought of marketing them in that way. Most interesting! I DO have a gorgeous cat on a nice rug upon occasion.:-)

Fred, no need to feel embarrassed. It's a great thread and we can all learn things from it. Remember Dave Barry had to start somewhere.

Before I forget, I would highly recommend Stephen King's book On Writing. It is very practical and encouraging; not at all about how to write horror stories or any other genre, just good solid advice about writing and what has worked for him. I felt a lot of validation as a writer after reading it.

Have fun!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 03:21 PM

Fred--It's OK to PM me--though It often takes me a day or two to check in here--Also, I'd recommend finding and reading a few "How to Do It" books on advertising--it ain't that hard--and, as you might have guessed, being able to write funny stuff gets you a lot farther than any other credentials--

Kat, this is what PR folks do for a living--truth be told, they often sell the articles to the client first, for a big number, then find a "freelancer" to hack it out, for a small number. As I mentioned above, more often than you'd think, these things never quite make it into print--

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 09:23 PM

Having always done it all myself, I'd never thought of it that way, M.Ted, thanks. Sure would be nice to have someone else doing the selling!**bg**

We had freelance talent which we called on when we had our ad agency, but that was a matter of going out to the clients, figuring out what they needed to market their products, then lining up our talent, including ourselves, in order to fulfill a contract for marketing materials.

Fred, I forgot to say, it's fine to PM me, also.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 11:12 PM

When you hire a big, prestigious PR or Ad agency, you never know who is really going to do the work--

If you are a high prestige client, your most important stuff might get done by the "hot" creative talent, but chances are your stuff is being done an intern named Melvin who is getting college credit, a bus pass for the term, and some quarters for the coffee machine--The agency, of course, still collects their usual, amazingly prestigious fee--

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Sam L
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 11:35 PM

That sounds like things as I know them, M.Ted. Thanks, again.

You're right Kat, this is a good thread. I didn't anticipate it drawing out so much interesting and useful response.

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Feb 04 - 02:29 AM

Eschewing the hoity-toity of a big agency, we were a former college intern and office manager of a smallish one of those, when we flew the coop and started our own, though we were unconventional enough not to call ourselves that. Oh, no, we coined the term, "Creative Network Coordinators" and had lower prices and better quality of work than the one we'd left or the few others nearby.:-) It was a lot of fun while it lasted.

Thanks, Fred. There are a few more I think we haven't heard from, but this has been most enjoyable.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: M.Ted
Date: 08 Feb 04 - 01:58 PM

The way I look at it, if the work is better, why charge lower prices? It's not like they can get the work done cheaper at WalMart;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Feb 04 - 07:54 PM

New kids on the block out to prove ourselves, I guess, M.Ted, at least that was the feeling at the time. The kid was wet behind the ears and somewhat supported by his parents; I didn't need full-time. So, he learned in a laid-back fashion from my past experiences in adverts and media and we had fun. He was so grateful for what he'd learned he sold me a great car, when we split up, for $100 which is still running and that was 1987. He went on to some impressive and successful employment in NYC based on a great looking resume which featured the internship and our little "agency" as prime employment history.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: GUEST,Don Hakman
Date: 08 Feb 04 - 08:35 PM

I always give todays editors a reason to say no.

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/customviolins/bushfoot.jpg

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Cool Beans
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 02:12 PM

For actual jobs, as opposed to freelance opportunities, check out these web sites:
www.journalismjobs.com
www.mediainfo.com (then click on "Classifieds'')
www.aasfe.org (American Association of Sunday and Features Editors)
www.mediabistro.com
Note: Journalismjobs.com and Mediabistro.com both list some freelance opportunities

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 07:33 PM

I'll revive this thread rather than just send a PM since there may be others with the same question.

I've been getting the itch to get back to freelance writing, and have to make some choices. I have already visited the online version of the Writer's Market that Katlaughing recommends, but I have a couple of questions that follow the use of this online resource.

Are those of you who have been writing recently still sending all of your queries as hardcopies, with tear sheets or photocopies of your published work? Have any of the places you work with switched over to accepting email queries, and do they consider PDF files or links to published work in lieu of tear sheets?

Maybe it's just the cool weather that has finally inspired me, but I've been thinking about this for quite a while. I write for a living, but within a relatively restricted environment (a university library). I have a lot of nonfiction that is unrelated to libraries that I'm planning to work on. Last year I was pursuaded by a colleague to contribute to a textbook and spent the winter and spring writing the Chapter from Hell, and for not much pay (it was for a book in a series: my portion covered sports and recreation. Recreation I love to write about; my interest in organized sports won't fill a thimble). I'd much rather write on topics that I am fully interested in and that are much shorter than that. I gave myself the summer to recover from that last adventure, and now that the air is a little crisp I'm ready to get to work.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 08:41 PM

It varies according to the Submissions/Writers' Guidelines at each publication. There are a lot of them which accept electronic queries and submissions, nowadays. If you look through some of the individual listings at Writer's Market, they usually say.

Good luck,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 11:11 PM

Kat--I'm asking partly because I haven't decided if I want to pay for the online version yet, or slug it out with the book a while longer. I haven't yet paid for the subscription with the first month "money back guarantee." I just checked to be sure I still had a viable address for them.

I should also go see if there is any access to this through the databases at school. It's amazing what's available through some of them.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 11:38 PM

Oh, that would be good if you could access it through the school. I think it is far better than the book because it is so up-to-date AND, they add new listings all of the time, which don't show up until the following year in the book, of course. Also, the listings include direct links to each pub's website and has info you sometimes won't find anywhere else.

Good luck,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: mooman
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 04:12 AM

Funnily enough, in 25 years of regular writing I only ever once had a piece sent back for rewriting (rather than for very minor questions or clarifications from the editors). It had some fairly obnoxious comments attached to it about being too liberal and not hard-nosed enough and was from the The Economist Far East Review (heaven only knows why I agree to write what I seem to remember was a brochure for them. I think it was via a design agency). Not my favourite journal at all.

I did not rewrite it and told them what they could do in a manner that Sir jOhn from Hull9 would have approved of. I felt all the better for it, the lesson being that one should always stick to what one believes in!

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: GUEST,laoise feerick
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 10:01 AM

About whether or not to send stuff electronically or sending a hard copy via snail mail:

For a time, I did some freelance agenting to help out a friend. I got into it because I had some bad experiences with my own agents and wanted to know more about THAT end of the Biz. I had also done some work in Sub-rights before that. Well, long story short: although it is often convenient to submit queries and samples via email, you actually should query the individual market, editor or agent first and politely ask them what format they prefer. There are still a variety of preferred submission styles. Get yourself the latest editon of the MLA Handbook too; it can't hurt.

RE: Electronic Submissions:

When I got into agenting, I noticed that many of the submissions I received as attached files in a number of document formats had viruses, hiccups and other snarls embedded in the files along with the intended submission. It got the point where I refused all attached files just to preserve my eyesight and sanity. Most of the folks sending problematic stuff hadn't a clue as to how the file corruptions took place!

One well-established client sending an attached file of his new novel was horrified to find out that there was an EXE program in it that contained a little video snippet of some rather vile porn. You would only see the video snip when you tried to quit the file. Man, that was weird! Other folks just wound up with badly formatted material or gibberish. It was time-consmuing to have to open them all up, see that there was a problem, email the person and request a re-submission...Etc. Etc.

I started asking people to embed their submissions into their emails which quickly became tiresome. I stuck with that for a while because I was only asking for Treatments or chapter summaries. When it came to submitting full length material, we'd agree on a format and which version of the software and they'd send me a disc or CD-Rom. That way, I could pop it in and correct for any formatting errors before viewing. I doubt, however, that editors would want submissions imbedded in email unless they knew exactly what they were getting. I often embed my submissions in email to avoid file corruptions but then I have established relationships with the recipients.

Basic Query Ettiquette:

Generally, when you first approach an editor, they want a standard Query letter which introduces you briefly, discusses your particular expertise in an area and then goes on to summarise your clippings or other published materials that would have any bearing on whether or not you get the assignment. They may or may not then request the actual clippings - depends on your market.

Newspapers usually do like to see the hard copy once you start talking turkey. So...make sure you get actual clippings of anything you do get published. You can then Photcopy them. Editors sometimes want to see a copy of the real thing as opposed to a list of clippings. Another idea, once you have a good number of clippings, recreate them on a web page that has both a summary page and the option to click on the entire article. You can include the link to your clipping file on any correspondence. I liked that when I needed to take a look-see at somebody's work - one-stop shopping.

If you are pitching an idea, best to introduce yourself first, establish a cordial correspondence, get the breakdown on their submission guidelines and then design your actual query/pitch letter specifically with them in mind.

I know it's a great deal of work, but usually if you snag one assignemt from an editor, you'll get another and another. The less effort they have to put into reading your query, the better. Most editors respond with a form letter to a first time query anyway. If you play ball according to their rules, they'll love you for it. You should see the wackadoo crap that editors and agents get! If a query is going to require decyphering skills, it doesn't get read. Also, short is bes - get to the point quickly. Keep in mind, at most larger papers or periodicals, interns do the first pass at unsolicited submissions and queries. (The Slush)


Working for free..at first:

The other Users here who have advised you to offer your services for free at first are not off base. Regional publications, weekly and biweekly publications often operate on deficient budgets. If they can get a couple of pieces out of you for nothing, they'll be grateful and you'll have the clippings. Also, if you don't make unreasonable demands from an editor in terms of their time and energy, they'll be more likely to throw an assigment your way. That means proof your copy carefully, make sure it's exactly how they want it and predetermine what lines can be cut in advance in the event that the editor needs to trim. Better you should suggest what gets cut so that you can preserve the integrity of the piece.

If you enjoy writing and just want to have a little fun while building your clipping file, you should be able to get some assignments in no time. Just establishing your media credentials will often result in you having access to live performances and press screenings. Even if you haven't been assigned to review those things, make them if you can and write your coverage. If a truly outstanding performance takes place, you can pop on over to your editor's office with an already finished piece and say... "This band was so great and since they'll be back in X number of months, perhaps you'd like to look at this review?" You may not get that piece in print, but they'll remember you for the next show.

Also, just having a file of reviews of films and concerts to draw upon can be helpful. Say you know an artist is coming back to the area. You can send them a copy of your last review and let them know you would be available to review the next show in your area. You could politely request that if they like your writing style, they could request you be assigned to the show. That kind of thing. Another great angle is to show up at the smaller clubs where acts that once played stadiums are now playing.

I did a funny piece once on The Bay City Rollers just because I happened to be at the Club Lingerie (which has since closed...oh well.) when their reconstituted line-up played back in '93 I think. Seeing all the 30-something Roller Girls decked out in plaid gave me a comical Tartan-Flashback to the days when my older Sis was a BCR nut. I cooked up a "What ever happened to" type piece, caught up with the band at the next venue and then pitched the finished piece to an editor who bought it. I was able to turn that piece around several times for other markets just by updating it, cutting it down, fleshing it out, and/or making it market-specific. The fact that it was more of a social humor piece than music story helped. Also, having a personal connection to the whole Rollermania thing upped the comedy of it and I retooled it yet again as a lead-in to a piece about the resurgence of Boy Bands.

Be prepared to let your social life revolve around your freelance ambition. Everything you do and everywhere you go is potential fodder for an article. All you need to do is find the market.

My parents coming to visit one December resulted in us going to an event called Los Posadas.. a unique Mexican/Central American Christmas-time ritual. That resulted in a long but funny piece about my Irish-Catholic family being essentially "Strangers in a Strange Land" in a Catholic Church here in LA. Not what you'd expect, but then many people do not know how different the Mass is from sub-culture to sub-culture within Catholicism. That night was inadvertently HILARIOUS. It took me a while to find the right outlet, but when I did, it resulted in other similar assignments.

I am sure there are many such opportunities for humor pieces in your own life. All you have to do is exploit them!

Email me if you like [e-mail].

I mostly write about Language, Folklore, ancient history, crime and other non-fiction topics. I do, however, also cover World Cinema for a few places. I have friends who are regular film and music critics so... I may be able to put you in touch with them if you need better info. Incidentally, while some of my more general interest clippings are now available online, most are not, being too academic in nature or too region-specific. What is there is often just the reference to a title.

Laoise/Lisa Feerick-Pollison

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 11:43 AM

Lisa,

You've certainly posted a good overview for beginners!

One of your points highlights why I asked about file submissions as PDF: it takes the formatted material and locks it into place. It's a type of file that can be a relatively reasonable size, and is one that is less likely to pick up viruses and such (I think).

I don't plan to let freelancing take over my life as you describe. I make a nice living as a writer now, it pays my bills, provides good insurance and retirement. I'm looking at getting back into freelancing as something additional, covering favorite topics that I don't get to write about now, so am mainly looking to update my approach to editors. I haven't stopped making notes to myself about possible article ideas, and now it's time to go back and write a few of those. I have published a lot of scholarly work (read: free) over the years, but I see no need to write anything free for commercial publication. I've been writing for too long to need to do that; my foot's in the door up past my thigh! :-D

Your approach to reviews is interesting. I've gotten a lot of free books by writing reviews, but I hadn't thought about reviewing other stuff, with the exception of some of the parks in the area (part of that interest in recreation that I mentioned above).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: GUEST,Laoise Feerick
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 12:25 PM

Stilly River Sage:

Yeah, well.. I agree about writing for free once you have been making a living writing. I don't do it very much anymore either. I find it's bad for business if an editor finds out you can be had for nothing. However, if I just want to get into a costly show for free, I'll volunteer for the assignment knowing I won't get paid diddly. It's been awhile since I've done that but I can see where I might do it again. Sometimes when I feel very strongly about a subject, I'll do a spec piece and if I get paid, great..if not...well who cares? Generally, you are quite right to be careful about giving away free milk when you want them to buy the cow.

Humor on the other hand, is so subjective that to just establishing your particular approach can require peppering the field with a few choice free pieces. Also, if you suddenly choose to switch topics, as I have a couple of times, you sometimes need to have a few well-timed plants in friendly publications to generate new assignments. Writing freelance is a bit like duck-hunting...you have to send out a few elaborate decoys to lure the real thing in for the kill.

PDFs are great. If you have a fair amount of experience formatting your work that way and your editors aren't total dolts, it's fine. I haven't ever found any stray files in my PDFs. I do still experience great resistance to sending them via an attachment to an email though. Usually that comes from novice small presses and overly rigid editors who do not have an online version of their publication. Most of the foreign film journals do still want a hard copy of my manuscripts but for understandable reasons - they need to be translated or at least retyped into a program that allows for specific notations and accents. Even with the automatic trnaslation programs, most folks still want the hard copy for the ultimate reference. Fewer mistakes that way.

It's been a very long while since I have queried anyone on my own behalf that does only a print version so perhaps PDFs are all the rage now. The younger writers I still represent are often seeking publication in very specialised presses and many of them are operating using crudely patched together software for layouts. They still want the scripts also. E-zines on the other hand, are all fine with PDFs.

As for reviews.. well, they can be good bread and butter income to keep you through lean times. I find it's best to never turn that faucet completely OFF. I'm limited in what I can attend now due to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (a Disabling Collagen Disorder) so my bread and butter reviews are of foreign cinema. I'd much prefer to do Music reviews but here in Los Angeles, there is a surplus of music critics & a bumper crop of up-and-comers who will write free reviews of the edgier stuff. As a result, I stick with what works for me: Crime, Crime, more Crime, folklore, crime, ancient history, Forteana, Skeptical science, Crime, world cinema, archaeology and more Crime. Did I mention Crime?

The less I write for free, the better. My days of peddling Bay City Roller stories for profit are over too! If I can't make a living writing about what I want to write about... well, I can always edit somebody else's poorly written manuscript.

I hope I don't sound cynical. Writing can be a great career if you are willing to just go with it. If you need benefits and a regular paycheck you probably have to do what I did and go into Development. Those who brought up advertising are right on too. Lots of fun in that field and a little more security too. People don't realize just how much writing some fields require. You don't have to be a "Writer" to spend your days writing!

Best of luck to you. If you ever feel the need to go agent-hunting, let me know and I can make some recommendations.

Laoise/Lisa
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: BS: Any journalists/columnists catters?
From: GUEST,fred miller
Date: 11 Sep 04 - 01:01 AM

thanks for refreshing this, and for the new contributions.

SRs--I'm curious what exactly you're writing about, your recent inspirations? I read your posts here regularly, and would like to know.

I'm writing daily as hard as I can, but at the end of the week after pushing, I'm discouraged with my work. I can't write a regular column, or commit to an ongoing gig, because of this problem of sucking. I'm trying to do a book of humour and parody, but that's it. If it works, it works, and I might keep trying, but if not, I'm not in a job with it.

The problem I'm having with humour, or my attempts at it, is it's all in the editing and tweaking. A thing is funny by a hair's breadth, and not if it's presented slightly differently. Charm. Charm is killing me. I'm not a snob, I need an editor, but I can't show people my spittings and drool. Well--you people, here, sure, but not potential publishers. So I'm trying to put the whole thing together with photos and formatting and every comma, no over-used words or phrases near each other (which is hard when you parody daily journalism) and I'm not doing as well as I had hoped. The only thing that keeps me from despair is that other stuff by other people also sucks, and gets along in the world. But can I live by that?
I'm not kidding. I spent a day drawinging newspaper comic characters into a mock-up of the Hollywood Squares game show. I thought it might be funny, these lingering but somewhat washed-up personalities. I don't know, in the end, if it was, funny. Is this how a sane person spends their time?
Another odd thing I'm finding about comedy is that it blows away in the wind. I have to write about something seriously, somewhere in the deal, as a paperweight, or it doesn't hold up. It becomes pathetic. But I don't like to admit to being serious. Therefore, basically, I'm screwed.

The only stuff my wife liked this week were my story leads. Here are some.

   Sleepwalker pees in sock drawer. story pg 37

   Considering marital counseling? It may be cheaper to divorce. Story pg 37

   High-minded principle conveniently abandoned. story, pg 37.

   Time running out for patient awaiting butt-hole transplant. etc.

   Discussion panelist's thoughtful, inward gaze is fooling no one. etc.
   
   Update: Kentucky-native George Cloony is still from Kentucky. Story, etc.

   Last and least:

   Start planning now to be more spontaneous next year.

                                                    fred