A few questions and answers from the session....
Is who makes the most money really the best way to choose how you'll spread coverage around?
-- Sweet: Obama is a hometown guy; some candidates got more coverage than they deserved because they were interesting, etc.
There's not enough decoding of what is actually meant (should be done by reporters). There are not enough voices of color giving analysis or commenting (to give context like this).
The majority of top reporters covering politics at news outlets are white men over 50, says Jodi.
What do you read, watch, listen to, or not?
Felice: Loves Maureen Dowd, the Politico
Lynn: Mike Allen's Playbook at Politico, The Page (an aggregated site that looks at what moves the day), CBS/ABC aggregates, NYT, Wash Post, Chicago Sun-Times, and the links on her blog. She doesn't pay attention to one on one interviews. She needs places giving lots of information synthesized.
Beth: Mike Allen's Playbook, CNN, NYT for general coverage and Slate's XX Factor
Ann: Michele Cotta from the Republic, Rebecca Traister at Salon
Can the Obama campaign sustain the interest and energy?
Yes, they can sustain the energy, but will the young people who have mobilized for him really vote?? That's the question, said Beth. Lynn Sweet: Term Obama uses is "intensity gap" -- they say they're ahead of McCain. Palin revs up Repubs the way Obama has done for the Dems.
Places like the Politico don't have the same resource base as the old media institutions -- are there going to be journos covering political campaigns in a new media world? What's our strategy to keep the journalism in the campaign?
Beth said they're doing partnerships with papers like St. Paul Pioneer Press and Denver Post. Also launching Politico network -- content and ad revenue sharing program that will launch on Tuesday. It all has to do with marketing and advertising. Can't see advertising is our enemy.
Showing posts with label workshops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workshops. Show all posts
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Quality Campaign Reporting?
Best predictor was the money collected in the first quarter of the election primary. Two Dems were ahead of everyone else: Obama and Clinton. That shaped coverage, said Sweet.
Is that how life should be?
Money chase meant two candidates could expand -- have local offices, etc. -- can't fault press for paying attention to who's getting paid (or donations). Plus, the Media found coverage could be a marketing decision: put Obama or Clinton on a cover and you'll sell issues.
There was no superstar Republican candidate.
Frerking:
She felt the sexism when she started covering the Hillary campaign. There were people on the bus who she had respect for that said they don't believe sentimental moments at all. People didn't believe the now-infamous teary eyed moment in the coffee shop during Clinton's campaign.
All political coverage is more complex than we think.
Ann Friedman:
Having women in the race has made a difference in getting a female voice onto larger platforms. That's important and points to the stats that say when women run, more women vote.
Is that how life should be?
Money chase meant two candidates could expand -- have local offices, etc. -- can't fault press for paying attention to who's getting paid (or donations). Plus, the Media found coverage could be a marketing decision: put Obama or Clinton on a cover and you'll sell issues.
There was no superstar Republican candidate.
Frerking:
She felt the sexism when she started covering the Hillary campaign. There were people on the bus who she had respect for that said they don't believe sentimental moments at all. People didn't believe the now-infamous teary eyed moment in the coffee shop during Clinton's campaign.
All political coverage is more complex than we think.
Ann Friedman:
Having women in the race has made a difference in getting a female voice onto larger platforms. That's important and points to the stats that say when women run, more women vote.
Beth Frerking: Speed is of the essence
It's huge, Frerking said.
Pace for The Politico is relentless. And is essential. Good thing is that with the bloggers, they are transparent. (Edwards deciding whether to stay in the race or not, a Politico blogger got a bogus tip. Read about it here. But the blogger, Ben, also was transparent about what he did wrong.)
Go behind the curtain. Tell us what's behind the curtain. Interesting convos about politics happen when reporters go to lunch and talk about what's REALLY happening on the campaign trail.
We should be telling those stories.
Pace for The Politico is relentless. And is essential. Good thing is that with the bloggers, they are transparent. (Edwards deciding whether to stay in the race or not, a Politico blogger got a bogus tip. Read about it here. But the blogger, Ben, also was transparent about what he did wrong.)
Go behind the curtain. Tell us what's behind the curtain. Interesting convos about politics happen when reporters go to lunch and talk about what's REALLY happening on the campaign trail.
We should be telling those stories.
Lynn Sweet
The travelling press often gets advance information for "planning purposes."
"There is nothing that happens at a fully blown national campaign that isn't done for their purpose."
A lot of what you see and hear on a daily basis from the campaign comes from pool reports. (Apparently, however, not Lynn. Yesterday, she was writing a story -- she's the primary Obama reporter -- as the rest of us were eating dinner.)
Candidate is not accessible every minute when you are traveling with them. Special service agents were all around Obama early on.
"There is nothing that happens at a fully blown national campaign that isn't done for their purpose."
A lot of what you see and hear on a daily basis from the campaign comes from pool reports. (Apparently, however, not Lynn. Yesterday, she was writing a story -- she's the primary Obama reporter -- as the rest of us were eating dinner.)
Candidate is not accessible every minute when you are traveling with them. Special service agents were all around Obama early on.
Election Roundtable
Here's what we're supposed to be talking about:
"Hear election coverage stories from JAWS women on the front lines and back in the newsroom. What's it like to be on the road with the candidates? What have the media covered well/poorly? How does coverage of this campaign compare to that of campaigns past?"
Moderator: Jodi Enda, vet political reporter and freelance journalist/program planner, Knight Center for specialized journalism
Beth Frerking -- Asst. managing editor, Politico
Ann Friedman -- Deputy editor, The American Prospect
Felice Belman -- Editor, Concord Monitor
Lynn Sweet -- Washington Bureau Chief, Chicago Sun-Times
Felice is telling us about what it's like to be at the center of election coverage, here in New Hampshire. The editorial board was split for a long time, so they called Clinton in, then later Obama, and then Bill Clinton came in. Obama then called and said, "hey, do you want Michelle's cell phone number?"
Early on, there are also lots of missteps by the candidates. Denis Kucinich refused to eat any food from a vegan potluck because, as Felice said, "he was persnickety." This is what they do when they think no one is looking?
"Hear election coverage stories from JAWS women on the front lines and back in the newsroom. What's it like to be on the road with the candidates? What have the media covered well/poorly? How does coverage of this campaign compare to that of campaigns past?"
Moderator: Jodi Enda, vet political reporter and freelance journalist/program planner, Knight Center for specialized journalism
Beth Frerking -- Asst. managing editor, Politico
Ann Friedman -- Deputy editor, The American Prospect
Felice Belman -- Editor, Concord Monitor
Lynn Sweet -- Washington Bureau Chief, Chicago Sun-Times
Felice is telling us about what it's like to be at the center of election coverage, here in New Hampshire. The editorial board was split for a long time, so they called Clinton in, then later Obama, and then Bill Clinton came in. Obama then called and said, "hey, do you want Michelle's cell phone number?"
Early on, there are also lots of missteps by the candidates. Denis Kucinich refused to eat any food from a vegan potluck because, as Felice said, "he was persnickety." This is what they do when they think no one is looking?
Sahar Sarshar gave us some tips on how to tell stories of international women -- locally and globally
- Get to know the culture you're covering and show them that you care and understand their everyday life --- then find the stories that will inspire and motivate them.
- Research is key.
- Take what you present to your audience seriously
- Find stories that can work across cultures and bridge the gaps across the globe.
Sarshar showed us a 30 second clip of an animation bumper VOA created for the Iranian New Year that showed a woman, Ms. Spring, who is so magical she can make the sun shine and flowers bloom with a snap of her fingers.
Here is the Web site for Voices of America.
The women in Paola's book are her partners
She asks them their most interesting stories, interviews them in their first language and only works with women interpreters.
She records all of her interviews, transcribes the work and forms the chapter, and then sends the draft back to the partner in the other country and asks them to correct facts, spelling, etc.
That process has yielded some changes, but surprisingly, not many fact changes, she said. She also has the publisher give the women a copy of the book and allows non-profit organizations to use the photographs she uses in the books.
"it's an interesting collaborative system that really works for this type of project," she said.
She asks them their most interesting stories, interviews them in their first language and only works with women interpreters.
She records all of her interviews, transcribes the work and forms the chapter, and then sends the draft back to the partner in the other country and asks them to correct facts, spelling, etc.
That process has yielded some changes, but surprisingly, not many fact changes, she said. She also has the publisher give the women a copy of the book and allows non-profit organizations to use the photographs she uses in the books.
"it's an interesting collaborative system that really works for this type of project," she said.
Paola Gianturco has written a number of books about women's issues and their triumphs
Celebrating Women
Women who light the dark
Viva Colores
She's telling us about her travels -- and the stories in places like Zimbabwe,, Vietnam and Morocco where women use poetry to bring attention to childhood rape, who use puppets to talk about issues of domestic violence and a theatre group that showed illiterate women the impact of new laws that helped to ensure women were treated the same way as men, respectively.
Celebrating Women
Women who light the dark
Viva Colores
She's telling us about her travels -- and the stories in places like Zimbabwe,, Vietnam and Morocco where women use poetry to bring attention to childhood rape, who use puppets to talk about issues of domestic violence and a theatre group that showed illiterate women the impact of new laws that helped to ensure women were treated the same way as men, respectively.
Honor Killings
Lois Raimondo is showing us photographs from her story on honor killings.
A man gouged out his wife's eyes and sliced off her nose because she wouldn't give him a divorce. Raimondo was at the courthouse when the woman went to trial against her husband. The man, in chains, is shown smirking in one of Raimondo's photos.
His response to how he felt about what he'd done?
"She offended my honor, so I 'm proud of what I did."
The police he was with patted him on his back.
The story ran on the front page of the Washington Post (I'm trying to find the story online) and Raimondo said she felt sick about it and wanted to tell a story about the complexity of honor killings and the people involved.
A man gouged out his wife's eyes and sliced off her nose because she wouldn't give him a divorce. Raimondo was at the courthouse when the woman went to trial against her husband. The man, in chains, is shown smirking in one of Raimondo's photos.
His response to how he felt about what he'd done?
"She offended my honor, so I 'm proud of what I did."
The police he was with patted him on his back.
The story ran on the front page of the Washington Post (I'm trying to find the story online) and Raimondo said she felt sick about it and wanted to tell a story about the complexity of honor killings and the people involved.
International Panel
Good Morning!
The first of two morning panels is about to get underway here at the JAWS Fall Symposium. The session, an international panel, will discuss how "international issues are being covered at home, how hard it is to pitch international stories related to women, women reporting overseas and how to find -- and best tell -- the untold stories of women overseas."
The panelists are:
Peg Simpson, freelance writer from D.C.
Paola Gianturco, documentary photographer, author
Lois Raimondo, staff photographer The Washington Post
Sahar Sarshar, videographer for voice of America, and video/radio for the Iran chanel.
We're having a little trouble getting all of the technology in the conference room set up, but things should begin shortly.
The first of two morning panels is about to get underway here at the JAWS Fall Symposium. The session, an international panel, will discuss how "international issues are being covered at home, how hard it is to pitch international stories related to women, women reporting overseas and how to find -- and best tell -- the untold stories of women overseas."
The panelists are:
Peg Simpson, freelance writer from D.C.
Paola Gianturco, documentary photographer, author
Lois Raimondo, staff photographer The Washington Post
Sahar Sarshar, videographer for voice of America, and video/radio for the Iran chanel.
We're having a little trouble getting all of the technology in the conference room set up, but things should begin shortly.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Live blog! Breaking Into Major Magazines
This promises to be an informative, not to mention popular, workshop. As it's my first attempt at a live blog, I will do my best to hit the highlights! Panelists are Mary Kay Blakely, associate professor for magazine journalism, University of Missouri; Barbara Jones, deputy editor, More magazine; and Julia Kagan, health director, Ladies Home Journal. Alicia Shepard, ombudsman, National Public Radio, and author of "Woodward & Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate," is moderating. Be back in 5!
Something new! If you meet someone at a cocktail party three times, it's called a New York Friendship.
So we're starting off with a little role-playing, a fun way to communicate a key message: work your connections!!!
Make sure you read at least three past issues, know the voice of the magazine, and look at the different departments of the publication (this is courtesy of an in-the-know audience member...this place is crawling with in-the-knows!)
Barbara says look at the sections of the magazine to see if they take freelancers, especially those looking for "real" folks.
(The aforementioned in-the-know is Katherine Lanpher, New York-based writer/broadcaster/author. Met her last night. One word: dynamo.)
Some magazines pay a research fee when they ask for more information. How much, asks Jennifer L. Pozner (WIMN). Barbara says it's what they have available.
How passionate are you about a story? Are you willing to take a risk to get it published (i.e., going to a lower-paying publication). That will tell the magazine that they should take a risk on it.
Julia says often they want proposals, even from frequent contributors, because of all the eyes it has to go through on the masthead.
Alicia asks about waiting to hear back after presenting a story. Barbara notes we're in a changing landscape. The editor-in-chief is trying to make decisions, and they're fluid, plus it has to go through a train of editors. "We don't know if your proposal is going to survive the storm."
Barbara: An editor-in-chief of a magazine is no longer the EIC of a magazine; she's the EIC of a brand. That means less time for the publication. And when she has to read 100 pages a night, that adds up. IMPORTANT: If you become a pest, asking about your proposal over and over, the editor will get tired of you.
Question: What is the definition of a pest? Julia says if you haven't heard in a month, it's OK to send an e-mail. A nice, friendly, short e-mail. Do not harrass the nice editors. They feel guilty about not having more time!
Mary Kay: Don't think of yourself as a pest. Think of yourself as a person giving this editor an opportunity at compassion. Guilt is a powerful tool for a writer to use (just like motherhood).
Did you know? Do not make telephone pitches, so sayeth Julia. Alicia: Be warmly aggressive and professionally persistent.
Question: How do you protect yourself from having your ideas stolen? (And yes, it does happen, Barbara says). The more detailed the pitch, the more protected you are. There also could be multiple pitches on the same idea, so it may not be thievery.
(What do Ludacris and Kanye West have in common? Very accomplished moms who manage their careers. Who knew?)
Part II: Alicia's fake scenario proposal is accepted. What next? Julia says you get a contract. Look at if they pay on acceptance or publication...if it's the latter, it could take years (ew). Question: can you negotiate the payment? Julia says you can ask, but sometimes it's a policy written in blood.
Barbara: Be as clean as you can with contracts. You make the decisions about what you risk, and don't. If you have never written for the publication before, be safe for yourself but don't be a pain in the butt. Be reasonable about your demands, whether it's money or copyrights. Consider asking for 50 percent if you're waiting a long time for acceptance.
Mary Kay: Kill fees are unfortunately still with us in the freelance business. She asks if they're still doing North American rights? Contracts today want you to sign away rights to all publications, those existing and possibly in the future, in the universe! Don't be afraid to tweak contracts to protect your work (because who wants to see their byline in Alien Monthly in 2087? Not me.)
Alicia's fake story is accepted. Now it's fact-checking time. Julia wants all your notes, tapes, etc. Every fact has to have a source, preferably more than one, and those sources should be prepared to get a call from a fact checker. Question: Do the notes, etc., get returned. Julia says yes, but check with magazine. Katherine says some recent contracts wanted complete transcripts of tapes (double ew).
Barbara has regular writers who do their own transcription. That's gold, baby! Gold! She also has arranged for writers to have their tapes transcribed by someone else, but these are veteran contributors.
Question: Do magazines expect interviews to be recorded? Julia says it depends. If it's a prominent source, like Nancy Pelosi, tape it. She might be tough for a fact checker to track down.
Alicia asks what should be in the e-mail subject line? Julia gets 500 e-mails a week, and spends hours cleaning it out. Make sure your pitch does not get mistaken for a PR pitch. "Pitch from writer/and a strong interesting line here" (And yes, having JAWS in the subject line gets her attention!!)
Or "Katherine Lanpher send me" (but only if she did). Avoid Read Me, etc. You'll get pitched.
Wanna know how far ahead these women work? Julia is planned through March, so looking for stuff for next April. Same with Barbara. They're working on early next year editions now. (Wow.) But they do accommodate timely stories.
What do you do if you don't have an in-the-know to get you in the door at a magazine? Julia says look at the news holes in the magazine, and those features done regularly by outside contributors. Barbara says offering up an area of expertise and good writing can invite attention. Find a niche and master it. And good writing doesn't hurt. Mary Kay says offering a new view on an old subject (like diets) are great. Holiday stories are always good hooks, but get your pitch out early. Sell yourself. Funny, moving personal stories are enticing.
Key tip: Write a compelling first paragraph in your pitch. Having a niche or beat is also good, because they know you'll be an expert and can flesh out a story.
Q&A begins! Q: What are you looking for in a pitch? Julia: Strong voice. Barbara: If it's an essay, the essay.
Q: Can you pitch multiple stories along the same subject for different publications? Barbara: This happened recently (More published the same story, by the same writer, as a major weekly magazine), and now that writer is mud. Probably a good idea to stay with publication until the piece is done. But she doesn't think anything is wrong with pitching to multiple publications (and don't say that in your pitch!) Julia says most publishers would disagree with that. But if you get a positive response to a query, take it, and be honest with the other publications you've pitched. Bottom line: Get your foot in the door, however you can. (And you heard it from Barbara...white lies are occasionally OK).
www.fij.org help fund freelance journalists. Book proposals, stories, etc. Check them out!
Q: What stories are you missing, and what stories are you tired of? Barbara is good with Uganda for a while. Steer clear. Julia is done with hormones, but can handle lots of stress. Barbara is looking for a memoir, but your competition is stiff. And check out the small bits (opinions, rants, personal essay, etc.) at the front of her magazine. "We welcome voice. We want women's voices." Oh, and if you're younger than 40, you'll only have a shot at features where there's no photo. Sorry 20- and 30-somethings!
Responds Katherine: "More isn't for women 40 and under, but ha ha, everything else is!!"
Barbara adds that in the book world, youth is king. (And there's less fact-checking, says Katherine.)
Q: If a version of a story that has apperaed in a local paper or magazine, can it be resold? Julia would prefer it to be new, but a national version isn't out of the question.
Q: A freelancer asks about marketing yourself and managing your business? Mary Kay says freelancers spend about half their time marketing. Try and turn a few successful stories into a regular feature with that publication. Also pitch ideas that can be piggybacked into a book or screenplay or regular stories.
Q: What does it take to become a contributing editor? And when you pitch to two different places, how bad do you look if you have to back out of one agreement? Barbara says if two editors are fighting over your piece, that's good. Take the action and see what happens. In women's magazines, most contributing editors aren't getting any money for it. You'll get some assignments, though that may not be a contracted thing. And it's a way to keep a writer from going elsewhere, in some cases.
Something new! If you meet someone at a cocktail party three times, it's called a New York Friendship.
So we're starting off with a little role-playing, a fun way to communicate a key message: work your connections!!!
Make sure you read at least three past issues, know the voice of the magazine, and look at the different departments of the publication (this is courtesy of an in-the-know audience member...this place is crawling with in-the-knows!)
Barbara says look at the sections of the magazine to see if they take freelancers, especially those looking for "real" folks.
(The aforementioned in-the-know is Katherine Lanpher, New York-based writer/broadcaster/author. Met her last night. One word: dynamo.)
Some magazines pay a research fee when they ask for more information. How much, asks Jennifer L. Pozner (WIMN). Barbara says it's what they have available.
How passionate are you about a story? Are you willing to take a risk to get it published (i.e., going to a lower-paying publication). That will tell the magazine that they should take a risk on it.
Julia says often they want proposals, even from frequent contributors, because of all the eyes it has to go through on the masthead.
Alicia asks about waiting to hear back after presenting a story. Barbara notes we're in a changing landscape. The editor-in-chief is trying to make decisions, and they're fluid, plus it has to go through a train of editors. "We don't know if your proposal is going to survive the storm."
Barbara: An editor-in-chief of a magazine is no longer the EIC of a magazine; she's the EIC of a brand. That means less time for the publication. And when she has to read 100 pages a night, that adds up. IMPORTANT: If you become a pest, asking about your proposal over and over, the editor will get tired of you.
Question: What is the definition of a pest? Julia says if you haven't heard in a month, it's OK to send an e-mail. A nice, friendly, short e-mail. Do not harrass the nice editors. They feel guilty about not having more time!
Mary Kay: Don't think of yourself as a pest. Think of yourself as a person giving this editor an opportunity at compassion. Guilt is a powerful tool for a writer to use (just like motherhood).
Did you know? Do not make telephone pitches, so sayeth Julia. Alicia: Be warmly aggressive and professionally persistent.
Question: How do you protect yourself from having your ideas stolen? (And yes, it does happen, Barbara says). The more detailed the pitch, the more protected you are. There also could be multiple pitches on the same idea, so it may not be thievery.
(What do Ludacris and Kanye West have in common? Very accomplished moms who manage their careers. Who knew?)
Part II: Alicia's fake scenario proposal is accepted. What next? Julia says you get a contract. Look at if they pay on acceptance or publication...if it's the latter, it could take years (ew). Question: can you negotiate the payment? Julia says you can ask, but sometimes it's a policy written in blood.
Barbara: Be as clean as you can with contracts. You make the decisions about what you risk, and don't. If you have never written for the publication before, be safe for yourself but don't be a pain in the butt. Be reasonable about your demands, whether it's money or copyrights. Consider asking for 50 percent if you're waiting a long time for acceptance.
Mary Kay: Kill fees are unfortunately still with us in the freelance business. She asks if they're still doing North American rights? Contracts today want you to sign away rights to all publications, those existing and possibly in the future, in the universe! Don't be afraid to tweak contracts to protect your work (because who wants to see their byline in Alien Monthly in 2087? Not me.)
Alicia's fake story is accepted. Now it's fact-checking time. Julia wants all your notes, tapes, etc. Every fact has to have a source, preferably more than one, and those sources should be prepared to get a call from a fact checker. Question: Do the notes, etc., get returned. Julia says yes, but check with magazine. Katherine says some recent contracts wanted complete transcripts of tapes (double ew).
Barbara has regular writers who do their own transcription. That's gold, baby! Gold! She also has arranged for writers to have their tapes transcribed by someone else, but these are veteran contributors.
Question: Do magazines expect interviews to be recorded? Julia says it depends. If it's a prominent source, like Nancy Pelosi, tape it. She might be tough for a fact checker to track down.
Alicia asks what should be in the e-mail subject line? Julia gets 500 e-mails a week, and spends hours cleaning it out. Make sure your pitch does not get mistaken for a PR pitch. "Pitch from writer/and a strong interesting line here" (And yes, having JAWS in the subject line gets her attention!!)
Or "Katherine Lanpher send me" (but only if she did). Avoid Read Me, etc. You'll get pitched.
Wanna know how far ahead these women work? Julia is planned through March, so looking for stuff for next April. Same with Barbara. They're working on early next year editions now. (Wow.) But they do accommodate timely stories.
What do you do if you don't have an in-the-know to get you in the door at a magazine? Julia says look at the news holes in the magazine, and those features done regularly by outside contributors. Barbara says offering up an area of expertise and good writing can invite attention. Find a niche and master it. And good writing doesn't hurt. Mary Kay says offering a new view on an old subject (like diets) are great. Holiday stories are always good hooks, but get your pitch out early. Sell yourself. Funny, moving personal stories are enticing.
Key tip: Write a compelling first paragraph in your pitch. Having a niche or beat is also good, because they know you'll be an expert and can flesh out a story.
Q&A begins! Q: What are you looking for in a pitch? Julia: Strong voice. Barbara: If it's an essay, the essay.
Q: Can you pitch multiple stories along the same subject for different publications? Barbara: This happened recently (More published the same story, by the same writer, as a major weekly magazine), and now that writer is mud. Probably a good idea to stay with publication until the piece is done. But she doesn't think anything is wrong with pitching to multiple publications (and don't say that in your pitch!) Julia says most publishers would disagree with that. But if you get a positive response to a query, take it, and be honest with the other publications you've pitched. Bottom line: Get your foot in the door, however you can. (And you heard it from Barbara...white lies are occasionally OK).
www.fij.org help fund freelance journalists. Book proposals, stories, etc. Check them out!
Q: What stories are you missing, and what stories are you tired of? Barbara is good with Uganda for a while. Steer clear. Julia is done with hormones, but can handle lots of stress. Barbara is looking for a memoir, but your competition is stiff. And check out the small bits (opinions, rants, personal essay, etc.) at the front of her magazine. "We welcome voice. We want women's voices." Oh, and if you're younger than 40, you'll only have a shot at features where there's no photo. Sorry 20- and 30-somethings!
Responds Katherine: "More isn't for women 40 and under, but ha ha, everything else is!!"
Barbara adds that in the book world, youth is king. (And there's less fact-checking, says Katherine.)
Q: If a version of a story that has apperaed in a local paper or magazine, can it be resold? Julia would prefer it to be new, but a national version isn't out of the question.
Q: A freelancer asks about marketing yourself and managing your business? Mary Kay says freelancers spend about half their time marketing. Try and turn a few successful stories into a regular feature with that publication. Also pitch ideas that can be piggybacked into a book or screenplay or regular stories.
Q: What does it take to become a contributing editor? And when you pitch to two different places, how bad do you look if you have to back out of one agreement? Barbara says if two editors are fighting over your piece, that's good. Take the action and see what happens. In women's magazines, most contributing editors aren't getting any money for it. You'll get some assignments, though that may not be a contracted thing. And it's a way to keep a writer from going elsewhere, in some cases.
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