Feature and Magazine Writing
Action, Angle, and Anecdotes
3. Edition November 2012
352 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Short Description
Avowedly practical and concise, instantly engaging and brimming with ideas and expertise, this comprehensive guide to writing - and selling - engaging features in print and for digital platforms is offered in a lively new edition. Fresh material includes new chapters on storytelling for blogs and digital media, as well as updated facts and references throughout. The book maps out the pitfalls standing in the way of success, and provides expert tips on avoiding them. Practicing what they teach, the writing team has ensured this handbook is as entertaining as it is informative and concise as it is comprehensive.
Updated with fresh facts, examples and illustrations, along with two new chapters on digital media and blogs this third edition continues to be the authoritative and essential guide to writing engaging and marketable feature stories.
* Covers everything from finding original ideas and angles to locating expert sources
* Expanded edition with new chapters on storytelling for digital media and building a story blog
* Captivating style exemplifies the authors' expert guidance, combining academic authority with professional know-how
* Comprehensive coverage of all the angles, including marketing written work and finding jobs in the publishing industry
* Essential reading for anyone wishing to become a strong feature writer
* Accompanied by a website with a wealth of resources including PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and Q&As that will be available upon publication: www.wiley.com/go/sumnerandmiller
About the Authors x
PART I: Reading, Writing and Relevance 1
1 What Makes a Story Interesting? 3
2 How to Find an Original Idea 14
3 Strong Angles and Focused Ideas 26
4 Digging Deep for Original Stories 39
5 Talking Pointers: How to Conduct Great Interviews 55
PART II: Taking Your Articles to the Freelance Market 73
6 To Market, To Market: Shopping Your Words Around 75
7 Pitch-Perfect Query Letters 91
PART III: Adding Action and Anecdotes 107
8 Where to Begin: The First 100 Words 109
9 Action, Brevity and Style 123
10 Anecdotes: Mining for Gold 138
PART IV: Different Formats, Different Results 151
11 Briefs: Shortcuts to Publication 153
12 Profiles: Slices of Life 167
13 Writing Nonfi ction Narratives 186
14 Eliminating the Ho-Hum From the How-To 211
15 Making a Timely Calendar Connection 225
16 Writing About Trends and Issues 237
PART V: Exploring Digital Opportunities 253
17 Building a Story Blog 255
18 Long-Form Digital Storytelling 265
PART VI: Preparing the Final Draft 277
19 Advancing Beyond the Slush Pile 279
20 Before You Hit the "Send" Button: A Checklist 293
21 Careers in Magazine Publishing 299
Appendix: Shoptalk: A Glossary of Magazine Lingo 314
Index 325
"It doesn't matter if the student's chosen medium is daily newsprint, a monthly glossy, or an iPad, Sumner's and Miller's approach reinforces the time-tested tenets of feature journalism: make things interesting, well-organized, market-appropriate, and reader-friendly." (Journal of Magazine & New Media Release, 1 June 2013)
"Highly recommended for any student interested in writing for magazines or the Internet." (Cogito Ergo Sum, 20 December 2012)
Holly G. Miller is a working journalist and communications consultant, with bylines in numerous publications including Reader's Digest, TV Guide, and Indianapolis Monthly. She has degrees from Indiana University and Ball State University, USA, and teaches advanced feature-writing classes across America. In addition to writing, ghost-writing, and co-authoring more than a dozen books, she has won awards from Associated Press, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Evangelical Press Association
