Journos committed to telling the truth about parenthood can land a byline at Babble.com, an award-winning online magazine serving up nitty-gritty, real-talk content.

“[Babble is] the site that we imagine [a mom] reads at night to relax or in the morning,” said senior editorial manager Dara Pettinelli. “It’s where she goes to unwind and connect with her as woman, and not her as mom. Obviously, parents are more than just mom and dad, and that’s really what Babble speaks to.”

For pitching etiquette and editors’ contact info, read How to Pitch: Babble.com.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

New to the freelancing game? Even if writing is your passion, going solo can be terrifying.

First tip: Don’t think of it as “going solo.” One of the most important parts of freelancing is building connections with your fellow peers, writers and media professionals. Don’t be intimidated; there are people who want to help.

In the latest Mediabistro feature, freelance writer Amanda Low advises:

Be professional before you get personal: turn in assignments as early as possible, respond promptly and succinctly to emails, and unless you’ve just lost your fingers in a freak chainsaw accident, don’t make excuses. And for the love of Shakespeare, always use proper grammar and punctuation.

For more tips on pitching etiquette and staying organized, read The Rookie Guide to Freelancing.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

Just when you think you’ve mastered the art of quick, effective visual storytelling, there’s a brand new tool to learn.

The latest tool for journalists to tinker with? Brickflow, a building-blocks type of application you can use in the newsroom that is both super fun and a simple way to enhance your image-based storytelling efforts. Literally, it’s kind of a toy, as its creators liken the process to Legos.

Think of this addition to your storytelling library, built by Hungarian developers, like Storify — only the end result is a square-shaped slideshow rather than a vertical story flow.

Here’s how it works:

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If you’ve skimmed the media-hive headlines this week, there’s every reason to wonder about your career choice. There’s a ‘sad state of journalism’ from a Huffington Post blogger and Cleveland reporters waiting by the phone to see if they have a job. Even The Onion has declared print — and therefore, good ol’fashioned journalism — dead.

I won’t have any of that. Sure, it’s hard to get a job and I can count myself among a slew of writers still waiting to get paid for longform pieces in start-up publications. But it’s all about transitions. (or so I mumble as I refresh my checking account summary, waiting for deposits). There are reasons to be excited about your work.

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