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Topic: Accepted to Stiletto Bootcamp...should I step up?
| Author | Message |
| Canadiana | Posted – 10/24/2007 8:57:21 AM | show profile I just applied and was accepted to MB's Stiletto Bootcamp online course which starts this week. It sounds amazing albeit a ton of work. However, the fee @ $475 is a lot to swallow (even with the Cdn dollar being so high -- who'da thunk I'd ever be saying that?!). Has anyone taken the course with fantastic results? Must decide quickly! Thanks for any feedback. |
| Canadiana | Posted – 10/24/2007 10:20:47 AM | show profile Anyone...? Bueller...? |
| Mirage | Posted – 10/24/2007 11:15:17 AM | show profile Doesn't MB pretty much accept anyone who pays the fees to any of their classes? |
| Canadiana | Posted – 10/24/2007 11:19:59 AM | show profile Thanks for the vote of confidence. I don't think so b/c I haven't actually paid the fees yet. |
| MsWebWriter | Posted – 10/24/2007 12:00:02 PM | show profile Took a course -- but not stiletto I took another Bootcamp course and balked at the price tag at first too! But ultimately the experience of sharing my work with other writers (different ages, races, viewpoints, etc.), gaining a few industry contacts and sharpening my skills was worth it. I landed both freelance and a full-time gig after taking the course, and while everyone is different, I think what you get from the course is definitely proportionate to how much effort and energy you put in. Good luck! |
| writesonwater | Posted – 10/24/2007 12:02:20 PM | show profile I took this course and did learn a lot about writing for women's magazines and for magazines in general. I found it a very comprehensive look at freelancing, starting as I recall with the query. I think it depends on your objective ... Are you sure you want to write for women's magazines? Because the key to getting in the door at women's magazines, according to everyone and Stiletto Boot Camp, is generally FOB (front of book) pieces. "Six Ways to ..." - that sort of thing. It's fairly competitive, and that's the way in. Throughout the course, you will write a different type of article each week -- and have it critiqued by fellow students and the teacher. This is helpful only if you have time to do the homework and put your stories up and go through others. I ended up deciding I didn't want to write that kind of insipid stuff, and went another direction entirely with my freelancing. If you have the time to do the work (think at least two hours outside class for each hour inside) then go for it. The good news is that you can try and sell your homework later, so none of that time has to be "wasted." |
| seeattleme | Posted – 10/24/2007 12:36:42 PM | show profile not only that, but if you want to immerse yourself in an utterly unprofessional environment, get labeled as a women's ragazine writer for the rest of your career, get stuck in the pink ghetto, and have your worth based on what you wear and who you know as oppsed to how talanted you are, then yeah, go for the women's mag market. But me, I'd avoid it like the plague. |
| foodlit | Posted – 10/24/2007 12:59:51 PM | show profile If you know you want to write for these markets, I'd do it. I took the food writing class a few years ago, and it was excellent. I learned a ton, and it led to my first sale, and to a continuing contributing food writer gig with a local paper. But, I will caution you that you really do get out of it what you put into it, and I think a lot of people in my class severely underestimated the effort needed. Half of the students dropped out after a few weeks because they couldn't or wouldn't put in the time necessary to do the work and really benefit from it. If you do....then it could be money very well spent. Don't listen to that other negative nelly on the women's market. If that's your interest, you can do very well. A good blog that has lots of tips is from writer Allison Winn Scotch. She writes novels and also has a very successful freelance writing career and writes for many of the women's mags... This is a link to her articles page, and to the right is a link to her blog where she has loads of great info. http://www.allisonwinn.com/articles.html Good luck! Pam |
| Canadiana | Posted – 10/24/2007 2:05:48 PM | show profile Thank you so much! I honestly appreciate your good (and bad) feedback. I admit I love women's magazines! If I could read 'em day and night, I would. However, I also love The New Yorker, GQ, Vaniety Fair, etc. if that makes up for it!? I'm sure it is a ton of work but I believe I'm up for it especially since there is that possible payoff in the end. Thanks again. |
| Mirage | Posted – 10/24/2007 2:34:00 PM | show profile The only reason I mentioned the ease of getting into this course is so you don't feel pressured to sign up right now if money is an issue. They offer this class all the time--just take it whenever it's financially feasible. |
| Mirage | Posted – 10/24/2007 2:46:13 PM | show profile The only reason I mentioned the ease of getting into this course is so you don't feel pressured to sign up right now if money is an issue. They offer this class all the time--just take it whenever it's financially feasible. |
| Canadiana | Posted – 10/24/2007 7:12:11 PM | show profile Oh, okay. Thanks for the explanation, Mirage. I thought you were taking a dig there. But, you know, I really think that they don't accept just anyone especially to the MB intermediate classes. Anywho, an author friend of mine is trying to talk me out of taking the class saying it's basically just a freelancer (albeit a successful one) teaching another freelancer. Hmmm.... |
| Marie | Posted – 10/24/2007 9:01:11 PM | show profile What everyone said about having the time to do the work is critical. And what's wrong with another freelancer (albeit a successful one) teaching other freelancers? As far as this narrowing your scope to women's magazines, plenty of people write for women's mags and other types too. If you have the money and, even more important, the time. take the course. You can only gain. I have not taken an MB long-term course, but I've heard they're good. But again, you really have to do the work. Look at your assignments as pieces you can potentially sell and publish. When I was in J-school, plenty of people were able to sell their homework. Don't see how this is any different. |
| seeattleme | Posted – 10/25/2007 3:33:45 AM | show profile don't listen to the negative nelly"? Okay. Don't. And don't say no one ever told you so when you're pushing the big 35 and considered too old for most of these magazines. There are two exceptions, but both are IMPOSSIBLE to break. ANd read the story in last week's New York. Read the part about women's magazine editors treating every other human being like their the scum of the earth. Or that may have been on Gawker? I forget. Whatever. it rang true.. I'm paraphrasing. I think the actual quote was much harsher. If you love women;s magazines, fine. But the work is often rewritten (you may not recognize your story), the editors are constantly changing their minds about what they want, the revises are brutal, and the pay, compared to the men's magazines, is crapola. And once you're pegged a women's magazine writer, it's tough to break out of that. Do a few pieces for GQ, on the other hand, and you can write for just about anyone. i.e. Robert Draper |
| globetrotter78 | Posted – 10/25/2007 10:58:48 AM | show profile This is a really interesting thread. For all of those against women's magazines, what publications do you write for? Just curious. |
| karen23 | Posted – 10/25/2007 11:17:41 AM | show profile Online vs. in person Wondering if anyone can speak to the online vs. in person courses? I was thinking about an online course, but then wondered if online would be a waste of money. My sked, unfortunately, won't allow for an in-person. |
| foodlit | Posted – 10/25/2007 12:18:01 PM | show profile Karen, My food writing bootcamp was online and it was intense. So much so that half of the class dropped out....I don't think they anticipated that they'd actually have to put as much time and effort into it....but you get out of it what you put into it. See my comments above for more info...I loved it! Pam |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 10/25/2007 1:13:40 PM | show profile If you're freelancing that doesn't really matter. I think I wrote my first article for a national women's magazine when I was 35. --Okay. Don't. And don't say no one ever told you so when you're pushing the big 35 and considered too old for most of these magazines.-- |
| karen23 | Posted – 10/25/2007 1:41:34 PM | show profile Thanks, FoodLit--great to know that class was online and you thought it was well worth the money (and the work!). Did you participate in the weekly chats? One of the reasons why my sked is so complicated is that I will be going to night school 3 nights a week, and that sked completely conflicts with the chat night. Am wondering if it really matters if you cannot participate and if the instructor was emailable/reachable at other times. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 10/25/2007 4:27:15 PM | show profile I don't think they're incredibly picky about getting into the MB intermediate classes - in part because the classes need to make, and in part because if you have any experience at all you can learn something from just about any class, I should think. Who better than just a freelancer (albeit a successful one) for teaching another freelancer? you wouldn't want some dry academic type who didn't have a clue about the real freelance writing world. That was my SBC teacher's strength -- she was teaching from experience. I will say don't take it unless you can put the time in to do the chats and do the assignments and critique the others. It's an important part of learning the stuff -- hands on. I don't disdain women's mags but I think they disdain me! ;) I've never had an editor jump on one of my FOB ideas, although I've been encouraged to keep pitching. I just don't have time to spend much time pitching. then again, many of the FOB pieces seem trivial. My business and general journalism has taken off since I took the course (I do think it helped me, particularly for my in-flight magazine writing) |
| foodlit | Posted – 10/25/2007 4:45:26 PM | show profile Karen, The chats are the most informative aspect of the online classes. I think it's important to participate there as its where you get to interact with the instructor and your classmates. I wouldn't do the class if you couldn't make the chats, I think they're crucial! In my opinion anyway. :) Pam |
| seeattleme | Posted – 10/25/2007 4:56:20 PM | show profile I still have to pay the bills, and write an article for this trash from time to time. So, no, no names. But just about every single one, I'll tell you that. It doesn't realy matter, because the editors are interchangeable: The editor of Cosmo was the editor of Redbook, the editor of redbook became the editor of marie claire, the editor of O was the editor of Elle, the editor of Elle was an editor at Instyle, etc etc. And that's just at the top. Within the ranks, it's just more of the same. New board game, same players, same "rules" of professionalism that get easily disregarded, same groups of galpals giving each other work and the best pay, screwing the rest of us who didn't "come up" with them at (the now defunct) Mademoiselle or whereever the hell. |
| erin14 | Posted – 10/26/2007 4:45:41 PM | show profile | email poster Accepted to Stiletto Bootcamp...should I step up? Hi guys, I work at mediabistro.com in the education department and I wanted to let you know that we actually don't accept just anyone into our boot camp classes. That said, luckily we do have a very talented pool of applicants, and the majority of the students who apply for our classes are entirely qualified. I second what many of the posters have said -this class is a lot of work. If you don't have the time or money, it will run again, but if you are ready for it, the investment does pay off. We've had a large number of our students get published from our Boot Camp courses, (although we don't actively seek out who was published so we have no exact numbers.) If you have any questions, comments, or anything that you'd like to take up with me directly, please feel free to email me at erin (at) mediabistro.com. |
| noname1234 | Posted – 10/26/2007 5:40:52 PM | show profile granitegirl -- just curious: When was the last time you worked on staff at a major women's mag? |
| Rulebook2 | Posted – 10/26/2007 8:56:27 PM | show profile bitter adjective 1. marked by strong resentment or cynicism; "an acrimonious dispute"; "bitter about the divorce" [syn: acrimonious] 2. very difficult to accept or bear; "the bitter truth"; "a bitter sorrow" 3. harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique" 4. expressive of severe grief or regret; "shed bitter tears" 5. proceeding from or exhibiting great hostility or animosity; "a bitter struggle"; "bitter enemies" 6. causing a sharp and acrid taste experience;"quinine is bitter" 7. causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold; "bitter cold"; "a biting wind" [syn: biting] |
