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Boot Camp for Journalists

Course is closed.
Boot Camp for Journalists

DURATION/TIME
8 weeks
Tuesdays, 7-10 p.m.
June 20-Aug. 15
(no class on 7/4)

LEVEL
Intermediate/Advanced

LOCATION
West Hollywood, Calif.

MORE INFO
Email learnwest@mediabistro.com, or call (310) 659-5668.

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Let's face it: If you knew you'd still be writing about eraser manufacturing for Pencil News Monthly, covering city council meetings for the Boondock Weekly, or trying to track down a former child star to write a "catching up with" for the Irrelevant Gossip Daily, you would have gone into a lucrative career. You became a journalist because you feel passionate about the truth; there are stories you insist need to be told. And doing a story on the adverse effects of size-8 knitting needles on a yarn-based Afghan doesn't qualify.

Our signature class, Boot Camp for Journalists, has put hundreds of students across the country through a rigorous eight weeks, in which they learn to produce a perfect pitch letter, complete eight saleable assignments, and figure out whom to send them to. Assignments (each under 1,000 words; each due with a pitch letter for it the following week to be read aloud and critiqued in class) include a profile, an exhibition review, a Talk of the Town-style piece, a travel piece, an op-ed, a personal essay, and a business feature. Boot Camp is the perfect opportunity to restructure your career and start writing about the things that matter to you.

Before you apply, consider that this is called a Boot Camp because it is not for the faint of heart—or the short of time. This is a selective, rigorous course that requires a significant time (count on at least three hours outside of class per week, sometimes reporting and writing will require up to 10 hours). However, unlike many classes, you will not have to work on others' pieces outside of class.

In this class, you can expect to learn:

  • How to write a pitch an editor can't turn down
  • How to figure out whom you want to write for
  • Which magazines are easiest to break into and identify which sections are most freelancer friendly
  • How to edit yourself
  • How to manage tight deadlines
  • How to negotiate your contracts

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
A complete portfolio of 8 publishable articles that will impress any magazine editor, the ability to work under tight deadlines, and an understanding of how to achieve the career you started out (or ended up) wanting.

Admission requirements:
To be considered for this class, you must submit a non-fiction writing sample (up to 2,000 words), plus a letter of interest including a work history.

Related Courses

• Magazine Editing 101 – Los Angeles (Class starts August 8)
• Boot Camp for Entertainment Journalism – Los Angeles (Class starts June 20)

AvantGuild* Discounts on mediabistro.com courses are just one of the wonderful benefits of being in AvantGuild, our premium membership program. For just $59 a year, you'll receive instant access to our How to Pitch articles and other premium articles, transcripts from selected seminars and panels, and discounts on virtually everything we do (including eClasses and the Freelance Marketplace)! Click here to join now.