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eClass: Boot Camp for Journalists

Course is closed.

DURATION/TIME
8 weeks
May 16 - July 11
Online chats: Tuesdays, 9-10 pm EST.

LEVEL 
Intermediate/advanced

ONLINE CLASS INFO
See our eClasses info page. 

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 more 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 critiqued by the 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 7 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:
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history), and a non-fiction writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

The online classroom has several interactive components:
  • Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
  • Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
  • Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend. 
  • Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

Instructor Bio

Jill Hamburg Coplan's Courses

No courses available at this time.

Jill Hamburg Coplan
Jill Hamburg Coplan has been a journalist for 15 years covering beats including money, family, health, and sports. She has worked as a staff writer at New York Newsday, a senior editor of Working Woman, and a newspaper stringer for The Times of London, The San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. She is a frequent contributor to Newsday, Business Week, and Self. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Parents, Glamour, and Martha Stewart Living. Following publication of her article "Track of Dreams" in Bicycling magazine about the dilapidated state of New York's bicycle racing track in Flushing, Queens, the city parks department did a half million dollar renovation, turning it into a top-tier facility. You can view her website at jillhamburgcoplan.com.

Testimonials


My magazine writing class with Jill was marvelous in getting me jump-started: I sold the first piece, a profile, to the London Times Sunday Magazine. Jill was wonderfully helpful with revising the pitch letter, and taught me how to use quotes from the piece within the letter: it made a big difference. I really cannot thank her enough for her help and encouragement, and I'd recommend her class to anyone. -- Dana D. Burnell, freelance writer, film & multi-media

What a wonderful instructor Jill Hamburg Coplan is! She knows what makes a great story, and ensures that everyone understands how to improve their own work. Jill offered professional contacts and her own time outside of class. I haven't found this quality anywhere else." -- Diane Dragan, former student

"Taking Intermediate Magazine Writing was an integral step in my writing career. Jill was informative and encouraging, and the feedback from the other students was great. This class gave me the confidence to pursue both freelancing and a full-time writing gig. And guess what? I got both! After five classes, I secured my first paid freelance assignment, and I am now a full-time reporter for MediaPost." -- Tameka Kee

"Jill Hamburg Coplan has an incredible wealth of experience. The stories of her tenacity and intelligence inspired everyone in class. It was fascinating to listen to her stories of how she built her freelance newspaper and magazine career. She's a great mentor -- she freely shares her wisdom and any useful contacts that she can." -- Jennifer Gandin

"Intermediate Magazine Writing with Jill Hamburg-Coplan was marvelous in getting me jump-started: I sold the first piece, a profile, to the London Times Sunday Magazine. Jill has wonderfully helpful with revising my pitch letter. She taught me how to use quotes from the piece within the letter, which made a big difference. I really cannot thank her enough for her help and encouragement, and I'd recommend her class to anyone." -- Dana D. Burnell, Freelance Writer--Film & Multi-Media

"Jill Hamburg Coplan is a remarkable instructor from every point of view. She is quick to point out the missing links in my pieces, while at the same time giving encouragement well done assignments. She pointed out a better way to approach the theme and tackle it systematically, leaving out nothing important in the text.I feel more confident to undertake freelance work." -- Khalid Umar

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.