DURATION/TIME 8 weeks, Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m. June 14-Aug. 16 (no class 7/5) LEVEL This class is taught at an beginner/intermediate level. Students need only have an interest in pursuing a journalism career. LOCATION West Hollywood, Calif. MORE INFO Email learnwest@mediabistro.com, or call (310) 659-5668. PRICE $499 ($475 for ) more info

Course Details

Just because you didn't go to journalism school doesn't mean you can't have a career in magazine writing. In fact, the process of pitching and writing doesn't require any experience. But it does require knowlege. In this intensive course, you'll learn everything from how the magazine industry works, how to let the market work for you despite beginner status, and how to get your work published. Part lecture, part workshop, this class is designed to give you a professional understanding of both the editing and writing sides.

The goal of this class is to get you writing about what you want to write about for the magazine for which you'd like to write in just 8 weeks. Each week, students receive a lecture on topics like the editing process, journalism ethics, what makes something newsworthy, note-taking, fact-checking, reporting, and more. Over the course of 8 weeks, you will fully workshop two pieces, including a perfectly polished, no-fail pitch letter. Your work can range from personal essays to profiles, from news stories to business or travel features. You'll learn how to query a publication, who to call there, which part of the publication to pitch to.

In this class, you can expect to learn:

• All the issues you need an understanding of to immerse yourself in a journalism career
• How to create captivating stories that editors will buy and readers will love
• How to write compelling pitch letters
• What the table of contents in a magazine means to you
• Which magazines will be interested in your story
• How to approach editors
• How to network
• How to understand the market and detect changes
• All the basic skills any journalist should have

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
Two salable pieces, pitch letters to match, and knowledge enough to survive in the world of journalism.

Instructor Bio

Kenneth Miller's Courses

Kenneth Miller is the senior staff writer for Reader's Digest. A former senior editor at Life and People, he has freelanced for those and many other publications. Over the past two decades, he has covered environmental, cultural, medical and human-interest stories from Iceland to Peru. His work has appeared in Time, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Elle, Discover, Salon.com, LA Weekly, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Ken has been a finalist for a National Magazine Award, and his honors include the John Bartlow Martin Award for Public Interest Magazine Journalism and the Wilbur Award for religious reporting.

Testimonials

Ken was a wonderful instructor. He offered specific examples and tips from his background as a freelance writer and a magazine editor. He also provided valuable insight and helpful critiques of my pitch letters and articles. -- Allyson Collins, science writer

Anybody who wants to write for magazines should take Ken's class. It's the missing link between being a good writer, and being a good writer who knows how to get published in magazines. Ken thoroughly outlined every step of the process, from idea through paycheck. He told us precisely what to do, what to say, and what to expect." -- Katherine Kopa, freelancer

"Ken's class gave me a newfound awareness of the magazine writing process -- from idea to finished product. Ken's experience as an editor at People magazine also helped me gain insight into how to develop a good rapport with magazine staffers." -- Eliana Amzallag, freelancer

"This is one of the best pithcing classes I've taken. Ken approaches pitching from a variety of angles: practical tips, structure of the pitch itself, and the emotional/psychological barriers one must work through. He's inspiring!" -- Kelly Hayes-Raitt

"I walked away from Ken's class with invaluable information and more relevant knowledge and career-applicable skills than I learned in an entire year of college. If you want to know the ins and outs of the business from someone who has worked in it then you MUST take this class!" -- Koren Saenz