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Boot Camp for Journalists

A reporting and writing class that will transform your portfolio

Course is closed.
Boot Camp for Journalists

WHEN 8 week, Thursdays, October 18 - December 13, 7-10 pm

WHERE New York (Downtown and Soho)

LEVEL Intermediate/Advanced

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Congratulations! You've got a clip or two -- now you want more, in bigger, better publications, with bigger, better paychecks.

Each week, you'll push yourself to research, write, and pitch a new piece. Classes will begin with your instructor's lectures, but will primarily be devoted to workshopping student writing. Lecture notes, handouts, reporting and writing tips, and examples will guide you outside class. By the end of eight weeks, you'll have a new portfolio of work and a new set of skills.


Assignments include a service/how-to piece, an arts and culture review, a profile, a metro section piece, an editorial, a business/news article, a personal essay, and two pitch letters.

In this class, you can expect to learn:
    • How to write a pitch an editor can't turn down
    • Which magazines are most freelancer friendly
    • How to edit yourself and manage tight deadlines
    • How to work with editors so they'll want to work with you
By the end of class, students can expect to have:
A complete portfolio of 7 publishable articles that will impress any editor, the ability to work under tight deadlines, and the know-how to create the career you want.

Admission requirements:
Students must have at least one published article. Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history), and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

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Instructor Bio

Helaine Olen's Courses

Helaine Olen
Helaine Olen's essays, reviews, and articles have been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Salon.com, AlterNet.org, and numerous other print and online publications. Her contribution to The New York Times' Modern Love column The New Nanny Diaries are Online is one of the most controversial and widely discussed essays in the series. She co-wrote Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding and Managing Romance on the Job which was dubbed "The Rules for the office" by The New York Times. Her contribution to the recently published anthology The Maternal Is Political was cited by Publishers Weekly in their review of the book. You can view more details at her website, www.helaineolen.com.

Testimonials


Helaine was generous with advice and anecdotes, and she offered valuable information. Her take on different kinds of forums for writing was intelligent, and her advice to participants on specific works and submissions made me wish for a longer workshop . -- M-J Haronian

"I would like to thank Helaine so much for her help. I learned an enormous amount from the class, which has given me the confidence to pursue freelance work." -- Pauline Pechin

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