WHEN 8 weeks, Mondays, September 15 - November 17, 7-10 pm WHERE Boston LEVEL Intro PRICE $499 ($475 for ) more info

Course Details

Part lecture, part workshop, this class is designed to give you a professional understanding of both the editing and writing sides of the magazine world. If you're looking to get your start as a journalist -- or expand your freelance options -- this class will take your writing to the next level. Each week, students will 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 also learn how to query a publication, who to call there, and where to pitch.

Sessions of this class will be held at the offices of Boston Magazine, so students will have the complete experience of the magazine process.

In this class, you will learn:

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
Two salable piece and pitch letters to match

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
Wired, Bust, Family Circle, Psychology Today, In Touch Weekly, Time Out New York, Woman's Day, and more.

Admission Requirements
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history).

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Instructor Bio

Alyssa Giacobbe's Courses

As style editor at Boston magazine, Alyssa Giacobbe oversees the magazine's fashion, food, travel, home design, and beauty/ fitness coverage and edits features relating to business, culture, and society. She is a former editor for Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Teen Vogue, and part of the original staff hired to launch the celebrity mag In Touch Weekly. Currently, she is a columnist for Martha Stewart's Body + Soul, a regional editor for Lucky, a consulting editor for Boston Home, Boston Weddings, and New England Travel, and regularly writes for publications including The New York Times, Self, Forbes, and Teen Vogue.

Testimonials

"Alyssa Giacobbe is a seasoned media expert who very candidly described her journey through glossy-land, in a really fun, relaxed, and informative way. What I came away with was a sense that there is a writer's community out there trying to do what I'm doing, and plenty of bread crumbs for all of us to share on our publishing journeys." -- Vallerie Malkin Freelancer Writer Newport, RI

Alissa was absolutely superb. An A plus instructor. This course was better than journalism graduate school! She is extremely intelligent, informed, dedicated, and kind, providing very detailed and up-to-date information about the business. The course was also great fun - not only does she provide terrific information and advice, but also she is very engaging and lively. As a result of her teaching, I got 2 assignments: An article in the music section of Timeout New York, and a travel assignment on Oman for Time And Country Travel. Alissa is simply the best! This course was worth every cent. I cannot recommend her courses more highly. -- Sophie Powell