WHEN 8 weeks, January 28 - March 25 Online Chats: Wednesdays, 9-10 pm EST WHERE Online. Click here for information. LEVEL Intermediate PRICE $499 ($475 for ) more info

Course Details

From Glamour to Good Housekeeping, women's magazines are among the most lucrative and high-profile markets, which is why this is one of our most popular classes. In this intensive workshop, you will learn how to wow editors with the stories they want (and need).

Each week, you'll produce a different story, each a type of article which is a mainstay at women's magazines. You'll also workshop pitch letters, editing them to perfection to ensure they get read by the editors of your dream publications. Your goal in this class is to send articles out immediately after workshopping them. The pieces that you will complete usually include a short service piece, a Q & A, a quiz, a personal essay, a long service piece, and a human interest piece (an "as told to" or narrative).

In this class, you will learn:

• How to write in the voice of the magazine in which you want to be published
• Which editors to pitch stories to
• Which sections of the magazine are easiest to break into and most "freelancer-friendly"
• How to write perfect pitch letters
• How to find sources
• How to rewrite and self-edit
• How to network in the industry

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete portfolio of publishable articles that will impress any women's-magazine editor.

• 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.

Stiletto Boot Camp (PDF) View a sample syllabus for this class here

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Instructor Bio

Cara Birnbaum's Courses

Cara Birnbaum's essays and articles have appeared in Vogue, Elle, O, The Oprah Magazine, Allure, Glamour, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, Marie Claire, Women's Health, and New Jersey Monthly, among other publications. She reports on a wide variety of subjects ranging from food to arts/culture to health and beauty, which means she's as comfortable investigating the latest advancements in dermatologic laser surgery as she is chronicling a night inside a five-star restaurant kitchen. One recent assignment, for O, the Oprah Magazine, recounted her six-day trek around Peru's Ausangate peak.

Cara is the author of the book Universal Beauty (Rutledge Hill Press, 2006), for which she interviewed dozens of Miss Universe titleholders, past and present, about their beauty rituals. She's currently collaborating with dermatologist Jeffrey Dover on a skin care book called The Youth Equation, scheduled to be published by Wiley early in 2009.

Testimonials

Cara's class was so helpful! She offers great tips in an honest and constructive way. She helped us polish our pieces and was willing to share her own contacts with us. I'd recommend her class to anyone! -- Jessica Wozinsky

"Cara's feedback was very helpful and insightful. She always offered fresh, informative answers to our questions." --Diana Kell