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Boot Camp for Journalists

Course is closed.

DURATION/TIME
8 weeks
Tuesday
July 12-September 6
(No class August 23)
7-10 p.m.

LEVEL
This class is taught at an intermediate/advanced level. Students must have at least one year journalism experience.

LOCATION
SoHo

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Let's face it: You didn?t become a journalist to cover city council meetings for the Boondock Weekly. You became a journalist because you feel passionate about the trade; there are stories that need to be told and you know that you?re the one to tell them.

Our signature class, Boot Camp for Journalists, is the perfect opportunity to restructure your career and start writing about the things that matter to you. This class has put hundreds of students across the country through a rigorous eight weeks, during which they complete seven salable articles, learn how to produce a perfect pitch letter, and learn how to start selling their work to their dream publications. Assignments usually 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.

In this class, you can expect to learn:
  • How to write a pitch that an editor can't turn down
  • How to figure out which publications are best for your articles, which are the easiest to break into, and which sections are the most freelancer-friendly
  • How to write articles that will make an impression
  • How to edit yourself
  • How to manage tight deadlines
  • How to negotiate 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 create the career you want.

Admission requirements:
To be considered for this class, you must submit a non-fiction writing sample (up to 2,000 words), plus a letter of interest including a work history. 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 rigorous course that requires a significant amount of outside work (count on at least three hours of reporting and writing per week).

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

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