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Boot Camp for Journalists

Let's face it: If you knew you'd still be writing about eraser-manufacturing for Pencil News Monthly, covering city council meetings for the Boondock Weekly, or trying to track down a former child star to write a "catching up with" for the Irrelevant Gossip Daily, you would have gone into a lucrative career. You became a journalist because you feel passionate about the truth; there are stories you insist need to be told. And doing a story on the adverse effects of size 8 knitting needles on a yarn-based afghan for Quilting Bee Quarterly doesn't qualify.

Our signature class, Boot Camp for Journalists, has put hundreds of students across the country through a rigorous eight weeks, in which they learn how to produce a perfect pitch letter, complete eight saleable assignments, and who to send them to. Among your assignments (each under 1,000 words; each due with a pitch letter for it the following week to be read aloud and critiqued in class) are 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.

Boot Camp is the perfect opportunity to restructure your career and start writing about the things that matter to you. Before you apply, consider that this is named a Boot Camp because it is not for the faint of heart (or short of time). This is a selective, rigorous course that requires a significant time (count on at least three hours outside of class per week, sometimes reporting and writing will require up to 10 hours). However, unlike many classes, you will not have to work on others' pieces outside of class.

In this class, you can expect to learn:

  • How to write a pitch an editor can't turn down
  • How to figure out whom you want to write for
  • Which magazines are easiest to break into and identify which sections are most "freelancer-friendly"
  • How to edit yourself
  • How to manage tight deadlines
  • How to negotiate your contracts

By the end of class, students can expect to have:
A complete portfolio of publishable articles (including 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) that will impress any magazine editor; the ability to work under tight deadlines; an understanding of how to achieve the career you started out (or ended up) wanting.

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).

Instructor Bio

Katherine Marsh
Katherine Marsh is the senior editor of the Washington City Paper. In her freelance career, she's written profiles, features, news stories and personal and critical essays for a variety of publications including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times Magazine,the Washington Monthly, Good Housekeeping, Legal Affairs, US Weekly and the Washington Post Magazine and Style sections, among others. A graduate of Yale University, Marsh broke into narrative magazine writing after cornering the Rolling Stone managing editor at a lecture and selling him on a piece about the rock-and-roll ministry of Jay Bakker, son of the disgraced Jim and Tammy Faye. She went on to work as a contributing editor at Rolling Stone for two years, writing on such topics as Washington, D.C. intern culture, college activists visiting Nicaragua and coming out in a fraternity in Nebraska. She offers guidance on honing pitches, the art of the sell and working with editors as well as on how to hook readers with lively and insightful narratives.


Testimonials


"Katherine Marsh is one of the most daring reporters I've worked with as an editor at Rolling Stone. She writes incredibly persuasive pitches, and then actually comes through with what she promises. She approaches her sources with magic charisma, doesn't relent until she has the full story, then tells it with flair. She makes my job easy!" —Erika Casriel, contributing editor, Rolling Stone


"Kate Marsh is a strong reporter and a graceful writer, with a distinctive voice. In fact, some of her most appealing stories focus on the people and issues that have captivated her generation. Kate has written on an impressive range of subjects with humor and insight. She knows how to sell a story to an editor, how to get the story and how to present it in an original way. In person, she is articulate and charming...a natural teacher!" —Evelyn Renold, senior deputy editor, Good Housekeeping


"Boot Camp for Journalists with Kate Marsh really jump started my career. I walked in as a struggling freelancer, overwhelmed with what seemed like a complicated 'members only' system of pitching ideas and publishing stories. I walked out armed with a series of strong pitch letters, several good articles, and a lot more confidence. Kate really taught me how to write pitch letters that will peak an editor's interest. She has a genuine desire to help you publish your work. And there's nothing more inspiring than sitting in room filled with talented writers, all discussing your work and providing invaluable advice on how to market it. As a result of Boot Camp for Journalists, I've published an article in the Washington Post, and I have one forthcoming in Washingtonian magazine. Both have more than reimbursed me for the cost of the class!" —Jamy Bond, freelance writer and editor


"Kate's professionalism and experience, both as a journalist and a teacher, made this class immensely useful. Kate was very generous and helpful in providing insider advice about the craft of writing and the game of publishing. I learned much more than I ever thought I would." —Lisa Gschwandtner, newsletters editor, CAI
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