Although I've worked as a copy editor and researcher for years, I wasn't sure how to properly pitch ideas to editors of other magazines. Thanks to James, I now know the proper way to propose stories. He provided great comments on my articles and gave me the impetus to submit my ideas for publication. -- Kathleen Kent, freelance publicist

"I have been writing for several years, but after taking James' class I felt that I could take my writing to the next level and pitch to bigger publications. Since completing the class I have landed travel pieces in The New York Times, Out Traveler, Flaunt, Clear, and Genre and logoonline.com. -- Cator Sparks

"James is a great instructor, mainly because of the things he doesn't do?he doesn't hold your hand, he doesn't tell you everything you do is good, he doesn't have any corny, touchy-feely advice on writing; he's just a smart, well-spoken guy who knows what he's talking about and can answer your questions. This was by far the best class of its kind that I've taken. " -- St. John Frizell, copy director, Bon Appetit

"I had just read about the seminar. On instinct, I grabbed a last-minute flight from Portland, Maine, so I could attend. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. His teaching style, like his writing, is unpretentious and dramatically effective. What a rare gift! In one fell swoop, James clinched the aspects of the business that I thought I knew, and opened my eyes to all that I did not know. Thanks to the way James filled in the nooks and crannies, pitching perfect proposals to major magazines no longer seems like a daunting, haphazard gamble. I'm eternally grateful." -- Pat Friedman

"James Sturz is fantastic. He pulls no punches and holds no hands. He lets you know when you've got something and when you don't. He teaches a course for the writer driven to break into travel writing, not for the dilettante looking to explore a new style. If you want to become a travel writer, consider this course your first journey." -- Ethan Todras-Whitehill, freelance writer and web designer