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There’s a world of publishing opportunities available to food writers in print, websites, blogs, and review sites. The key is knowing where to look for assignments and how to make the most of opportunities.

In this intensive class, we’ll review online and print publications where you can pitch your work –- and how to land assignments that will get attention from foodies. You’ll learn the anatomy of a successful food piece, how to conceive of story ideas, and how to create a portfolio. We’ll discuss steps to build authority in the food writing community, including creating a food blog or website, and how doing so can leverage your personal brand.

Students will leave class with the confidence to kick-start their food writing career and a complete portfolio of articles.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Create a portfolio to showcase your work and build name recognition
• Read a food magazine or website with a critical eye
• Draft a pitch that gets an editor’s attention
• Adapt your writing to different platforms
• Position yourself as an authority

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete portfolio including a news product, interview, profile of a food personality, restaurant roundup, travel piece, and food blog entry.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
The NY Daily News, The Boston Globe, Time Out NY, the Village Voice, Relish, Vegetarian Times, Clean Eating, Edible Queens, and more.

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You’ve mastered writing and editing for publications. But can you crop and resize photos, navigate a content management system, or understand what makes a great user experience?

Thanks to improvements in computer software and content management systems, you don’t have to be a web developer or tech person to create dynamic digital content. Through assignments and discussions, you will learn how to think past the written word and create content that is multi-dimensional and editorially relevant, uses the web to its full potential, create stories that have social media campaigns built in, and increases your value as an employee.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Navigate and create content in a basic Content Management System, such as WordPress
• Crop, resize, and optimize photos, create graphics, and enhance static text through basic HTML/CSS
• Understand what makes a user-friendly website and how to create UGC contests that maximize and enhance your social presence
• Know which web technologies to follow and which to ignore
• Measure effectiveness and revenue potential through traffic and user engagement analytics

By the end of class, you will have:
A thorough understanding of how to conceptualize, articulate, and execute digital content that enhances your site’s editorial mission and is technologically sound.

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This course will take you through the process of outlining, writing, editing, and submitting a children's picture book. Through weekly writing assignments, you'll master essential craft elements including plotting, outlining, and crafting a narrative arc.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Write in pictures
• Use techniques for hooking readers and editors
• Practice the science of making language sing
• Understand why editors like to choose their own illustrators
• Apply the nuts and bolts of marketing a manuscript

By the end of class, you will have:
A completed picture book manuscript, along with a cover letter for sending it out.

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Learn how to maximize the impact Twitter can have on your business or personal brand. You’ll gain practical, hands-on knowledge about how to build your Twitter presence and engage in relevant conversations shaping your industry. We’ll cover essential skills including how to filter out the noise and focus on meaningful dialogue that’s appropriate for your business. We’ll demonstrate how to build audience by writing tweets that will get retweeted or shared with new groups of people. We'll also  review proven Twitter techniques for yielding conversions into page views and actual sales.

You'll learn how to review analytics to measure your success, use hashtags to direct conversations, and optimize your tweet schedule to make sure you’re reaching your followers when they’re listening.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Brand yourself on Twitter using a keyword-rich bio, an authoritative tone, and a meaningful strategy
• Optimize your follower count and increase your targeted audience
• Dissect the anatomy of a successful tweet
• Use TweetDeck, HootSuite, and other services to manage your tweet schedule
• Integrate your Twitter strategy with Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms to maximize web presence

By the end of class, you will have:
A well-crafted Twitter presence, a strategy for understanding and increasing your audience, and an in-depth understanding of the techniques that make Twitter a powerful social media tool.

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Great public speakers aren't born; they're trained.

In the first part of this course, we'll focus on nuts-and-bolts tips and techniques for becoming a more confident and competent public speaker. In the second part, students will be assessed on their abilities to apply the learning to specific presentations and coached to address areas of improvement.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Captivate and engage an audience
• Use "Power Periods" and oral techniques to project competence
• Walk, gesture, and position your body to convey strength
• Interact with displays, notes, and PowerPoint presentations
• Come up with customized ways to improve your own personal public speaking style

By the end of class, you will have:
The skills to speak confidently and with authority to engage any audience.

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The sitcom writing experience is different from any other type of creative writing. This intensive weekend course is for writers without professional television experience who want to learn how it's really done.

This class will recreate the authentic experience of a professional writer's room to give students the feel of what it's like to work in the television industry. Students will collaborate on creating individual half-hour scripts for a current television sitcom. Everyone will be encouraged to participate, pitch ideas, and punch up jokes. There are no bad ideas.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Think, talk, and self-edit like a television writer
• Write collaboratively and brainstorm
• Understand the tone, style, and themes of a network or cable show
• Successfully pitch new ideas
• Write your episode synopsis

By the end of class, you will have:
Hands-on experience with the sitcom writing process, a solid beginning of your script, and techniques to make your writing stand out to agents, studios, networks, and executive producers.

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You've had a great idea for a screenplay for years. Now's your chance to write it.

In this course, you'll work with like-minded classmates and veteran Mediabistro instructor D.B. Gilles (author of The Screenwriter Within and NYU Tisch professor) to finish and workshop a complete draft of your screenplay.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Develop the three-act structure of screenwriting
• Enhance your storytelling abilities and create drama in every scene
• Format and structure your screenplay
• Create effective, memorable characters
• Market your screenplay when it's finished

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete first draft of your screenplay.

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Travel writing is a conduit to other genres, from food and art to politics and technology. The skills and experience you'll gain covering travel can be applied to any writing project you take on.

Throughout this class, we'll extensively workshop your pitches and articles, and you'll finish with a series of solid pieces ready to sell.

With the guidance of James Sturz, Vanity Fair staffer-turned author, students will dissect the anatomy of travel pieces, from travel-related news items to service round-ups to personal essays. Each week, you’ll produce an article and pitch letter, and will be expected to investigate unfamiliar neighborhoods, seek out experts in the field, and demonstrate the highest levels of research and reporting. Students will have the option to create a travel blog or website showcasing their work.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the rules of reporting, interviewing, and finding sources
• Know what travel editors look for 
• Find travel story ideas and pitch them successfully
• Turn one trip into dozens of story ideas
• Know where to pitch outside of travel publications

By the end of class, you will have:
Two salable travel pieces and pitch letters.

This course generally requires a commitment of at least eight hours a week of outside work.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Marketing, Ad Copywriting, and Social Media Marketing.

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If you don't come up at the top of a search, your audience may never find you.

This course will teach you how to use SEO and search marketing, social media, and digital outreach methods to drive traffic to your website. You'll also learn how to optimize your sites for search engines and how social media exposure and links can leverage more exposure on Google and other search engines.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the difference between SEO and SEM
• Determine the most important factors of search rankings
• Report on web traffic and keep your website code clean
• Reach out to bloggers and other webmasters to have them link to your site
• Manage SEO and social media projects

By the end of class, you will have:
An understanding of the factors that can get your website to the top of search engine results, and how to use social media and search marketing to drive traffic to your website.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Project Management and Social Media Marketing.

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The words project management are cropping up on job listings, as companies need dedicated overseers to keep complex projects on track. Knowing the skills and processes that successful project managers use can help you get your next job or move ahead in your current role.

In this course, you'll learn how to successfully manage an existing project or new product launch from conception to completion. We will cover the creative, analytical, and organizational skills you need to connect the dots between different departments and keep projects on task.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of a project manager
• Oversee new product development from conception to execution
• Create specs, wireframes, and other key project management documents
• Collect feedback and implement improvements based on analytics, beta and A/B testing, and focus groups
• Manage an existing product or project

By the end of class, you will have:
Hands-on experience creating project management documents using Microsoft Project and Visio, and an understanding of best practices used to manage new or existing digital projects.

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Learn how to write video scripts and story outlines, shoot and edit it, and broadcast your work on video-sharing sites like YouTube.com. We'll explore excellent examples of online video, discuss the cameras and microphones you'll need, and teach you to shoot, edit, and encode.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Improve content with video
• Understand which programs you need to know
• Tag your entries to attract new viewers
• Know which formulas you can count on to work for this medium
• Develop a style that keeps viewers coming back for more

By the end of class, you will have:
The skills to shoot, edit and encode video for the web. You will get hands-on experience with a Canon HDV camera, a walkthrough of Final Cut, and skills in shooting and editing.

Note: Equipment will be provided. Students do not need to own cameras.

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Remember The Glass Castle? It's time for you to write your New York Times bestseller.

This class is geared towards anyone ready to write a memoir but needs to learn how to tell it -- and sell it. You'll participate in a stimulating, supportive environment where you can workshop your memoir-in-progress and receive invaluable feedback. 

Through weekly assignments and lectures, you will learn how to turn your idea into a book deal and produce up to 50 pages of text and an outline. You will also learn about craft, style, and the development of your unique voice.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Find your authentic voice and unlock memories
• Know what the 'theme' of your story is
• Find the most effective structure for your story
• Approach literary agents
• Understand techniques for selling a memoir before you have finished writing it

By the end of class, you will have:
An outline, 50 pages of a memoir, and a plan for approaching literary agents and publishing houses. 

Students who have taken this class have published with:
Crown, Random House, and have gotten agents at William Morris and Brandt & Hochman.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Ad Copywriting or Public Relations.

DETAILS

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Marketing.

DETAILS

In order to run a successful online marketing campaign, you need to understand how to conceive, structure, and measure your efforts across several different outlets -- from landing pages to social media to mobile. In this course, you'll learn how to create an online marketing strategy, identify the appropriate distribution platforms, and use the Web to successfully deliver your message.

We’ll review the fundamentals of online marketing including search engine marketing, keyword optimization, targeted display advertising, and mobile outreach. You'll develop the key components of a successful online marketing campaign while learning how to create display ads, distribute email newsletters, and develop a social media marketing strategy. We’ll also discuss how to measure ROI and track the effectiveness of your campaign.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Apply the four pillars of marketing to an online campaign
• Use paid search and search engine marketing
• Create successful display ads and track ROI on landing pages
• Launch successful email marketing campaign
• Identify the appropriate social media and mobile applications for your marketing strategy

By the end of class, you will have:
An understanding of best practices to launch an interactive marketing campaign and how to use online channels to achieve measurable results.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Ad Copywriting.

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In this class, you'll learn essential copywriting terms and techniques. If you're already working as a writer or copywriter, you'll learn from a new perspective while you complete creative assignments to expand your portfolio. Class will mimic working in an ad agency to build a varied portfolio.

Class will also include two visits from a graphic designer who will show you how to render your work into professional-looking, portfolio-ready ads.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Work with graphics and photos to make a complete ad
• Write benefit-driven headlines and body copy 
• Write for various advertising media: print, collateral, web, outdoor, and direct mail
• Write and work from a creative brief
• Jumpstart your ad portfolio and look for jobs

By the end of class, you will have:
Experience drafting copy in a fast-paced environment, and polished ad writing examples to include in your copywriting portfolio.

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Discover how to work as a writer in a changing industry by completing two publishable pieces. This class will show you where opportunities are and which are right for you. You'll workshop two pieces in any format including news stories, roundups, services pieces, listicles, profiles, personal essays, interviews, and features.

In addition to writing and reporting exercises, we'll also show you the business side of getting published: where to pitch, how to query a publication, and how to work with editors so they'll want to work with you.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Create captivating stories editors will want and readers will love
• Know which magazines and sections will buy your story
• Craft compelling pitch letters
• Approach editors and build relationships
• Create content for online publications

By the end of class, you will have:
Two polished articles with corresponding pitch letters.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
Wired, In Touch Weekly, ESPN the Magazine, Time Out New York, Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Cookie, Town & Country Travel, Boston, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Psychology Today, Paste, and Bust.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Ad Copywriting.

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From information gathering to shopping to wanting to connect or be entertained, more and more of our daily interactions take place online. This class will focus on the craft, style, and strategy of writing compelling brand copy for the web.

Through weekly assignments, you'll learn how to carry concepts past headlines, recreate real-life sensations online, and craft copy that lingers in the consciousness long after the user has left a site. Copywriters new or seasoned will find techniques to move effective communication from the printed page to the Web and mobile devices.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Write benefit-driven web copy that's both engaging and succinct
• Create copy for social networks and curated content for branded communities
• Talk with art directors about new digital options
• Figure out which media (traditional or new) is best for your marketing message
• Adapt your style for social media messaging, mobile content, or a proper landing page

By the end of class, you will have:
Experience (and portfolio samples) to apply to web, mobile and social media copywriting.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Copy Editing.

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This course is for anyone who wants to break into copy editing or feel more confident wrangling words. We'll cover the basics, from understanding copy editing marks to avoiding rookie grammar mistakes. You'll have the tools needed to enter the field and an understanding of how to create smooth, readable copy. And you'll have another skill you can add to your resume and put into action.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Determine when a sentence needs tweaking or is best left alone
• Understand copy editing lingo, including proofreading symbols and common terms
• Navigate stylebooks and prepare for a copy editing test
• Find the best reference materials for a copy editing assignment
• Tailor a resume and find copy editing jobs

By the end of class, you will have:
The tools to get work as a copy editor.

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From Anna Quindlen to Adam Gopnik, the work of personal essayists is increasingly filling the pages of magazines and websites, offering readers a glimpse of inner worlds and casting a light on the larger world around them.

This class will focus on writing and selling first-person narratives, starting with short opinion and slice-of-life pieces appropriate for The New York Times op-ed page, and moving on to longer, reported pieces written in the first-person. Assignments will be workshopped and ready for pitching.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Find a narrative voice to anchor your essay
• Tell a personal story without being whiney
• Tell someone else's story
• Know what to leave in and what to leave out
• Self-edit and assess your voice, style, and tone

By the end of class, you will have:
At least two complete and salable personal essays.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Marketing, Ad Copywriting, Digital Journalism, and Digital Project Management.

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Remember when people cared about website hits? Now that that's over, we can focus on tracking the website metrics that can drive sales, engagement, and traffic.

In this class, we'll cover the plethora of web analytics data available today, and how you can use those metrics to build a multifaceted digital strategy for your brand or business. Through weekly assignments using Google Analytics, you'll learn what to look for in analytics reports, what the data means, and how you can use your findings to improve your online initiatives.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Read an analytics dashboard
• Gather information about your site visitors from analytics data
• Identify your best performing Internet marketing channel
• Understand your lead generation or sales funnel
• Know what drives conversion to improve results

By the end of class, you will have:
The ability to analyze your data and a firm understanding of its impact on your business.

Note: We recommend students have access to Google Analytics to get the most from assignments. Email us with questions.