Name: Mike Chorost

Course: Introduction to Magazines with Sally Lehrman.

Output: Upcoming article in the September issue of Wired

How I found the class: I think I learned about the class from email from MB. The timing was exactly right, as I'd just finished my book and was ready to start pitching articles to support it (the strategy being to get my name and the book's title out there.)

What I learned: Specific things I learned include the rule that a query has to answer four key questions (what, why, why now, why me?) Mediabistro's guide to pitch letters is also excellent and extremely helpful.

How the course helped me: Sally ran the course as a workshop, which I really appreciated, instead of dominating the class by lecturing. She was very organized and gave terrific feedback. I must have rewritten the pitch 20 times for different audiences, and it was rejected by three or four other major mags. But the process of rewriting it helped me clarify what I wanted to say. Contacts made the key difference in the end, though. A writer friend of mine knew someone at Wired, and that opened the door. But it wasn't just dumb luck. I'd made my own luck by getting to know that writer friend over two years. He knew my work well and was able to pitch it convincingly -- and successfully. So this underlines the tremendous importance of networking and contacts.