I opened my e-mail today to find a letter from Columbia University requesting that I submit all my paperwork for graduation.

“Graduation!” I shouted at my computer screen. “But I just got here.”

Classes in the M.A. program began just over three months ago, and my first semester back in J-School winds to a close next week, I can hardly believe that I am halfway through my time here.

In many ways — adjusting to the graduate school schedule, getting to know my classmates, making a lasting impression on my professors — I feel I have just arrived at school and could easily extend my time on campus.

But in more ways, the past semester has felt a great deal longer than three months. Since starting J-School, I have probably read more than I had in the entire preceding year. My home office overflows with assigned magazines, newspapers, textbooks, journal articles, nonfiction books and novels that probably constitute a slight fire hazard.

While I did not enjoy every text I read this semester, the assignments have absolutely benefited me as a journalist. I garnered insight into framing stories, finding “truth” and conducting interviews by seeing how various social scientists — from anthropologists to historians — do so.

Over the past three months, I also learned to conduct archival research and oral history interviews. I have gone from possessing virtually no Web experience to creating a personal Web site to serve as a portfolio of my work.

Persistently reading the business pages of national newspapers and perusing every business magazine for which I can find the time has served to reinforce the lessons gleaned from my business and economics seminar, the core of my curriculum and by far my most valuable class.

I have written close to a dozen business stories on topics ranging from Wal-Mart to oil prices, and have gained a practical understanding of macro-economic policies that my undergraduate J-School degree never afforded me. Comparing my stories from the beginning of the semester to my more recent pieces reassures me that I will emerge from this program a much improved, and much more skilled reporter.

In August, I wrote a column for this Web site wondering if my decision to return to J-School would prove the right one. At the time, I was engaged, employed and living in Manhattan. Now, I’m married, attending graduate school full-time and living in Queens.

Living on loans is only enjoyable until they come due.

My husband has been fantastically supportive of my decision to return to school, but our status as a one-income family has forced us in some ways into the traditional gender roles to which we never before ascribed. It makes sense for me to do laundry and start dinner while I am home all day reading, and for him to pay the bills since he is the one contributing to our “joint” bank account. But we both look forward to returning to the more modern, task-splitting approach that served us much better in the years we lived together before marriage.

Prior to returning to school, I worried that seeking a master’s degree when I already had a J-School degree and several years reporting experience might turn out to be a very costly career misstep.

Columbia has challenged me academically and allowed me to become re-engaged in the profession I have loved in since childhood. My classmates and my professors are experienced and interesting, and interacting with them represents an intellectual opportunity I could never replicate. Like me, my classmates have generally logged a few years in the field, somewhat assuaging my concerns that working journalists have no use for a graduate degree.

In terms of my education, I am certain I made the right decision. Still, I have learned that the student lifestyle to which I so looked forward no longer suits me. I cannot wait to return to the workforce, regaining a regular schedule (or as regular as a journalist’s schedule can be) and — more importantly — a regular paycheck. Living on loans is only enjoyable until they come due. Conventional wisdom on campus seems to hold that the business journalism concentration students in the M.A. program get the best paying jobs. This belief has led to a few envious remarks from classmates, but I am happy to bear the brunt of the resentment if it turns out to be true.

The real test of the decision to return to school will come this spring, when my job hunt truly begins. But I can’t think about that just yet. Rumor has it that the second semester of the M.A. program is far more rigorous than the first. There’s also that pesky little 10,000-word thesis required for graduation.

I am trying my best to actually slow down, experience and enjoy my time here. I fear that next time I’m caught off guard by an email, it will be from the alumni office, and I may still feel as if I have only just arrived.

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Beth Braverman is a freelance writer and graduate student at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She lives in Astoria, N.Y.

Three years ago, Columbia unveiled its new MA in journalism. Unlike the famous MS program, which taught fledgling newsmongers the ins and outs of reporting, the MA targeted experienced journalists, and sought to give them a broader understanding of arts, science, business, or political theory. As one of the deans once put it, the MS program is for brain surgeons who want to get in to journalism; the MA is for journalists who want to write about brain surgery.

Having already spent four years working in magazines, the idea of the MA appealed to me. I wanted to switch gears in my career: less abs and more art; less olive oil and more cultural criticism from a feminist perspective. Enrolling in the MS — which many of my friends had done a good four years ago, right after college — seemed like a step back. Plus, the deadline to apply for the MA was a full month later than the deadline for the MS, which appealed to me even more.

Now I’m almost halfway through my program and wondering if I made the right choice. It’s too soon to come to any conclusion, and since I’m fully invested in the MA, I’m determined to take advantage of every available opportunity it presents and create some of my own along the way. But the application deadlines are coming soon for any aspiring j-school students, so for those trying to make a similar decision, keep the following in mind:

How much do you want to write?

All my pre-j school clips are service-heavy, bullet-pointed service articles. I looked forward to graduating with a file folder full of articles that demonstrated my cultural savvy and straight reporting skills (or a flash drive — the last time I went to college, they let cows graze on Old Main Lawn and all the freshman had to wear beanies). But the program is so reading-intensive (see below) that I’ve only done two real examples of arts reporting all fall. Our thesis is supposed to be our showcase piece; something to show potential employers at the end of the program, but I wish I’d written more during the semester (which is why I started a blog, a phrase that makes my hair stand on end). On the other hand, they’re two good pieces — one a long profile, one a news piece. Will they be enough?

My working life will be full of corners that need to be cut, and I’ll benefit from knowing what can be jettisoned.

How much do you want to read?

The MA program is intense. At times, it feels like they’re trying to give us a PhD — or at least a two-year masters — in ten months. With good reason — most people in the program have wives, families, and some healthy freelancing responsibilities. Few of my classmates, me included, would have signed on for the program if it took longer than a year. But mother! The reading! Cramming a PhD’s worth of knowledge into a ten-month (nine, considering our long winter break) program is deadly. No one I know does all the reading; even brown-nosers like me have to pick and choose what’s important. This is not a bad thing: My working life will be full of corners that need to be cut, and I’ll benefit from knowing what can be jettisoned.

How deeply do you care about your subject matter?

Do you love business? Are you obsessed with politics? Fascinated by science? Good. Because you’re going to spend a lot of time working on your respective concentration. Six hours of seminar during the week, often with at least six more hours of reading outside of class. Add to that a 10,000-word thesis. If you’re only marginally interested in art theory, you will be totally overwhelmed. It’s important that you have something to gain by studying this topic: For me, it’s a great way to make contacts and do some writing in a field I’m trying to crack. But I’ve talked to students who have worked in their concentration for years and feel like the generalized reporting training in the MS might have been helpful. On the other hand, there are some people who have worked in journalism for a little so wanted to skip the MS, but aren’t super into their concentration. Now, they’re wondering if they shouldn’t have just jumped back into the MS to get a more intense reporting experience, or kept writing on their own just at a more intense pace.

How much fun do you want to have?

“You will have a blast!” promised all my MS-alum friends. And from what I can tell, the MS class is having a blast. They’re working hard, but they’re simulating newsroom conditions, which means big bursts of work, followed by lots of drinking. The MA is more of a long, slow grind, with fewer of the mini-deadlines to break things up (and around which to get drunk). And since the demo is a little older and a little more settled, they’re less likely to hit happy hour at the end of the week. Most of us are taking time off from our jobs — escaping from the real world for a year, instead of postponing our entry into it — so there’s more of a sense of urgency and seriousness than those devil-may-care MS kids. It’s possible that I’m just a loser — there’s an MA happy hour ever week, and when I ventured out to the last one I had a blast. But it does seem that we’re not drinking nearly as much as my friends who graduated in ’02 — though maybe they just an especially soused bunch.

Of course, all this is just my opinion — for some people, this MA is exactly what they wanted. For others, it’s a disaster. As for me, I’m learning a lot from some of my classes, and less from others, and I won’t know for sure if I made the right decision about which program I chose until this summer — you know, when I do or don’t land one of those illusive, high-paying, high-status journalism jobs. It is good to be back in academia, talking with smart people about interesting things, rather than being stuck in Pennsylvania writing about sex yoga. No matter what happens in June, I still have six more months of that.

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Kate Dailey is a Gordon Grey Fellow at Columbia University

I am not a traditional journalist.

Safety hidden behind the shrouded walls of j-school, aided by my adviser, this idea was easy to overlook. However, as I began to prepare to hand off Speakeasy, an online magazine I spent nearly three years nurturing, to a new managing editor, and continue to throw myself into more internships, I have been forced to wrap my head around this fact.

While I’ve spent time watching news organizations attempt to figure out how to adjust their publications to the advantages and challenges of the Internet, I asked myself the same questions.

Why were some professors, and even students, so skeptical when we started Speakeasy? Why do I find myself fighting an uphill battle in embracing the online world even among my peers?

My first two years at Ohio University protected me from the “real world” of journalism, the world that would eventually reveal how far behind many newspapers and magazines are and how cable television “news” still ruled the world. I was lucky enough to be assigned to an adviser who is greatly committed to reforming journalism — he is an idealist in his own right and has greatly shaped my outlook on the role of the Internet — but he also gave me a skewed perception of the collective thought of the j-school professors.

What I have learned is that I had wrongly assumed that the transition journalism was making as a profession was nearing completion. I thought that traditional journalism was settling into its place among the new endeavors popping up all over the Web.

It wasn’t until Mark Prendergast, a former editor with The New York Times, accepted the year-long visiting professor position at Scripps that I realized what an anomaly Speakeasy is. He was intrigued by our project, not just because it was an online magazine, but by the idea that a newsroom could exist almost solely on the Internet. While the staff meets on a weekly basis to do short workshops and discuss the latest news, work is done entirely through email, instant messaging, the content management system, and occasionally urgent phone calls.

I have never spent one day working on my college paper, even though many professors within Scripps continued to tout it as the only way to get experience

One of Scripps’ PhD candidates, who helps mentor Speakeasy, even wrote a paper on the nature of online-only student publications.

Enter Scoop08: A publication whose operations I consider to be Speakeasy on steroids. Because we operate with hundreds of students over many time zones in different states and countries, we have no choice. No other time in history would this have been possible.

We do not have a physical newsroom. We do not have the money to purchase enhanced online office software (and for this reason, Google is our best friend). We even attempted using a free conference call software. As it is, we are still experimenting with and developing a system for making our editing process run as smoothly as possible.

As students ranging in age from high school freshmen to post-grads, we balance our traditional educations with the world we are currently experiencing. Scoop08 is an attempt to influence both journalism and the election we are reporting on.

I have never spent one day working on my college paper, even though many professors within Scripps continued to tout it as the only way to get experience. (This is changing, slowly.) My internships have all been either online-only or the online divisions of a television station, newspaper, and magazines.

“Traditional” journalism is not all bad. I have certainly learned the value of putting articles through a rigorous editing process, and the value of balanced reporting and seeking out unique sources. There are plenty of practices that are vital to keeping the practice of journalism intact. But that doesn’t mean we have to be traditional journalists, regardless of the impression we get from our academic institutions.

Students are becoming aware of the skills they need to have to enter the world of journalism today. The online journalism classes at Scripps get filled up so fast that spots now have to be reserved for the online majors so they can get into the classes they need to graduate.

There is no class that can fully prepare us as well as our experiences in the field will, but if there’s anywhere where experimentation within the profession should be encouraged, it is in the classroom and our college publications.

Unfortunately, I doubt that journalism schools will ever find themselves ahead of the curve in terms of best practices. Most of my professors have been out of the field for at least five years, a fact that helps create a stagnate environment. This is why it is so vital for j-schools to bring in professors like Prendergast, who can provide a better idea of where the journalism world currently stands, even if it is just a snapshot.

Even with those professors, however, it is impossible for j-schools to continue educating the future of the profession if they continue to harbor a limited understanding of the present.

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Meghan Louttit is a journalism student at Ohio University and is a former intern at American Express Publishing and mediabistro.com.

Self-publishing is a risky proposition that most writers would like to avoid. Many authors self-publish only after receiving numerous rejections from editors and agents. Others use these rejections as guides for rewriting their work, making it stronger and more saleable. As a former book reviewer for Kirkus Discoveries, the paid review division of Kirkus that handled self-published and print-on-demand works, I saw many of the same fixable mistakes in book after book. These mistakes often got soft treatment by reviewers who assumed that self-published authors would not, or could not, learn to write better. Without agents or editors, there were few other people giving these writers usable feedback. Here is a quick guide for translating this review-speak into actual critique, with advice from authors, editors and agents on how to fix these mistakes and make your book more saleable.

“An interesting beginning”

“Interesting” is always a loaded word in reviews — a way of saying “different” when different means bad. The beginning of your book is the most important part, since those opening pages determine whether an agent (and eventually an editor and reader) are going to buy the book or put it back on the table.

“The most common mistake I’ve found is the first chapter front-loaded with backstory,” says Kate Angelella, assistant editor at Aladdin/Simon & Schuster. “Often times, too, the story doesn’t start in the right place. There should be a reason the story begins where it does — why have you chosen this particular moment to begin your story? It’s the oldest advice in the book, but a first chapter, a first paragraph, even a first line should draw the reader in and never let go.”

“Exposition is a real pitfall,” says Rebecca Chace, visiting assistant professor at Bard College, professor of creative writing at CCNY, and author of Capture the Flag and Chautauqua Summer. “If you don’t start your story with something strong and compelling, we aren’t going to keep reading.”

“Interesting” is always a loaded word in reviews — a way of saying “different” when different means bad.

Her recommendation for avoiding an opening chapter that drags? “The best way to avoid early/clunky exposition is in media res — it’s never a bad idea to start in the middle of an event.” Though explaining things simply and clearly can help, (i.e. let the reader know that this story take place in 1977, in New York City), start the story with some action to draw the reader in, and fill in the important details as you go.

“Terse, minimalist style”

Books I reviewed were frequently set in worlds with extremely limited sensory input: no textures, tastes or smells, and only the occasional visual detail or sound. Color often seemed like the subtlest of descriptors. Whole chapters could go by explaining the action to the reader, without ever describing a single scene. Minimalism can be beautiful, but the art is in choosing the telling detail, not avoiding description altogether.

Angelella says that in her experience going through the pile of unsolicited manuscripts that she considers, one of the biggest “pitfall[s] of writing is when people tell action, rather than showing it.”

“Instead of explicitly declaring that a character is sad, show us a character who’s sad,” says Bret Anthony Johnston, director of creative writing at Harvard and author of Corpus Christi and Naming the World. “And show us a character who’s sad in an interesting or singular way.”

“Elaborate, emotional prose”

On the other hand, some authors seemed to have never met an adjective they didn’t love. In their haste to be as descriptive as possible, authors of the books I reviewed often included pairs of words that were subtly (or glaringly) at odds with one another. The room wasn’t “yellow,” it was “the color of sun-drenched butter, like the peel of an orange or the dappled wing of a Monarch butterfly.” Cluttering up your work with useless verbiage is as bad as not providing any description at all, since the end result is the same: the reader is left with nothing to hold on to.

Johnston has a trick for dealing with this problem. “I read the offending passage aloud while the members of the workshop close their eyes,” he says. “I ask them to see what the prose is describing. Usually, the indulgent language compromises rather than illuminates the surface or emotion or action that’s being rendered; the words muddy the vision. From there, we strip the prose down until we find its core, the most elegant and powerful combination of words that will enable, rather than undermine, the reader to see.”

“Unusual and inventive plot structure”

Sometimes I reviewed books whose characters moved across the page with no motivation — other than a burning desire to fulfill a pre-conceived narrative arc — even when it made no sense with their stated impulses, personalities or histories. These books read like the stories told by small children. “And then this happened, and then this happened, and then this___”

This is a common issue with Johnston’s students at Harvard. “I ask my students to give their protagonists something specific to want.” Why is motivation so important? “Once a character wants something, the reader wants it too.” To keep your audience reading, Johnston says, “once you make [them] want something, make them wait for it.”

“A thorough exploration of the author’s ideals”

A few of the books resembled propaganda more than fiction. These were in some ways the saddest, as they often showed the most promise at the beginning. Indeed, having a unique voice is one of the things that Angelella says gets her most attention: “If I read a manuscript with a compelling voice, if it draws me in and makes me miss my train stop (as one, recently, did), that is a manuscript worth pursuit.”

But there is such a thing as going too far. The author’s point-of-view should not get in the way of a believable or well written story. In many self-published books, there comes a point at which the demands of good writing and the demands of the author’s political (or moral, or medicinal) agenda were at odds, and good writing always lost. Intricate plots and subtle worlds were built up, only to have a happy ending slapped over them as soon as the characters accepted [insert savior] as the solution to all their problems. Remember, your character’s desires — not yours — must drive the book, or it won’t make sense to the reader.

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Hugh Ryan is a freelance writer and journalist living in Brooklyn, New York.

When Dan Stupp was a journalism major and aspiring sports writer at the University of Missouri School of Journalism just shy of a decade ago, veteran newspaper professionals frowned at his decision to minor in new media technology. They even called him foolish. Those industry veterans said he should supplement the journalism degree with classes in political science, business or philosophy.

Stupp didn’t listen — and he is forever thankful. In that new media technology minor, Stupp learned to master Photoshop, how to produce Web videos, design and publish Web sites, manage digital photography, and create and animate 3-D images and videos. “When I left school with a journalism degree, I was so versatile, it led to many great opportunities,” said Stupp. Opportunities that 20 years ago — in some cases, even 10 years ago — didn’t even exist.

Now 30, Stupp has eight years of professional experience as a sports writer. His experience includes working as the creative services manager/publications editor for the Cincinnati Reds, as a freelance baseball writer for the San Francisco Chronicle and as author of two books: Tom Browning’s Tales from the Reds Dugout and Opening Day at Great American Ball Park. He currently is the editor-in-chief and co-owner of MMAJunkie.com and the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) beat writer for the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio.

While technology has forever changed the media profession — and the career opportunities for people like Stupp – there are still some old school rules to live by for those aspiring sports writers.

Have realistic expectations

Don’t get into sports writing to become friends with the athletes, to get up close and personal with those you cover and write about, or to only cover the Super Bowl, World Series or NBA Finals. While a four-year journalism degree is the best way to get into the profession, internships and real-life experience through a school newspaper, a part-time or full-time opportunity with local dailies or weeklies, or through online media outlets can give you the experience editors crave. Most of all you have to enjoy writing, says Bryan Zollman, 35, co-publisher and news and sports editor for the Sauk Centre Herald in the northwest Minnesota. He covers local sports, with an emphasis on high school sports.

“Chances are when you start out, you will be driving to two or three games a night, catching tidbits here and there, getting a photo here or there,” says Zollman. “It is not an easy job. It can be lots of fun if you love to write about sports. But you have to love to write.”

“Start small. Cover local sports. Nothing should [be] beneath you doing this. A game is a game and a story is a story, no matter where it takes place.”

John Theriault, 40, of Glendale, Ariz., is a freelance sports writer who has 20 years of experience in the profession and has worked at the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Daily Herald during his career. Theriault says starting out a weekly newspaper, where you are required to be a jack-of-all trades, is a great training ground.

“I can’t emphasize [it] enough: Start small,” says Theriault. “Cover local sports. Nothing should [be] beneath you doing this. I have covered events from little league baseball up through the professional ranks. A game is a game and a story is a story, no matter where it takes place. Becoming a sports writer to get close to the action and be starstruck is the wrong reason. Be a sports writer because you love sports and love to tell a story.”

Find a mentor
Seek out a mentor who can guide you in this business. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a sports writer, either. You can learn from anyone and everyone. While interning for the Dayton Daily News, Stupp said he had a great editor who taught him a lot, was really patient and explained things well. But he also became friends with Mike Wagner, a business reporter for the paper.

“He taught me the tips and tricks and kosher shortcuts that made me even more productive and in the know, and it also made me feel more comfortable and at ease in the newsroom,” says Stupp, who says it’s important not to shy away from asking the veterans if you can shadow them.

Stupp continued: “I thought I wanted to be a business or general features reporter for quite a while, but when Hal McCoy, a longtime Cincinnati Reds beat writer and Baseball Hall of Fame writer, took me to a Reds game, I got to see a legend in action. He’s a big reason I sought a job with the Reds and decided to focus on sports writing.”

Develop new technology skills
It’s important to practice and fine-tune your writing skills, but understanding technology opens numerous avenues. Many newspaper editors get to that position because they can design and lay out pages — either online or in print. Understand digital photography, learn computers and the Web and popular software programs such as Photoshop, Illustrated, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver and others. It may not be a day-to-day part of your job, but having the versatility can open a lot of doors, says Stupp.

Don’t confuse sports writing with blogging
A key detail to remember as a sports writer is that your job is to report the facts of the game or event. That’s where many of today’s bloggers or online reports damage their reputation — and the reputation of sports writers. Traditional principles and ethics will always reign supreme, says Stupp. MMAjunkie.com has become a content partner with Yahoo! Sports thanks to the integrity and professionalism of the site.

“With MMAjunkie.com, I think we got ahead quickly and built a massive audience because we approached our news coverage as journalists, not bloggers or fans,” says Stupp. “Once we made that conscious decision to get out of blog mode, we really took off. There’s nothing wrong with blogging, but too many people use it as a cop-out not to do their own reporting or fact-checking. It’s just recycling other people’s work. The good bloggers take the extra step and do some original work. Protect your integrity at all costs, and separate yourself from those who don’t. Since I started my own company, I’ve had to let go a few people who didn’t value our integrity.”

Be prepared to work long hours

Working nights, weekends and holidays can be tough for those trying to raise a family. Zollman has two kids and a third on the way. He admits, the lifestyle is wearing on him. “After a while, especially once you have a family, the nights get long and going to that wrestling match on a Tuesday night in the middle of January when your favorite TV show is on becomes a drag,” he says. “I’m trying to get out of covering sports and into the news end of things, but because newspapers are cutting back, I am juggling both duties, which makes for long hours.”

Reap the rewards
When it’s all said and done, there is satisfaction for a job well done, especially at the youth and high school level. “Having been an athlete, I have been where these kids have been and those are some of my greatest memories,” says Zollman. “It’s rewarding to know that you are witnessing these memories and helping preserve for them for years to come because rest assured, your articles are being clipped and saved every week.

Theriault agreed: “Hearing ‘That was a great story’ from a player, coach or parent is the ultimate reward,” he says. “I have people that I covered 15 years prior, and they still have articles that I wrote. Remember, your writings are not just for your portfolio but also for someone’s personal scrapbook.”

Six tips for aspiring sports writers:

1. Be flexible. You must be a night person: You will be working many nights and weekends — that’s when the games take place.
2. Learn AP style. “Study it, learn it, know it,” says Zollman. “It will make your job much easier, and you will be much more efficient.”
3. Diversify your skill set. Learn photography and new technology skills. “Writing is important, but so is photography — learn how to take photos to make yourself more versatile and coveted,” says Zollman.
4. Don’t play favorites. Girls’ cross country is just as important as football. If you don’t want your phone to ring off the hook or your editor to ask you why he received a call to cancel a subscription because you are giving all the ink to the football team, and not the cross country team, write for a large audience, says Zollman.
5. Have some thick skin. Don’t be afraid to be criticized. Not everyone will agree with your writing.
6. Practice makes perfect. Sit down and watch a game from start to finish. When it’s done, listen to the post-game interviews and write a 500-1,000 word recap, and then read online newspaper and Web site reports of the same game. Compare your stories to the professionals covering it.

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Matt Krumrie is a freelance writer and communications professional.

How does your personality relate to what type of job is best for you? How does the psychological makeup of a person translate to professional choice? In the media realm, whether you are in editorial, marketing, publishing, public relations, film, or TV, personality is everything. Finding out the connection between your personality and profession can help you gain greater insight into the types of careers that are best suited for you.

Think about these questions: Do you make decisions based on facts or intuition? Are you innovative or pragmatic? Are you introverted or extroverted?

Ira S. Wolfe, president of Success Performance Solutions and an expert on what makes a good employee-employer fit, uses various methods to assess personality. One such assessment tool is called DISC, which stands for how Direct an individual is with solving problems; how much energy he/she puts into Influencing other people; how energized he/she is when working at a Steady pace and how Conscientious he/she is at following procedures.

“A good personality fit drives successful employee performance,” says Wolfe. “A good job fit is the equivalent to having a top-performing engine in a car.”

Identify your inner inclinations
You’ve heard of the terms introverted and extroverted, but what do they really mean? In general, introverts are stimulated by the inner world of the mind. Because introverts enjoy thinking and analyzing their thoughts and feelings, they tend to be stimulated by nonverbal communication and work well independently. Conversely, people who are more extroverted tend to become easily bored when alone, but feel energized and charged by outside stimuli. Since they are stimulated by their environment and by others, these individuals prefer more communicative interaction, such press events, business meetings and gatherings.

According to Wolfe, “Freelance writers, for example, are more introverted. I’ve seen that creative types, in general, tend to be introverts. They have an idea and work through it themselves. They take time to factor and analyze decisions.”

Another area of consideration that hiring managers analyze is people who are structured and practical versus people who are impulsive and ideas-oriented. On the impulsive side, Wolfe says professions for these individuals include entrepreneurs, as well as those in the areas of advertising, PR and media relations. “They are creative, plus they are successful because are more of your risk-taker types.”

In today’s world, traditional office structures, particularly for many media professionals, have expanded into the realm of the virtual office. With that said, some people are better equipped to work remotely. What personality types are better suited? Wolfe believes that people who are structured, results-oriented and disciplined would be a good fit for remote positions. In contrast, “passionately extroverted types,” as Wolfe describes them, would not have enough stimulation to work from home.

Breaking down some of the media fields, here’s a look at some media positions and the personalities best suited for them:

Public relations is more suitable for an extrovert: The main premise of this field is for individuals who are comfortable in crowds, speaking to strangers and thinking on their feet. Similarly, in the sales and advertising field, a typical personality would be someone who is curious, an information gatherer, quick at making decisions, and results-oriented.

In the area of marketing and Web development, these professions are fitting for individuals who are innovative, open-minded, highly motivated and risk takers.

Most of the individuals in the field of writing are introverted. They work well independently and also have the creative insight to develop story ideas and carry them through to fruition.

Propel your professional life with your personality
According to a study conducted by the Recruiting Roundtable, only 50 percent of all new hires are the right fit for their jobs. Only 29 percent acquire talent that is a good fit for the organization. So, how does personality type pertain to professions? It can be broken down into three categories:

Category A — Introverts: These individuals tend to enjoy working well independently, are self-reflective, and like spending time alone. Freelance writing, screenwriting, Web design, graphic design, production, and copy editing are some great options for these types of individuals. Often, these professional types prefer to play a behind the scenes role. Think of famed filmmaker/producer/director, Alfred Hitchcock: He had an intense curiosity for filmmaking and spent 80 years of his life doing what he loved. He immersed himself in every aspect of the craft and had a meticulous attention to detail. He also, from a personality standpoint, was definitely more introspective; hence his creation of some intense psychological thrillers.

Category B — Middle of the road: Most likely, these types of people enjoy a quiet evening at home as much as time out in the limelight. Careers for these individuals could include editorial jobs, such as columnists, publishers, reporters, and film and television positions, as well as photographers. Think Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw, from Sex and the City: She frequents local coffee shops during the day writing her column and spends her evening at the trendiest hot spots dining and clubbing to have tales to tell.

Category C — Extroverts: These people are charming and gregarious. Most of these types are great in the professions of PR, publicity, marketing, advertising and sales. Being out in the public, immersed in the action, at the forefront of the comings and goings on the town, is what these personality types thrive upon. Any Entourage fans out there? Jeremy Piven’s character, Ari Gold, is a perfect Category C example. He’s a mover and a shaker. He talks the talk and walks the walk. He’s great at multitasking, putting out fires, working under pressure, stroking egos and sugarcoating the worst of the worst and the best of the best.

Find your perfect fit
Given everything you now know about personality and profession, is your career choice the perfect fit? In talking to some media professionals, there was a strong correlation between their personalities and their chosen vocation. Find out more about these media professionals who found a fitting vocation for their hidden Hitchcock, curious Carrie or animated Ari.

As a corporate speech trainer in NY, Stephanie Grayson-Zane is a prime example of how one’s personality can shape one’s professional choice. Whether prepping for media appearances, helping clients pitch products, books, or services, or preparing for an award-winning speech, Grayson-Zane fits into a Category B, Carrie-type personality. She is creative, communicative and also a bit reserved, depending on the situation.

With a MA in communication sciences, Grayson-Zane took her friendly personality and enjoyment for listening to others and turned it into a career as a corporate speech/media trainer. In this capacity, she makes corporate communication and media events more interesting and thereby more effective.

“My role is to help clients connect and communicate more effectively with their audience,” says Grayson-Zane. “I believe that good storytelling shouldn’t be limited to theater and creative pursuits, but also has an important role in the workplace and in the business world, in general.”

For account director Todd Fraser of LA-based INK, Inc., Public Relations, personality is his business. As an athlete-turned-actor-turned-PR guru, how do these roles encapsulate Fraser’s personality?

“As an athlete, you practice to react without thinking. As an actor, you make a character as believable as possible. As a publicist, you immerse yourself in your clients’ work,” says Fraser. The one commonality in all of Fraser’s roles is flexibility and the ability to change according to the specified role. It’s apparent that Fraser is highly competitive, focused and driven. Ari Gold, watch out.

“I’ve always responded to the ‘chase’ and have gravitated toward professions that are results-oriented and constantly changing,” says Fraser.

The field of public relations is a suitable career path for an extrovert personality, as being a people-person is a large portion of this profession. In addition, working well independently, acting as part-writer, part-salesperson and part-psychologist are essential ingredients for a full-fledged PR professional.

A big factor, according to Fraser, is the ability to stay encouraged and positive, after countless times of rejection. “Remember that all the passes make the successes that much sweeter.”

Editor-in-chief of Home Entertainment Magazine Geoffrey Morrison certainly has the inner Hitchcock genius within. His love for writing and entertaining were blended together for a perfect fit with a magazine dedicated to the senses. Home Entertainment Magazine bills itself as ‘featuring the finest in audio/video technology and design.’

Here’s the interesting spin about Morrison: although he loves entertaining, he isn’t necessarily outgoing. With his personality type being more of an introvert, he actually needed to adjust and adapt to fit the job. “This job forces me to do something that, in my daily life, I wouldn’t do,” he says. And, being adaptable is something that is essential as an editor.

Morrison started his professional studies in college, majoring in music. He moved on to doing audio for movies. Through all of it, however, he was a writer. “Getting people to pay me to write was amazing,” he says. “Having people read what I wrote and (hopefully) be entertained by it, is still fantastic.”

For new, aspiring writers, Morrison encourages them to find their voice. “If you have a unique voice, chances are you’ll be able to find an audience.” Morrison knows this firsthand: In the home entertainment world, he continues to walk the walk and write the talk.

Whether you are an introvert, extrovert, the next aspiring screenwriter, PR guru, columnist, editor or corporate media trainer, remember this: Be who you are and love what you do. At the end of the day, follow your personality and your professional passion is sure to follow.

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Michelle Paquette, MA, is the owner/president of All Ways Consulting, an LA-based company, offering business consulting and strategic planning to members of the media industry. She is also a freelance writer.

It is always challenging for freelancers to attract the attention of editors at publications they wish to write for, but economic conditions do make a difference. Not only have many publications found their budgets slashed due to declining advertising revenues, but literally hundreds of journalists have been laid off and have joined the masses of freelancers already competing for limited work. Now more than ever, it pays to get it right when pitching to or working with editors.

Here are a number of tips — and a few pet peeves — from those in the trenches.

Research the target title

Editors can tell — and are supremely offended — when you don’t take the time to read their guidelines or their publications. “Is it too much to ask for someone to read our guidelines before sending an off-target pitch?” asks Mike Drummond, editor-in-chief of Inventors Digest and Possible magazines. “Freelancers who fail to research our submission guidelines demonstrate intellectual indolence and can’t be trusted to do quality reporting,” he says.

Barbara Nellis is features editor for The Rotarian and former editor at Playboy, where she worked for more than 30 years. “I used to hate it when freelancers would call up looking for work and then admit they hadn’t looked at the magazine,” she says, and adds: “They never got work.”

“I’ve been a magazine and newspaper editor for nine years now and the one complaint that has remained consistent is freelancers pitching blindly,” says Wendy Burt-Thomas, who is both an author and editor. She also admits: “I can tell you that I’m guilty as charged — I once sent a parenting article to a 50-plus magazine!”

She doesn’t recommend that approach to others. What she does recommend is taking the time to review the publication and guidelines and then making reference to what you’ve learned in your query. For instance, “I enjoyed your January piece on workouts for the brain.” Or: “As per your guidelines for the Full Circle section, this 800-word piece…”

“The more editors can see your piece fitting into their publications, the more likely you are to get an assignment,” she says. “Show them that you’ve read the publication and that you know just where your article should go.”

“I promise that we care much more about how you say things than what you are saying. Show me something new, unique, and you.”

Drummond agrees and shares an example of a good pitch he recently received. “A writer noticed on our sister Web forum a dust-up about getting your invention on The Tonight Show. Was this good or bad publicity? Some inventor-entrepreneurs thought the show mocked inventors and played to stereotypes; others thought exposure before millions was priceless. The writer was able to seize that tension, mix in a little Rod Blagojevich context, and deliver a compelling piece challenging the axiom that ‘any publicity is good publicity’,” he says.

Closely related to doing your homework on the publication or media outlet is understanding the audience, says Linda Carlson, marketing and media relations director at Parenting Press. This, she says, can be easily accomplished. “Any publication that accepts advertising will have a media kit, and that describes who receives the publication,” she says. “In our market, for example, there’s a big difference between a preschool classroom teacher and the mental health therapist who provides family counseling,” she notes.

Tailor your pitch

A closely related pet peeve that is universally shared by editors is receiving pitches that are off the mark and too generic. Specificity counts.

Lauren Herskovic is managing editor of CollegeCandy.com, an online magazine for college women, by college women. When you take the time to do things right, it shows, says Herskovic. “I promise that we care much more about how you say things than what you are saying,” she says. “Boring and generic cover letters won’t get very far with me. I know you’re just copying and pasting that sucker into 400 emails. Show me something new, unique and you,” she advises.

“If you really want to freelance somewhere, poke around the publication, see what sorts of things they write about — and the style they write in — and whip up something specifically for them,” she says. “Yes, it takes a lot of extra time, but it will look great to the editor.”

The same can be said for the samples you send. Make them relevant and specific to the publication you’re hoping to work with. Julie Trelstad, founder/owner of Plain White Press, LLC, in White Plains, N.Y., says, “I’d like to see that you’ve done work in my genre,” adding that she only wants to see samples of similar work — not generic samples. Nellis agrees. “Don’t send a million clips. Tailor two or three to the kind of stories the magazine you’re pitching might be interested in,” she advises. And, she adds: “Send a cover letter with no more than two ideas at a time, if you’re sending ideas. No one has time to plow through more than that.”

Proofread your work

Amazingly, editors say that it is far too common for them to receive queries from writer-wannabes that contain errors ranging from misspelled words to grammar problems to — ugh! — incorrect publication titles or editors’ names.

“I can’t tell you how many cover letters I get that have blatant spelling, grammar and usage errors,” says Herskovic. “I am the one copy editing most of the work that goes on the site, so I’m not going to hire someone whose work is going to take me 30 extra minutes to edit,” she says.

Melissa Garrett is editor for the parenting Webzine Root & Sprout. “My given name is Melissa, but I edit and write using the name Lis,” says Garrett. “I can’t tell you how often people address emails to me as ‘Lisa’.” What’s worse, she says, is “when we develop rapport and they continue to use the wrong name, even though I’ve highlighted it for their benefit.”

But, she cautions on the flip side, be careful about pointing out your editors’ errors. After recently recruiting four new independent contractors, she wrote back to applicants who weren’t selected, citing reasons including typos, not following directions, etc. Most of the rejected applicants responded with a “thank you” for being considered, but one memorable applicant took a different approach. She wrote back to Garrett: “You made a typo. It happens.”

“Yes, even editors make typos,” says Garrett. “But guess what? I will never consider that writer for a position now,” she says. “I don’t know if she was trying to prove how astute she was in discovering my one typo, but her email came off sounding very condescending.”

Be persistent

Editors are busy these days, and they’re in agreement on one important fact freelancers need to keep in mind: Don’t just try once and give up. Chances are if you don’t hear back soon, it’s more because these editors are swamped than because they’re not interested. It pays to follow up.

Follow-up is imperative, says Dina Santorelli, editor and publisher of WHY Magazine, an online publication for people who work from home. “Oftentimes we receive a query that we think is fantastic, but it can slip through the cracks because of the number of queries we receive. A simple follow-up email or call — perhaps a month after the initial query — can ensure that that does not happen.”

Trelstad agrees. “If I don’t hire you right away, follow up!,” says Trelstad. “I’ve had many good freelancers I’ve wanted to try out, but didn’t have a job for. If you don’t stay top of mind, I’ll likely call whoever contacted me most recently.”

Use your connections to establish relationships

As they say, sometimes in addition to what you know, who you know can make a difference. Trelstad says that she relies on personal references from other publishing professionals. “Ask your current clients to introduce you to me,” she suggests. “You can find out if I know someone you know by checking me out on LinkedIn,” she says.

Finally, don’t be afraid to maintain relationships by staying in touch. It’s a good idea to keep your name in front of the editors you want to work with, as well as those you’ve already worked with. As the editors admit, even the best freelancers can be easily “out of sight and out of mind.”

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Lin Grensing-Pophal is a freelance business journalist and independent marketing communication consultant.

Rachel Blount can still remember those early days of her sports writing career. It was 1985 and she was working at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in her first job after graduating with a M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri. She’d spend Friday nights covering high school football, and coaches would say to her in postgame interviews, “What are you doing here, shouldn’t you be home baking biscuits?” Or, “Do I have to explain to you what a touchdown is?” On Saturdays she would cover Division I college football, and while all the male reporters were allowed in the locker room for postgame interviews, she would have to stand outside the locker room — waiting as long as 45 minutes — to have a chance to conduct an interview. Sometimes that chance never even came.

But despite those obstacles, Blount never let it discourage her. “Looking back at it, it did make me angry,” Blount said. “I just thought, ‘What is wrong with these people? I am just doing a job.'”

It’s a job that Blount is still passionate about to this day. She now works as a sports reporter and columnist for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. In her 24 years in the business, she has covered six different Olympic Games, and countless high school, college and professional sporting events. It’s safe to say she has witnessed firsthand just how opportunities have evolved for women — and it is much deeper than having access to the locker room that she didn’t have back in the day.

That’s why she urges women who aspire to get into a career as a sports writer to follow their dreams and do it. Blount speaks on the topic about 10 times a year and is always eager to discuss her career with aspiring writers and women who are interested in learning about the profession.

“I find it is often slightly easier for women to get their foot in the door, but much harder to move that foot up the stairs to the top of a sports department.”

“I encourage women who have an interest in this profession to pursue it,” says Blount, who has been with the Star Tribune for 19 years. “You get a chance to travel, meet really interesting people, write and be creative. It can be a great career.”

Adopt the right attitude to break in and move up

While there appear to be more opportunities than ever for women in this career, there is still more women can do — if given the chance, says Sandy Rosenbush, event news editor at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, CT.

“I find it is often slightly easier for women to get their foot in the door, but much harder to move that foot up the stairs to the top of a sports department,” says Rosenbush, who has more than 20 years of experience in sports journalism. Her previous jobs include roles as the assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated, founding editor of SI for Women and deputy sports editor at The New York Times.

Rosenbush says that the idea that sports is “for men” is problematic. She adds that while men are much more frequently the consumers of sports news, features and events, it should not follow that the delivery of those items needs to be made by men, nor that the decision-making in the sports media industry needs to be limited to men. It has changed slowly, but not yet enough for women and minorities, says Rosenbush.

“There is more inclination to have us on board now, but still no imperative in many corners to see us succeed at the highest levels,” says Rosenbush. “But there are new networks growing, and new mentoring systems in place. I hope this will keep the change coming.”

Two women who have carved a niche working in sports journalism and covering traditionally male-dominated sports are Leah Howard and Maggie Hendricks. Howard is the assistant media relations director in the sports information department at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. One of her duties is working as the primary media relations contact for the school’s wrestling team. She travels with the team, writes press releases, assists in handling media requests for coach and wrestler interviews, organizes and distributes statistical information, handles multimedia duties and writes wrestler profiles for the team Web site, MGoBlue.com.

Howard got started in the Michigan sports information department as a 20-year-old college junior while pursuing her degree in economics and communications studies. She played hockey growing up and had a general interest in all sports, but the job as an SID as an undergrad gave her a behind the scenes look at what really went into this profession. Eight years later she has graduated, earned a M.A in Sports Management, and now has a full-time job and career working in sports media relations.

“I think there is a perception that females don’t fully understand — or aren’t able to hack it in — male-dominated sports, like football, ice hockey or wrestling,” says Howard. “I think there is a perception that females interested in working in these sports have ulterior motives to, as crass as the implication may be, simply cozy up next to those athletes. But for me, having been a hockey player and growing up around the sport gave me instant credibility, and, after proving that I was capable as far as the actual work went, I was able to grow a good reputation for myself.”

Howard adds, “In this profession, doing quality work, being personable and having a good reputation certainly trump gender. Those are the equalizers, and while women may have to prove themselves a little more at the start, those traits make a quick impression.”

Exercise your right to write

Hendricks is based in Chicago and writes a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) blog for Yahoo! Sports and CageWriter.com, and also works as a freelance sports writer for NBCChicago.com. After graduating from the University of Missouri in 2001, she worked with the Chicago Bulls front office and then with Georgetown University’s athletic department. She returned to Chicago and worked in corporate public relations for six years. In 2007, she started her own blog called Chick Heart Fights — MMA and amateur wrestling, from a woman’s perspective. Her work was so well-respected and admired it was picked up by Yahoo! Sports and led to the positions with CageWriter.com and NBCChicago.com.

Hendricks admitted it was a little intimidating when she first started writing about and covering MMA — a sport with a large and crazy male fan base, and with a male-dominated group of colleagues.

She said, “My main relationships that needed to be developed were with other writers, and for the most part, the reaction was, ‘Hey, it’s cool that a woman likes this stuff. Would you talk to my girlfriend?’ As with the readers, there were a few chauvinists, but I found that if it was clear that I was truly there because I loved writing about sports, people would back off.”

Blount says there is still some skepticism among some people that women can do this job. At one social gathering, a male who found out she was a sports writer thought that meant she should know who the MVP of the 1952 World Series was and be a walking encyclopedia of sports facts.

“You still see it where others think you got the job because you are a woman and they hired you to cover women’s sports,” says Blount. “Women still have to prove themselves, but by doing your job and being professional, you can overcome those stereotypes.”

Howard believes women in this field face the same type of challenges that women in corporate settings would: Both have been dominated by males for a long time, but the gap has certainly narrowed over the last few decades. Women in these fields have to conquer similar stereotypes — they’re not tough enough to go toe-to-toe with men, or they’re not poised enough to deal with pressure situations, or they’re not knowledgeable or experienced enough to provide a product of equal quality.

“But with more and more women entering and excelling within the sports industry, those stereotypes have diminished over time,” said Howard.

All four journalists agree there are some basic skill sets to master to succeed in this profession, regardless of gender.

Seven tested tips for women seeking sports writing success
1. Love what you do. “It’s important to enjoy writing, listening to people and telling their stories, and to be curious and willing and able to ask a lot of questions with the subject matter you are writing about,” says Blount. “Practice writing about anything and everything to master the craft.”
2. Find a mentor — male or female — to provide guidance, says Blount.
3. Be prepared to work nights and weekends — forever! “It’s harder to have a family in this end of the business than most due to when the events take place,” says Rosenbush.
4. Build a support network. “Hold on to the good friends you make in this business and work to build your support network,” says Rosenbush. “You will find this valuable as you move along.”
4. Be open-minded. “Experience a variety of sports, move away from the mainstream and try something completely new and different,” says Howard. “Just because you’re a woman does not mean to have to work exclusively with women’s sports. Speak up and cover the team(s) you want to cover.”
5. Practice. The most important thing is writing well, and the best way to improve your writing is to practice, says Hendricks. Write about everything you can, whether you will get paid or not. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your desired field.
6. Write in uniform. “Learn AP style,” advises Hendricks. “Study your subjects, brainstorm new and different ways to cover them and read everything you can get your hands on. When you get lazy, it shows.”
7. It’s not all glamorous. More often than not, Hendricks sits at home wearing sweatpants and writing with reruns of The West Wing and Beverly Hills, 90210 on in the background. “Covering sports doesn’t mean that you are going to be rubbing elbows with star athletes, and when you do meet athletes, they’re generally very different from expectations,” she says.

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Matt Krumrie is a freelance writer and communications professional.

Give your college or university’s monthly, bimonthly or quarterly alumni book more than a passing glance, and you might be surprised by the quality of the writing and graphics that go into the average alumni publication.

Many of them are, in fact, good markets for freelancers to pitch a wide array of stories, from the obvious — a profile of an alumnus who won the Nobel Prize, formed a popular band or airlifted livestock out of a natural disaster — to the less obvious: an investigative article about the commercialization of technology that sprang from research that took place at a university, for example, or a roundup of what graduates of a given law school are doing for a living outside the legal profession.

Alumni magazines are “another way colleges reach out during difficult times,” says Lisa Brownell, editor of CC: Magazine, the quarterly publication of Connecticut College, New London, Conn. She contends the print alumni magazine field is alive and well. “Our surveys and word-of-mouth tell us that most alumni still want a hard-copy version,” even recent graduates, a certain New York Times article notwithstanding.

“What we are trying to do is produce a magazine that comes off as much as possible with the look and feel of a popular commercial magazine,” says Jared Simpson, associate director of communications at the University of California Berkeley School of Law and editor of the school’s alumni magazine, Transcript, which is mailed twice a year to 17,000 homes. “We want stories that are topical and that will ultimately tout the school and its excellence.”

“Our competition is not Texas A&M’s magazine,” says Avrel Seale, editor of the bimonthly Alcalde at the University of Texas. “It’s Sports Illustrated and Time and Popular Mechanics. That’s who we are competing with for people’s attention.” Indeed, Seale views Alcalde as “a general interest magazine that happens to be located at UT.”

As with any other magazine you might wish to write for, it’s important to tailor your pitch to the publication. In part, that means getting your hands on a bunch of back issues and perusing them to get a flavor for the voice of the publication and the kinds of stories it runs. Even though alumni magazines are not on the newsstand, this isn’t as hard as it sounds. Ask your friends for back issues of their schools’ magazines you can pore over, reading mastheads (to get a sense of how many stories in a given issue are written in-house or by freelancers) and assessing whether the publication tends to assign short, front-of-book pieces or longer, more scholarly articles to non-staff writers. And, do your research as best you can to avoid duplication: “We get a lot of pitches on people who we have already [covered] or stories we have already done,” says Scott Hauser, editor of the University of Rochester’s Rochester Review since 2001.

When it comes to writing for alumni magazines, most of the old saws apply: define clearly and up front why your idea works for the magazine now, proofread your pitch before sending, and don’t misspell the editor’s name. But there are some subtle differences of which you’ll want to take heed as you crack this potential market.

Start with your own school. The editors interviewed for this piece agreed that a solid pitch from an alumnus of their school would have an edge over an equally good pitch from someone who had not attended the school. Brownell likes a mix of alums and non-alums in each issue’s contributors’ column. (Bonus: you probably have at least a couple of these lying around your house.)

Get familiar with the mag. Simpson says he has never been pitched, “but I certainly wouldn’t close the door on one.” Just the same, a pitch that worked “would have to be from someone who really understands what the magazine is about.”

Simpson notes he has to fill a front-of-book section in each issue of Transcript with 100- to 450-words newsy items; he also has room for 3,000-word packages completed with multiple sidebars. He recently ran a piece about the ethics of stem cell research and another about an alumnus’ father who started a fund to help pay for Latino students’ law school expenses. “I also like stories that are fun, a little on the quirky side,” he says.

Other editors are used to fielding a steady stream of pitches. Hauser, for one, receives pitches on a regular basis, and estimates that a quarter of them turn into actual stories.

Seale, too, gets multiple pitches a week. “Almost all of my freelancers I hire based upon a specific pitch,” he says. Profiles of notable alums who live far from Austin are a case in point; from Seale’s point of view, it makes more sense to bring in a freelancer who also happens to live in Seattle to bang out an 800-word piece about an alumna doing fascinating post-graduate stuff in the Pacific Northwest.

Have an actual idea. Don’t just grub for an assignment — “Got anything you need tackled?” — because you happen to have gone to the school you’re approaching. And go easy on the PR, too: “It’s really easy to spot someone who is trying to promote their company,” says Seale. “When that happens, I say ‘thanks very much’ and route them to the class notes section” — the portion in the back of most alumni magazines where classmates write in news of weddings, births, companies launched, etc.

Play to your strengths. If you write about health for other clients, say so when you pitch a health-related story to a medical school’s alumni publication. “I am always looking for a good science writer who can talk to our researchers and clinicians about what they do and then translate that into good lay journalism,” says Hauser.

Tell ’em you’ll shoot it yourself. Not all alumni magazines have the budget to hire a photographer to take every profilee’s picture. Plus, as digital camera technology has improved, the images even an amateur can generate have improved substantially even over the last couple of years. “The ideal writer would be someone who says, ‘I will also take the photo, and it will be a good one,'” says Brownell. “In my experience, the two are mutually exclusive.”

Suggest hooks to new media. Brownell appreciates it when a writer pitches a story with built-in components that will work on the magazine’s Web site. “We’re definitely trying to get more out of our freelance budget, so writers should be open to things other than a straight profile,” she says. For example, a recent profile of a tuba-playing professor in CC: Magazine included a clip of him playing the tuba that was made available as a complementary online exclusive.

Don’t get bent about sources reading your piece first. It’s not something asked by every alumni magazine editor, but it shouldn’t surprise you if it’s something yours wants. Most of these publications, after all, must straddle a line between solid journalism and the marketing of the college or university that publishes them.

“By and large, most of the people [we feature] see the story in some form before it appears,” says Hauser. Still, it’s one thing for the subject to suggest a fix for a factual error you inadvertently introduced; it’s another thing when they want to rewrite the piece from scratch. Talk with your editor if you’re getting what you believe are inordinate demands from the source for content changes.

Get in the habit of asking subjects of any story you are writing where they went to college. You may be able to spin a second profile for an alumni magazine out of an assignment you already have for another publication.

Pay rate: Varies. Some magazines offer a flat fee of $100 regardless of article length; others pay by the word, from $0.50 to $1.25.

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Amy Rogers Nazarov is a D.C.-based freelancer covering food, museums, technology and other topics. View her clips from Cooking Light, Adoptive

Families and other publications at WordKitchen.net.

Julia Scott is a print reporter turned online journalist who left a steady gig at a newspaper to launch her blog BargainBabe.com in January 2009. She began turning a profit in her first month.

“Monetizing a blog is possible, but it’s a ton of work,” says Scott. She spends 10-12 hours a day working, plus a few hours over the weekend, but says: “I’ve been able to make money off of my passion, and it’s really rewarding.” Scott doesn’t charge for content (“although I’ve toyed with the idea”) — but rather makes money from advertising, freelancing and self-syndicating her content. “News outlets are desperate for great content and, in exchange for a very low fee, I negotiate a non-exclusive contract,” she says.

While those with a writing background are well-suited to monetizing content they create, blogging requires some additional skills, says Scott. Making money online means becoming more than “just a writer.” You need to become, in essence, an entrepreneur. “You have to be so much more entrepreneurial than you ever had to be as a reporter or editor in a newsroom,” she says. “You really have to learn to be a self-promoter.”

Scott’s story is not unique. In fact, she is one of many journalists who are making a good — sometimes exceptional — living by monetizing Web content.

Start up, then start generating revenue

Amy Lemley Bailey is publisher of My Scoop, an online fashion magazine or, as Bailey describes it: “a Southern fashionista’s source for style.” My Scoop started as a part-time blog that Bailey posted to five or six times a month. Then she started doing an email blast, and readership grew. Still employed full-time in sales for a national magazine, Bailey started to get inquiries from people interested in advertising on her site. “I decided it was time to take the leap and do my own thing,” she says. My Scoop immediately began generating revenue through advertising, she says.

In December, 2007, the Web zine was launched with daily updated articles. She hired a sales rep and was soon averaging about $15,000-20,000 each month in ad revenue. She’s since moved out of her home office into office space and now has three sales reps, a marketing director and several interns. And, she’s getting ready to launch sites in Nashville, Tenn., and Birmington, Ala., — with plans to continue launching in other cities.

Nicole Feliciano is editor of Momtrends, a site for — you guessed it — moms! Feliciano started out by blogging for others: Mom Central, Pampered Puppy and Babble.com. Then, she says, she figured out “the simple tools required to create my own blog.” Now, two years later, says Feliciano, “I have enough revenue to drop some clients and rely upon my own ad stream.” Feliciano sells ad space directly to other small business owners: “Space on Momtrends is a great value and trackable. Businesses can see every lead that comes their way through my site.”

She also uses affiliate links to generate revenue. “Whenever I write about a new product, I see if there is an available link that will generate cash off of a sale,” she says. One caution, though: “It’s essential to keep your integrity. My readers trust me, and I won’t let them down by being bought out for a review.”

Wendy Limauge began blogging six months ago and now makes close to $1500 a month blogging. She hopes to earn “full-time money” by the end of the year.

The key, says Limauge, is finding and sticking to a topic. “When I started, I made the big mistake of trying to write everything in one blog,” she says. “The readers your blog attracts will not come to your blog for everything. They come to you for usually one or two specific things.” In addition, she adds, search engines can be “confused” if your blog has too many topics. Have more to say than can be accomplished on one blog? Have several blogs. That’s what Limauge has done: “I have multiple blogs each featuring a specific topic — and I have different readers on each blog, she says.

Michelle Madhok started her blog SheFinds.com in 2004. Last fall, she sold a minority share of it for $1.3 million. The site generates about $500 thousand yearly in revenue. According to Madhok, the key to success is to “focus on a sellable category.” In her case, that category is fashion and beauty. “There are a lot of advertisers that want to be in that space and it gives us a number of revenue streams,” she says. These include: advertising, commissions, syndication and spokesperson opportunities.

Develop a money-making strategy and follow through

Monetizing your Web site can be done. The question is: How? Scott points to four “best practices” for making money through Web content:

1. Pick a topic that you’re both passionate about and that has a lot of potential. In Scott’s case, she focused on helping people save money — a hot topic, and a personal passion. “I’ve always been a cheapskate, and now I’m able to make money off my passion,” she says.

2. Focus on providing interesting content in a way that’s engaging for readers. “I like to draw my readers in with great stories, questions to get comments, polls, videos — anything that’s interactive,” says Scott. “Blogs are, above all, interactive; people coming from print or traditional media backgrounds need to embrace that interactivity.”

3. Consider syndicating your content for profit. “Develop a list of who might want to buy your content — and not just newspapers,” recommends Scott. “Think about what Web sites, radio stations, TV stations, trade publications or corporate outlets might be interested. You can really expand your platform.”

4. Start now — don’t wait to “quit your day job.” It takes a lot of time to build up traffic, Scott says. “You want to have a track record established before you’re really counting on people to link to you.”

The beauty of Web content, of course, is that it can be quickly changed. It is relatively easy to experiment with different topics, different audiences and different approaches. The key, again, is to focus on a topic that you’re passionate about — and that others share your passion for.

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Lin Grensing-Pophal is a freelance business journalist and independent marketing communication consultant.