Author Archive

Articles by Ann Friedman | Email the Author

 

1. #Realtalk

   Relationship advice for writers and editors

   November 29, 2012 06:50 AM

   How do you let your editor know you appreciate all they do for you without sounding like a suck-up? —Anonymous Awww, this question is so sweet! If you’re producing good work, you have good ideas, and you’re on good terms... Continue reading

2. #Realtalk

   Call me, maybe

   November 15, 2012 06:50 AM

   Sometimes the likelihood of my pitch being accepted hinges on my accessibility to a particular interview subject, or the likelihood of the subject agreeing to the interview hinges on the reputation of the proposed publication. The problem comes when both... Continue reading

3. #Realtalk

   Who generates story ideas?

   November 8, 2012 06:50 AM

   I am the managing and news editor at my university paper. I'm having problems getting the staff writers to pitch their own stories. It's my job to schedule the news, but I'm burning out. I find that I spend all... Continue reading

4. #Realtalk

   Breaking up and moving on

   November 1, 2012 11:15 AM

   I'm sure you've had the frustrating experience of reading your story for the first time in print and discovering new changes you never approved with your byline attached. How should I approach editors who have inappropriately altered my voice or... Continue reading

5. #Realtalk

   Managing your archive

   October 25, 2012 06:50 AM

   Here's a topic from Getting Shit Together 101: writing samples. How does one correctly mail them, hard-copy style? Is sending several pages of newsprint and whole magazines containing articles unacceptable? I'm imagining my fat yellow manila folder landing in some... Continue reading

6. #Realtalk

   The tweet life

   October 18, 2012 06:50 AM

   How can I get more Twitter followers? —Gabriel Arana Twitter has become indispensable for journalists. Not because it’s the best place to find sources (though it can be useful for that) and not because it leads to the most... Continue reading

7. #Realtalk

   Essential tools of the trade

   October 11, 2012 06:50 AM

   I love to read about the latest and greatest apps and gadgets but, when I do, I have two overwhelming thoughts: Which of these would I actually use? And which, if any, will I come to rely on every... Continue reading

8. #Realtalk

   Balancing the personal and the professional

   October 4, 2012 11:14 AM

   My online presence is sharply divided between a professional wordpress, a bloggy wordpress, a tumblr, a professional twitter, and personal twitter. I feel like something's gotta give here. My professional twitter is dry and I hardly use it, and my... Continue reading

9. #Realtalk

   Insiders and outsiders

   September 27, 2012 06:50 AM

   I've read a lot of advice about pitching individual features, but it seems like recurring features are even more valuable for anyone making a go of freelancing. What does a good pitch for that look like? Even if I've got... Continue reading

10. #Realtalk

    When to blame your editor

    September 20, 2012 06:50 AM

    Realtalk me on how to expand the kinds of things you write about. For example, I write about race and gender often, but sometimes (a lot of times) I want to write about other things. But at the same time,... Continue reading

11. #Realtalk

    Journo, promote thyself

    September 13, 2012 06:50 AM

    My startup website depends on social media pickup for pageviews, so my reporters and I tweet and Facebook the hell out of our stories. But how much can we do before followers start fleeing? Should we stop retweeting the retweets?... Continue reading

12. #Realtalk

    The rules of the freelance game

    September 6, 2012 06:50 AM

    Aside from the general advice of networking and putting yourself out there, how do I break into freelancing? What makes a good query letter? Can you really still make a living off freelancing, and how? —Melissa Quick! Off the top... Continue reading

13. #Realtalk

    Are you too drunk to edit?

    August 30, 2012 06:50 AM

    Is there a test that you can self-administer to determine if you are too drunk to write or edit a post? Asking for myself in 2007. —Alexis Madrigal, senior editor at The Atlantic Oh man. Been there! ... Continue reading

14. #Realtalk

    To sell out or not to sell out?

    August 23, 2012 07:05 AM

    I'm 22 and a recent NYC transplant. I'm interning at a pretty well-known magazine, working with some great editors, learning a ton, and a big plus is that they actually pay their interns. I also work a part-time retail job... Continue reading

15. #Realtalk

    Five types of problem writer

    August 16, 2012 06:50 AM

    What's the best way to get through to stubborn writers? —Kjerstin Johnson, Portland, OR The editing process should be a collaboration, and if both the writer and editor don’t see it that way, conflicts are bound to crop up. There... Continue reading

16. #Realtalk

    Journalists vs. curators

    August 9, 2012 06:50 AM

    What's the difference between a journalist and a curator? —David Johnson, Berkeley, CA As David Carr of The New York Times put it at South By Southwest this year, “We’re all in the same business in a way.... Continue reading

17. #Realtalk

    Work/life trend pieces and when journalistic heroes fall, literally

    August 2, 2012 06:50 AM

    What's the deal with articles about CEOs/leaders/politicians only mentioning "work/life balance" if the subject is a woman? Where are the hand-wringing articles about whether or not Romney is spending enough time with his 15 grandchildren? Or about how Lebron James... Continue reading

18. #Realtalk

    Presenting #realtalk from your editor

    July 26, 2012 06:50 AM

    Welcome to the new incarnation of #Realtalk from your editor! This weekly column was inspired by my now-defunct Tumblr blog, but it’s going to be more than one-liners and animated gifs (though there will... Continue reading