#Realtalk
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November 29, 2012 06:50 AM
Relationship advice for writers and editors
How to work together smoothly
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 with your editor, then saying thank you is never sucking up.
Editors work behind the scenes, so there’s...
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November 15, 2012 06:50 AM
Call me, maybe
How to get sources, other journalists, and editors to respond to you
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 contingencies occur on the same pitch. When I'm not on close terms with either the subject or the outlet—but I...
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November 8, 2012 06:50 AM
Who generates story ideas?
When writers expect editors to do the all the legwork
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 my time off scouring university documents, agendas, calendars, and other news sources just to barely fill our daily paper while...
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November 1, 2012 11:15 AM
Breaking up and moving on
When to take your pitch elsewhere, when to quit altogether, and how to search for out-of-state jobs
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 message in a piece? And when should I say enough is enough? -Anne Bartholomew
Sometimes you can safeguard against this... Continue reading -
October 25, 2012 06:50 AM
Managing your archive
What to do with the clips from assignments gone by
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 immaculate 15th-floor office and spewing out pages of newsprint, and an executive assistant grumbling, "Who the hell sent a packet...
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October 18, 2012 06:50 AM
The tweet life
How journalists can reap the benefits of Twitter without falling into its traps
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 productive conversation (though it can be quite inspiring), but because it’s the profession’s digital watercooler. Admittedly, the logic is kind of...
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October 11, 2012 06:50 AM
Essential tools of the trade
Here's a quick, crowdsourced guide to the most useful everyday tools for the modern journalist
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 single day, as if they were an extension of my very self?
I’m going to assume you already have and...
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October 4, 2012 11:14 AM
Balancing the personal and the professional
Make yourself into a brand
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 personal twitter would be weird for just anyone to see. Combining my efforts makes sense, but having them separate could...
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September 27, 2012 06:50 AM
Insiders and outsiders
How to move in and move up when you’re still the little guy. Or gal
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 a good relationship with an editor and she knows what I'm good at, how do I convince her I'll have...
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September 20, 2012 06:50 AM
When to blame your editor
How to handle the parts of your work that are outside your control
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, I feel obligated to tackle race and gender, because often it feels like I'm the only non white male in...
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September 13, 2012 06:50 AM
Journo, promote thyself
Use your personal website and Twitter feed to get people to read your stuff without annoying them
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? —Alyssa Katz
Don’t use Twitter and Facebook as firehoses for your own content! Think about the Twitter accounts that you...
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September 6, 2012 06:50 AM
The rules of the freelance game
Tips for pitching like a pro and double-dipping story ideas without going the full Jonah Lehrer
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 of your head, name five editors you know will recognize your name and open your pitch emails. If you can’t,...
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August 30, 2012 06:50 AM
Are you too drunk to edit?
A journalistic sobriety test for night editors, bloggers, and anyone covering an event with an open bar
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!
I’ve developed a handy quiz for you.
Where are you right now? a) Upright at a desk b) Horizontal on my...
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August 23, 2012 07:05 AM
To sell out or not to sell out?
Is a journalism job you hate better than no journalism job at all?
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 just so I can make ends meet. I'm completely aware of the hardships and financial burdens that come with being...
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