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July 30, 2003 Don’t ever give up. That’s the best advice I can give an aspiring journalist. And how did I break into print? By not giving up. Don’t ever give up – that’s not useless knowledge, it’s practical wisdom. But here’s a few hints for those wishing to break into print media; the first I’ve already given. My second suggestion would be to get out in your community and create an angle. What I mean by that is, there are all sorts of stories out there but it’s your job to find them. Sometimes the stories are not easily detected and so you have to don the investigative reporter’s hat. But that’s okay, it’s what you’re aiming for, isn’t it? The first story of mine that was published in a newspaper was a feature on a local restaurant new to my state and, more importantly, to my community. The fast-food diner was unique in many ways, and when I dug for more intriguing information I found it. What did I do? I called up the manager and set a time to meet with him, which he was eager to do. Every business respectable business owner wants to speak with the press; it’s free advertising for them. I don’t know if the story helped his business or not, but I’m inclined to think it did. For one, just a day or two after it was published my wife heard people in a grocery store talking about my article. When she told me what she had overheard at the checkout stand, I really didn’t care if my article would jump-start the restaurant’s business or not; I was just so thrilled that someone had read my article. I was a published writer! A writer that was read by the local community! I felt like a minor celebrity. After that first story appeared, I was able to get published more easily the next time. I actually had something to begin a portfolio with, and by gosh, not long thereafter I landed a job as a staff writer for the same paper I freelanced for. Talk about heaven! But that was years ago. Since that time, I’ve worked for four different newspapers and one world-subscriber Internet magazine, and I’ve contributed to nearly a dozen publications. And to think it all started with a 900-word feature on a local restaurant! Luck? Nah, I just got out in the community and didn’t give up. My third suggestion: learn good grammar. What you think is good writing may not be as good as you think. Purchase a copy of The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law – known to those in the profession as “The Journalist’s Bible” – and become familiar with it. And for heaven’s sake, read the newspaper. If you want to write well you have to read well – and consistently. Even Stephen King tells aspiring novelists that the good writer is the constant reader. It’s just part of never giving up! Never giving up means to also be prepared. If you are prepared, you shall not fear because you will know what you need to do when misfortune turns to stare at you. And believe me it will, and it has anxious, envious eyes. I told you the success I had of publishing my first story, but what I didn’t tell was the ongoing struggle I faced before that first story. I won’t detail my struggles as a want-to-be- writer. Just know that almost everyone who writes for a living has faced the same struggles. You will too. You will be rejected, turned down and perhaps even a bit embarrassed or hurt by the response from editors, so my last suggestion is to not become discouraged. True journalists need tough skin. But remember this, tough skin comes with time, just like the calluses of a guitar player. At first the fingers hurt (or in the case of a journalist, the feelings), but give it time and you’ll see the fruits of your hard work. If you persist, if you never give up, if you get out in your community and strive to be a “working journalist” and not just an “aspiring writer,” you will find success. And just maybe, if you persist long enough, success will find you. I am a writer now, not just a want-to-be. I am confident in that, and I don’t need a press pass to prove it. But I do have a press pass and a large portfolio, and much of my success I owe to that first newspaper article I did some years ago. The restaurant I featured is still in business – doing quite well, I believe – and I’m still here, doing what I love: writing for a living. You can too. Just don’t ever give up! ------------ About the author: Andrew Weeks, a journalist by profession, has been published in numerous publications. He is also noted for his poetry and prose, and is the author of one book and the editor of two. Email Andrew: A1weeks@aol.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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