Feature and Magazine Writing

David E. Sumner is a professor of journalism and head of the magazine journalism program at Ball State University, USA. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee and is a former ‘Magazine Educator of the Year’ in recognition of his contribution to journalism teaching. His books include The Magazine Century: American Magazines Since 1900 (2010), and Magazines: A Complete Guide to the Industry (2006). Holly G. Miller is a working journalist and communications consultant, with bylines in numerous publications including Reader’s Digest, TV Guide, and Indianapolis Monthly. She has degrees from Indiana University and Ball State University, USA, and teaches advanced feature-writing classes across America. In addition to writing, ghost-writing, and co-authoring more than a dozen books, she has won awards from Associated Press, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Evangelical Press Association

Preface vii

About the Authors x

Part I: Reading, Writing and Relevance 1

1 What Makes a Story Interesting? 3

2 How to Find an Original Idea 14

3 Strong Angles and Focused Ideas 26

4 Digging Deep for Original Stories 39

5 Talking Pointers: How to Conduct Great Interviews 55

Part II: Taking Your Articles to the Freelance Market 73

6 To Market, To Market: Shopping Your Words Around 75

7 Pitch-Perfect Query Letters 91

Part III: Adding Action and Anecdotes 107

8 Where to Begin: The First 100 Words 109

9 Action, Brevity and Style 123

10 Anecdotes: Mining for Gold 138

Part IV: Different Formats, Different Results 151

11 Briefs: Shortcuts to Publication 153

12 Profiles: Slices of Life 167

13 Writing Nonfiction Narratives 186

14 Eliminating the Ho-Hum From the How-To 211

15 Making a Timely Calendar Connection 225

16 Writing About Trends and Issues 237

Part V: Exploring Digital Opportunities 253

17 Building a Story Blog 255

18 Long-Form Digital Storytelling 265

Part VI: Preparing the Final Draft 277

19 Advancing Beyond the Slush Pile 279

20 Before You Hit the “Send” Button: A Checklist 293

21 Careers in Magazine Publishing 299

Appendix: Shoptalk: A Glossary of Magazine Lingo 314

Index 325