Feature and Magazine Writing

David E. Sumner is Professor of Journalism and head of the magazine program at Ball State University. He received the "Magazine Educator of the Year" award in 2007 from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. To learn more about magazines, visit Professor Sumner's Web site: www.professormagazine.com . Holly G. Miller is a professional in residence at Anderson University, senior editor of The Saturday Evening Post and freelance contributor to several national magazines.

Introduction: Magazines Have a Bright Future. Part I: Preparing to Write Feature and Magazine Articles. 1. Capturing Reader Attention. 2. The Hunt for Fresh Ideas. 3. Strong Angles and Focused Ideas. 4. Original Research = Original Articles. 5. Interviews: Goal-driven Conversations. Part II: Selling Feature and Magazine Articles. 6. Finding the Right Market. 7. Query Letters that Sell. Part III: Writing Feature and Magazine Articles. 8. Hooks, Intros and Leads. 9. Action-Filled Writing. 10. The Art of the Anecdote. 11. Improving Your Pizzaz. 12. Don't Botch the Basics. Part IV: Different Types of Feature and Magazine Articles. 13. Blurbs, Briefs and Brighteners. 14. In Focus: The Well-Balanced Profile. 15. Writing Dramatic Stories. 16. Help! Writing the How-to Feature. 17. Connecting Content to the Calendar. 18. Trends, Issues and Controversies. 19. Writing to Inspire and Motivate. 20. Writing for Professionals and Practitioners. 21. Writing for Online Publications. Part V: Postscript. 22. Last Chance: The Final Draft. 23. How to Find a Magazine Job. Index.