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Feature and Magazine Writing
Action, Angle, and Anecdotes

“This text provides the cutting-edge insights on writing and publishing needed in today's competitive marketplace. The authors--themselves highly successful authors and editors--teach with wit, pragmatic examples, concise information, and logical explanations.  For developing journalists and freelance writers, this book is the gold standard.”
Dennis E. Hensley, Taylor University

“Holly Miller was my first editor when I wrote for The Saturday Evening Post, and I found her directives to me on a story assignment to be to the point and always helpful.  In this book, she and David Sumner speak to student writers as if they were already professional writers. The advice is lucid. The tips are outstanding. This revision addresses the switch to digital publishing and even a veteran writer of 50 years such as myself can learn from it.”
Hank Nuwer, Franklin College

“Practical, methodical, and poetic, this book wonderfully teaches the art and craft of writing features and magazine stories. And it’s targeted to the digital demands of the 21st century.”
- Berkley Hudson, University of Missouri

David E. Sumner (Author), Holly G. Miller (Author)

9781118305133, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 30 November 2012

352 pages
23.1 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.44 kg

“Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduate collections.”  (Choice, 1 July 2013)

"It doesn’t matter if the student’s chosen medium is daily newsprint, a monthly glossy, or an iPad, Sumner’s and Miller’s approach reinforces the time-tested tenets of feature journalism: make things interesting, well-organized, market-appropriate, and reader-friendly."  (Journal of Magazine & New Media Release, 1 June 2013)  

“Highly recommended for any student interested in writing for magazines or the Internet.”  (Cogito Ergo Sum, 20 December 2012)

Updated with fresh facts, examples and illustrations, along with two new chapters on digital media and blogs this third edition continues to be the authoritative and essential guide to writing engaging and marketable feature stories.

  • Covers everything from finding original ideas and angles to locating expert sources
  • Expanded edition with new chapters on storytelling for digital media and building a story blog
  • Captivating style exemplifies the authors’ expert guidance, combining academic authority with professional know-how
  • Comprehensive coverage of all the angles, including marketing written work and finding jobs in the publishing industry
  • Essential reading for anyone wishing to become a strong feature writer
  • Accompanied by a website with a wealth of resources including PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and Q&As that will be available upon publication: www.wiley.com/go/sumnerandmiller

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

Subject Areas: Society & culture: general [JF]

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