(Updated on 9/13/2010 @ 6:31 p.m. with correct info for classes offered by Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism.)

It’s September and kids from kindergarten to college are headed back to the classroom.

This time of year, that back-to-school feeling is hard to escape, even if you finished your formal education years ago.

So why not just go with it, and sign up for a class or two to improve your skills and help your writing business.

Here’s a list of places that offer writing or other classes online; some are open only to members, which means you’ll need to subscribe to that professional organization in order to sign up.

Knight Digital Media Center - This journalism training partnership between USC Annenberg and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism offers some online training materials in support of the week-long on-site seminars the schools run for working journalists. Categories include reporting, audio, video, photography, and more.

Knowledgewebb – Online training site Knowledgewebb focuses on training journalists about the tech tools they need to do their jobs, and not just to work for digital publications. Subjects range from basics such as math for journalists to planning your first multimedia story to more sophisticated subjects including content management systems, databases and getting more traffic to your website or blog. To see what you’re getting for your money, Knowledgewebb offers four sample classes you can take for free, including 50 Ways to Improve Your Blog and Workflow for Online Editorial Content. Classes are available to members only. Annual subscription is $129 a year, although generous discounts are available to members of affiliate organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, ReligonWriters.com, Freelance Success and others.

Mediabistro – The virtual community for freelancers runs online and on-demand courses and webinars, and offers one of the greatest range of topics out there, including staples such as Bootcamp for Journalists and Travel Writing Boot Camp. Mediabistro has literally dozens of courses slated to start in in the next couple weeks – but don’t worry if you miss the one you want, it’s bound to repeat sometime in the not too distant future. Some online classes are under an hour, others last several hours and others span the course of several weeks. Costs vary. Subscribers to Mediabistro’s AvantGuild inner circle get discounts on classes, but classes are open to all.

News University – This e-learning program is run by Poynter Institute, the non-profit journalism training organization that also owns and publishes the St. Petersburg Times. In addition to online training, News U. also offers webinars and in-person training, and you don’t need to be a member of any particular organization to sign up. Right now, News U. is asking freelancers to participate in an online survey to come up with subjects for a series of online writing webinars the organization plans to launch in 2011; participating writers get 50 percent off registration for one webinar plus $10 off an online class on stopping writer’s block that takes place this Thursday, Sept. 16.

Online News Association – This professional organization for staff and freelance digital journalists at all kinds of publications doesn’t offer much of its own online training, though members receive discounts on classes from News U. and Knowledgewebb. However, the group plans to use some of the $75,000 in grant funding it received recently to expand its own online training. If you live in Washington D.C. or plan to be there in late October, don’t miss ONA10, the organization’s annual conference, which crams as much digital-media training into two days as you could possibly hope for. In case you need more convincing, here’s a recap from last year’s conference.

Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism – The seven-year-old business journalism training program says 9,000 writers have taken its courses. The center, physically located at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, offers a variety of live and on-demand online training – all focused on how to do a better job of covering a business beat. Upcoming webinars include: Developing Business Angles on Any Beat (Sept. 14) and Think Like Google: What You Need to Know about SEO (Oct. 19).

Writer’s Digest University – The online training branch of Writer’s Digest Magazine offers training for writes in all genres, including magazine writing, fiction, poetry and technical writing. The next sets of multi-week, online workshops begin Sept. 16 and 23. Right now anyone who signs up for a workshop gets a free WD on-demand webinar on DIY publishing.

My reading recommendation for this week comes courtesy of Amy Webb, head of Webbmedia, the media training company that runs Knowledgewebb, an online training center and resource for journalists.

Webb recently published an updated map of the online news publishing process that’s created quite a buzz. It depicts the processes news organizations use to plan, create and publicize their work.

Although Webb’s map was intended to help staff editors and writers sort through how newspapers and online news organizations operate today, it’s just as applicable to sole proprietors – it’s just in the case of a freelance journalist, all the various jobs are being done by one person.

According to Julie Sturgeon, Knowledgewebb’s marketing director and a freelance writing acquaintance, the map has quickly become the most popular blog post Webb has ever written – and all for something she doodled one day while riding on the subway. It just goes to show – your most popular work doesn’t necessarily have to be the hardest to put together.

WMG_Workflow_2010

1. Get a smartphone. You can’t understand how mobile apps work if you don’t use them, so the first step in your mobile internet education is getting a smartphone. Apple’s new iPhone 4 will be out June 24. But if you don’t have that kind of money to spend, get a cheaper one. Coinciding with the iPhone 4′s announcement, Apple dropped the prizes of existing models, so there are plenty of deals. Verizon has been running a buy 1, get 1 free offer for Motorola Droids – I’ve had a Droid since December and love it.

2. Play around with news or other content-related mobile apps. See what’s out  there. Some of my current favorites are AP Mobile, NPR and USA Today. But there are hundreds more, and many of them are free.

3. Get training. If you’re not the DIY type, take a mobile app development class from a journalism training center such as Knowledgewebb, J-Lab or News U. If you know journalists who’re already doing this, ask them to teach you – everybody’s busy, so offer to barter something you could do for them in exchange for in-person or virtual lessons.

4. Investigate mobile app markets. Publishers are looking for writers to write mobile apps. Travel guide publishers have been among the first to move existing content to smartphones or hire writers to produce fresh material. From what I’ve read on writer message boards, not all these opportunities pay well, but if it’s your first time out, think of it as getting paid to learn. Once you’ve mastered the form, you can ask for more money, or pick up some extra cash teaching other freelancers (see above).

5. Pitch yourself to publications. Start with the ones that are already producing mobile apps or publications you already work with. A publisher’s taking a chance investing resources in a new product, they might feel safer assigning the work to someone they know is reliable.

6. Write your own app. If you’ve got an entrepreneurial bent and are good with tech – or know enough about it to tell a software developer what you’re after – consider developing your own app. But don’t do the work without a willing buyer. Think of it like selling a book. You come up with an idea, put together a proposal, line up the resources you’d need, and shop it to a publisher. Finding a software developer who can write the code shouldn’t be a problem. Cities like Portland have thriving app developer communities with plenty of coders for hire who could do the back end stuff for you.

Have you successfully written or sold a mobile app? If so, I’d love to hear about it.

Feeling lucky?

You could be one of the big winners in this year’s WordCount Blogathon.

To mark the event’s 3rd anniversary, I’ve lined up some fabulous giveaways for writers who commit to blogging the entire month of May.

Thanks to some awesome sponsors, more than $1,200 in prizes will be awarded to randomly selected participants at the end of the WordCount Blogathon:

• NEW! (Added April 29) KnowledgeWebb subscription - 1 year subscription to KnowledgeWebb, affordable training for everyone and anyone working in content. Their motto: Don’t sweat the tech! Value: $129.
• NEW! (Added April 27) Blog/Website SEO Review – Custom analysis of your blog or website from Internet marketing specialist Spork Marketing. Spork’s Jason Lancaster will analyze more than 50 aspects of your website or blog’s design and structure to create a report on what’s working, what’s not and suggestions for 10 easy fixes to make it more search engine friendly. The winner must agree to publish a post about the review process, either on their site or on Spork Marketing’s blog. Value: $500
• One admission to TV and film blogger Jane Boursaw’s popular class, Blogging for Passion and Profit, Premium level. Value: $250.
• A one-hour “Get Unstuck” laser coaching session with Marla Beck, life coach for writers, good for writers looking to take on more meaningful assignments, overcome writer’s block. Value: $185.
• One hour of resume writing service from Danielle Buffardi of PenPoint Editorial Services to overhaul your old resume or start a new one from scratch. Value: $125.
• Hot off the presses, The Urban Muse blogger Susan Johnston’s new e-book, The Urban Muse Guide to Online Writing Markets, with information on 40 online writing markets that buy freelance articles, as well as samples of successful query emails and a glossary of writing and web terms.
• A copy of Simple Task Timer, time tracking software writers can also use to schedule projects, produce productivity reports and generate invoices. Value: $49.95.
• One hour of writing, editing or business coaching from WordCount Editorial Services (that’s me). Value: $125.
• Starbucks gift card - Preferred fuel for bloggers! Value: $25.
• The Associated Press Stylebook 2009 – New, paperback edition, shipped directly to you from Amazon.com. Value: $12.89.

To be eligible, all you have to do is sign up for the blogathon and blog all 31 days. Winners will be randomly drawn and announced on June 1 during the real-time WordCount Blogathon wrap party – watch here for more details.

To sign up or learn more about the blogathon go to the official WordCount Blogathon page.

In addition to a chance to win fabulous prizes, all WordCount participants receive a free badge to place on their blog to let the world know they’re part of this wonderful group – that’s it at the beginning of this post.

A big shout out to WordCount Blogathon sponsors for making this possible:

• Jason Lancaster and Internet marketing specialist Spork Marketing.
• Jane Boursaw, freelance writer and blogger at Reel Life with Jane and a whole lot more.
  Marla Beck, life coach for writers.
• Danielle Buffardi of PenPoint Editorial Services.
• Susan Johnston, freelance writer and blogger at The Urban Muse.
• Alex Garrido, author of Simple Task Timer.
• Ron Doyle for designing the participant and sponsor badges.

If you’re a company that makes products or services for writers and would be interested in sponsoring the WordCount Blogathon, please contact me here.

This quote reminds me of freelancers who continue to query print consumer magazines then complain when they don’t hear anything. When the print magazine industry’s losing ad pages at an alarming rate, it’s not surprising that editors aren’t buying. So why keep flogging that dead horse?

Online’s the future, and I’m not just talking about writing for content farms. There are all kinds of opportunities with online only-news sites, corporate sites, newsletters, trade publications, e-books, user guides, mobile phone apps and on and on.

Making the most of these opportunities could require retraining. But if you’re in the market to pick up some new skills, you don’t need to look far for opportunities.

One is a free hour-long webinar, Moving to Digital-First Content: How Intelligent Content Technology is Changing Publishing from Scott Abel, of The Content Wrangler fame, on Thursday, March 11 at 2 p.m. ET. Registration is free but you have to sign up in advance.

In the webinar, Abel will lead a discussion with content management specialist Ann Rockley and digital publishing innovator Dev Ganesan.

Here are a couple other journalism training websites that offer free or low-cost classes freelancers can take to pick up skills they need to create content online.

Knowledgewebb – Run by former journalist Amy Webb, this website’s motto is “Don’t sweat the tech. ” Knowledgewebb hosts online and off-line classes, webinars, tutorials and more. Subscriptions are $129 a year or $89 if you belong to the Online News Association or another partner organization.

Knight Digital Media Center - This partnership between journalism schools at UC Berkeley and USC offers multimedia trainings, bootcamps and other workshops at one or the other campus several times a year. Classes are limited to 20 applicants and are free, with costs underwritten by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. Here’s a list of upcoming classes in 2010.

Online News Association – The largest professional association for journalists working online hosts its own annual convention, regional seminars and informal mixers and meetups around the country. The group also maintains a calendar of outside seminars and training opportunities (but you have to be a member to access it). Annual dues are $75 for working journalists.

J-Lab – The Institute for Interactive Journalism helps professional and citizen journalists use digital technologies to to report the news, through training, research and publications. The organization also provides grants to new media projects, and will award a total of $25,000 to nine such ventures this year – but hurry if this is something you’re interested in, the deadline is March 1. J-Lab and the McCormick Foundation also run a separate grant program to fund women-run new media ventures; that deadline is April 12.

Poynter’s News University – Nicknamed News U., this online journalism training program offers 150 free or low-cost classes. The e-learning project of the nonprofit Poynter Institute has more than 150,000 registered users and currently offers courses such as Mobile Media 101: Producing News with Your Smartphone (March 3) and Becoming a more Effective Editor: Strategies for Editing Yourself, Others (March 2010).

Know of other places – online or off – where writers of all stripes can get training? Let me know and I’ll add them to the list.

UC Berkeley j-school can’t find a dean – Sounds like candidates and students are ready to move the school’s venerable j-program into the 21st century but old guard faculty aren’t 100 percent on board, leading to a longer decision-making and interview process than candidates were willing to put themselves through.

That’s no typo – John McIntyre, long-time copy desk chief at the Baltimore Sun and the red pencil behind the You Don’t Say grammar column is leaving. I picked Your Don’t Say as one of the best blogs for writers in 2008 so am especially said to see him go. (Stay tuned for the 2009 list of best blogs for writers coning soon.)

New media training wheels – Webbmedia Group’s new media Webinars have proven so popular with newly unemployed journos and other writers the company’s creating an online community to carry on its mission of educating the ink-stained class in the ways of Web 2.0. The new Knowledgewebb site has live chats and message boards as well as plenty of online training sessions. Annual subscription is $129, or $80 if you’ve ever attended a Webbmedia Webinar before. Look on the site for more details.

This week’s online news link love:

• So you’ve been scammed – Advice from Bizzia freelance writing biz blogger Allison Boyer on what to do if you’ve gotten stung in a freelance writing scam.
• Regret the error – Reports on corrections, retractions, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the media. The blog’s the creation of Craig Silverman, a Montreal-based freelance journalist, CJR columnist and author of the book Regret the Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech .
• Happy birthday Freelance Writing Jobs – The reliable source of how-to articles and job listings turns four.

Twitter tools:

• Twitter homepage highlights search: The microblogging service tweaked its front page by positioning a new Search window high up in the right-hand column along with Following list. The tools column also has a collapsible Trending Topics list making it easier to see hot topics people are tweeting about.
• Twitter Guys make Time’s Most Influential People in 2009 list – Ashton Kutcher, who famously rode the Twitter craze to become the service’s first Millionaire – first member to hit  1,000,000 followers, that is – wrote the profile.