Recommended reading for Feb. 19, 2010
To do great writing, read great writing. Here’s some great writing I’ve been reading during the week of Feb. 15-19, 2010.
It pays freelancers to find wiggle room in exclusivity clauses
Given what’s happening in the media business, freelancers can’t afford to cultivate an exclusive relationship with one newspaper or magazine. Actually, an exclusive relationship would be sweet – think of all those letters of introduction you’d avoid having to do and the time you’d save. But unless you’re under contract at The New Yorker – [...]
Sometimes they're just not that into you
A friend who sells medical supplies takes a pragmatic approach to rejection. When a company says no to what she’s selling, she brushes it off and moves onto the next prospect. “In my personal life I can’t handle that kind of rejection, but at work it doesn’t bother me,” she says. “It’s just business.” Writers [...]
Arianna Huffington, blogger mogul
The first time I ever heard of Arianna Huffington was in 1994 when her then husband Michael was the Republican challenger for incumbent Democrat Dianne Feinstein’s U.S. Senate seat in California. My workspace in the Orange County Register’s newsroom was right next to the cubicle of the political reporter covering the election. During the race, [...]
Long walks, hot showers and 'Aha' moments
Working writers can’t always wait to be inspired. Deadlines aren’t that patient. But if you let it, lightening can strike. You could be anywhere: a steamy shower, a long walk, falling asleep, in the middle of the night. And wham, there it is, the lead you’ve been searching for. The perfect structure for that feature [...]
I'm in a New York state of mind
I’m in New York today meeting with editors. In honor of the trip, here’s five media-related things I like about New York: 1. The New Yorker – My favorite magazine. From week to week, you never know what stories you’ll find – wild boars, smallpox, Seymour Hirsch’s latest Iraq war expose, a George Clooney profile. [...]
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