When writers aren’t writing, they’re reading about how to be a better writer, or be a better marketer of their writing, or about who else they could be writing for. That’s what I found when I asked freelance, newspaper and magazine writers and editors to name some of their favorite blogs for writers. It’s an […]
Archives for 2008
The Myth of the Paperless Office
Computers were going to wipe out paper. That’s what we believed back at the dawn of the PC era. Twenty-six years later, people are still overwhelmed by the stuff. Face it, getting rid of paper completely won’t happen. It’s too big a part of our lives. The thing is, it doesn’t have to be as […]
While Other Papers Sink, Oregonian Swims
The same day the New York Times ran this depressing story detailing everything bad about the newspaper business – dropping circulation, constant management changes, drastic staff cuts, etc. – my local paper had a story about how bad sales were at major department store chains in December and January. Coincidence? I think not. As the […]
Asking the Hard Question – Top 10 Interview Tips
Not long ago, a writer in a freelance group I belong to posted a question on the group message boards. She had an interview scheduled with a subject who had a reputation for being grouchy and wanted to know how to prepare. It’s a great question. Reporters are thought of as thick-skinned hacks who can […]
Newspaper Business Sections: Going, Going, Gone
If you pick up the Denver Post and can’t find the business section, it’s no mistake. According to this item in the Talking Biz News blog, the Post is dropping its weekday stand-alone business section starting next week and folding business into the news section. The Post is just the latest daily to kill its […]
What Me Worry? Magazine Startups Venture into Uncertain Economy
With talk of a recession and a generally dismal outlook for print media, is it a good time to launch a magazine? Apparently so. At least three major U.S. publishers are working on titles set to debut in 2008 or 2009: the Wall Street Journal, Mansueto Ventures LLC, publisher of Inc. and Fast Company, and […]