WHEN 8 weeks, Wednesdays, January 14 - March 11 Online chats: Wednesdays, 8-9 pm ET WHERE Online. Click here for details. LEVEL Intermediate PRICE $499 ($475 for ) more info

Course Details

Congratulations! You've got a clip or two -- now you want more, in bigger, better publications, with bigger, better paychecks. You're ready for Boot Camp for Journalists.

Each week, you'll push yourself to research, write, and pitch a new piece. Lectures, handouts, reporting and writing tips, and examples will guide you. By the end of eight weeks, you'll have a new portfolio of work and a new set of skills.

In this class, you will learn:

• How to write a pitch an editor can't turn down
• Which magazines are most freelancer friendly
• How to edit yourself and manage tight deadlines
• How to work with editors

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete portfolio of 7 publishable articles that will impress any magazine editor, the ability to work under tight deadlines, and an understanding of how to achieve the career you want.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
The New York Times, Portfolio, The Village Voice, Pregnancy, Fit Pregnancy, Real Simple, and more

Admission requirements:
Students must have at least one published article. Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history), and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

• Instructors post lectures once a week. You can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience.
• Students post completed assignments for feedback and discussion by the instructor and class.
• Weekly chats allow your class to get together via instant message. Transcripts are available for review if you can't attend.
• Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

Boot Camp for Journalists (PDF) View a sample syllabus for this class here.

Related Courses

Instructor Bio

Vince Beiser's Courses

Vince Beiser is an award-winning magazine writer specializing in criminal justice and other social issues. In his many years of full-time freelancing, Vince has hunted down stories from the Balkans to the Middle East on assignments for The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Village Voice, The New Republic, The Nation, US News & World Report, Harper's, and Rolling Stone. He has also held a number of staff gigs, including senior editor for Mother Jones, special projects reporter for The Oakland Tribune, and senior writer for The Jerusalem Report, Israel's leading news magazine.

Vince's work has been honored by Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Columbia and Medill Graduate Schools of Journalism, the National Mental Health Association, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, the Los Angeles Press Club and many other institutions.

Testimonials

Vince's class helped me put my ideas to paper. With great feedback, I was able to fine-tune my query and article. It was published in a magazine two weeks after class ended. -- Kristy Lund

"I've been freelancing full-time for 2 years, and I wish I'd taken Vince's class before I started. The tips he shared would have improved my reporting and made my life a lot easier." -- Kenneth Miller

"Vince's friendly and flexible teaching style gave me a serious confidence boost in terms of getting started in a freelancing career. I highly recommend that anybody who has the slightest interest in freelancing hear what he has to say." -- Jennifer Jamall

"Vince was friendly, informative, and handled the class extremely well. I'd definitely recommend him and take classes from him in the future." -- Lauren Horwich

"I found Vince's class to be very informative. He was clear, logical, realistic, and encouraging." -- Maria A. Del Toro

"The class was very informative and empowered me with many helpful websites and resources that will help me develop new stories." -- Lisanne Alack

"Vince makes it all look easy! He's that rare, successful writer who's able to share what he's learned out loud in a way that is engaging and fun. You'll walk away equipped with what you need. -- Colleen Wainwright

"Vince's class was a fantastic stepping stone for someone just beginning to delve into pitching articles, yet also full of insider tips for those more experienced." -- Abby Mims

"Vince was very nice, friendly, and funny when he needed to be. Vince even gave us his email address and said we could email him with questions." -- Lesley McCave

"Within six weeks of Vince's class I had two articles accepted to a magazine -- one of them a feature, and best of all, I got paid!" -- Shasta McBride