Feature and Magazine Writing

David E. Sumner is a professor of journalism and head of the magazine journalism program at Ball State University, USA. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee and is a former ‘Magazine Educator of the Year’ in recognition of his contribution to journalism teaching. His books include The Magazine Century: American Magazines Since 1900 (2010), and Magazines: A Complete Guide to the Industry (2006).Holly G. Miller is a working journalist and communications consultant, with bylines in numerous publications including Reader’s Digest, TV Guide, and Indianapolis Monthly. She has degrees from Indiana University and Ball State University, USA, and teaches advanced feature-writing classes across America. In addition to writing, ghost-writing, and co-authoring more than a dozen books, she has won awards from Associated Press, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Evangelical Press Association

• Preface viiAbout the Authors xPart I: Reading, Writing and Relevance 11 What Makes a Story Interesting? 32 How to Find an Original Idea 143 Strong Angles and Focused Ideas 264 Digging Deep for Original Stories 395 Talking Pointers: How to Conduct Great Interviews 55Part II: Taking Your Articles to the Freelance Market 736 To Market, To Market: Shopping Your Words Around 757 Pitch-Perfect Query Letters 91Part III: Adding Action and Anecdotes 1078 Where to Begin: The First 100 Words 1099 Action, Brevity and Style 12310 Anecdotes: Mining for Gold 138Part IV: Different Formats, Different Results 15111 Briefs: Shortcuts to Publication 15312 Profiles: Slices of Life 16713 Writing Nonfiction Narratives 18614 Eliminating the Ho-Hum From the How-To 21115 Making a Timely Calendar Connection 22516 Writing About Trends and Issues 237Part V: Exploring Digital Opportunities 25317 Building a Story Blog 25518 Long-Form Digital Storytelling 265Part VI: Preparing the Final Draft 27719 Advancing Beyond the Slush Pile 27920 Before You Hit the “Send” Button: A Checklist 29321 Careers in Magazine Publishing 299Appendix: Shoptalk: A Glossary of Magazine Lingo 314Index 325

“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)