Over in the book writing file, my chapter on graphology is getting longer. I can now tell whether or not you are a liar by how you form your “o” loops.
Out front, the peonies are just about to burst open. In back, the roses are about a week away, and the baby bok choy is growing up.
How To Pitch And Submit
March 15th, 2013
How To Pitch And Submit
June 2-14 (closed)
July 22-August 2 (10/12 spots left)
This online course focuses on developing, pitching and submitting articles, op-eds and essays. While the course is open to anyone, the impetus behind it is to help improve the gender disparity in bylines. (see VIDA). And as an academic-turned-freelancer, I am also eager to help academics reach wider audiences.
There are no set meeting times: material will be posted on a private blog, and you can read, comment and post when it is convenient for you.
What I Will Do:
–post daily. Topics include sample pitches that sold, editorial back-and-forths on queries and op-eds, researching markets, how to find ideas, advice on how to make and manage money and more.
–offer you individual feedback on all pitches, op-ed drafts and ideas that you post to the blog.
–share with you a database of publications, including editor contact information, pay rates and comments from those who have worked with the publication.
–create a community between all the participants to encourage discussion, provide feedback on each other’s work and foster horizontal loyalty.
Who Will Join Us:
May: Two editors, Alexis Madrigal of The Atlantic and Noreen Malone of The New Republic, will answer your questions about pitching, their publications, and the editor/freelancer relationship.
June: An editor from the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Chronicle Review will answer questions about pitching, his publication, and the editor/freelancer relationship.
July: to be announced
What You Will Do:
–To get the most out of the course, you will share your work with the group. Show us your pitches-in-progress, tell us about your ideas for op-eds and ask us questions. However, none of the above is required. You are welcome to lurk.
–Comment on what others post. (or lurk)
Who You Should Be:
–Someone who has some experience writing, be it academic or journalistic or blogging. However, there are no barriers to entry, no prerequisites. All are welcome.
What Past Participants Have Said:
I made a sale three days into Anne’s course. My fellow participants are really smart and accomplished writers who have already helped me a lot. Totally worth it!
As a direct result of Anne’s class, I successfully pitched a story to a national magazine award winning publication — and am now at work on my first national feature.
March 2012: Took Anne’s course, with the one-on-one feedback aspect. May 2012: Got my piece published in the biggest newspaper in SF. Thank you Anne for making getting published seem not only do-able, but just a series of small steps (and emails) away. You are a treasure trove of a resource!
I am a middle-aged, career-switching, baby-journalist pursuing a Master’s Degree at Boston University. I have spent a TON of money writing courses as well as attended some for free. Anne’s is by far the best value I’ve come across and I think she could increase her tuition rates by a factor of three and still be giving people a great value. Good writers are a dime a dozen. To be successful, you need to learn what Anne teaches. How to Get Published. Take Anne’s class or compete against someone like me who did.
Go here to read more comments.
Who I Am:
A professor of writing at Oberlin College, I started freelancing in 2005. Since then, I have successfully sold pitches to The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Wired, The Washington Post, The Economist.com, O, The Oprah Magazine and numerous other publications. I am the author of A Skeptic’s Guide To Writers’ Houses, the publisher and co-editor of Rust Belt Chic and am currently writing a book on handwriting for Blooomsbury.
What It Costs:
$150. Send payment directly to paypal via my account there: anne.trubek@gmail.com. Please indicate July course (the June course is full). I will email you back with confirmation that your payment has been received. If you would prefer to pay by another means–check, etc.– just email me first and I’ll send you the address.
I also offer private, one-on-one instruction. Email me to learn more or see my rate sheet.
Questions?
email me at anne.trubek@gmail.com
What I’ve Been Up To Lately
March 14th, 2013
some recent publications:
–My secret agent friend A.T.|Cleveland wrote about Arvo Part and beer for The Economist.
–I wrote about ruin porn for CAN Journal.
–I reviewed Jamie Attenberg’s The Middlesteins for The Jewish Review of Books.
–I reviewed Austin Ratner’s In the Land of the Living for Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer
–I worked on designing and ordering up some Rust Belt Chic t-shirts.
and also:
–I sat in a 2nd grade class to observe: immersion reporting for my book on handwriting, natch
–I’ve been happpily swamped with essay and op-ed drafts and discussions in my online course.
–The crocuses came up, bloomed, and were knocked down again by snow. Springs eternal.
The New Old Country?
February 14th, 2013
In addition to my too-sporadic-of-late posts here, I co-maintain another website, rustbeltchic.com. Today I put up some thoughts about rust belt lit.
What I’ve Been Up To Lately
February 8th, 2013
—I’m thrilled that I have been elected to the board of the National Book Critics Circle. It means I get to read a gazillion books and talk about them with a group of incredibly smart critics. The NBCC is a fantastic organization that has quietly done more for books in this country than many other larger, wealthier ones.
–I’m learning more about varieties of scripts than I thought imaginable as I work on my next book, The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting. I also found a great poem by Erasmus about his pen (bonus: cool Holbein pic of Erasmus’ hands).
–Rust Belt Chic never sleeps. Our next event is a discussion sponsored by Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, and we’re thrilled to have been chosen for their first book group event.
–I’m offering a new online course in March on Writing & Selling Op-Eds & Personal Essays. It’s inspired by my work helping various writers successfully place such essays over the years, and aims in particular to help women and academics (and women academics!)
–I am disappointed by the new Community and find House of Cards plodding. These are both ways to say I miss my garden.