 | |
 View Larger |
How to Write Articles for Newspapers & Magazines, 2/e (Step By Step (Thomson Learning (Firm)).) By Sova ( Arco )
Release Date: 2002-05-13
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $12.95
| |
|
|
Product Description
A diverse collection of handy desk references designed to help students, business professionals, and all readers become more productive in school, the workplace, and everyday life. Each of the 9 volumes is clearly written and presents easy-to-follow guidelines for a variety of pieces of writing that many of us approach with fear and lack of confidence. Readers will learn to produce their finest work. A journalist shows professional writers and amateurs who want to break into the business the ins and outs, from getting ideas and interviewing to page layout and submitting leads. It even includes a sample query letter to help novices get started.
|
|
 clear and straight forward
this is a great book for anyone who wants to write articles! it is clear and to the point and was very easy to read, My copy is highlighted and dog eared every page was valuable!
|
 lots of better resources are out there
Of limited value. If you're a prospective, current or recent journalism student, you'll find little here that isn't covered in course lectures, labs and texts. If you're an aspiring nonfiction writer who intends to circumvent J-school en route to publication, you readily can obtain volumes of superior writing examples and more insightful commentary.
Most of Sova's instruction is sound. It often smacks of immaturity in terms of on-the-ground journalism and writing savvy, however. Some of her "bad" writing examples are construed. Some of the "good" passages are marred by editorializing, journalese and an amateurish approach. Campus-related events or angles provide the bulk of her writing samples and ideas, raising questions about the breadth of her reporting experience. (Possibly it means she wrote the book specifically for college students. If so, the publisher should have indicated that on the cover; I see no such hint.)
|
A Good Introduction ( thetruthshallsetyoufree )
Though this is hardly a definitive source for article writing, HOW TO WRITE ARTICLES FOR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES by Dawn Sova is certainly a worthy introduction to the craft. IN less than 100 pages, Sova presents a fast paced guide taking the reader from start to finish. Along the way, the perspective writer will find such information as a sample query letter, constructing an effective lead and even grammatical advice.
This brief introduction is well written and easy to understand. It contains practical advice that will surely help aspiring writers. Short on depth, but that is to be expected from such a small introduction. The back cover states the book is "perfect for amateurs and seasoned professionals" but I believe seasoned professionals might find it a bit too basic.
|
Great Book for Beginners
I just finished reading this book about a week ago. It's a fast read packed with a lot of helpful info for any freelance writer who wants to write for magazines or newspapers. I buy a lot of books on freelance writing, and this one is one of the better ones I've read.
|
Another book with inflated amazon.com reviews
This book isn't terrible, but it's hardly authoritative. It's a straight rehashing of the basics of newswriting, no doubt taken mostly from journalism textbooks. The advice isn't bad, but it's given with little flair, and the writing examples (from the author's own clips) are dull and uninspiring.It's like an extended high school report -- the author is obviously not an expert on the subject, and she pieced together information from better books to make this one. But even on those terms, the book doesn't succeed, because the advice is spotty and unconvincing.
|
|
|
