Saturday, Jan. 31st, 10 am-4 pm; Berkeley
$95 members/$110 others
One of the most popular types of magazine articles is the personality profile. Always in demand by editors and featured in publications of every stripe, the profile is a viable way for new writers to break into the magazine market. One advantage to the profile is there’s such a wealth of potential material. Anyone who’s interesting is a potential subject, and there are so many things that make people interesting!
Know of anyone who’s famous (doesn’t matter why – they can be infamous, too)…heroic (they risked their life; spoke out against injustice)…eccentric (they live in a tree; they collect cardboard boxes)…groundbreaking (they created that Web site!)…successful (and then sold if for seven million dollars)… visionary (they’re proposing a new fuel no one’s thought of yet)…artistic (whether they’re selling or not)… fascinating (which covers a lot of ground)…or interesting for any other reason? They’re all candidates for a profile!
“In this class,” says Cary Pepper, “we’ll take a detailed look at this niche opportunity and cover everything you need to know to write a successful profile. You’ll learn how to: Decide if someone is right for a profile…approach a subject about writing his or her profile…find magazines to pitch…create a query that works…research your subject and learn about his or her area of expertise or interest…conduct an effective interview…structure the article to best convey your sense of a person…create a profile that meets the needs of a specific magazine…and write a profile that makes your subject come alive for your readers.
Cary Pepper has been a freelance writer for 30 years. He has published dozens of articles in such publications as The New York Times, TV Guide, Premiere, Advertising Age, Town and Country, and Mad. He is also an award-winning playwright whose work has been produced throughout the U.S. and in Europe. He has taught writing at Media Alliance, the San Francisco Art Institute, and privately.
“. . . great instruction, thank you, Cary . . .”