Always Wanted to See Your Byline in Magazines?
Get Articles into Print Sooner With Instruction and Feedback from a Highly Published 
Magazine Writing Coach

Dear aspiring magazine writer,

I'll never forget the note I received from my father after my first byline appeared in print.  "Your mother had to sew all new buttons on my shirt," he wrote me.  I too was bursting with pride.  And in the years to come, I never quite got over the thrill of seeing my name in lights in national magazines and newspapers.

That thrill can be yours as well.  With expert guidance, you can experience the excitement and fulfillment of passing along your ideas, your experiences, your words, your research and maybe even your unique humor to readers who know you only from your articles.

My Breaking Into Print course for beginning freelance writers teaches you step by step how to understand what magazines and newspapers want and expect from you.  It also provides invaluable feedback that helps you approach publications with publishable article ideas that they are eager to see turned into completed articles that they pay you for.

One thing you'll learn in the course is why it's generally not advisable to sit down and write your heart out and then look around for a magazine that might publish your outpourings.  Breaking Into Print explains exactly what to do instead, and why.  You'll discover why I was able to interest no less a publication than The New York Times in my first article and how you can use the same techniques to break into print and grow your magazine writing career.

Like all the testimonials on this site, the customer comments on this page were provided without compensation, incentives or rewards.

Learn how to write for magazines and newspapers 

The course consists of two components.  The first part is a self-paced, 11-lesson curriculum that you can work through as slowly or as quickly as you like.  The second part, interlaced with the first, is nine assignments that let you practice the skills necessary for attracting the attention of gatekeepers at magazines and newspapers and dealing effectively with those editors.  You submit your assignments by email directly to me, Marcia Yudkin, for my prompt personal feedback.

In case you're not familiar with my background, I have successfully supported myself as a writer for more than 20 years, publishing in hundreds of magazines ranging from the New York Times Magazine and Psychology Today to Ladies Home Journal, New Age Journal and Business 2.0.  I have spoken at more than 50 writer's conferences throughout the United States and coached more than 200 writers one-on-one.

My 1988 HarperCollins book on getting started writing for magazines, Freelance Writing for Magazines & Newspapers, was a selection of both the Book of the Month Club and the Writer's Digest Book Club.  The word-of-mouth recommendations this book received were so powerful that HarperCollins still continues to sell it, even though it was written prior to the rise of the Internet and is therefore somewhat out of date.

Now here are some snapshots of what you'll learn from the 160+ page course manual and the assignments.

Breaking into print:  What you'll learn

Instead of struggling through trial and error, you'll slash your learning curve with Breaking Into Print's insights, such as:

• Seven myths about getting published, and the three qualities you need to become successful as a freelance writer

• What you must add to every article idea to make it tempting enough for an editor to give you an opportunity to get published

• Three ways to exploit your personal experiences in proposing articles for magazines, including one where you never use the word "I"

• Six factors that help readers - and editors - care about your article topic

• Pitfalls to avoid when turning your own experiences into prose

• How to cash in on your hobbies, your educational background, opinions and job experience

• Are you a connoisseur of food, movies, technology or hotels?  Tips for getting gigs as a reviewer

• Ten characteristics that might make people you know worthy of a magazine article

• Meeting the challenges of writing profiles, Q&A articles, roundups and more

• Why your home town and surroundings can become the basis of lucrative travel articles 

• Thirteen reasons why news events and trends that you spot in your neighborhood can interest national publications

• Just got your first contract?  No need to panic!  Get a rundown on the terms and clauses it undoubtedly contains

• Five situations that are exceptions to the most recommended strategy for contacting editors

• The four-part structure of a typical magazine article, and which one of those ingredients can sometimes be left out

• Twenty ways to start an article, with warnings about a few risky or weak openings

• Extras!  Extras!  The "side dishes" that make your article especially mouthwatering to an editor 

• Tips for identifying and approaching interview sources 

• Guidelines for getting paid what a magazine or newspaper owes you

• What to do when you suspect that someone has "stolen" your ideas 

• How to build your freelance writing career from the bottom up or from the top down

• Part-time vs. full-time:  considerations for making this and other career decisions

• Do you know what a "kill fee" is, what a "fact check" involves and what a "stringer" does?  Such mysteries are dispelled once and for all in a handy glossary

Order the Breaking into Print course now.

Complete the assignments at your own pace

In addition, Breaking Into Print includes nine assignments that you submit to me by email for one-on-one feedback, so that you can make sure that you are on track in developing the skills that will get your loved one's buttons popping off in pride at your byline.  

Since this is an interactive home-study course, you may take as much or as little time between assignments as you need.  Complete the course in a month or in a year, as you prefer.

Nearly all of the assignments easily adapt to whatever subject matter you aim to write on for magazines, whether you dream of breaking into food magazines, outdoor publications, city magazines or publications connected to a hobby of yours.  It's applicable to you whether you live in the U.S., Canada, India, Italy, Tahiti, New Zealand or anyplace else on Earth.

Now, how much will it cost to receive the advice-packed course manual and personal input on your nine course assignments, all done from the convenience of your home, office or the beach on your own schedule?  Just $295.00.  It won't take long for you to earn that back from your first assignment or two.  Back in 1981 I received $125 for my first article, and fees have of course gone up since then.

Rest assured that the course comes with a money-back guarantee:  For one full year after you enroll, up through and including your receipt of my comments on your first assignment, if you decide the course isn't for you, you may return the materials in resalable condition and receive a 100% refund.

After you enroll, you receive immediate access to your course manual.

Order the Breaking into Print course now.