ABSTRACT

Writing Feature Articles presents clear and engaging advice for students and young professionals on working as a freelance feature writer. This fifth edition not only covers producing content for print, but also for digital platforms and online.

Mary Hogarth offers comprehensive guidance on every aspect of feature writing, from having the initial idea and conducting market and subject research, to choosing the right target audience and publishing platform and successfully pitching the article. In addition, the book instructs students on developing their own journalistic style and effectively structuring their feature. Each chapter then concludes with an action plan to help students put what they have read into practice.

Topics include:

  • Life as a freelance
  • Building a professional profile
  • Telling a story with images
  • Developing a specialism
  • Interviewing skills
  • Profile and interview articles
  • Working in publicity and advertising
  • A career in magazines and newspapers
  • Getting published overseas
  • Understanding issues in media law and regulation

The book also provides an extensive range of interviews with successful media professionals, including a newspaper editor, a money, health and lifestyle journalist, a copywriter and an award-winning columnist, where they share their own experiences of working in the industry and offer invaluable tips on best practice.

chapter 1|8 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|11 pages

Life as a freelance

chapter 3|19 pages

Ideas are everywhere

chapter 4|16 pages

Market research

chapter 5|17 pages

How to pitch successfully

chapter 6|19 pages

Turn ideas into articles

chapter 7|23 pages

Research and interview techniques

chapter 8|22 pages

A cohesive structure

chapter 9|15 pages

How to develop a strong style

chapter 10|16 pages

Images tell a story

chapter 11|14 pages

Copywriting and PR

chapter 13|21 pages

Interviews vs profiles

chapter 14|10 pages

Worldwide markets

chapter 16|9 pages

Law and ethics

A rough guide

chapter 17|6 pages

Last word

An editor’s perspective, with Jonathan Telfer