Customer Reviews

How to Write Articles for Newspapers and Magazines (Arco's Concise Writing Guides)

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How to Write Articles for Newspapers and Magazines, is an excellent book for any writer who is beginning a career in journalism, or for a writer who just wants to hone his/her skills. It goes over virtually everything that is needed to know when writing articles for newspapers and magazines. From getting ideas, to improving your interviewing, writing query letters, and learning to write leads, it also explains the differences between hard news, and soft news, and how to write leads for them. If you are searching for a book that will ameliorate your writing, background researching, and much more, look no further. It is truly a good book for improving your journalistic writing skills.

I picked this little (113 page book) up at the library and thought it might be of passing interest. I never thought such a little book could be packed with so much great information! I started out reading this book with a little post-it note pad next to me, figuring I would put a couple little notes on a few interesting pages, make some notes, then be done with the book. Well, now the book has a million little post-it notes in it and I think it's time to buy my own copy! Here are few chapter headings: Getting started (generating ideas & focusing on the subject), gathering information (fact vs. opinion, observation, interview, etc.), writing the effective article lead ...there are 10 useful chapters in all. They are written clearly and to the point -- no fluff here to fill in pages. One truly useful item in the book is a sample query letter (for an article). This is a great little book! Now I think I'll buy my own copy -- maybe you should too!

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.

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.

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!

...The golden rule of writing. This book is short, sweet and to the point, easily read and digested. The title explains exactly what you get. If you're an aspiring magazine writer, get it.

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.)