Associated Press Sports Writing Handbook [Paperback]

Steve Wilstein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071372180 | ISBN-13: 978-0071372183 | Publication Date: August 20, 2001 | Edition: 1

Written by a veteran Associated Press sports writer, this handbook arms aspiring and working sports reporters, broadcasters, and photographers with exactly what they need to know to make it to the top in the glamorous and exciting world of sports journalism. With the help of dozens of fascinating and instructive quotes and war stories, contributed by heavy hitters like Dave Goldberg, Jim Litke, Alan Robinson, Joan Ryan, and other top AP sports reporters, the book tutors readers in the core techniques and methodology of sports writing, while at the same time exploring the important professional aspects of the business: how to get started and make a name for yourself; local, national, and feature writing; how the Internet is changing the face of sports writing; and where the business is headed over the next decade.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Glamorous, exciting, and explosively popular, the world of professional sports increasingly whets the public's appetite for up-to-the-minute, entertaining, and accurate information on the plays and the players. In this invaluable hands-on guide, award-winning AP sports writer and columnist Steve Wilstein gives prospective sports journalists the real-life, up-close and personal scoop on this in-demand but demanding, 24/7, sunshine or snow profession­­a profession that is more about writing than it is about sports. And yes, spelling counts.

Here is expert, comprehensive coverage of all aspects of professional sports writing as it is done every day at the world renowned Associated Press, in newspapers, magazines, and on the Internet­­from basic sports reporting to writing a column, the art and craft of interviewing, digging for scoops, writing features and investigative series, breaking into the business, and more. In addition to providing core techniques and methodology, The Associated Press Sports Writing Handbook also includes an array of real-life experiences and insights straight from the mouths of such noted journalists as Dave Anderson, Christine Brennan, Jim Litke, Bob Ryan, George Versey, Michael Wilbon, and many others.

Whether it's boxing or baseball, hockey or horse racing, a paragraph in a small local paper or a spread in a national publication, this expert book will help you meet the challenge of bringing sports to vivid life with style, confidence, wit, and skill. Beautifully illustrated with dozens of dynamic action photographs, The Associated Press Sports Writing Handbook also will inform you about the future of the business­­and help you decide your place in it.

About the Author

Steve Wilstein is an Associated Press national sports writer and columnist based in New York. He covers sports events around the globe, including the Grand Slam of tennis, the World Series, Super Bowl, and Olympics, and has won more than 25 writing awards. In 1999, he won the AP Sports Editors award for breaking the news of Mark McGwire's use of a muscle supplement banned by most sports, which was considered the sports story of the year.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (August 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071372180
• ISBN-13: 978-0071372183
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Sports
  • #24 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Journalism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Please, dumb it down for me., May 22, 2008

By 

benjamin disraeli "sportswriter1" (greencastle, in usa) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Associated Press Sports Writing Handbook (Paperback)

To call this a handbook is a joke. That implies it is for professionals working in the field. In reality, it's dumbed down to a junior high level and seems to be written for kids who think they want to be sports writers when they grow up.
That's nice, but I bought the book after making a career change and was hoping to find useful information about my new field. Unfortunately, I found none here.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Basic Introduction to Sports Writing, July 11, 2007

By 

Andrew Shaffer "Author, Blogger" (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Associated Press Sports Writing Handbook (Paperback)

This handbook is a very basic introduction to sports writing. It's written at what appears to be a junior high/high school level for kids looking at sportscasting as a career. I was expecting something a little more comprehensive, something along the lines of an MLA styleguide...But, then again, it is "just" sports writing. Doesn't take a genius, I guess!