Customer Reviews

A Writing for Publication Guide

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Loved it! A simple, clear and concise road to publication. Best of all, unlike traditional static books that can become out-dated, this one provides new information via The Online Magazine Article Writing Workshop web site.

Erik Bean has created the most comprehensive, practical resource available today! He provides a clear, step-by-step process for both the novice as well as published author to follow. He takes the "mystique" out of writing for publication. Erik has a straightforward, low-key style that is easy to follow and incredibly believable. The reader/viewer knows that here is an author who speaks from his own experience. In an amazingly competitive business, Erik is a real anomaly: he tells it "all" simply and practically...including how to discover your own subjects, the query letter, photography,attribution, and rejection letters - he covers it all! Every wanna'be author has to own a copy - this will be an investment with top-dollar payoffs! You will have to purchase your own copy - I don't share mine! END

"When I was on the board of directors of the Austin Writers' League, we started a conference just to bring in editors from publications to meet with our members. Writers wanted access to these people and wanted to know what the editors wanted from submissions. This video went a long way in answering the questions the editors answered time and time again. It sure would save a lot of people a lot of time and frustration if they would pay attention to what Erik (Workshop Host) says in the video.

One of the most important points the video makes is that "If you don't enter (the market), you can't play." By watching the video people will learn how to play and, more importantly, whom to play with. In between the lessons on how to write a letter and some specifics about common grammar, spelling and style errors, is some good advice -- like don't submit your queries to the largest national publications. Look for niche publications and target them specifically. You're much more likely to be successful. Good advice.

The examples of query letters and response letters were excellent and realistic. You (Erik) could have gone on all day with the section on common style errors, etc. Glad you didn't, but you could have.

Overall, I thought the video was viewer friendly, not too fast-paced and not too slow. And it wasn't one of those videos that bounced around all over the place."

BRADLEY WILSON, Assistant Academic Director, University Interscholastic League, University of Texas-Austin END

I bought this book last week here on Amazon after reading the other glowing reviews. I must warn other potential purchasers that as a stand-alone text, this book is incomplete. Perhaps in the accompanying video more details and examples are offered, but I'm skeptical. The book simply records the 1997 speeches given at a Community Education and Recreation presentation at Huron High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The book offers one sample query letter by the author and another (with revision) by a different writer. The author's own examples of reminder and withdrawal letters (pp. 65, 67) both contain serious grammatical errors ["On February 15, I had submitting the article..."]. "I had submitted," perhaps? The bottom line? This book contains 6 pages of semi-useful information and 80 pages of fluff. Do we really want to read four sample jokes that we can use to loosen up our subjects before photographing them? Or that lithium batteries last a long time? I really didn't buy this book to learn that auto-rewind and auto-load cameras are convenient.

I found no information in this book that was not also easily found by surfing the net, reading sites from publishers or J-Schools at many US institutions. It's a slick, but shallow, video-book-workshop package from the former marketing professional.

A step-by-step and motivating presentation on the business of getting magazine articles published. Jim Detjen, award winning environmental writer and Csaba Csere, Car and Driver Magazine editor, do a superb job contributing their expertise on the subjects of interviewing, critiquing, and querying.

I have been published many times. However, I found Erik Bean's Writing for Publication Video to be an excellent refresher. Online access provided with the video yields a variety of tools that have helped me research, write, and market my materials proficiently.

What's more, this video is a must for any writing or journalism classroom. Students will thank their instructor for allowing them to see it!

I was leery after my first read through this short book. However, when I applied the techniques discussed and viewed the additional updated online material inside the website, I found the support I needed to come up with my first salable article to a regional (Kansas City) sports rag, Playground Magazine. I also was able to locate a local writing group that eventually helped critique my work. It was refreshing to find a resource (book and website) bent on the business of getting published.

This book demonstrated to me how to get published in a clear, concise and simple way. It is a great tool which I use often. For such little cost, it is money well spent. Two thumbs up to this book.

Jigs Parikh
Jkparikh@hotmail.com