Renegade Writer E-Courses

• Essay Writing: How to Find the Story in You — and Sell It with Amy Paturel (STARTS SEPTEMBER 13, 2010)
• Introduction to Food Writing with Monica Bhide (STARTS  SEPTEMBER 13, 2010)
• Freelance Editing 101 with Jennifer Lawler (STARTS SEPTEMBER 13, 2010)
• Tech Journalism 2.0: Making Money with Your Inner Geek with Damon Brown. (NEXT SESSION TBD)
• Writing for Trade Magazines with Pat Curry (NEXT SESSION TBD)
• Write for Magazines with Linda Formichelli (STARTS JULY 19, 2010)
• Get Unstuck! for Freelancers with Linda Formichelli (STARTS JULY 19, 2010)
• Become an Idea Machine: How to (Painlessly!) Build Up an Inventory of Story Ideas to Sell to Magazines with Diana Burrell (STARTS JULY 19, 2010)

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ESSAY WRITING: HOW TO FIND THE STORY IN YOU — AND SELL IT, taught by Amy Paturel

START DATE: Monday, September 13, 2010

DURATION: 6 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this comprehensive six-week course you’ll learn the essentials of writing essays that sell. Unlike service stories, which typically shun self-expression, essays give writers an opportunity to share their personal experiences and perceptions of the world. This satisfying genre requires an open heart, a reflective spirit and a thick skin. Sessions will cover how to find your story and speak your truth, the art of journal writing (and how it helps uncover stories), the critical elements of a salable essay, the value (or not) of critiques, rewriting your essay, and the specifics of pitching and submitting essays. You will also learn how to make your essays sing by finding your own personal style and voice. In addition to receiving feedback on two completed essays, this class will include weekly assignments to enhance your essay writing skills. At the end of the course you will know how (and where) to pitch your essays – and how to make sure they sell.

I have been writing for many years in several different forms but had never tried writing essays. I was hoping this course would make me a more complete writer as well as more marketable – and it has. Amy Paturel’s instruction was clear, well thought out and organized. Her lesson plans and assignments were easy to follow and she also supplied us with excellent essay examples and directed us where we could find more on our own. Her critiques of my work and the other students’ work seemed to be spot on and were delivered honestly but always in a tone that was encouraging. Most importantly, she inspired me to get off my behind and WRITE – the best sign of a good teacher! I would recommend this course to new writers as well as seasoned writers who are looking to sharpen their skills, and especially to anyone with a desire to write but needs a kick start!

—Mark Nassief

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Amy Paturel has published essays in major women’s magazines, regional newspapers, niche publications and general interest magazines. She has been featured twice in Newsweek’s “My Turn” column and has contributed essays to Health, Women’s Health, Body+Soul, Healing Lifestyles & Spas, The Los Angeles Times and more. As a columnist for AOL’s Diet and Fitness Channels, she “essayed” about fast (and slow) food, strip workouts and fitness DVDs. Admittedly, writing essays is not Amy’s only source of income. To pay the bills, she writes about health, fitness, food, wine and travel for a variety of clients from general interest magazines to medical e-zines. Her work frequently appears in Cooking Light, Health, Eating Well, Women’s Health and Better Homes and Gardens.

COST: $250 for the Premium version with six weeks of e-mail support. $125 for the Basic version with no e-mail support.

BUY NOW: Essay Writing Premium

BUY NOW: Essay Writing Basic

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INTRODUCTION TO FOOD WRITING, taught by Monica Bhide

START DATE: Monday, September 13, 2010

DURATION: 6 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This comprehensive six-week course will enable you to combine your love of food and your passion for writing into a marketable skill. You’ll learn about the different kinds of food writing: service articles, recipe development, cookbook writing, blogging, memoirs, essays, restaurant reviews and more. I will teach you how to find hidden markets for your ideas, how to track down the correct editors at publications, and how to make your food writing really shine. This course, presented along with skill-building assignments, will give you an in-depth understanding of the food writing profession. Whether you wish to develop recipes, write a family cookbook, break into a national food magazine, or write food essays, this course will provide you with a solid foundation from which to build on. Included in the course materials will be interviews with the food editor of the Chicago Tribune, the travel editor of Food & Wine, the restaurant critic for the Washington Post, and more.

“Monica Bhide’s foodwriting course is pure joy. Her love for the subject and enthusiasm comes across in her meticulous course materials and generous feedback. Many internet courses skim the surface of the subject matter, but Bhide dives in straight and deep. Not only do her lessons cover the pros and cons of different food writing aspects, she includes targeted Q&As with food writing professionals and carefully crafted samples that drive the information home. While Bhide’s exercises require serious commits of time and thought, they aren’t just “busy work”. The assignments mirror real life scenarios or build practical skills you can put to immediate use. The highlight of the course is Bhide’s feedback. She gives unrestrained praise where earned and constructive, helpful suggestions to fill the gaps. I highly recommend taking this food writing course. My only complaint is it ended too soon.” —Charmian Christie

During the six weeks of Monica’s food writing class I learned one invaluable tip related to creating recipes, developed my first essay related to food and sent it to an appropriate market, and created an idea for a cookbook. On top of that, Monica offered highly personalized attention throughout the course. I highly recommend this class – and working with Monica – to anyone who wants to learn about and/or expand their knowledge of food writing, its joys and its challenges. —Lisa Waterman Gray

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Monica Bhide has: discussed truffles with the grand-old Chef extraordinaire Imtiaz Querishi in Mumbai; sampled hamur on dhows in Dubai; sipped camel’s milk in Bahrain; followed a superstar food critic around Mumbai and an anonymous one in DC; presented Spices and Rices at the French Embassy in DC and gotten lost on the backstreets of Delhi searching for the perfect paratha; tapaoed in DC with Chef Jose Andres and sampled the amazing cuisine of Chef Ananda Solomon; taught cooking on-line (yes it can be done) and in her cooking school; sampled flights of honey and hosted colorful henna parties each spring. Monica has written on food for such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Bon Appetit, Town and Country Travel, Food and Wine, Cooking Light, Coastal Living, Health, and Better Nutrition. Her highly praised first cookbook, The Spice Is Right: Easy Indian Cooking for Today (Callawind Publications, 2001) is a collection of mouth-watering menus tempered with her up-to-date touches on classic Indian recipes. Monica’s newest cookbook, The Everything Indian Cookbook: 300 Tantalizing Recipes–From Sizzling Tandoori Chicken to Fiery Lamb Vindaloo (Everything Series) was released in May 2004. Monica was also the recipient of the Susan B. Langhorne Scholarship for Food Writers at the Symposium for Professional Food Writers in 2004 and the runner up for the 2005 award.

Download Monica’s E-course FAQ (PDF format)

COST: $500 for the Gold version, which includes six weeks of phone support (1/2 hour per week, by appointment) and e-mail support. $250 for the Premium version with e-mail support only. $125 for the Basic version with no phone or e-mail support.

BUY NOW: Food Writing Gold

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TECH JOURNALISM 2.0: MAKING MONEY WITH YOUR INNER GEEK, taught by Damon Brown

START DATE: TBD

DURATION: 5 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Are you interested in covering technology for the big publications? Do you need to get up to speed on how to talk about tech in your articles? In 5 weeks, let tech culture journalist and author Damon Brown guide you into the new opportunities in tech writing. By the end of the class, TECH JOURNALISM 2.0: MAKING MONEY WITH YOUR INNER GEEK will teach you: The do’s and don’ts of tech journalism; the different types of tech writing; what publications are best for your work; making the best tech pitches; and finding the right editors at the right publications. The course is built for both professional journalists looking to expand as well as novices interested in tech writing. Only requiring about one hour per week, the 5-week class has weekly lessons and assignments that will help you sharpen your tech knowledge, prepare you to pitch tech-friendly markets and increase your comfort with tech topics. Discussions will be done over email. The instructor also provides a one-on-one, 15-minute phone conversation the week after the class wraps.

Damon Brown’s class was an excellent experience. The assignments were very vivid into what an aspiring tech journalist should be thinking about as they write and pitch articles. Brown asks student to consider their audience and what medium would be best used to address their audience, giving the aspiring writer a moment to reflect on their aspired career. I recommend this class to anyone wanting to get started in tech journalism. —Alexander Bevier

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Damon Brown regularly covers tech for Playboy, New York Post and Family Circle, blogs daily for BNet.com, launched AARP: The Magazine Online’s video game column and is Mobile Games Editor at About.com. He is the author of several books on tech culture, including “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to the iPhone”, the first book on the popular device. He has a Master’s in Magazine Publishing from Northwestern University and a Bachelors in Journalism/Computing from Oakland University. Damon also has been a tech commentator on NPR, CNN, G4TV and BBC World. A speaker at Google headquarters, Michigan State University and several journalism conferences, Damon is the Tech Chair for the 2010 American Society of Journalists and Author conference happening in Manhattan April 23 – 25.

QUESTIONS? Email Damon at damon@damonbrown.net.

COST: $250 for the Premium version with 5 weeks of e-mail support. $125 for the Basic version with no e-mail support.

BUY NOW: Tech Writing Premium

BUY NOW: Tech Writing Basic

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FREELANCE EDITING 101, taught by Jennifer Lawler

START DATE: Monday, September 13, 2010

DURATION: 5 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This five-week e-course shows you how to develop the skills you need to work as a freelance editor, plus gives you information on how to market yourself to clients—whether you’re an established freelancer or just starting out. The market is so fluid these days that freelancers who have a variety of skills in their arsenal have a better chance of succeeding. If you have the right skills, you can be tapped for lucrative editing assignments—which can be flexible, portable, and fun!

We’ll cover:

• Why we’re not (just) the grammar police. We’ll discuss the various kinds of editing freelancers are hired to do–developmental, copyediting, proofreading, even managing/assigning. We’ll look at the skills you have and how you can best present them to potential clients.
• What’s a style sheet? AP or Chicago? The class will help you develop your copyediting and proofreading eye. We’ll cover the basics of what a copyeditor is expected to do, including an assignment to help you improve your skills. We’ll also talk about the differences between copyediting and proofreading, and where you’re likely to find these kinds of work.
• Get me rewrite! We’ll cover what developmental editing is, how it differs from other kinds of editing, what you need to know about the work, and how you can find it.
• Who’s the boss? The class will also delve into the skills needed to be an assigning/managing editor for a periodical or department of a periodical, including working with freelancers, understanding a publication’s mission, and more.
• How to set up shop and get clients. We’ll work on the tools you’ll use to sell your skills to book and magazine publishers, print and online publications, any place that could use the help of a good editor!

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Jennifer Lawler currently teaches copyediting classes for the University of California, San Diego. She spent five years as the editor of ATA World, the quarterly publication of the American Taekwondo Association, where she was responsible for all aspects of editorial, including conceiving the lineup, recruiting and working with freelancers, editing all copy, developing layout and design in conjunction with art director, and working with the production team to ensure timely publication – all as a freelancer.

She has worked as a freelance developmental editor and copyeditor for book, magazine, and online publishers, including Barnes and Noble, Inc. Custom Publishing, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Collectors Press, and the Art Center College of Design, among others.

Jennifer is also the author of many books and magazine articles, including the award-winning Dojo Wisdom series.

Download Jennifer’s E-course FAQ (PDF format)

QUESTIONS? E-mail Jennifer at jennifer@jenniferlawler.com.

COST: $250 for the Premium version with five weeks of e-mail support. $125 for the Basic version with no e-mail support.

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WRITING FOR TRADE MAGAZINES taught by Pat Curry

START DATE:TBD

DURATION: 8 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Many budding freelance writers think that writing for trade magazines is at best a stepping stone, something to fill in the gaps while they’re trying to achieve the ultimate goal of writing for national consumer magazines. At worst, they think trade magazines pay badly, are deadly dull and are written by hacks who can’t land an assignment anywhere else. They’re wrong — on all counts. Trade magazines often pay just as much as national consumer magazines, tackle tough issues and require the same level of reporting and writing as any news magazine. Plus, editors at trade magazines aren’t swamped with hundreds of queries a week. They appreciate writers who understand the voice and mission of their magazines and regularly reward them with steady work. In this course, you’ll learn how to expand your freelance business by writing for trade magazines. Sessions will cover: An overview of the three types of trade magazines, how to find trade magazines (they’re not on the newsstands!), the critical differences between writing for trades and consumer magazines, specialization, story categories for trade magazines, letters of introduction, story pitches that give trade magazine editors what they really need, and reslanting and reselling trade magazine articles to consumer publications.

“I want to thank you for holding the class. It’s really been eye-opening and you gave us some very helpful instruction.” —Heather Larson

“Great news — less than 2 weeks after I sent out my first batch of letters of introduction, I have my first assignment from a trade mag! Thank you so much for all the information and help you’ve provided in your great class. I will definitely be recommending you to my writer friends!” —Caitlin Moriarity, freelance writer/editor

“I’m taking the Plain Jane Vanilla Version of your trade pubs writing class but I had to email you this morning after going over Week 2’s outline. Just the amount of links you’ve given us in Week 2’s lesson is worth the cost of the basic class alone. I am totally blown away by the options available to me and am really looking forward to what I’ll be able to learn in the coming weeks.” —Gwynneth A.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Pat Curry is a former senior editor at BUILDER, the official magazine of the National Association of Home Builders. BUILDER is the largest monthly-circulation trade magazine in the country and the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ 2007 Magazine of the Year in the 80,000-and-up circulation category. A 1980 graduate of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Pat spent six years working for daily newspapers before going freelance in 1987. Her freelance career has included writing for newspapers, governmental agencies, universities, non-profit organizations, Web sites, and regional, national and international magazines. For the past 10 years, her award-winning work has focused almost exclusively on trade magazines.

Download Pat’s E-Course FAQ (PDF format)

COST: $240 for the Premium version with e-mail support. $120 for the Basic version with no email support.

BUY NOW: Trade Writing Premium

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WRITE FOR MAGAZINES, taught by Linda Formichelli

START DATE: Monday, July 19, 2010 (sign up now – there is limited space in the Gold and Premium versions of the course)

DURATION: 8 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: If you want to write for magazines but don’t know how to get started — or if you need some motivation to get you going — this course is for you. In eight weekly lessons, Linda will walk you through:

• Coming up with a salable idea
• Finding markets that would be interested in your idea
• Finding the right editors to send your idea to
• Interviewing people for the query letter (the proposal that sells the editor on your idea and yourself as a writer)
• Writing a winning query letter
• Getting your query out the door!

So far, students of this course (which launched in June 2005) have landed assignments from Writer’s Digest, Woman’s Day, Rhode Island Home, Living & Design, For Me, Body & Brain, Michigan Out-Of-Doors, MyBusiness, Pizza Today, E: The Environmental Magazine, Black Health, Cottage Living, and other magazines.

At the very end of 2006, I decided to take one of your courses with hopes of starting a freelance career. In January 2007, I bought Query Letters That Rocked. I completely changed the way I did things…the first story I sold this year was to USA Today! Since then, I have sold stories to The New York Times, American Cheerleader, Wondertime, American Baby, Discover, Yoga Journal, Spirituality & Health, Web MD, Mother Jones, Fit Pregnancy, Delicious Living and Plenty. I’m now having people come to me– have signed on to do some niche blogging and just accepted a trade article today. —Rachel Mosteller

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Linda has written for more than 120 magazines since she started freelancing in 1997, including such top-notch publications as USA Weekend, Family Circle, Fitness, Health, Psychology Today, Parenting, Wired, Business Start-Ups, Men’s Fitness, and Woman’s Day. Linda is the co-author of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success and The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock.

QUESTIONS? E-mail Linda.

COST: $600 for the Gold version with eight weeks of e-mail support and eight half-hour phone coaching sessions. $240 for the Premium version with eight weeks of e-mail support. $120 for the Basic version with no e-mail support.

Download Linda’s E-course FAQ (PDF format)

BUY NOW: Get Published in Magazines Gold

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BUY NOW: Get Published in Magazines Basic

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GET UNSTUCK! FOR FREELANCERS, taught by Linda Formichelli

START DATE: Monday, July 19, 2010 (sign up now – there is limited space in the Gold and Premium versions of the course)

DURATION: 6 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: If you don’t have systems to make work easier; you procrastinate on writing assignments and goals; you can’t find that important contract in the mess on your desk; or you spend so much time researching that you make five cents an hour on assignments, then Get Unstuck! for Freelancers is for you. In these six motivating lessons, I’ll apply boot to pants to get you organized, productive, and efficient: 1. Making Time (Think you don’t have time? Think again.) 2. Organizing Your Work (Everything from creating an efficient workflow to organizing assignment-related information to overhauling your to-do list.) 3. Organizing Your Space (Whether your office is a corner of the living room or a corner suite, here’s how to get a handle on all your “stuff” — as well as create a workspace that inspires you to, well, work.) 4. Beating Procrastination (I identify the top causes of freelancer procrastination and tell you how to bust each one.) 5. Getting Help (You don’t have to go it alone. Here’s how to find help with everything from transcribing to staying motivated, both free and not-so-free.) 6. Writing and Researching Faster (I can write a 1,000 word article in an hour, not counting interviews. Can you? Here are my tips.) Each assignment ends with an inspiring assignment.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Linda has written for more than 120 magazines since she started freelancing in 1997, including such top-notch publications as USA Weekend, Family Circle, Fitness, Health, Psychology Today, Parenting, Wired, Business Start-Ups, Men’s Fitness, and Woman’s Day. Linda is the co-author of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success and The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock. She prides herself on being motivated enough to market even when she’s busy with work, and productive and efficient enough to juggle up to 13 assignments in one month. Linda has helped over 325 students in her phone mentoring and her Write for Magazines e-course, and she’s heard from these students what keeps them from being as productive and successful as they’d like.

QUESTIONS? E-mail Linda.

COST: $450 for the Gold version with six weeks of e-mail support and six half-hour phone coaching sessions; $210 for the Premium version with six weeks of e-mail support; $105 for the Basic version with no e-mail support.

BUY NOW: Get Unstuck! for Freelancers Gold

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BUY NOW: Get Unstuck! for Freelancers Basic

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BECOME AN IDEA MACHINE: HOW TO (PAINLESSLY!) BUILD UP AN INVENTORY OF STORY IDEAS TO SELL TO MAGAZINES, taught by Diana Burrell

START DATE: Monday, July 19, 2010

DURATION: 3 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Are you a beginning freelancer who wonders where you’ll find salable story ideas to pitch to magazines? Perhaps you’re more established, but you dread coming up with story ideas when your editors ask for them. Or maybe you’ve been freelancing for so long that every idea you come up with lately feels stale or because of the economy, regular clients aren’t calling you with assignments. Wherever you are in your career, this fun three-week class is for you. The first week, you’ll learn several skills that’ll ensure you’ll never lack for ideas to write about. The following week you’ll begin to shape some of your ideas into stories that can sell. And then in the third week, you’ll learn how to target those ideas for appropriate markets. Once you’ve finished workshop, you’ll never panic again when an editor asks, “Got any other great ideas for me?” NOTE: I offered material in this class as a workshop called “Story Ideas That Sell,” so if you’ve taken that workshop before, please read my FAQs if you’re interested in taking this as a class.

This is awesome! 276 ideas written down so far and today I thought of a friend who, I know, will help me generate tons more. I know this because she already gave me some ideas … PLUS the assignment you gave … is working like a charm! I’m so excited!!! — Tracy O’Brien

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Before she became a full-time freelance writer in 1999, Diana Burrell spent over 10 years working in advertising and marketing, both on the agency and client sides. The one thing she loved was coming up with ideas and concepts, whether naming a new caulking product or developing national trade show promotions. She learned how to generate vast numbers of ideas quickly, sort through them, and refine the best ideas into concepts that excited customers. This skill has served Diana well as a freelancer for magazines and newspapers such as Parenting, Oxygen, Family Circle, Clean Eating, The Boston Globe, Psychology Today, and more. As the co-author of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success and The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock, Diana’s no-holds-barred advice has inspired many aspiring and working freelancers. She lives in suburban Boston with her family and two cats, and occasionally teaches at local adult education programs and community colleges.

DOWNLOAD DIANA’S FAQ FOR THIS COURSE (pdf)

COST: Premium level (e-mail support) $149; Basic level (no e-mail support), $99. Premium level limited to 10 students.
BUY NOW: Become an Idea Machine PREMIUM

BUY NOW: Become an Idea Machine BASIC

About Renegade Writer e-courses

If you dream of being a writer — or are already a professional and want to boost your income — the Renegade Writer e-courses are for you. We’ve hired instructors who are highly-qualified freelance writers, editors, and teachers, and they worked hard to develop courses and material that will help you reach your writing goals. These successful freelancers are ready to share their success secrets with you!

How the courses work: Each week, your instructor will e-mail you a link and password to that week’s lesson and assignment. You can do the assignments on weekends, at night, or during your break at work — whenever YOU have the time. If you signed up for a version of the course with e-mail or phone support, your instructor will give you personalized help with your questions and assignments. In other words, you’re not crammed into a group course on some e-mail discussion list. The best part is, you can use the lessons you learn in these courses over and over again. You can pay for the courses through PayPal (see links above) or with a U.S. check (sorry, we can’t accept international checks).

To ensure your place in a class, please send us an e-mail at rwclasses[at]therenegadewriter[dot]com if you’re sending a check (sorry, U.S. checks only).

Want to teach for us? Read this before you pitch a class to us.