THE FIRST SESSION OF THIS CLASS HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO APRIL 12TH.

With the rise of digital journalism, demand for content has increased and the barrier to entry has been lifted. You no longer need deep industry training to make money with words and ideas. If you have an idea and an interest in journalism, you can write it and probably sell it. Still, it’s not always easy to see the path to making money from your writing without some insider knowledge. This class is a roadmap to the industry of freelance journalism. We’ll explore all kinds of journalism from arts and culture to exhibition reviews to personal essays to travel writing, as well as profiles and features. We’ll also learn how to think like a journalist, research and write like a journalist and most importantly, pitch like a journalist. We’ll access myriad resources for freelance journalism and develop an insider understanding of the industry. This is a class for the practical and the whimsical. You can join because you love writing and simply want to learn how to articulate your ideas on the page or because you’re looking for a side hustle–or both! For seasoned prose writers and new writers, alike. The only requirement is a love of journalism and a love of reading. 

During our time together, we’ll learn the basics of freelance journalism, write a pitch, and send it to outlets for possible publication. We will learn how to: 

• Brainstorm ideas 

• Research editors

• Procure sources

• Construct the perfect pitch

• Select the best outlet

• Research and write articles

• Track our progress

We will look at a variety of journalistic areas–exhibition and book reviews; product reviews; artist interviews and profiles; as well as essays (critical and personal) and travel writing, among many others. We will also explore what makes a good topic and identify resources for finding one. During our first and second classes, we will brainstorm and select our ideas. Then, over the course of the next month we’ll go through the process of researching, pitching, and (hopefully!) getting a greenlight for our work. Be prepared to workshop your pitch with the class. Together we will learn about editing our own work and providing constructive feedback, as well as how to navigate the editor/writer working relationship.This class will have some required reading. These selections will ground you in the journalism landscape, familiarize you with different types of journalism, and help you navigate the process with clarity and confidence. 

Abigail Ronner is a NYC-based journalist with her MFA in fiction from Columbia University. As a contributing writer for VICE she covered arts and culture in New York for many years, interviewing luminaries such as Errol Morris, David Salle, and La Monte Young. Her article on the Federation of Black Cowboys ran as a cover story for The Village Voice. Her journalism has also appeared in Narratively, Galerie Magazine, AnOther Magazine, Delta SKY Magazine, and elsewhere. While at Columbia, she studied with Richard Ford, James Wood, Rivka Glachen, Hilton Als, Emma Cline, and others. She also taught creative writing to formerly incarcerated students and was awarded a merit-based scholarship to attend the New York State Summer Writers Institute at Skidmore. Her short story, Miscommunications, won an Honorable Mention in Glimmer Train’s final New Writers’ Contest. Previously, she was selected by Pulitzer-prize nominated author, David Gates, to attend the Writer’s Foundry at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn with a full merit-based scholarship. She is currently at work on a novel. www.abigailronner.com