Writing for mags like The New Yorker, GQ, Esquire, etc.

[Riptide]

If you're in the area, check out this conference Monday, March 16 at Mizzou. Jones is one of the speakers.

School to Host 11 Top Writers, Editors at Upcoming Conference - Missouri School of Journalism

11-11:50 a.m.
Lies My Editors Told Me
With wit and wisdom, Esquire's Chris Jones, who has authored some of the iconic magazine's
most memorable stories, unveils lessons learned from his legendary editors.

That looks like a fun session.

 

[swingline]

A great time was had by all. Jones should do stand-up for a living.

 

[goalmouth]

If you're a lazy, agenda-driven, feckless narcissistic fabulist who doesn't know or care about doing actual, you know, REPORTING, Rolling Stone wants YOU! Fact-checking optional, as always.

 

[Danwriter]

Saw this thread and read the first entry:

QUOTE="WaylonJennings, post: 2123241"]Just found out that Ryan Lizza, The New Yorker's chief political guy right now, is only 33 years old.

...then realized it was from 2008. If it makes anyone feel any better, Ryan Lizza is now 40 years old.

 

[Mister413]

Thank you guys, especially Jones & In Exile. I know this is from a while ago, but it's fantastic. Seriously appreciated.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

I know this thread hasn't been updated in seven years but I was wondering if we had any success stories come from it as a result. I know I took some of the advice and was able to grab the attention of some editors at SI (The Good, pre-layoffs SI) and Esquire before my story landed somewhere else. Anyone else have anecdotes?

 

[Azrael]

I know this thread hasn't been updated in seven years but I was wondering if we had any success stories come from it as a result. I know I took some of the advice and was able to grab the attention of some editors at SI (The Good, pre-layoffs SI) and Esquire before my story landed somewhere else. Anyone else have anecdotes?

The business changes and changes and changes again.

The solitary struggle to write good sentences does not. At least not very much.

Start there. Do good work.

Then use the great advice on this thread however you can to improve your chances of making a living - and more importantly, a life - from writing.

Good luck.

 

[goalmouth]

I know this thread hasn't been updated in seven years but I was wondering if we had any success stories come from it as a result. I know I took some of the advice and was able to grab the attention of some editors at SI (The Good, pre-layoffs SI) and Esquire before my story landed somewhere else. Anyone else have anecdotes?

Yes. Never write on spec.

 

[waterytart]

Not the purpose of the thread, but I just wanted to let Jones fans know he's had a couple pieces in The Atlantic in the past month.

 

[Retired_Scribe]

Perhaps off-topic, but an interesting tidbit:
Vanity Fair's former editor Graydon Carter has written an autobiography about the "good old days" when magazines mattered. Bryan Burrough, who became a top writer at VF, dropped this nugget:

"For twenty-five years, I was contracted to produce three articles a year, long ones, typically ten thousand words. For this, my peak salary was $498,141. That's not a misprint—$498,141, or more than $166,000 per story... Nowadays, though, such windfalls are a distant memory. Today, for a rare magazine article, I'm lucky to receive two dollars a word, or $20,000 for that same ten-thousand-word story."

heck, if someone had offered me $2,000 to write a 10,000 word story, I would have turned cartwheels.