Guide to Writing Magazine Nonfiction Book

Preface.

About the Author.

1. Magazine Basics.
Importance of Audience.
101 Basic Terms.
The Craft Shop: “The Virtual Magazine”, Anderson Jones.
The Newsstand: Method to Picture the Market.
The Keyboard: Targeting the Audience.

2. Topics and Ideas.
Utility.
An Inventory of Ideas.
Preliminary Approaches.
The Craft Shop: “Not for the Weak-Hearted”, Cheryl Powers.
“Reading and Writing”, Kevin Bezner.
The Newsstand: Deciphering Truths.
The Keyboard: Compiling Story Ideas.

3. Theme.
Distinguishing Topic from Theme.
Thematic Development.
Thematic Breaks.
The Craft Shop: “The Billboard Paragraph”, Tom Clark.
The Newsstand: Reading the Slants.
The Keyboard: Identifying Your Theme.

4. Research.
The Magazine Interview.
Sensory Data.
Research Methods.
The Craft Shop: “Information Gathering”, Eddith Dashiell.
“Research & Commitment”, Ursula Obst.
The Newsstand: Researching Topics and Themes.
The Keyboard: The Source Box.

5. Titles.
Titles and Subtitles.
Composing Titles and Subtitles.
A Word About Subheads.
The Craft Shop: “The Power of a Title”, Audrey Chapman.
The Newsstand: Scanning for Titles and Subtitles.
The Keyboard: Generating Titles.

6. Time Elements.
Moments of Narration.
Transitional Moments.
Breaking the TimeBarrier.
The Craft Shop: “Moment and Meaning”, David Lazar.
“Multiple Moments”, Megan Lane.
The Newsstand: Taking a Moment.
The Keyboard: Picking Your Moments.

7. Viewpoint and Voice.
Points of View.
Tones of Voice.
The Craft Shop: “Capturing Viewpoint”, Audrey Chapman.
“Keying Voice”, Cathy Twining.
The Newsstand: Preferred Viewpoints, Predominant Voices.
The Keyboard: Pinpointing Your Viewpoint and Voice.

8. Endings.
Closed and Open Endings.
Beginnings and Endings.
The Craft Shop: “On Endings”, Dana Gioia.
The Newsstand: Endings and Audiences.
The Keyboard: Nailing Your Endings.

9. The Writing Process.
Preparing to Write.
Preparing to Revise.
The Craft Shop: “The Re-Visioning Process” by Lady Borton.
The Newsstand: Psyching Up to Write.
The Keyboard: First to Final Draft.

10. The Freelance Process.
Standard Manuscript Format.
Cover and Query Letters.
Mailing and Marketing.
The Craft Shop: “awright, here's what i learned” by Bethany Matsko.
The Newsstand: Final Preparations.
The Keyboard: Preparing Your Submission.

Readings in Magazine Nonfiction.

Guide to Readings.

COLUMNS.

A Forgiving Land, Lady Borton, The New York Times Magazine.

Where You'll Find Me, Molly Peacock, Mirabella.

Talking to the River, Bill Brohaugh, Writer's Digest.

Too Close for Comfort, Patricia Raybon, USA Weekend.

It happened to me, Bethany Matsko, Sassy.

Bonding with the Grateful Dead by George Plimpton, Esquire.

PROFILES.

Farrah Fawcett Up Close, Carol Muske Dukes, House and Garden.

Mr. Allen Dewey Spooner, Kelly Cherry, The Chattahoochee Review.

Meeting Mr. Cheever, Dana Gioia, The Hudson Review.

Anna's Tangled Destiny, Ursula Obst, New York Woman.

OPINIONS AND INTERVIEWS.

The Hunting Problem, Bruce Woods, BackHome.

Right Work: An Interview with Gary Snyder, Kevin Bezner, Left Bank.

How to Face a Firing Squad, George Plimpton, Esquire.

ESSAYS AND ARTICLES.

The Coat, David Lazar, Best American Essays of 1993.

The Broken Child, Catherine Johnson, New Woman.

Invictus under Glass, Amy Hudson, Writer's Digest.

Do You Really Want To Eat This?, Karen Horgan Sullivan, Vegetarian Times.

An American Dream, Patricia Westfall, Esquire.

Index.