Advice from an editor

Tap-tap-tapping away on his personal internestspace Guardian Technology editor Charles Arthur writes a lengthy post on style, structure and content for potential contributors to the weekly section he runs for the UK national. There's a lot to masticate on in there. Here's a sampler,

"The basic structure is the presentation of lots of facts, unless it’s a must-read interview, in which case different rules apply... Facts are the bedrock. Check them..."

"... If you find yourself writing a sentence like “This is probably the first time..” or “This will presumably lead to..”, stop. Why are you writing words that imply (a) guessing or (b) your inference? Find out if it’s the first time (if you try, you can at least then write “Records say this is the first time..”), ask someone if it will lead to .. whatever you were going to write. Don’t presume, assume, or assign probabilities from thin air..."

"... Quotes, rather than the opinion of you, the journalist. Get people who can give the quotes that make the argument for and against the argument that you’re testing in the story."

Wise words. Newspaper sections like Guardian Technology are probably - sorry - are some of the hardest markets for professional freelancers to crack, let alone blogger wannabes. Reading Arthur's words makes me a) realise it's been way too long eight months and four days since I last wrote for that paper and b) how much time it takes to learn, and successfully practice, the skills he highlights and c) start worrying about my own pitches... probably I mean presumably. Arrggghhhh...

Comments

[Charles]

Not bad.. though it oughta be "successfully practise.." because it's a verb part..

Actually, I'll take anything if it's well written. Hard to crack? Hell, no - I'll take any good idea. Sometimes they have to be worked into shape, but I've published two pieces that began as blog posts, or by bloggers.

[Graham]

Just out of interest Charles, were the stories you mention from blog posts you read and subsequently pitched direct to the blogger or did the blogger come to you? And are we talking blogger/journalists or straight honest to goodness bloggers? Am Curious.