BWI’s Miami Newsmaker panelists discussing the “Future of Marine Journalism” offered a frank assessment of continuing challenges for writers and what publications and websites will be seeking in the near future. Common themes are that all in media are having to produce more with less, expect flawless stories and images, view deadlines as ever more important, and that video is becoming the new “sidebar” to articles. Advice to writers: be useful, agreeable and indispensable, find ways to add value, increase delivery speed, and keep up with the technology. Read more »

You can give yourself an edge in an editor’s book by taking the time to learn a magazine’s style and checking your articles against a style sheet before submitting.

In a perfect world, you could download this from a magazine’s website. In an almost perfect world, an editor can e-mail you a style sheet. But what if it’s 2 a.m. and your piece is overdue?

You SHOULD have recent copies of the magazines you are writing for at your desk. If not, see what is available on the magazine’s website or through Zinio. (Zinio is also an easy way to grab electronic versions of your clips). Review the magazines for the following style items: Read more »