Columns for NSNC by its 2004-06 President Suzette Martinez Standring, author of the books “The Art of Opinion Writing” and “The Art of Column Writing”
By Suzette Martinez Standring, Founder Silent group writing works! Last year on November 4, the NSNC Writing Space launched, and, twice a week, members Zoom in to write together. We meet every Wednesday for two hours, and every Sunday for one hour. Sometimes we stay longer. There are no questions, discussion, or workshopping. The hour…
At the NSNC conference in Cincinnati, I taught the “Facebook for Writers” session. At the end of it, someone asked, “How much time do you spend on social media?” I had to think about that for a minute. I spend a lot of time on social media but only because it’s a big part of…
By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Communications Director Many of us are freelancing these days — which means we’re looking for leads, reading submission guidelines, and pitching stories to new publications on a regular basis. Ideally, every publication would have clear writer’s guidelines that include the managing editor’s name, contact, columns accepting submissions, and desired word count. However,…
The Art of Column Writing By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Communications Director For every special interest or hobby, there are niche publications that cover it. As writers, we have the ability to take our interests from activity to the page. Our hobbies, our lifestyles, and our day trades are all mined for material. This is where…
by Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Director of Media We’re talking to columnists about what it means to be an opinion writer in today’s market. This is the second article in the series. Adversity inspires solidarity. When things go wrong we turn to those who understand and support. As members of the press, things have definitely gone…
Columnists Talk Shop By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Director of Media We’re talking to columnists about what it means to be an opinion writer in today’s market. This is the first article in the series. No matter which political camp you stood in this past year you were bound to take a hit on your stance.…
by Suzette Suzette Martinez Standring NSNC Past President Do I have to “Snopes” every shocking headline nowadays? For readers many fake news sites look legit, just like those taken down by Google:baltimoregazette.com, denverguardian.com, as well as parasitic domain-named sites such as USAToday.com.co and WashingtonPost.com.co However, news hoaxes will reappear in other forms fueled by ad networks…
by Bonnie Jean Feldkamp NSNC Director of Media There’s a reason Erma Bombeck and Art Buchwald columns were under 500 words and Ernie Pyle kept his to 700. It works. Not only is that what many editors want, it’s also what most people are willing to read. Humor columnists and opinion bloggers, in particular, must…
By Dave Lieber Dallas Morning News columnist Reminders came my way that people are always watching you, the columnist. We’re always on stage. Even when we think we’re not. The world is big, but the community is so small. Last week, a man wrote me the following: “Mr. Lieber, you most likely do not remember me,…
By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 NSNC president One picture is worth a thousand words. Or think of it this way: one editorial cartoon is worth a thousand-word column. At the Hotel Angeleno in June, Michael P. Ramirez said, “A reporter is a purveyor of fact. Editorial cartoonists just go back and shoot the wounded.” The two-time…
By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 NSNC president Thousands (more likely, hundreds) of “friends” and “likes” on social media do impress, but personal connection still reigns. Nothing beats conversations, shared laughs, and the give-and-take of new ideas. That chance returns with the NSNC’s annual meeting in Los Angeles on June 23-26, 2016. Back in 2000, I was…
Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 NSNC president Syndication as an income stream, how do you break in? I am not referring to self-syndication or to traditional syndicates, such as Tribune Media or Creators Syndicate. Rather, what are newsgroup syndicates [traditionally called news services for multiproperty media corporations] looking for now? For…
Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring NSNC 2004-06 President Writing brings satisfaction, but are enough people reading our columns? A negative twist to Saturday Night Live’s Stuart Smalley plays in my head, “My ‘likes’ aren’t good enough. My blog posts aren’t smart enough and, doggone it, my Twitter feed is too low.” Recently,…
Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 NSNC President It’s the season of peace and goodwill, yet the hot breath of tragedy is fresh — the Paris bombings, the Syrian refugee crisis, and gun violence in America. As readers reach out for news, journalists and columnists are first-responders. Sometimes I don’t know how…
The Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 NSNC President Many columnists write for free on The Huffington Post, with the aim of parlaying the exposure into money elsewhere. But does it happen? Many writers have long been angry with HP for not paying its writers, but today is that feeling just as…
Art of Column Writing By Suzette Martinez Standring 2004-06 President National Society of Newspaper Columnists I was jealous of employed columnists. In comparison, the lot of a freelancer felt difficult, scrapping for the next job, doing “other things” while writing a column. In 2000, employed newspaper columnists were the majority in the NSNC. Now, most…
Art of Column Writing By Suzette Standring 2004-06 President National Society of Newspaper Columnists There are aspects aplenty to controversy. When tackling fifty shades of truth, being “gray” doesn’t grow a readership. Yet life is never black and white. Family. Politics. Feminism. Race. Religion. How best to take a decisive stand on polarizing topics? It’s…
