Five Nonfiction Tests

Help your writing earn a passing grade.

by Andy Scheer

Would you like to write an award-winning article — or a chapter fit for an award-winning book? Here are the criteria for a national contest I’m judging.

1) Idea (timeliness, appeal)
Will readers skimming the publication stop and take a look? Does it promise to … Continue reading →

Plan to Attend

A writers conference can give you a boost.

by Andy Scheer

When I edited a national magazine, I especially looked forward to the year’s first writers conference. It wasn’t just the lure of traveling to Florida from snowbound Chicago. I could not only acquire serious writers, but also to coach them in their … Continue reading →

Why Write for Periodicals

They’re too good an opportunity to overlook.

by Andy Scheer

Writing for magazines, newspapers, and websites won’t make you rich, famous, or the target of autograph-seekers. But neither will you need to write a detailed proposal, wait months for a response, then wait another year for publication. And the opportunities are almost limitless.

Even … Continue reading →