Aspiring Sports Writers

[redsrbetter]

If you are an aspiring writer and are real serious about making this your future, please share with us the tales of your endeavors. For me, I have recently changed my major to Broadcast Journalism and am pursuing a sports writing career. I am positive that this is what I want to do in my life, but I don't have the first clue on how to get there.

This thread could be used to give others ideas on how to pursue this career and to see all angles that need to be approached and at which direction.

I plan to get in contact with many sports writers via email. I want to ask them where they went to school and what degree they earned. Then I will ask them about the politics involved and how hard it was for them to land their first job. I will be sure to post all emails received from these guys so we all can gain an idea on how the best went about their business.

Hopefully this thread can help many of us figure some things out without having to do it all on our own.

In the meantime, please post your thoughts and where you are at with this and possibly how you got there. Lets all help eachother out in making our future and easier process.

Ideas so far:

Improve your writing skills:

1. Get an accredited degree in communications or journalism.

redsrbetter- completed many college courses toward communications degree. Enrolling at community college for journalism degree.

2. Post amazing quality on sites like this and see how people react.

3. Take Creative Writing courses and English to better your skills.

redsrbetter-completed ENG 105 and ENG 106 at Park University

Writing.Com: Writers, Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing, Fiction Writing, Poetry Contests, Writing Contests

Reed College Creative Writing: Submission Info


Gain references through:
1. Get involved in the school newspaper/radio station.

redsrbetter- checking on base newspaper for openings

2. Intern at a radio station (go to their websites and hunt job openings)

3. Build a respectable online resume (blog, articles) and get a following

redsrbetter- S3F, another Reds site, myspace, personal blog, uwritesports, espn boards, mlb boards, zoints.

4. Build sports writer contacts through emails.

redsrbetter- Nicole DeCambra, attempting Hal McCoy and others.

5. Write for an online fan site and try to get a job as a beat writer

6. Post a blog on sites like myspace and only add sports people on to your friends list.

redsrbetter- myspace site is built and awaiting first article, then will build contacts

7. Save all your writing to a disk and make a portfolio

8. Build a resume utilizing many of these steps.

[redsrbetter]

I am not having much luck getting into contact with sports writers. Anyone know of a good way to collect email addresses from these guys, please let me know. Thanks.

[ATLien]

The best way to start is get involved with your college newspaper or radio station, volunteering is a start.

I have heard that it is very hard to get your foot in the door in the industry unless you know somebody, but if it is your dream then you should pursue it.

[DravenX]

I for one can't write. I wish I had the thought process to write a nice article. Good luck to ya.

[Dry1313]

Quickest way to get yourself in? Moonlight at a sports talk radio station, Intern there, you'll be involved in Sports. Then, after you get your degree, contact your local paper with your Sports Radio reference, and bada-bing bada boom, you're in. Although you won't be anything more than a peon researcher.

You can't start in the bigtime, go to the Radio/Paper websites and see the job openings, you can build your way up. Quickest way to get there, but you might get stuck around that aspect for 10 years.

It's why I'm not going to be a sports writer. That and the mindless traveling, constant editing, it wouldn't be my writing.

[redsrbetter]

Yeah I hear you guys. I still have 10 years left in the AF as I plan to retire. So, I have the time to spend on the "selling myself" aspect (hey perverts don't judge me) of it all.

Great thoughts here guys. It will help. You guys sound like you have had experience, how so?

[missionhockey21]

Building a respectable online resume if you will (articles at sites, your own blog, etc), is something I've heard to be a great resume addition, especially if you write at a high level and with a following.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Build contacts.

School newspaper is HUGE. Work there and work there often.

If possible, write for an online fan site or something like I did for a while and try to get a job as a beat writer at that site to prove you can handle the grind involved.

Some writers are more receptive about talking than others. I will tell you some good ones to contact if you PM, redsr.

The industry is rather slow right now though.

You could very well have to at least start doing something else that uses your writing and helps give you related experience in a field that at least somehow relates to covering a beat for a newspaper.

I should know how slow it is right now.

[redsrbetter]

Thanks CRF, I will dig deeper into this tomorrow. I was hoping you would join in on this conversation as I knew you had some experience.

Tough thing about the school deal for me is, I am going to school on base and we don't have a newspaper. We have a community college here with a basketball team and that is it. They don't even have High School baseball here. Its a shame I know. I will be looking for something like that to do though for sure.

I will PM you on this tomorrow if you are available?

[redsrbetter]

Building a respectable online resume if you will (articles at sites, your own blog, etc), is something I've heard to be a great resume addition, especially if you write at a high level and with a following.

Good call man. That would likely be the easiest way for me to do it. I like what RHM is doing a lot right now. She is impressive. Something like that could help I am sure. If I go this route, I may have to change my name on here even with my real name.

Then go crazy everywhere and make my name known. I am talking about having a blog, posting in here, making articles for each and posting them all over the internet. Sending them to guys related to sports like radio hosts. Stuff like that could work.

I hope others are gathering ideas through this as well as this could be a tool for everyone.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Yeah, that kinda sucks.

They REALLY value experience at a school newspaper, even in fields similar to(but not) newspaper sports writing jobs.

I have a job internship I just sent in (resume, etc.) last weekend that could be very exciting if it works out, but I'd rather not discuss it right now because I'm not sure it will really be open for me or not.

But yeah, definitely message me tomorrow and I will drop a few names I think would be good to message.

[GiantsFanatic]

My dream was to become a proffesionall athlete, but then aint comming true anytime soon, so I once decided to major in Journalism, I wanted to become a sportwriter/radio talkshow host and ect....... But I realized I cant write/spell worth shit, I can barely write my papers for class as a partime student, so I decided to get away from that field. Who knows I might do a double major or so.

[redsrbetter]

Hey Giants, it just takes practice bro. I may not be the best speller in the world either, but that is was editors are for. And spellcheck works wonders as well.

Anyhow, thanks for the thoughts bro. And if you ever change you mind and want to revert back to this career path, then look here for ideas. I have a feeling we are going to have good things come out of this thread. If nothing else, it is definitely a great way to see how to get started.

[redsrbetter]

Email I sent in to the local sports writer at the community college:

Ma’am,


I am an aspiring sports writer and am just getting started. I just changed my major to Broadcast Journalism and I was wondering if you could give me some help. If I could ask you a few questions, I would greatly appreciate your time and care.


I am trying to figure out what college courses I need to take and how to go about pursuing my degree. Could you tell me what college you went to? Also could you tell me what degree you earned? I would also like to know how hard it was for you to land the job you are in now. What kinds of politics were involved? Did you have to know somebody to get this job?


I think that about covers the basis of my beginning. I hope you could take the opportunity to briefly mentor me in this subject. I would greatly appreciate your help if at all possible. Thank you for your time ma’am.


Respectfully,

David Cubbedge

I will post her reply as soon as I get it. Hopefully I can get some answers through this method.

[ATLien]

My dream was to become a proffesionall athlete, but then aint comming true anytime soon, so I once decided to major in Journalism, I wanted to become a sportwriter/radio talkshow host and ect....... But I realized I cant write/spell worth shit, I can barely write my papers for class as a partime student, so I decided to get away from that field. Who knows I might do a double major or so.

Taking a couple English and Creative Writing courses really improved my writing, might want to look into that if you're interested.