A great many people who want to be writers say that they want to have a career in journalism. They may envision themselves going to exotic locales to cover stories or winning a Pulitzer prize. While these things do happen to journalists, it takes a long time to make your bones before you are sent on any interesting assignments.

I became a journalist purely by accident. Unlike others who seek out journalism as a career, I wanted to be a writer. I envisioned myself writing books of fiction and entertaining the masses. My parents talked me into going to college and getting a degree in journalism. They told me that it was a good idea to have something to fall back on, in case I couldn’t make a living writing fiction for a living. Five years and 100 rejections later, I realized they were right. Fortunately, my degree in journalism helped me support myself so that I didn’t have to go back home after I got out of school.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – What Is A Journalist?….3
Chapter 2 – What Type Of Degree Do I Need?….6
Chapter 3 – How To Get Started Writing Before Graduation….8
Chapter 4 – The Rules Of Journalism….11
Chapter 5 – Building A Portfolio….16
Chapter 6 – What Is Style?….18
Chapter 7 – What Does A Copy Editor Do?….20
Chapter 8 – Additional Degrees To Consider….22
Chapter 9 – Online Journalism – The Way Of The Future….24
Chapter 10 – What To Expect On Your First Job….26