You Can Be a Columnist: Writing and Selling Your Way to Prestige

by Charlotte Digregorio

This book will teach you how to identify the type of column you want to write; how to come up with column topics regularly; how to write your column, (good/bad column samples are included); provide you with painless and enjoyable writing exercises to give you confidence; offer you style tips to give you the air of a professional writer; and instruct you on how to sell your column to local, regional and national markets on a regular and guest basis. It is highly recommended by Barbara Curtis, Times-Mirror Columnist. Curtis says it launched her career as a newspaper columnist. And, Small Publisher Magazine of West Virginia says: This information is worth a heck of a lot more than $14. Further, this book is recognized and acclaimed worldwide, and is used as a text at universities here and abroad. In fact, The Higher Education Commission in Pakistan even recommends it as a text. Canadian Writer's Journal says: The information is simply and clearly presented, and the friendly, conversational style makes for pleasant reading. Readers can enjoy and learn at the same time, it emphasizes. In fact, if you've got the desire, this book is a road map on how to travel from Square One to syndication, according to California Writers Club. Quite simply, Bruce Taylor of The Clear Writing Institute calls it: a one-of-a-kind book, empowering, making dreams come true for many aspiring writers. This book is also recommended by Career Guidance Services at universities, and as a writer's resource by many public libraries. In addition, it is recommended by associations for the home-based business person, such as The American Home-Based Work Administration. It is cited as a resource in many best-selling books in the writing and business fields and on websites for writers and business people. It is recommended as a resource by dozens of reviewers, including The Canadian Review of Books.

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 1993

About the author

Charlotte Digregorio received an Official Commendation from the Governor of her state in 2018 for her decades of accomplishments in the literary arts, and her work to promote and advance the field by educating adults and students alike. She is the author of seven books including: Ripples of Air: Poems of Healing; Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All; Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Homes; You Can Be A Columnist; Beginners’ Guide to Writing & Selling Quality Features; and Your Original Personal Ad. She is also the author of a poetry collection, Shadows of Seasons: Selected Haiku and Senryu by Charlotte Digregorio that is now available in The Appendices of Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All.

Her latest book, Ripples of Air: Poems of Healing, isn’t just a collection of her award-winning poems of many forms, but an inspirational book that engages non-poets and experienced poets to write as a healing exercise, just like people do journaling to heal. It has essays and prose passages on poetry and multiple resource lists that offer ideas on where to get published; teaching/speaking ideas; contest ideas; media interview ideas; and poetry reading and exhibit ideas. It also contains an exhaustive bibliography of poetry books and anthologies with healing poems.

Many of her books have been adopted as supplemental texts at universities throughout the U.S., Canada, India, Pakistan, and Catalonia. They are sold in 46 countries, and are displayed in major metropolitan cultural centers. These books have been reviewed, recommended, and praised by hundreds of critics, librarians, and professors worldwide.

Two of her books have been Featured Selections of Writer’s Digest Book Club. She is regularly interviewed by major print, radio, and television organizations throughout the U.S. She signs books at libraries, chain bookstores, and university bookstores, and does poetry readings at art centers, cafes, tea houses, and galleries.

She was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has won 56 poetry awards, writing 14 poetic forms. Her poetry has been translated into eight languages. She does illustrated solo poetry exhibits 365 days a year at libraries, galleries, corporate buildings, hospitals, convention centers, park districts, and other venues. Her individual poems have been displayed at supermarkets, apparel and wine shops, banks, botanic gardens, wooded parks, restaurants, and on public transit.

She was nominated and listed in “The International Authors and Writers Who’s Who” in Cambridge, England and in the “Who’s Who In Writers, Editors & Poets U.S./Canada.” She hosted her own radio program, “Poetry Beat,” on public broadcasting. Her poetry has been featured on several library websites including those of Shreve Memorial Library in Louisiana and Cornell University’s Mann Library.

Her background includes positions as a feature editor and columnist at daily newspapers and as a magazine editor. She was a public relations director for a non-profit organization. She is currently self-employed as a public relations/marketing consultant, having served a total of 118 clients in 23 states for the past several decades . In other professional areas, she has been on university faculties, teaching French, Italian, and Writing.

She regularly give lectures and workshops on publishing, journalism, publicity, poetry, and creativity to business and professional groups, and at writer’s conferences, universities, literary festivals, non-profit organizations, and libraries. She has been a writer-in-residence at universities.

There have been about 400 articles written about her in the media. She has served on the Boards of writers’ organizations. Her most recent positions were as Midwest Regional Coordinator of The Haiku Society of America, and subsequently, as its Second Vice President.