Feature and Magazine Writing: Action, Angle and Anecdotes

by David E. Sumner, Holly G. Miller

This fully revised and updated edition of Feature and Magazine Writing covers everything from finding original ideas to locating expert sources. With fresh perspectives and advice from professional writers and editors, this colorfully-written introduction is required reading for anyone who wishes to become a strong feature writer.

Genres: Writing, Journalism

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2005

Reviews

[Arianna Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential guide for aspiring journalists and storytellers.

Feature and Magazine Writing is a must read for anyone looking to break into magazine journalism or long-form storytelling. Sumner and Miller do a brilliant job of blending practical instruction with real-world examples, making the material not only educational but genuinely engaging.

The book covers everything from finding your voice and pitching ideas to interviewing, structuring feature stories, and understanding the editorial process. What makes it stand out is how it respects the craft of writing while offering step-by-step strategies that are easy to follow and apply.

Whether you're a student, a freelance writer, or a curious beginner, this book is both a reference and a source of inspiration. Clear, current, and deeply informative.

[Kyle Wendy Skultety (gimmethatbook.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of “Feature & Magazine Writing”, 3rd edition, by David E Sumner and Holly G Miller


I would like to extend my thanks to Wiley-Blackwell Publishing for this complimentary review copy.

The 3rd edition of this extremely helpful book has been updated to include feature writing in a digital world. With the proliferation of blogs, vlogs, digital versions of magazines, and other online media, the rules of writing have changed. Two new chapters have been added: “Building a Story Blog” and “Long Form Digital Storytelling”, which explain and highlight the correct way to get your reader’s attention in the fast paced world of the internet.

With 21 chapters plus an appendix (a glossary of magazine lingo) this book takes you from idea, to composing, to editing, to pitching, and finally to career advice. How to interview someone successfully is described in detail, as is correct grammar and punctuation, without boring the student to death over minutiae. Also noted is how to think like a writer, debunking the popular “write what you know” theory.

Each chapter begins by highlighting key points to remember, and ends with in-class activities and assignments, a great way to reinforce what was just learned.

Finally, the 3rd edition comes with a website that includes PowerPoint presentations, handouts and other resources. The text itself is also offered as an e-book.

Highly recommended for any student interested in writing for magazines or the Internet.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's out of print now, but I highly recommend this version of Sumner's Feature and Magazine Writing for anyone interested in magazine or periodical writing who wants to break into the writing business. I have the updated version and it doesn't seem as thorough or accessible, although the new version does add some useful topics.

Sumner's book is excellent help, even for practiced writers.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good resource for all sorts of magazine writing and offers a lot of good resources you can go to if you're interested in any of the topics the books covers. It also has a fun tone and never gets overly pedantic or preachy.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid book on writing for magazines for both the beginner and those looking ponder their craft for a few moments--and then ignore all those suggestions and go with what they already know.

[Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good ideas in this book. Definitely took some notes down for future reference.