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I want to work in national geographic in India. what should I do.

I am 20yo, an engineering student and am also working with one of India's biggest tech publishing website. I want to work with even bigger sites like TheVerge, Engadget or AllthingsD. What things I should be improving?

  • I have 2 more years left in engineering, while I am good at studies, I want to become a technology analyst like Walt Mossberg. I am working on improving my writing skills, reading a lot of magazines and websites. What other things I should be improving? And, how well I am currently doing?

  • Answer:

    A few thoughts, but first a question: Why? Why do you want to write for The Verge, Engadget, or AllThingsD? It can't be for money. Unless you happen to be Walt Mossberg, you'll make more as an engineer. It can't be for the fame. Aside from a very small group of writers and editors, most of us HTML slaves are virtually anonymous. And when we are noticed, it's usually to hurl insults at us in the comments. You might want to do this for the free stuff. Gadget bloggers in particular get to play with, and often keep, a lot of cutting edge gear. That sounds like fun, and it is, for about six months. The first time you get to play with/break down the latest Android handset so you can write about it is fun. The 50th time? Not so fun -- but you still have to come up with something to say about it you haven't already said. My guess is you want to do this because you want someone to give you the official stamp of "Writer" (or Blogger, or whatever). You're seeking validation from some higher power. Is that accurate? Well you don't need validation from a higher power. All you need to do is write. Creating a blog is easy; any idiot can do it, and many have. And voila -- you're a writer. You won't get paid, but you won't get paid much for writing these days in general. And it's a great way to practice and get chops. Having said all that, my first bit of advice would be take some basic grammar courses. Not trying to be insulting, but if you sent a query to an editor phrased the same way you've phrased this question, you'd never get an answer. And after that, take some writing courses from people who actually work in this field and will give you a no BS evaluation of your writing. Which is another way of saying, develop a thick skin, cuz you'll need it. cheers dt

Dan Tynan at Quora Visit the source

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TL;DR: Learn to pitch. Pitch 3 story ideas today in 1 e-mail to an editor at one of the blogs you'd mentioned. Then follow-up in 2 days if you don't hear from them. If you don't hear from them in another 2 days, pitch 3 new ones. If you still don't hear from them...then go to a lower-tier one and repeat until successful. Then start working your way back up. Let's assume you'll get the fundamental starting technical and applied expertise that you need through your schooling with engineering. It's great you're reading a lot and improving your writing. I'll pass on some advice a journalist shared with me when I asked him how he made it to Ars Technica -- ABP: Always Be Pitching. Pitch story ideas for guest posts at tech websites. I think this makes most sense for you, given your short-term and long-term goals. The reason I suggest this is because you'll start refining your own taste (e.g., perspective, writing style, tone, ideas for stories) based on editors' perspectives and reader comments, whereas doing your own blog won't close the feedback loop as nicely. You can compare the version you wrote and the final published one to see changes made. Guest posts also validate you and give you social proof, so when you do want to land other opportunities you borrow the credibility of places you have written for previously. Engadget (or AllThingsD, even) will be a lot more receptive if you've written for ArsTechnica, TechCrunch, and Lifehacker. Here's a great guide to pitching guest posts by : http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/write-a-guest-post-for-i-will-teach-you-to-be-rich/. One of the most useful things I've encountered in my journey thus far. So first, learn to pitch, and once you land an opportunity then you'll learn to write and fact-check. (You'll have to -- or else you'll suffer from editor displeasure or fiery reader comments!) Naturally, in order to get to Mossberg's level: meet the titans of tech (Mossberg <> Steve Jobs), keep on top of industry news, find gigs that will expose you firsthand to the business of tech, etc. (Plus, the writing opps you get could potentially land you a content marketing or PR role at the tech firm you need to develop your perspective...so it all spirals :-)) This is how I made it to The Globe and Mail, Hypebeast, and the Metro News. Naturally, I started with more tech-based publications, such as Techvibes. Also, this is how I made it to my own first Indian tech blog -- I used to write for GuidingTech! Which one do you write for?

Herbert Lui

Writing is more than just correct grammar. The best writing shows some critical thinking. Also, you need to have some serious technical expertise if you expect to have any credibility when you write about technical topics, and by that, I mean more than just an engineering degree.

Dan Romanchik

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