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Creative Writing & Journalism

Read these aspiring journalists' hints and tips for getting into journalism

Journalism is a constantly changing profession at the moment and breaking into becoming a reporter or journalist with a major media provider is extremely difficult. In an article for the Guardian aspiring journalists give their tips for breaking into the world of journalism. These include finding your niche and starting to write a blog.

For information and resources linked to your subject of study, see the Degree Subject Resources pages of our website.

General Resources

Look at Prospects Creative Arts and Publishing Sectors that include overviews, useful links and information and resources. Printed copies are not available but can be viewed and downloaded from the Prospects website.

Prospects website also has an ‘explore types of job’ section which includes job profiles of over 800 occupations. Information for each job covers salary and conditions, entry requirements, training and career development, typical employers/vacancy sources, related jobs and case studies, contacts and resources.

Bath Spa Careers Resources

These resources are available for reference in the Careers Information room (LY101):

Books (for reference only):

  • The Writer’s Handbook
  • Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook
  • Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook
  • Insiders Guide to Getting Your Book Published
  • Writer's Market UK
  • The Small Press Guide (Writers’ Bookshop)
  • Scriptwriting for the Screen (Charlie Moritz; Routledge)
  • The Guardian Media Guide
  • Media Careers: Broadcasting
  • How to Succeed in Newspaper Journalism (David Stephenson; Kogan Page)
  • How to be a Freelance Journalist (Christine Hall; How To Books)
  • Inside Journalism (Sarah Niblock; Routledge)
  • The Magazines Handbook (Jenny McKay; Routledge)
  • The Radio Handbook (Carole Fleming; Routledge)
  • The Television Handbook (Patricia Holland; Routledge)
  • In Print, A Career in Journalism (Guardian Books)

Bulletins and Journals:

  • Arts Bulletin (Bath and North East Somerset Council)
  • Artyfacts Newsletter (Brighton University Careers Centre)
  • South West Screen

Files:

  • The Occupational files for Creative Writing and Journalism (Purple file, Y), gives an overview of the sector, job roles and profiles, entry and training, career development and professional bodies, links and additional resources.

Where To Look for Jobs and Work Placements

Arts Council
News and opportunities from Arts Council England. Regional sites.

Arts Hub UK

Arts, Culture, Media Jobs
Jobs website for creative people...

Hold the front page
Regional UK journalism, jobs, contacts, website reviews

Journalism.co.uk
Jobs, freelance advice, directory of links to resources on web. Display your CV online for potential employers.

The Literary Consultancy
Manuscript assessment and editorial advice. Includes services for script-writers.

Media Centre
Info on training, publications, vacancies, advice and contacts

Shooting People
A UK independent film community for anyone wanting to work in indie film - writers, directors, actors, producers, agents, cinematographers, animators, crew, editors, stuntwomen, animal wranglers and you.

Southwest Scriptwriters
Develops and promotes new drama writers and writing in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding area. Includes information about the group, dates of future events, annual New Writing Festival and related links for drama writers.

Writelink
Writers’ Resource site for creative & freelance writers, linking to paying markets, competitions, reference sites, jobs etc.

Women in Journalism
A networking, campaigning, training and social organisation for women journalists who work across all the written media, from newspapers and magazines to new media. Includes jobs and events sections. Membership fee.

Some professional bodies feature jobs and careers - check the list below

Check our GO> database for the latest jobs and placement opportunities, plus lists of employers by sector and location

www.gradsouthwest.com has graduate level jobs in the south west. Register to search for jobs and job alerts matching your criteria

For further information on the job seeking and application process, and resources available, please see the Looking for Jobs and Applying for Jobs pages of this website.

For further information on Work Placements and to download our information sheet, please see our Work Placement pages.

Useful Web Links

Arts Council
News and opportunities from Arts Council England. Regional sites.

BBC OneMusic Industry Jobs: Music Journalist Facts

BBC Writersroom
The BBC's online resource for writing for television, radio and film

Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC)
Advice and accredited courses in broadcast journalism

Comedy Writers’ Association UK
Information, news and contacts for the development of a successful comedy writing career. Membership to this association includes a library of books and scripts, 1-day seminars with speakers of the comedy world, annual 3-day international seminar for good networking opportunities and a monthly newsletter.

Creative Futures
A good web resource for information and advice relevant to the art, photography, journalism, promotions and other media.

Internet Writer
Online resource from A & C Black Publishers has over 1000 links to publishing and writing resources on the web

The Literary Consultancy
Manuscript assessment and editorial advice. Includes services for script-writers.

Moving Image Society
Careers in broadcast journalism, film and television

National Union of Journalists
Campaigns for and represents journalists. Accredited courses, freeance and copyright news.

Periodicals Publishers Association
Online ‘Careers in Magazines' publication

Press Gazette
Online weekly coverage of news and developments in media industry.

Screenwriters' Festival annual festival and also useful website with resources, competitions and funding information.

Society of Authors

Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders
Directory providing contact information and details of skills, subjects and services offered by 600 members

Soho Theatre, London
Seminars, workshops, new productions and writers’ development programmes.

The Scriptwriter's Life Help for scriptwriters to develop themselves and their careers

The Stage Newspaper
'How To' guides on writing for TV, films and musicals. Includes writing sit-coms, comedies, dramas and police series.

Writers' Guild of Great Britain
The Writers' Guild is a trade union for writers working in television, radio, film, theatre, books and multimedia.

Professional organisations

List of professional organisations for the Creative Writing industry

List of professional organisations for Journalism

Events and Careers Fairs

Look at the ‘What’s On’ section of this website for events and fairs.

Prospects website has a general careers fair section, searchable by type of event and location.

Screenwriters' Festival annual festival and also useful website with resources, competitions and funding information.

Southwest Scriptwriters annual New Writing Festival, presents a short summer season of script-in-hand performances of members’ work at a Bristol theatre.

Further Training and Development

Most of the Professional organisations run courses to support continuing professional development.Check their websites from the list above.

Postgraduate and work-related courses are listed at www.prospects.ac.uk

Creative & Cultural Skills is the Sector Skills Council (in development) for Advertising, Crafts, Cultural Heritage,Design, Music, Performing, Literary and Visual Arts. We are an industry-led organisation promising to have real influence over the supply of education and skills across the UK. See their website at www.ccskills.org.uk

The Scriptfactory offers a programme of writer, reader and development training. Also offers performed readings and feedback reports.

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