cellini's Diaryland Diary

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My Mainstream Media Career Shows Signs of Life

Well I am sort of rocking and rolling here.

I pitched a bio story to an outlet that has zero prestige or name recognition, but pays fifty cents a word and got a 'yes.' That's $1,200 incoming.

Then I pitched something AWESOME to N@tional Geographic's History magazine. It is so solid. A niche history story that I found by spending hours and hours reading old newspapers, and it's rooted with Al3xander H@milton and touches so much awesome shit and nobody has written a story on this subject since 1930.

B@rt Bull and I have been talking on the phone a lot lately. Bart was a founding editor of Spin Magazine, former deputy editor of Vogue, big deal elder statesman journalist whom I became very close friends with back when I was covering the R0lling Stone d3famation trial for the N3w Y0rk Post. Bart is working on this thing where he's taking down a long-lost and recently dug-up piece by L@ngston Hughes that is basically bullshit but is being presented as fact. I'm helping him do basic research on whether any part of it's premise could have been true (it isn't). Bart also gave me really valuable feedback on a piece I wrote recently about the history of Ch@rlottesville as a constant shit m@gnet.

He advised pitching it to every place possible, aiming really high, without worrying about whether it's actually picked up but more with an eye to identifying editors who decide that they kinda like my crazy shit and establishing relationships with them. I think that is probably pretty good advice.

With that in mind, I pitched The Atlantic yesterday. They pay shit, but there's prestige.

Also I pitched an awesome idea for a science doc series. The producer I pitched responded but I haven't read his email yet.

And my current lab wants to pay me on a freelance basis to keep doing work for them after I go home to Ch@rlottesville at the end of the month.

I just might have a rejuvenated media career waiting for me when I leave here.

Also there's a hurricane parked right off of Florida. I spent way too much money on supplies, batteries, water, etc. This thing had better at least graze us so I can eat the Pringles and drink the cheap white wine I've put away.

And I've been assured that my weekly talk radio show is waiting for me when I get home. I have missed that so much.

2:42 a.m. - 2019-09-03

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