Hello All, I have been considering for some time to do a course to kick start my career in writing (mostly articles) I am hoping to receive valuable information on producing and selling my work. As internet research on this hasn't been fulfilling.
I am considering signing up with "Writers Bureau" for a short course. It seems quite promising and can go at my own pace. I have never attempted yet to write and be published properly. But hope to change this now I have the time.

Has anyone dealt with this company? Would it be a waste of time? Do you think its value for money? Can you recommend anything else?
Hoping to get some helpful advice, please from all you professionals or someone who knows or has dealt with this company.

I have heard good things about the company.

- I've WWmailed you.

- NaomiM

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Also check out the Open University courses - they do short ones (only one term) which you might consider trying as a 'taster'.

Hi Jane, and welcome to WW.

For a new writer, especially one exploring all avenues, WB are excellent. I did one of their courses a few years ago and learned a lot.

Dee

Hi, Jane, and welcome to WW.

I know there are several WWers who've tried the WB course, and I'm sure there are threads about it buried somewhere. A site search should pick them up.

Then there's the OU, as Naomi said, and the Open College of the Arts also do them - less structured, I think, than OU, and more one-to-one, albeit still postal.

Also it's very short notice - this Friday the 1st June - but you might like to check this out:

http://www.writewords.org.uk/forum/48_149398.asp

Emma

I looked at the OU, but they seemed to only be doing Creative or Journalistic courses. I am leaning towards article writing only. Can someone tell me if Im wrong about the OU? maybe I missed the Article link.
Thanks everyone for your advice, WB does seem a good bet so far for an Article Writing course.

I did a WB course a few years ago and found it okay. I wouldn't recommend it though. I think you can find out just as much by doing your own research.

I'm also put off by the facts that they a) market aggressively (leaflets every week) and b) that I don't quite trust them. I had a leaflet through after I'd finshed their course announcing their 'writers of the year.' Some, the leaflet said, had received advances of £10,000. I tried to look up the books and the authors but could find nothing.

Nik.

Does anyone else think the same?

I felt the details on what you could learn from the Article Writing course seemed quite comprehensive and there were lots of things i hadn't even thought about let alone knew how to carry out.

I feel the course would offer a "Kick Start" to actually get me writing, and not spending time trawling, trying to work out best way to sell work.

Also, I am currently in Germany, so its mainly all "online" reasearch at the moment.

Interested to hear if anyone else agrees with Nik? or not?

I have very strong feelings on this, as they have £250 of my money which they won't give back.

I've mailed you.

Katerina x

Just thought I'd add the following, written in answer to the same query on another Writers Forum:

I recommend the Writers Bureau - but I would - I'm a tutor there. I can assure you ,however, that their money-back guarantee is genuine. If you don't earn back the course cost during the time you study then you can have your money back. All you have to do is give them 10 rejection slips to prove you have been trying to get published.

- NaomiM

Twenty years ago I started a Writer's Bureau course and thought it was pretty awful TBH.

Check out Arvon foundation, who do 5-day residential courses on lots of different writing genres (I think including journalism) and are great fun. And OCA is good for correspondence courses, but although they do various writing courses I'm not sure if they cover features - probably not.

What about looking up journalism colleges and seeing if any of the reputable ones do short courses on this?

Deb

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I should have said, the WB may have changed radically in 20 years. That's a long time. So perhaps your should ignore my comments on it.

It wasn't that great five or six years ago when I did it, Debac. And I'm still curious to know what became of the authors who'd done the WB course and had ten thousand pound advances and such. One would have thought more would have made of them.

Nik.