I pm'ed Guy about this a while back, and now I'll propose the question for anyone who might be able to lend a word of advice. I figure with all the knowlegeable folks around here someone might know something that could help me.

I'm at that point in my life where "The Man" says I have to do something for a living. One of my dreams is to work in the auto industry, but given my lack of math/engineering skills, want to do it through writing.

Specifically, my question is whether an auto journalist needs to be an "insider," that is to say from the industry. Is there room in the field for someone with a solid journalism background and an off-the-charts interest in cars?

As far as journalism background goes, I have a pretty good one for someone just starting out. I attend the University of Md., which offers a top ten journalism program, and am starting to pile on the clips through internships and freelance writing. Is this not what the auto journalism industry wants in a background?

Finally, I'm wondering what I might do to build a portfolio that would appeal to this field. Who should I be writing for? Who should I be making contacts with?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. And don't be afraid to crush my fragile dreams - I'd rather find out it's hopeless now than ten-years from now when I'm driving a cab at nights to put food on the table.

 

I have no idea except to say that writing a few independent outsider pieces and then offering them to the magazines from time to time with the catch 'you can have this piece and all my future works if you hire me, otherwise, it's my property' so they don't just try to snag the article and run...

That or you could apply for a simple job at one of the mags like somebody's bitch boy and then wait for opportunities to impress them and get them to like you enough to give you a chance.