A FOB Assignment

There appear to be a few schools of thought when it comes to FOBs (front of book pieces). Some swear they're the gateway to 'bigger and better' features in a publication worth writing for -- so you should suck it up and write one up if it's offered. Others think they are a whole lot of work (research wise) for a fraction of the price a higher word count article would allow so you ought to bow out of them gracefully.

I'm somewhere in the middle on this one. If I've not written for a publication before, why not show them what I've got with a lower risk assignment -- especially if it opens the door to a future feature? Yes, they are a lot of effort for the per word payment ... but the work is fun (at least for me) and the paycheck some publications pay for a short doesn't suck. But sometimes a shorter, snippier 150 word piece is more gratifying to write than a grueling 1,200 word feature.

That's why I'm happy to take on the FOB assignment I just landed from an editor at Woman's Day!

Waaahoooo!