I’m Making the Jump to Print: Say Hello to the New Staff Writer for Newsweek Magazine!

My blogging days are over
I’ve been working with my manager the last several months on a major deal with a large publishing outlet. After weeks of contract negotiations I’m happy to announce that starting today I am the new traveling correspondent for Newsweek Magazine!

This deal is a dream come true for me and the fulfillment of years of hard work. The truth is, I’ve never really cared much for blogging or the internet. I’ve always viewed it as a place for amateurs and knew that the real prize was appearing in print. To paraphrase Kevin Spacey’s character Frank Underwood from the great House of Cards series on Netflix, “The Internet is the McMansion in Sarasota that falls apart after 10 years. Print is the old stone building that stands for centuries.

I’ve always considered the internet to just be a stepping stone to something better. The minor leagues if you will. If you want to get anywhere in travel writing or photography, you have to be in print. There simply isn’t any other choice. Everyone knows that the worst writer in print is better than the best writer online.

In early 2012 I knew I was ready to finally make the leap to print. It was just a question of where I’d end up and what the terms of the contract would be. I had met an agent in New York by the name of Stephen Plaisanterie who I had spoken with in the past about helping me find print work. My only instructions were that I didn’t care where I landed, so long as it was in print.

The initial response we got was mainly from midlevel newspapers like the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, the Cincinnati Post and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Working for a newspaper is fine, but unless it is the something like the New York Times, why bother? Everyone knows that your status as a writer is directly proportional to the size of the publication you write for.

Quality journalism lasts for centuries
I told Steve to try again.

This time he did much better and had several major magazines bidding for my services. By February we had it down to Budget Travel Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, and Newsweek.

During our negotiations, Newsweek indicated that they also wanted me to blog on the DailyBeast.com like Andrew Sullivan, but I was firm and told them that I wanted nothing to do with the internet and that I would only appear in print. Once that was out of the way, we only had to hammer out the rest of the terms and we signed the contract two weeks ago.

You can find my first article in the next edition of Newsweek that will appear on newsstands.

Also, I’d like to thank all the readers that helped to make this happen. Now that you have served your purpose, however, in the future please do not send me any more emails, tweets or Facebook messages. All correspondences should be sent in writing to my editor April Broma or her assistant Roy Dewit. I can’t be talking to my readers every day and meeting up with them around the world like I have been doing for the last 6 years. I enjoyed meeting everyone, but I am real print journalist, so I hope you understand.

29 thoughts on “I’m Making the Jump to Print: Say Hello to the New Staff Writer for Newsweek Magazine!”

  1. I thought you were loony until I got to the last paragraph and the sarcasm was made overtly evident. I guess it helped that I read this a month and a half after it was published and didn’t check the date.

  2. It looks like your years of dedication to travel writing have taken you where you’ve always wanted, congratulations Gary!

  3. Gosh. I guess I’ve been too involved in my full-time traveling lifestyle to know what’s going on in the media world. I had absolutely NO IDEA Newsweek was out of print until I started reading all this a few minutes ago!!

    Wow!!!

    Since 2007 I’ve been living on a sailboat and in an RV, out seeing the sights. It is an awesome lifestyle, and sometimes the best part is not knowing what’s going on in the world.

    Yesterday at a swimming pool here in Puerto Vallarta Mexico I met another full-time sailing couple, and they had no idea Boston was on lockdown last week.

    Well, at least I was aware of that, since my family lives there!! But Newsweek shutting down — that’s a SHOCK!!

  4. I cannot tell a lie … I fell for this hook, line and sinker, guess I’m out of the loop re Newsweek. Glad it wasn’t true. Happy trails to you!

  5. Great April Fool’s joke. I knew Newsweek was already out of print, but I loved it and had to read the whole thing. I really enjoyed your sarcasm about print vs. online.

  6. Great one.

    First time visit on this blog praised by others and I read that “The truth is, I’ve never really cared much for blogging or the internet.” WTD – Should have understood in a glance :)

  7. A couple of days later and you still got me! Not as good as my wife and kids got me but still good. This Internet thing should still be a round for a while longer…after all, the Internet does appear on some official World Wonders lists and world wonders last forever…Happy travels Gary.

  8. Couldn’t food me, as I already knew Newsweek was no longer in print form several weeks ago. Good try – you managed to April Fool some people, Gary!

  9. the name broma was used last year so i realize this is another april fool joke. still a good one though.

  10. You got me there! I admit to clicking on the “a place for amateurs” link with some trepidation thinking my blog may be on there! haha

  11. This year’s joke is great. Took me a minute to remember it was April Fool’s Day and I was wondering what the heck was going on. Happy April!

  12. LOL! Great April’s fool, Gary. And great choice of publication, since Newsweek has gone out of print. Good one…!

  13. I always get “fooled” on April Fool’s Day – and this was a particularly clever one. ;)

    So glad you’re not giving up on blogging!

  14. I also thought this was a pretty outrageous post until I realized it is April Fool’s Day! (Plus there is no print edition for Newsweek). Too funny!

  15. Ha haaa, when I read paragraph 2 I was feeling a tiny bit of outrage, but by the time I read 3 I was suspicious and 5 just nailed it for me. BUT THIS IS A GOOD ONE! Loved it!

  16. I was with you until the end… and then you gave it away! Brilliant April Fool’s joke :)

    Happy Spring!

  17. That does it! I’m canceling my subscription to Newsweek. Come to think of it, I must have already done it. It stopped coming soon after Tina Brown became editor.

  18. This is the best April Fool’s yet! I was reading this with my jaw dropped…LOL! Good one!

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