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Ansley, this is all so exciting! Love that the editor liked your work so much she asked for more — such a good sign.
Also, major props for sending in your Orion application! That’s a huge win in itself. And oof, I feel you on the internet rabbit holes. I do the exact same thing. At work, I’ve been setting a 25-minute timer where I don’t let myself switch tabs or check anything else — just focus on the one task. When the timer goes off, I can take a break or do something mindless. It’s been helping me a lot!
That’s such a good point. The pitch really does hinge on access to her! I really like your suggested wording — it’s short and to the point. And you’re right, it’s probably better to know now if she’s going to ignore me than after I’ve pitched it 😅. Also, thank you for the encouragement. It really means a lot. And I really appreciate any and all feedback!
Yay Ansley!!! CONGRATS!! Guess Amanda was right, it really was perfect, how exciting, can’t wait to see it published!! (:
J’nai, what is the magic superpower you have?! Pitches every day? How do you come up with ideas? I feel like one will pop into my head once every few months. Can’t wait to hear about them all!
Oops I’ve been missing all this, thanks for the reminder in your email, Amanda!
Week of 07/28/2025: Send out fisherman pitch to more places. I’d also love to send out my new pitch on photographer Karolina Valeikaite.
Why I’m stoked: Been sitting on this for so long, might as well get moving!
Concerns or challenges: None, I just keep forgetting.Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback, Ansley! You’re totally right, I still feel like such a non-expert most of the time, but I guess having a background in graphic design does give me some credibility here. I actually don’t have any access to Karolina (yet!) she’s actually ignored a few of my DMs when I tried asking her photography questions 😅. But I’m hoping that if I can get a yes from an editor, she might be more open to responding to a formal email. And yes, that title you suggested is so much stronger—short, clear, and way more compelling.
Wow wow! thank you for sharing these articles, the amount of time it must take to build these pieces…I’m in awe, especially the Nat Geo one?! What an incredible and imaginative illustrator, I really love that one!! The graphic novel looking one, what a cool way to present info!
NAME: Josephine Wong
OCCUPATION: Was a graphic designer for 5 years. Currently working part-time as a social media manager and part-time front desk at a Pilates studio while I figure out my next steps.
PRONOUNS: She/her
AGE: 29
HERITAGE: Chinese
LANGUAGES: English, and a teensy bit of Cantonese and Mandarin
HOBBIES: Photography. Hiking. Painting. Hosting dinner parties and craft nights. Yoga. Dance classes — hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, salsa, even line dancing (I’ll try anything once). Reading, mostly romance novels. Ice skating — not particularly well, but I have this dream of skating across a frozen lake in Banff with those grand mountains as a backdrop, or maybe under the Northern Lights in Finland.
HOMETOWN: Born in Hong Kong. Moved to Hawaii at 6 months old, Japan at 4, and back to Hong Kong at 6.
CURRENT LOCATION: Moved back to the U.S. for college and am now based in New York City.
WRITING EXPERIENCE: I had no writing background, but somehow ended up with a piece published in Condé Nast Traveler, a total surprise, but such a thrill. After that, I took Amanda’s Travel Writing I course to learn how to actually write and build more confidence in my voice.
FAVORITE WRITERS: Kate Quinn, Kristin Harmel, Jodi Thomas, Lisa Kleypas, Linda Howard, Bill Bryson, Erika Fatland, Lisa Bend, Anya von Bremzen, Anthony Doerr
GOALS FOR THE COURSE: Even though I took Amanda’s first course, I still struggle to feel comfortable writing. It takes me a long time to think and get words on the page. I just want to become a better writer.
WRITING AMBITIONS: To grow as a storyteller and eventually get published in more travel publications and maybe even get paid to travel.
WEBSITES & CONTACTS:
https://www.josephine-wong.com/
https://www.josephinelwong.com/
https://www.instagram.com/josephinellwong/
