All too often, so-called manuals for screenwriters, novelists and poets begin by letting the reader know how unlikely it is that they will ever get published, let alone make a living. Fortunately, journalist and RMIT journalism lecturer Matthew Ricketson avoids this private-club view of the journalism profession. He points out that there are about 370 newspapers, ranging from dailies and suburban weeklies to regional and multicultural newspapers. There are also more than 3000 magazines in the Australian market.

If someone is good enough and understands the audience that he or she is writing for, the work is there. If ever a writer is to make a living, there are thousands of opportunities to be mined in the broadly defined field of feature writing. Will a reading of Writing Feature Stories alone get the writer there? If the reader wishes to use the book as a kind of Journalism 101, the answer is no. If the reader has a requisite understanding of journalistic principles, an ability to write and a desire to apply those skills to feature writing, then Ricketson’s book will be a brilliant guide and companion.