Outdoor writing doesn’t really pay well, and it doesn’t get much glory, but it can be immensely rewarding. Here are five mistakes I’ve made (plus a bonus category) so aspiring writers won’t have to repeat them.

I’m not a grammar expert, but I strongly believe in avoiding the avoidable mistakes. Here are a few that I regularly see in fishing magazines, websites and blogs that make me think the writer is either unschooled, uncaring or an idiot.

If your interview subjects don’t give you meaningful material to work with, you can’t build a solid finished product. With that in mind, here are some of the lessons that I remind myself of before every effort, despite (or perhaps because) I have no formal journalism training.

Whether you call it a “media gathering,” a “junket,” a “writers conference” or something else, you know that you’ve been noticed as a member of the outdoor media when companies start inviting you. Once you’ve been invited and you’ve decided to attend, there are still some steps you can take to make it worthwhile for you, the company putting on the event, and the angler’s who attend.