Bat Out Of Hell: How To Get Noticed In The Loud World Of The Media Biz!

 Journalism 1-0-1:

To the newbie's chasing the spotlights in the media world:

A writer-slash-blogger-slash-photographer’s first job is simple: 

To get seen!

Let the truth be known: The suits don’t give a damn about pretty pictures or perfect spelling — they want reach, raw numbers, bodies in the seats, eyes on the page, and readers who keep coming back for another hit of words!

Back in 2019, I rolled into Sunset Station with a camera and a chip on my shoulder. I didn’t just shoot the night — I twisted it, warped it, gave it a look nobody else dared to try back then. (The pic at the top) My little "pop art" experiment didn’t just get noticed; it ricocheted around the world and shoved my words onto the bloggers' roadmap.

Now that my latest blog is pulling in over 125,000 followers who ride with my words. I’m laying my pop‑art phase down gently — letting it fade like the last chord of a midnight set. Cell phones have cameras too. I’ll still snap a few shots to juice up my storytelling, but the real punch now only comes from the words that I write! 

My lesson to all who are pursuing media as a hobby, or as a career.

Find something that gets your work noticed, and run with it like a bat out of Hell 🔥

Word! 🤘

~GE~

Second Runs Second Chances: How Rewrites Multiply The Reach For A Journalist Or A Writer And What They're Writing About

 Since stepping out of the ghostwriter shadows and finally signing my own name (2019),

I’ve been introduced to a little industry magic trick called the "rewrite."

A rewrite happens when another publisher likes your story enough to run it, but not exactly as you wrote it the original time. They may want you to switch up the language, trim or expand the piece, swap in a few new photos, or reshape it to fit their format.

The beauty of it? The writer gets paid again for the same original work, and the people who are written about—musicians, athletes, friends grinding in their lanes- get double or triple the exposure they would’ve gotten from the first run alone.

At the end of the day, rewrites aren’t just a publishing trick—they’re a reminder that nothing in life is locked in its first draft. Stories evolve, writers evolve, and people evolve. I’ve learned that giving a piece a second run can open doors, boost visibility, and breathe new life into something you thought was finished. Maybe that’s the real lesson here: every one of us has a rewrite in us. Tighten a few lines, cut what no longer fits, add what makes you stronger, and step back into the world with a cleaner, sharper version of yourself.

Gary England

Three Events One Writer Three Different Locations: A Night In The Life Of A Las Vegas Entertainment Writer

 Some nights in the entertainment world feel like a test. Others feel like a trap. And then there are the nights when the universe hands you three assignments in three different places at the exact same time — and expects you to deliver like it’s nothing.

Tonight is one of those nights! I've lasted over 58 years in the biz, what's another night, right?

To start off the night. Event #1 - A human‑interest piece about a local musician whose story deserves more than a drive‑by shout-out. This is the heart‑and‑soul kind of coverage, the stuff that reminds me why I write in the first place. It’s personal, emotional, and requires time I absolutely do not have. The night is young!

Event #2 - A rising top-shelf, Vegas band is dropping two albums of new music at a tucked‑away venue just off the Strip — the kind of place where the atmosphere is awesome, and the energy is electric. I'm supposed to grab a few quotes, take a few shots, write info about their new tunes, and relax and soak in the vibe. Nice!

Event #3 - A High-Stakes Interview with a national music Industry heavyweight. Just when I think I’ve found my rhythm, my phone buzzes. It’s the reminder for the big one — the video/phone interview with a major national music‑industry figure. The kind of person who can't wait, doesn’t have time to reschedule, and he asked for me to interview him. That's pretty special!

When you’re an entertainment writer staring down three events, at the same time, in three different places — with no backup, no assistant, and no chance to clone myself — you learn really fast that survival is an art form. But when the deadlines close in and the city starts spinning, who ya going to call? 

Ghost Writer!!

Gary England