Quick Newbie Question

I'm really new at this (19 years old and beginning my first paid job) and was told to write a 10-18 inch column or a "3 dot column"...how much writing exactly is this?

Thanks.

 

250-400 words.

I have no idea what a 3-dot column is, though.

 

ie: How fucking cheap they are and how much they squeeze the gutters.

 

I've heard from a few news editors that you usually get between 35-40 words / inch. I guess that makes your range 350-720. I've done the math with my stories in word, then checked once the story was in the system and it was usually right or off by a few inches, but these were also with longer stories. Since it's your first paying gig, ask your editor for a word count. They should be able to give you a better estimate. I'd also ask about the 3-dot column. That might be a paper specific thing. The only thing I can think of is it's a notebook-type column. You have three points and they are each only a few inches?

 

Haven't heard of a 3-dot column either, but my first thought was a notebook of short items separated by ellipses. Easily cuttable, which might explain the "10-18 inch" range.

 

Ah, that makes sense.

 

Thanks everybody. I'm going to shoot for a good 400 words.

 

19-year-old columnist?

How much is Mr. Singleton paying you?

 

don't you think you should've asked the assigning editor this stuff? seems like this would've been preferrable to coming on a message board and asking.

 

Three-dot column:

All eyes are on Southeastern Directional Tech today when the Wombats host unbeaten Northern State Tech . . . East Bumfuck's Harry Hammasammich can break the school's 30-year-old record for touchdowns if he scores twice against Big Walnut Tech tonight in Hooterville . . . Long-time Gales Ferry coach Michael Hunt is seeking his 300th career victory in an afternoon game at Versailles . . .

It's a matchup of two 5-foot-8 quarterbacks when Heywood Jablowme leads the Fighting Turtledoves of Bird-In-Hand against Ben Dover's powerful Block Island Old Chips in the first game of a doubleheader at the Palmer Field Stadium Sports Complex . . . Word here is that the kids at Northeast South Clinton are working really hard . . . Someone's gotta win when the area's last two winless teams -- Lower Cornfield and Upper Wheatfield -- clash at Brett Myers Stadium in East Chipipi . . .

 

Is 3-dot column common usage? I'm pretty new to the biz as well, but I feel I am pretty up on the lingo and this one is new to me. Any vets out there hear of this one before?

 

50 per article, two per week, covering obscure high schools in my region.