Advice Archives (2024)

FAQs

Do advice columns still exist? ›

Advice columns have a long history and are thriving in the internet age. Readers find their own struggles reflected in the letter-writer's question—or feel relief that they are not in a similar dilemma.

Many advice columns are now syndicated and appear in several newspapers. Prominent American examples include Dear Abby, Ann Landers, Carolyn Hax's Tell Me About It, and Slate.com's Dear Prudence.

Cultivate your writing skills by researching common questions in your subject area and composing advice columns. Build a solid portfolio of written pieces to demonstrate your talents and area of expertise. Network with editors at a variety of print and online publications to find opportunities for advice columns.

"Dear Abby" — and "Dear Ann Landers," written by Phillips' sister, Eppie Lederer — are probably the most famous mainstream American advice columns that ever were.

Columnist Salary. $41,500 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $103,000 is the 75th percentile.

Dear Abby is an American advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name "Abigail Van Buren" and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name.

People write to a column in a newspaper or magazine called "Dear Abby" to ask for advice or help when they are caught in a difficult or troubling situation.

Advice columnist Annie Lane is a young wife and mother with a gift for helping other people solve problems. In a voice that's sympathetic, funny and firm, Lane provides common-sense solutions to life's dilemmas. Read more about Annie Lane in her bio.

As is the case for other journalists, at least a bachelor's degree in journalism is often required, although some journalists graduate with degrees in political science, history, English, or other fields.

Columnists work mostly indoors in newspaper or magazine offices, although they may occasionally conduct interviews or do research on location out of the office. Some columnists may work as much as 48 to 52 hours a week.

Can I start my own advice column? ›

To have an active advice column that will attract lots of traffic, you need to write regularly. This means you want to publish a daily or at least bi-weekly column. Search online for commonly asked questions in your subject area. Also, put an ad on Craigslist and other online message boards requesting questions.

Dear Abby is an American advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name "Abigail Van Buren" and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name.

Columns are extremely versatile, as examples in the course will show. They are useful and attractive indoors as structural or non-structural room dividers and accents, and provide privacy and style outdoors in porches, loggias, terraces and entertainment areas.

Host. Jenée Desmond-Harris is a Slate staff writer and editor. She writes the Dear Prudence advice column and previously worked at the New York Times, Vox.com and the Root.

The key difference between columns and rows is that a column arranges data vertically from top to bottom, while a row arranges data horizontally from left to right.