New Journalist Sonja Gracy Gets Big Writer Win!

March 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Sonja Gracy Wins First Place At NYABJ!

Contact: “Sandy”
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New York, NY (PR Log) March 22, 2010

When “Good Morning America Weekend Edition” host Ron Claiborne announced Sonja Gracy’s first place win at the New York Association of Black Journalists’ annual Scholarship and Awards Ceremony, the newly turned magazine contributor says she was “completely ecstatic.”

“I felt like I’d really made it as a writer,” added the delightfully surprised new journalist, “especially after being lumped in with other magazine winners that night from big magazines like "Essence," "Newsweek" and "People." It’s a great feeling.” Sonja had been writing for New York’s tri-state regional “Positive Community Magazine” for less than a year. She says her first place “Personal Commentary” writer’s win is a refreshing accomplishment apart from the radio work she’s used to doing.

“I’d worked mostly in radio since graduating Temple and didn’t take writing seriously until 2008 when I was invited to write personal commentary for free for a friend’s small community newspaper. The publisher would deliver a stack of papers to the station and my co-workers – women and men - were both enjoying the unique, single women’s commentary I was providing the paper.”

In fact, Sonja says it was a male radio station employee who showed Sonja’s single women’s columns to "Positive Community Magazine" publisher Adrian Council who later routed Sonja to the magazine’s Editor-In-Chief Jean Wells.

“I told the Editor my columns were a mix of biblical maxims, desires from “Waiting to Exhale” and back-in-the-day Essence Magazine “In the Spirit” commentary. The Editor liked my pitch and my clippings and we took it from there.” Sonja says she’s been reveling in her first, substantive, professional journalist stint ever since.

“When I started with “TPC” last April my goal was to make my “Saved, Single and Satisfied” work one of the best places to stop in the magazine. I wanted people – women and men - to pick up a copy and immediately get to where I am to read about the experiences, ideas and issues that are not just a part of my everyday experience as a hustling, happy, extroverted single, but what pretty much are their experiences, too. I think the work is spot-on.”

The goal Sonja put in place in the beginning for herself as a first-time magazine journalist seems to have worked. Her first official industry win came one month short of her full-year debut as a featured magazine columnist. Sonja says her first NYABJ journalism award really makes her feel “official.”

“Winning first place at the NYABJ is great, it’s truly an exciting experience,” says Sonja. “This is all a delicious surprise and a wonderful bit of serendipity. I never thought I’d be writing. I’d always wanted to be on TV.”