North Star Writers Group
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North Star Writers Group is a newspaper syndicate and editorial services firm launched in December 2005. It is based in Byron Center, MI. The syndicate's material is carried by more than 50 newspapers across the United States.
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[edit] History
North Star Writers Group is owned and operated by editor in chief Dan Calabrese and editor relations director Angie Calabrese.
The syndicate is a successor company to a now-defunct public relations firm called North Star Public Relations, which Calabrese launched in 1999. Although North Star Public Relations enjoyed some early success, it foundered in recent years as the company struggled to maintain financial stability and long-term client relationships.
Calabrese, who began his career as a journalist and opinion writer in various Michigan markets, found himself in 2004 becoming disenchanted with public relations and searching in vain for ways to make it more valuable and better aligned with his own skills.
As Calabrese's growing disinterest in public relations became evident to the rest of the staff, departures accelerated and by early 2006, Calabrese decided to retire the public relations practice (a move that was completed at the conclusion of 2006) and focus their efforts on the syndication.
[edit] Recruitment of Writers
Calabrese began recruiting columnists in September 2005 in anticipation of a December 2005 site launch. His initial efforts focused on recently graduated college writers who showed skill but would likely be overlooked by more established syndicates. This effort helped North Star recruit Lucia Bill of Arizona State University, Nathaniel Shockey of Seattle Pacific University and Paul Ibrahim of Cornell University. When the syndicate launched, it featured 11 columnists.
Soon after the launch, a variety of other writers learned of the syndicate and began offering their services, including Dayton Daily News feature editor Bob Batz, Mt. Pleasant Daily Sun reporter Eric Baerren, author and freelance writer Candace Talmadge and author/humor writer Mike Ball.
Calabrese has done little in the way of formal recruitment of writers since the syndicate's initial launch, with a notable exception being their outreach to radio talk show host, former U.S. Senate candidate and former Godfather's Pizza chairman Herman Cain, who joined the syndicate one month after its launch.
[edit] Columnists
North Star Writers Group presently syndicates 18 columnists, including 12 op-ed writers, three general feature page columnists and three humor writers.
Liberal op-ed writers include Eric Baerren, Lucia Bill, Alan Hurwitz, Stephen Silver, Candace Talmadge and Jessica Vozel. Conservative op-ed writers include Calabrese himself, along with Herman Cain, David Karki, Paul Ibrahim, and Nathaniel Shockey. Also included is label-defier Llewellyn King.
Feature writers include Bob Batz ("Senior Moments"), Cindy Droog ("The Working Mom"), Mike Ball ("What I've Learned So Far"), D.F. Krause ("Business Ridiculous"), food writer The Laughing Chef and David J. Pollay ("The Happiness Answer")
[edit] External links
North Star Writers Group (syndicate site)
