Glamorous, exciting, and explosively popular, the world of professional sports increasingly whets the public's appetite for up-to-the-minute, entertaining, and accurate information on the plays and the players.

In this hands-on guide, award-winning AP sports writer and columnist Steve Wilstein gives prospective sports journalists the real-life, up-close and personal scoop on this in-demand but demanding, 24/7, sunshine or snow profession -- a profession that is more about writing than it is about sports. And yes, spelling counts.

Here is expert, comprehensive coverage of all aspects of professional sports writing as it is done every day at the world renowned Associated Press, in newspapers, magazines, and on the Internet -- from basic sports reporting to writing a column, the art and craft of interviewing, digging for scoops, writing features and investigative series, breaking into the business, and more.

Written by a veteran Associated Press sports writer, this handbook arms aspiring and working sports reporters, broadcasters, and photographers with exactly what they need to know to make it to the top in the glamorous and exciting world of sports journalism. With the help of dozens of fascinating and instructive quotes and war stories, contributed by heavy hitters like Dave Goldberg, Jim Litke, Alan Robinson, Joan Ryan, and other top AP sports reporters, the book tutors readers in the core techniques and methodology of sports writing, while at the same time exploring the important professional aspects of the business: how to get started and make a name for yourself; local, national, and feature writing; how the Internet is changing the face of sports writing; and where the business is headed over the next decade.