Writing, Rejection, And Rolling Stone: Angie Martoccio On Chasing The Dream

When I reached out to Angie Martoccio, Senior Writer at Rolling Stone and the kind of journalist I hope to become, I didn’t expect a reply. What came back was something better: honest reflections on writing, rejection, and chasing the dream job.

From Billie Eilish cover stories to profiles that remind you that fame doesn’t erase humanity, Angie’s writing is what I look up to, the kind that pulls back the curtain without losing the magic.

Image From: Writer Profile On Rolling Stone

1. How did you figure out what kind of writer you wanted to be?

Right away, Angie taps into the kind of storytelling that makes profiles stick, the kind that doesn’t just cover a person’s career, but invites you into their world. She ‘’grew up reading Rolling Stone and fell in love with classic long-form profile writing’’, drawn to the kind of stories that, as she puts it, “give you an honest sense of who they are as a person… anything that breaks down that veil of celebrity and conveys them as real humans.”

That’s why her writing stays with people, because it’s not just about the artist, it’s about the connection you feel reading it.

2. What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?

"To pitch anywhere and everywhere so that I had a resume full of clips! I always felt annoying emailing publications and aggressively trying to get work, but it really helps to be ambitious. It's a wonderful learning experience."

Hearing this felt like the sign I needed. I’ve been that terrified teen ( I still am, to be honest) who worries about feeling “annoying.” But Angie makes it clear, no one gets anywhere by waiting quietly.

3. How do you stay honest in your writing when you know thousands of people might read it?

“It’s something you get very used to; I honestly don’t think much about it anymore,” she writes, brushing past the noise that comes with thousands of eyes on your work. The focus stays on “tell[ing] an honest story, regardless of who might react to it and what their feelings might be.” And that, she reminds me, is “a duty as a journalist, one I don’t take lightly.”

It’s the kind of answer that steadies you, a reminder that telling the truth comes before worrying about how it lands.

All Images From: Rolling Stone

4. What’s one “writing rule” you’ve learned to break?

“I’m going to be honest, this one stumped me,” she says, proof that even the writers we admire don’t always have the answers ready. But somewhere in that uncertainty is the real takeaway: writing isn’t about following every rule. Sometimes, “it’s OK to break away from a standard reporter’s voice and get loose and fun.” Knowing when to bend the rules, when to loosen the grip a little, might just be part of what keeps the writing honest.

5. What would you say to a teen who’s terrified to put their work out there?

She doesn’t hesitate to say “It can never, ever hurt to reach out to publications and/or post your work. The worst that happens is you get a ‘no.’” And when that comes from someone who’s been through it, the words feel less like advice and more like something solid to hold onto.

6. What did you think being a writer at Rolling Stone would feel like vs. what it actually feels like?

“I always thought it would feel magical, and it truly does — it’s my dream job,” she writes, but doesn’t leave it there. The magic coexists with the mundane, “sitting in a cubicle or attending meetings”, a balance that feels more real than the dream itself. That mix of extraordinary and ordinary, “a very realistic vibe,” is part of what makes it sustainable, and somehow, knowing even dream jobs come with cubicles feels strangely comforting.

7. What’s the piece you’ve written that taught you the most?

The Billie story stands out. “My Billie Eilish cover story taught me the most,” she reflects, not just in the writing itself, but in handling sensitive topics and knowing when to keep parts of a conversation off the record. “I grew so much while writing that story, and having an amazing subject like Billie was truly an honor.”

It’s a piece I’ve read more times than I can count, one that felt like a breath of fresh air the first time and every time since.

Image From: Rolling Stone