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ASJA
Members Only
April 24, 11:30 a.m. Eastern time
Register here (This is a member-only link. If you are not a member, you will not be able to access this page.)
This FREE virtual panel, with Jack El-Hai, Damon Brown and Robin Henig, will discuss and take questions on different approaches to developing and pitching our stories and expertise in decidedly unusual times for freelance writers. The panelists will cover developing intriguing story ideas, proposing stories and marketing ourselves when our usual methods of doing so may need tweaking. Discussion and questions will follow.
ASJA
This session's Special Interest Groups (SIGs) start on April 27! Make sure you go to the SIG page and sign up now if you want to participate in specialized focus groups on the forums about pitching new outlets, SEO, environmental writing, book proposals and speaking to promote your brand. Remember, groups are limited to 12 participants, so don't delay, sign up today! If you have any questions, contact Jennifer Billock at jenniferjoanbillock@gmail.com.
ASJA
This year, the ASJA Awards, honoring the outstanding nonfiction work produced on a freelance basis during the past year, are being presented online. One category will be reported each day for 23 days on ASJA’s website, ASJA’s Facebook page, on Twitter @ASJAhq, and on Instagram @ASJAhq, giving members more time to read each piece and give it social media love. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries and congratulations to the winners! So far, three have been announced:
Blog Post/Personal — "The Emotional Debris from An Abusive Father," by Margie Goldsmith in CoveyClub.com
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID: Goldsmith’s moving personal recollection hits the right tone about a disturbing topic. She brings us on her journey, showing us how she found mercy along with a new inner strength. Graceful writing and memorable commentary.
Business/Marketing — “How Sovereign Citizens Helped Swindle $1 Billion From the Government They Disavow,” by Ashley Powers in The New York Times
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID: This story kicks off with an attention-grabbing conspiracy element, then plunges into a fraud that’s robbing taxpayers and exploiting the vulnerable, all woven together with deep reporting and laudable storytelling.
Honorable mention — “How Origami is Revolutionizing Industrial Design,” by Jim Morrison in SmithsonianMag.com
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID: Who knew that origami is used to solve for design challenges in medicine, homeland security and even space exploration? This is a fascinating story, well told.
Excellence in Reporting — “Shot in the Dark,” by Laura Beil in Texas Monthly.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID: Beil mixes compelling anecdotes with strong data to show that much of stem cell treatment is untested or not approved and many unsuspecting people are duped and harmed by its promoters.
ASJA
Around this time each year, we take a look at our membership list and double-check who has renewed and who hasn't. Please check your inbox — if your membership has lapsed, you've likely received an email from Carolyn Crist or another board member within the last two weeks. If you'd like to renew, simply visit the ASJA website.
Of course, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact ASJA’s membership chair, Carolyn Crist, at crist.carolyn@gmail.com. She would love to make sure that you're able to take part in ASJA's virtual webinars this spring, as well as the online conference programming that will come this summer and fall.
By Gwen Moran
While there are plenty of internet memes that make light of how difficult it is to stay home and sit on the couch, the reality is much more complex. People are getting sick. There’s plenty of acrimony to go around. We’re cut off in many ways from family and friends. Many of the things that we took for granted have changed, possibly forever. We may be dealing with sick loved ones or terrifying financial concerns. Depression, loneliness, substance abuse or other issues may be affecting your life right now.
READ MORE
ASJA
 Shop on Amazon? ASJA members, family and friends now have an easy way to donate to ASJA Charitable Trust! Next time you’re ready to shop on Amazon, start your shopping session at the URL http://smile.amazon.com. Select American Society of Journalists and Authors Charitable Trust as your charity, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases! Ready to start shopping? Click here to default ASJACT as your charity of choice!
Fast Company
As the U.S. sheds jobs at unprecedented levels, independent contractors, freelancers, and soloist self-employed workers are also watching work dry up and budgets freeze. However, unlike their salaried counterparts, contract workers typically don’t have some of the financial buffers that are available to employees who lose their jobs.
READ MORE
Harvard Business Review
Working for yourself — and working outside an office — can have a lot of benefits for people struggling with mental health issues, including flexibility when you need to take a breather. But freelancing and the gig economy can also trigger stresses that impact mental health, including isolation, lack of career trajectory, and perhaps most importantly, financial instability.
READ MORE
Writer's Digest
I’ve been writing six days a week for more than 25 years. For the last 10 years my schedule has become so clocklike that I am predictably at my desk by 6:28 a.m. I never miss a day unless I’m traveling or it’s Christmas. I also always write something, whether it’s a complete essay or part of a chapter. Yet every time I sit down at my desk, whether I’m working on a book or a blog, I am never in the mood to write. In fact, I often begin my day’s work with this thought: I’ve got nothing.
READ MORE
Forbes
President Donald Trump’s promised coronavirus miracle may actually have arrived, although in slightly different form than predicted. COVID-19 seems to have boosted people’s faith in media, according to a recent survey of 1,000 people.
Eighty-three percent of Americans said they trusted online news sites for coronavirus information.
That’s considerably up from 2017 numbers, when only 41% said they trusted the media, or 2018, when a majority of those surveyed said they had lost faith in the media — and expected that change to be permanent.
READ MORE
Business 2 Community
Freelance writing can be a great way to make money outside of a job, regardless of whether you’re doing it part-time or full-time.
While freelance writing is nothing new, the opportunity may be more enticing today than it’s ever been. With millions of American’s being furloughed or laid off from their jobs, and with health concerns about going to work, being able to work from home is more appealing than it has ever been.
READ MORE
The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) does not endorse any company, product, or service sold by any corporation, institution or member supporting our organization. Corporate partnerships, advertisers and sponsors are not an endorsement of a product or service and may not be represented as such, in any way. The use of the ASJA name and/or logo, or representation of such, without the written consent of ASJA, is strictly prohibited.
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