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ASJA
Editor’s note: Jessica Farthing was the first to become an associate member, but you can, too! ASJA’s associate membership is available to those whose portfolio isn’t quite as extensive as the full membership requires.
Welcome to ASJA, Jessica! Tell us a little bit about yourself. I have always loved to write; there have been lots of starts and stops in my writing career. But now that my kids are almost grown — my two boys are in high school and my daughter is 22 years old — I’ve decided that it’s time for me to branch out and do something for myself, to work in a field that makes me happy and fulfilled.
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ASJA
Dear Fellow ASJA Members:
I am always on the lookout for material for ASJA Confidential; but this time I’m expanding the ask to include the ASJA Magazine. According to President Sherry Paprocki, the print magazine is continually ranked as the top benefit of ASJA during member surveys. Which contradicts the conventional wisdom that the print media has lost its luster, as well as highlighting the considerable talents of magazine editor and fellow ASJA member Aleigh Acerni.
Follow the link for the editorial schedule for 2018 starting with March; the deadlines for the January issue (which is all about pitching) have already passed. Please email Aleigh with your ideas and suggestions related to each themed issue. (Notice: the deadline for pitches is about a month before the submission deadline.)
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ASJA
Looking to connect with another peer within ASJA? Need a mentor to offer you some tips or perhaps you want to mentor others? Maybe you want a buddy to help you stay accountable for your goals?
Check out the ASJA Peer-to-Peer program! In this informal program, you’ll be matched with another ASJA member based on common writing interests. For more information or to sign up, please contact Pamela DeLoatch at pamela@b2bstorytelling.com, using subject line: ASJA Peer to Peer.
ASJA
ASJA is currently holding its Fall Membership Drive during the months of October and November. We are waiving the $50 initiation fee for writers who apply for either Professional or Associate membership before Nov. 30 and join by Dec. 31, 2017. After you apply and are accepted, use the code MI-JGG to waive the initiation fee. Note that the code is for the initiation fee due after you are accepted not the $25 application fee due when you apply.
ASJA now offers two levels of membership:
- Associate – Provides mid-level freelance writers with the resources, mentoring and support to become national level writers. Writers working on staff at a media company can join ASJA at this membership level.
- Professional – Provides national level writers with education, networking opportunities with other top freelancers and advocacy for independent writers. Professional members can participate in programs to meet with potential clients either in-person, telephone or Skype.
To grow your career through ASJA resources and benefits, determine which level of membership you qualify for and then start your application today. We look forward to getting to know you and help you increase your income and client base.
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ASJA
Don't you find fall a great time for digging back into your writing and professional goals? If you haven't already renewed your membership, our annual renewal drive is underway. Pay your 2018 ASJA dues between now and Nov. 30 to be entered into a drawing for great prizes, including:
- a two-night resort stay at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains
- a free registration for Members Day at ASJA's New York conference, May 18, 2018
- the 2018 New York conference recordings
- free registration to the regional conference of your choice over the next two years
- a guaranteed Virtual Client Connections meeting with the offered editor of your choice in 2018
Click here to renew your membership for 2018*
We are also holding our Fall Membership Drive between now and Nov. 30. For each new member that you refer during the drive (either Associate or Professional), you get one entry into the raffle and also receive a 25% discount on your ASJA dues. We are waiving the $50 initiation fee during the Fall Membership Drive — pass on the code MI-JGG to fellow writers.
Our new Associate Member category has been launched, with goals of building membership, widening our base and ensuring ASJA's future. That's where you come in. We're looking for professional members like you to serve as mentors. You'll be paired in a mentorship "pod" with up to four mentees, committing to communicating at least once per month. As thanks for sharing your expertise and time, you’ll receive a discount of 25% off your annual membership dues for each mentee who successfully joins ASJA as a professional member. Any questions regarding mentoring should be directed to Lori Ferguson at lori@writerloriferguson.com.
Thanks for sustaining your commitment to the American Society of Journalists and Writers — both for your own career and for the careers of your fellow writers! Together we're strong.
*Please remember that you have to be logged into the ASJA Store in order to see the correct product. If you have any issues, click here first.
ASJA
Many writers have heard about how lucrative ghostwriting can be. The opportunity to earn tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from a single book project is quite appealing. And demand for ghostwriting skills is on the rise, as experts, executives, consultants, professional speakers, and others realize that partnering with a professional writer is an effective and efficient way to produce content. In addition to books, there are ghostwriting opportunities for bylined articles, blog posts, whitepapers, and columns, too. But how do you break into this potentially lucrative field? How do you get that first assignment? ASJA member Marcia Layton Turner, founder of the Association of Ghostwriters, will explain how.
That’s what we’ll talk about in this month’s “Shop Talk” event.
Join us:
Wednesday, Nov. 15
1 p.m. Eastern (calculate for your time zone)
Register here.
About our guest expert:
Marcia Layton Turner earns close to 80 percent of her six-figure income from ghostwriting. While business books are her specialty, she also writes articles, blog posts, and white papers on behalf of corporate clients. She is the founder and executive director of the Association of Ghostwriters, which is seeing double-digit membership growth this year thanks to increasing interest in the specialty.
ASJA
Your chance to pitch Boston Globe Magazine’s Michael Fitzgerald
Virtual Pitch Slams (VPS) are one-hour interactive phone conference calls during which a moderator hosts a client, who outlines what his/her outlet is looking for from freelance writers. Then, ASJA members give live pitches by telephone, followed by constructive feedback on each story idea.
ASJA members can sign up on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Tuesday, Nov. 28 at noon Eastern to get one of the pitching slots. We will provide instructions on how to sign up soon. Members may also register just to listen in on the event, as they would for a Shop Talk. VPS will also be recorded and accessible via ASJA’s website shortly after the event.
Be sure to read the FAQs here for more information.
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ASJA
Member name: Tara Lynne Groth, Cary, North Carolina
Success stories: Broke into PBS’ Broke into Next Avenue with a piece on Medicaid and Miller Trusts
How I landed the gig: I participated with my first ASJA Virtual Pitch Session in July 2017. I was on stand-by and then, and since another confirmed writer didn't show up for their spot, I got a chance to pitch!
Net result (money earned; placement, etc): $350, with the potential for more work
Comments about ASJA: I first learned about ASJA when I was starting my freelance writing business in 2009. At the time, I didn't qualify for membership. I wanted in! One of the motivations for landing certain markets and bylines was to build up enough credentials to be eligible for membership. That finally happened in 2013. I love the annual conference, monthly Shop Talks, the VPS opportunities, and all of the other benefits the organization works so hard to offer members. I intend to be a member for life!
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ASJA
The newest, busiest topics in our members-only online forums
Do you have to wait for publication before you invoice? If so, what’s protocol when a story’s repeatedly delayed?
(Join the conversation)
Client wants to use PopMoney — which requires personal info — instead of PayPal or checks. Is this legit?
(Join the conversation)
What about a contract without a signature? And are contracts more reasonable overseas?
(Join the conversation)
Holiday gifts for clients: creative, inexpensive, regional, memorable.
(Join the conversation)
Still hot: Should all members be able to access SIG content?
(Join the conversation)
JOBS, JOBS, JOBS: This is the place to go for links to new freelance gigs. When you see work opportunities, please share them in this forum — it's a group effort.
Log in daily to see the latest discussions and check out tips on making the most of the forums. Remember, you must log in to the forums in addition to logging in to the members-only side of the ASJA website.
Signature
As National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) approaches, Signature presents the 2017 Ultimate Writing Guide, an advice-packed tome, containing wisdom from more than twenty-two seasoned authors to help writers of all stripes survive the tough mudder of writing challenges.
The guide is available as a free download on Signature and includes insights from Jill Santopolo, Ammon Shea, Dinty Moore, Jan Karon, and others who share their very best advice to help banish writer’s block, craft believable worlds, revise a draft without losing your mind, and much more. In addition to covering the many stages of the writing process, the guide also explores challenges unique to specific genres such historical fiction, speculative fiction, thrillers, humor and more. Highlights from Signature’s 2017 Ultimate Writing Guide include:
To access the complete collection of essays, please download the guide from Signature.
Entrepreneur
Many freelancers would rather do anything than work for someone else. They love to call the shots, determine their rates and work the hours they choose. They have love the freedom: time freedom, spiritual freedom, financial freedom ...
Wait, that's not right.
The notion that being your own boss gives you financial freedom is one of the prospects that attract a lot of people into freelancing. However, the sense of freedom you get as a freelancer can actually obstruct you on your journey to financial independence.
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The Content Standard by Skyword
I grew up assuming I would take my partner’s last name when I eventually married. It was something that I wanted to do; yet, when the time came to do so, I was conflicted. I loved my soon-to-be husband, and I welcomed taking his name, especially since my stepson shared it with him, and I loved how it united us as a family. However, there were many questions holding me back. How would changing my name affect the personal brand I was building?
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The WRITER
I get being hungry for work — remember it well. One paid gig and — voila! — you’re a professional writer, you’re on your way! But some jobs bring no glory; they bring only the sinking realization that you’ve contributed to moral decay (OK, they might also bring a little money). Among many other things that the internet unleashed (and, yes, I know it brought good things, too, including this article idea) is a spate of such jobs, making their siren calls as we wait for good news from a publisher.
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Wise Bread
When I started my freelance career seven years ago, I honestly had very little idea of what I was doing. I made some seriously painful mistakes that affected everything from my bottom line to my stress level to my relationships with some of my clients.
But even though self-employment mistakes are common, they're not inevitable. You can make the transition to self-employment much smoother and easier to handle if you commit to doing the following things in your first year as your own boss.
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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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