This message contains images. If you don't see images, click here to view. Advertise in this news brief.   Mobile version    RSS    Subscribe    Unsubscribe    Archive    Media Kit Nov. 15, 2013 Home   About ASJA   How to Join   Our Members   Find a Writer   For Writers           6 Things I Learned at the ASJA Content Connections Conference The Content Marketing Writer Attendee-member Jennifer Goforth Gregory writes: After spending two whirlwind days at the ASJA Content Connections Conference in Chicago I am both exhausted and very excited about the future of content marketing writing for freelance writers. The conference was FANTASTIC with lots of interesting sessions and opportunities for networking with both writers and people looking to hire writers. To say that I learned a lot would be an understatement.    Share this article:   READ MORE   Keeping the 'I' in Inspiration By Bettijane Eisenpreis Starting at Home Plate In Little Women, Professor Baer tells Jo to "write what you know." I loved that book when I was a child, and when I decided to become a writer I took the Professor's advice to heart. In all my books and articles, my experience has served as a source of anecdotes and examples. What do we writers know better than ourselves? And if we don't have a personal interest in our topic, we'd better find one. It's what keeps the juices flowing and the audience interested. Share this article:   READ MORE Quality, Not Quantity: Conference Speakers Discuss Content in Journalism Chicagotalks The eighth floor of Columbia College Chicago's 1104 S. Wabash building was buzzing with the chatter from freelance writers last Thursday morning as they waited on the American Society of Journalists and Authors’ Content Connections conference to begin. Share this article:   READ MORE 10 Tips to Boost Holiday Book Sales By Sandra Poirier Diaz, President of Smith Publicity The holidays are a great time for authors to increase book sales. According to shopping data, 42 percent of shoppers buy books/DVDs/video games during the holidays. Books are ideal, easy to find and order, low-cost gifts. Here are some tips to help your book get noticed. Share this article:   READ MORE Why Tough Love is Crucial For Writers Writer's Digest Hope is a powerful word. It's also a dangerous one. When it comes to the aspiring writer community a premium is put on positivity, the old pat on the back with kind words of encouragement, keep your chin up, stay the course, that sort of thing. This support system has merits, and undoubtedly aids you in many ways, but what most could truly benefit from is a hard kick in the ass. Tough love, it hurts like hell and can help you more than anything. Share this article:   READ MORE Why So Serious? Maybe Because Data Shows News Stories Can Get Shared Just as Often as Lighter Fare Nieman Journalism Lab We've heard this a lot lately: Fun stories, not serious stories, work on social media. But we've found otherwise. You can shape serious stories to make them shareable and more informative for the public. We're not talking about watering down serious journalism — we're talking about crafting stories for the digital audience. Share this article:   READ MORE Are Book Royalties Fair? By Glenn Yeffeth E-book royalty rates have been an ongoing topic of ferocious debate. The industry standard has coalesced around 25 percent of net revenues, but this is far from a settled issue, with the Authors Guild and others challenging the fairness of this rate. Royalties on physical books, on the other hand, have been standardized for a longer period of time and are rarely challenged. But maybe they should be. Maybe, in a digital, self-publishing, social media age, the whole way we think about royalties needs to change. Share this article:   READ MORE Quora Launches Analytics Tool for Writers 10,000 Words Quora announced the launch of their newest product: Stats, an analytics tool billed as a "dashboard for writers." The feature is being rolled out over the next couple of weeks and will replace the current Views page. The new Stats page lets writers track views, upvotes and shares over various lengths of time, which is especially useful for those who churn out a lot of content on the platform. Share this article:   READ MORE The Number of Self-Published Titles on the Market Up 59 Percent Last Year: Bowker GalleyGat The amount of self-published book titles available in the marketplace went up 59 percent between 2011 and 2012, according to Bowker's latest self-pubishing report. The report looked at U.S. ISBN data to identify that there were more than 391,000 books self-published in 2012. eBooks made up 40 percent of these ISBNs. Share this article:   READ MORE TRENDING ARTICLES Missed last week's issue? See which articles your colleagues read most.     The Fight Comes to Us (By Minda Zetlin) Why I Don't Have A Smartphone … Yet (By Mary McGrath) How Should Journalists Be Paid in The Digital Age? (10,000 Words) Improve Your Writing: Step Away From the Desk (The WRITER) Don't be left behind. Click here to see what else you missed.   The ASJA Weekly Alexandra Cantor Owens, ASJA Executive Director, 212.997-0947 Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469.420.2601 Download media kit Yvette Craig, Senior Content Editor, 469.420.2641    Contribute news This edition of The ASJA Weekly was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here. Did someone forward this edition to you? Subscribe here -- it's free! Recent issues Nov. 8, 2013 Nov. 1, 2013 Oct. 24, 2013 Oct. 17, 2013 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063