ASJA Magazine, Fall 2019

The Freelance Issue

01

FA LL 2 01 9 A Quarterly Publication of the American Society of Journalists and Authors

WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE GOING The state of freelancing; where we’ve been and where we are headed as a business.

AL S O I NS I D E Can Journalists Do Content Marketing? // 2020 Book Deal // Side Hustles // Diversity in the Freelance World // National Reporting Project // A Day in the Life

CONTENTS

Features

FA LL 2019

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CAN JOURNALISTS DO CONTENT MARKETING? Writers dispel some of the most common myths about the industry.

30

THE D-WORD How diversity matters in the freelance world.

by Bex vanKoot

by Satta Sarmah Hightower

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34

CONFERENCE PREVIEW

A DAY IN THE LIFE

A breakdown of what to expect at the Washington, D.C. Conference, A Capital Event.

Laura Vanderkam gives us a peek inside her routine.

20

THE 2020 BOOK DEAL

Cover story

WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE GOING Insight that can help us see where we’ve been and, more importantly, where we are headed as a business in the freelance world.

by Damon Brown

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2 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

Five agents discuss what has and hasn't changed in the publishing landscape.

by Jeanette Hurt

24

SIDE HUSTLES What five writers are doing to build a thriving lifestyle.

32

ASJA’S NATIONAL REPORTING PROJECT

ASJA has provided grants and awards to more than 25 professional and youth writers who have addressed the topic of Gender Identity and Mental Health.

by Sherry Beck Paprocki

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Quarterly / No. 1 The Official Publication of the American Society of Journalists and Authors

8 COLUMNS 5 From the President

7 Membership Benefits

6 From the Editor

8 Member News

11 Ask the Editor

10 Paycheck

36 That's Productive

40 Volunteer Spotlight:

37 Tools of the Trade 38 Pitch Perfect

42

DEPARTMENTS

47 The Last Word

Brenda Lange

41 Profile: Tim Bennett 42 Market Report: Mother Jones 44 News / Announcements 45 Financials / WEAF

www.asja.org

Follow ASJA! Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 3

WWW. ASJ A. ORG

Publications Chair Leida Snow Editor Stephanie Vozza Creative Director Christina Ullman, Ullman Design www.ullmandesign.com Contributors Randy Dotinga, Crystal Duffy, Laura Laing, Martin D. Hirsch, David Leichtman, Rod Moore Proofreaders Theresa Barger, Risha Gotlieb, Janine Latus, Mark Ray Address changes Send to: The ASJA Magazine American Society of Journalists and Authors 355 Lexington Avenue, 15th Floor New York, NY 10017 Phone: (212) 997-0947 www.asja.org Email: asjaoffice@asja.org Magazine Editor: magazine@asja.net The ASJA Magazine (ISSN 1541-8928) is published quarterly by the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc., 355 Lexington Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017. Subscriptions: $120 per year as a benefit of membership. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing office.

The articles and opinions on these pages are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent the philosophy of ASJA. Please obtain permission from ASJA and individual writers before reproducing any part of this magazine. © 2019 American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc.

Founded in 1948, the American Society of Journalists and Authors is the nation’s professional association of independent and entrepreneurial nonfiction writers. ASJA is a primary voice in representing freelancers’ interests, serving as spokesperson for their right to control and profit from the uses of their work wherever it appears. ASJA and the ASJA Charitable Trust bring leadership in establishing professional and ethical standards, as well as in recognizing and encouraging the pursuit of excellence in nonfiction writing. Since 2010, the ASJA Educational Foundation has been offering programming that covers all aspects of professional, independent writing for both established and aspiring writers. ASJA headquarters is in New York City.

Board of Directors PRESIDENT Milt Toby VICE PRESIDENT Laura Laing TREASURER Howard Baldwin SECRETARY Emily Paulsen IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Sherry Beck Paprocki PAST PRESIDENT Randy Dotinga

At-Large Members TERMS ENDING 2020 Beverly Gray, Jennie Helderman, Parul Kapur Hinzen, Lottie Joiner TERMS ENDING 2021 Carolyn Crist, Lisa Rapasca Roepe TERMS ENDING 2022 Sally Abrahms, Arielle Emmett, Wendy Helfenbaum

Chapter Presidents ARIZONA Jackie Dishner BOSTON TBA CHICAGO AREA Jera Brown EASTERN GREAT LAKES Sallie G. Randolph FLORIDA TBA NEW YORK CITY TRISTATE TBA NEW YORK DOWNSTATE Lisa Iannucci NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Donna Albrecht PORTLAND Carolyn Miller ROCKY MOUNTAIN Sandra E. Lamb SAN DIEGO Gina McGalliard SOUTHEAST Mickey Goodman SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Matthew Worley TEXAS Susan Johnston Taylor, Debbie Blumberg UPPER MIDWEST TBA WASHINGTON, DC Lisa Rapasca Roepe, Tam Harbert

ASJA Charitable Trust

ASJA Staff

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Milt Toby, Laura Laing, Howard Baldwin

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tim Bennett PROGRAMS MANAGER James Brannigan MEMBERSHIP MANAGER James Cafiero MEETING PLANNER Patrick Dougherty COMPTROLLER Sonya Moeller

Standing Committees and Chairs ADVOCACY Tam Harbert AWARDS Salley Shannon CLIENT NETWORKING Wendy Helfenbaum CLIENT CONNECTIONS Erin O’Donnell and Jeanette Hurt VIRTUAL CLIENT CONNECTIONS Stacy Freed and Lisa Robasca Roepe VIRTUAL PITCH SLAM Wendy Helfenbaum FREELANCE WRITERS SEARCH TBA

4 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

DEVELOPMENT Carolyn Crist EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING TBA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Randy Dotinga REGIONAL CONFERENCE (DC) Emily Paulsen and Christina Lyons CONFERENCE MENTORING TBA PODCASTS Estelle Erasmus EXECUTIVE Milt Toby FIRST AMENDMENT JoBeth McDaniel MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS Tami Kamin Meyer SOCIAL MEDIA Linsey Knerl MEMBER NETWORKING Tania Casselle CONTRACTS AND CONFLICTS TBA FORUMS Chelsea Lowe PEER-TO-PEER Sophia McDonald Bennett SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs) Jennifer Billock MEMBERSHIP GROWTH & RETENTION TBA ASSOCIATE MEMBERS TBA ASSOCIATE MEMBERS MENTORING Lori Ferguson RECRUITING Satta Sarmah-Hightower MEMBERSHIP RETENTION TBA MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS TBA HOSPITALITY Karen Kroll NOMINATING Jennifer L.W. Fink PUBLICATIONS Leida Snow ASJA MAGAZINE Stephanie Vozza ASJA CONFIDENTIAL Debbie Koenig ASJA WEEKLY Brenda Lange VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT & APPRECIATION TBA

Past Presidents Council Sherry Beck Paprocki, Thomas Bedell, Lisa Collier Cool, Eleanor Foa Dienstag, Randy Dotinga, Jack El-Hai, Katharine Davis Fishman, Mark Fuerst, Samuel Greengard, Florence Isaacs, Evelyn Kaye, Jim Morrison, Sally Wendkos Olds, Salley Shannon, Janice Hopkins Tanne, Russell Wild, Ruth Winter

Writers Emergency Assistance Fund CHAIR Laura Laing

From the President’s Desk M I LT T O B Y Freelance Writer and ASJA President

A HISTORY OF HELPING

O

ne of the perks of my job as ASJA president is overseeing the activities of the organization’s Charitable Trust. The Trust’s Educational Foundation organizes ASJA’s conferences for writers in New York and at other locations around the country, including the everpopular Client Connections. Each year, Awards Fund volunteers solicit entries from writers and authors, wrangle a cadre of judges, and present the awards at a ceremony in New York.

These programs could not happen without the dedication of a small army of volunteers, sponsor support, and enormous behind-thescenes staff support.

Conferences and awards form the collective public face of ASJA and represent our commitment to bolstering the careers of our members and of the entire freelance community. On behalf of the organization: Thank you to the volunteers, sponsors, and staff who make these events possible.

Another presidential perk is reporting from time to time about the low-profile but much appreciated generosity of ASJA’s members and nonmembers alike who donate their money and their time to WEAF, the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund. For decades, the Charitable Trust’s WEAF Committee and Trustees have distributed monetary grants to

writers facing an emergency or professional crisis that is adversely affecting their ability to earn a living.

WEAF grants, which carry no requirement for repayment from the recipients, range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

They are awarded to help a writer bridge an unexpected rough spot arising because of illness, injury, accident, or an occasional natural disaster. They are not made to offset a lack of income-producing work due simply to market changes, the economy, or the applicant’s age, or to provide financial support for a writing project, no matter how worthy.

Our conferences have educated thousands and provided unparalleled networking opportunities for freelancers, while our awards have consistently recognized exemplary work.

Year after year, though, I believe that WEAF exemplifies the most important contribution that ASJA makes to the freelance community.

Just over a half-century ago, with an initial donation from the organization of $10.00, leadership of the Society of Magazine Writers established the Charitable Trust through a document called a Declaration of Trust. The goal was to create a charitable organization that could accept tax deductible donations pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code and then distribute

funds to other charitable organizations or to individuals through “grants to magazine writers.” Governance of the Trust was, and still is, vested in three trustees, the President, Vice President, and Treasurer.

A few years later, the Declaration of Trust was amended to specifically include administration of the Llewellyn Miller Fund for “the economic relief and aid of writers and authors.” WEAF, in principle and purpose, if not in name, was created. Activities of the Trust were expanded again in 2010 with the addition of the Educational Fund and the Awards Fund.

The return on the original $10.00 donation made by the Society of Magazine Writers to establish the Charitable Trust in 1967 has paid dividends for writers in financial need that no one could have imagined.

From 1982 through 2018, WEAF made 265 grants totaling $657,886. Through July 2019, seven additional grants were made for a total of $10,000. WEAF grants averaged $17,781 per year, $2,483 per recipient. That might not sound like much, unless you’re a writer who suffered an injury and you’re facing eviction or unpaid medical bills because you can’t work.

Then a WEAF grant can literally be a lifesaver.

There are specific criteria for a WEAF grant and not every request qualifies. Even among those that are eligible, budget constraints sometimes force the committee to make agonizing decisions about who we can help.

Current ASJA Vice President Laura Laing and past Vice President Janine Latus are the most recent WEAF Committee chairs. Laura, Janine, and all of the other chairs and committee members deserve our undying gratitude for the work they have done for writers who need a helping hand.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of the donors who contribute to WEAF without even knowing who, or how, their donations will help. Thanks for those donations, and thanks for trusting ASJA to be a good steward of the WEAF program. And if you’re not a WEAF donor yet, please consider the program in the future. The more WEAF gets, the more it can give.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 5

NEW ASJA MEMBERS!

COLUMNS

OCTOBER 2019

From the Editor

THE FREELANCING ISSUE

I

n 2006, I took a hiatus from writing to try something new. Little did I know, that “diversion” would change everything for me. Until then, I’d been writing part-time about business and real

estate for a variety of local publications. My boys were

STEPHANIE VOZZA Freelance Writer and ASJA Editor

five and nine, and my gig brought in a little money and allowed me to stay at home with my kids.

I often interviewed entrepreneurs, and their stories inspired me. I felt a desire to be a business owner, too. I took a step back from assignments to launch an ecommerce website called The Organized Parent. I’m one of those nerds who swoons over folders and bins. My business offered products and tips to help busy moms streamline their lives.

I ran the company for five years, and eventually sold it to FranklinCovey Products. During that time I learned two important things. First, people will laugh at you if you say the words “organized” and “parent” in the same sentence. And second, as a freelance writer I had been a business owner all along. I just hadn’t thought of myself that way.

networking, which is why I joined ASJA. The shift in mindset had a profound impact on my bottom line.

As editor of this magazine, I hope to inspire you to see yourself as a business, even if that business is open part time or is on hiatus for a bit. I believe it has never been a better time to be a writer. I hope the stories in this issue will give you the tools you need to get to the next level of your business.

And if you need help in a certain area, please reach out to me at asjamagazineeditor@gmail.com so we can cover it in an upcoming issue.

Here’s to growing all of our businesses!

I returned to writing and brought along all of the skills I had acquired from launching and marketing a store.

In fact, one of the insights I learned as an entrepreneur was the power of

Want to write for your peers? magazine@asja.net

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

Monica Cardoza, Ridgewood, NJ Linda Rodgers, Poughkeepsie, NY Sandi Schwartz, Boca Raton, FL Jenny Splitter, Washington, DC Carolyn Zezima, New York, NY

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Ashley Allman, Seattle, WA Mark Edwards, Pinehurst, NC Erin Hueffner, McFarland, WI Ramon Matta, Bronx, NY Kelsey Roseth, Duluth, MN

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ASJA

Membership Benefits K N OW S O M E O N E WH O M I G HT B E E L I G I B L E TO J O I N A S J A? S E N D T H E M O U R W AY !

4Client Connections: One-on-one appointments with potential clients at ASJA’s annual New York conference and at ASJA regional conferences.

4Virtual Client Connections: Periodic internet meetings with editors.

4Virtual Pitch Slams: Interactive conference calls during which members get their story pitches heard live with feedback provided by a top editor.

V I S I T

Below are some of ASJA’s Member Benefits:

4Multiple networking opportunities during ASJA’s conferences or via Special Interest Groups (SIGS) and other discussion forums.

4ASJA Weekly, an electronic newsletter updating events and news about the freelance experience.

4ASJA Confidential and ASJA Direct.

4Press Card that enables entry to many museums, conferences and other press events.

4Discounts to ASJA’s conferences, Publishers Weekly, Delta Air Lines, AVIS Car Rental and WeWork.

4Assistance on contractual rights. Access to ASJA’s PayCheck database.

4ASJA Magazine: Our stateof-the-industry publication that provides information, inspiration and motivation.

4Emergency Fund: For members in need.

A S J A . O R G / M E M B E R S

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 7

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MEMBER NEWS Book News

5G Explained: Security and Deployment of Advanced Mobile Communications by Jyrki T. J. Penttinen was published by Wiley in April 2019.

The book “offers crucial updates for anyone involved in designing, deploying or working with 5G networks.”

Susan Johnston Taylor wrote a children's book for educational publisher Teacher Created Materials. Ride Across Time is a level reader in graphic novel format about a fourth-grader who travels back in time to meet colonial-era teen hero Sybil Ludington. It is scheduled to be released in October.

Brothers in Baseball: The History of "Family" Relationships in Major League Baseball, Arthur Sharp’s 18th book, was released in July 2019 by History Publishing LLC. It traces the history of brothers, fathers and sons, uncles and nephews, in-laws, umpires/players, two (or more) professional sports stars...in major league baseball since its inception.

Eleanor Foa Dienstag’s memoir Mixed Messages: Reflections on an Italian Jewish Family and Exile will be published by Centro Primo Levi. Mixed Messages is the history of the author’s father's family, whose successes and tragedies mirror the rise and fall of Italian Jewish life from the mid-1500s to the present.

It's also the story of the author’s parents' flight from fascism and her journey to resolve the generational conflicts between them.

Rev. Susan Sparks recently released her second book, Preaching Punchlines.

Endorsed by comedian Lewis Black and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the book shares "Ten Commandments" of how humor can elevate communication - written and spoken.

8 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

Jan Yager’s book How To Self-Publish Your Book was published in June 2019 by Square One Publishers. A review by Edward B. Cone of New York Library Journal said, "One should usually proceed with caution and a dose of skepticism before accepting authors’ assertions that their book offers readers everything. But that is clearly not the case here. Publishing expert, prolific author (e.g., Effective Business and Nonfiction Writing; Career Opportunities in the Publishing World), and Hannacroix Creek Books founder Yager has produced this compendium that covers in detail every major step for would-be writers to follow on their path to publishing.”

Steve Kemper was awarded a grant from the NEH Public Scholar Program to support his current project, a book about Joseph C. Grew, the U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1932-1942, being published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Got news to share with ASJA?

Submit your items at asja.org/members.

This spring, ASJA member Jodi Helmer published two books, Protecting Pollinators: How to Save the Creatures that Feed Our World and Growing Your Own Tea Garden: The Guide to Growing and Harvesting Flavorful Teas in Your Backyard. Both debuted to number-one rankings on Amazon. Helmer has been interviewed on radio and television and had excerpts printed in Modern Farmer, Sierra, The Revelator and other environmental publications. A national book tour has taken her to Charlotte, Atlanta and Portland, Oregon, where she was a featured author at Powell’s Books, checking an item off her bucket list.

Meryl Davids Landau's latest novel, Warrior Won, was published in May 2019. It's a standalone follow up to her prior novel Downward Dog, Upward Fog. Both feature the main character trying to keep her inner peace by using yoga, mindfulness, and other eclectic spiritual tools when life gets challenging.

Foreword Reviews calls it "both compelling and fun," while Midwest Book Review says it's "one of the strongest spiritual women's fiction pieces to appear in recent years."

Dilemmas in Democracy: Fake News and Propaganda by Fiona Young-Brown was published in August 2019. The guide for middle-schoolers looks at the rise of misinformation and the difficulty to discern unbiased journalism from propaganda.

Through examples from the United States and democracies around the world, the book encourages readers to question the balance between constitutional rights and irreparable damage to democracy.

Andrea Warren was recently featured in Publisher's Weekly discussing her newest nonfiction book for young readers, Enemy Child: The Story of Norman Mineta, a Boy Imprisoned in a Japanese American Internment Camp During World War II (Holiday House), published April 30. Her book follows Mineta on his journey from shame and incarceration to a career as a distinguished American statesman. The book is a Junior Literary Guild selection and received starred reviews from The Horn Book and School Library Journal.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 9

D E PA R T M E N T S

To protect the confidentiality of information filed with Paycheck reports, additional details including rights and more are available at asja.org/paycheck/report-a-payment

PAYCHECK LUCENT MAGAZINE Article, consumer pub (online or print) 700 words $400.00 Lucent is the alumni magazine of AIC college in Springfield, MA. I pitched a piece about a notable alumna and the editor got back to me right away and commissioned the piece. Pay arrived within days of filing the story. Great to work with, have accepted a couple other assignments with them since. Hope to continue working with them.

Feedback: 9 ALUMNI MAGAZINE Editing-Rewriting $500.00 Editing project, 72 pages over a weekend. Terms clearly spelled out.

Unfortunately, I’d failed to take into account the Google Drive format, and technological problems dogged this project. The organization was classy enough not to complain and paid promptly and in full.

Feedback: 7

MEDSCAPE Article, trade pub (online or print) 1500 words $1,500.00 An editor at Medscape approached me to write a piece after reading my work elsewhere. She was delightful to work with and I got paid in full even before the piece had been finalized.

Feedback: 10 COSTCO CONNECTION Article, custom pub 500 words $625.00 A food story about a specific seafood item. I wrote it out of my own head and based on minimal quick online research.

My pitch was the length of the story; basically they bought the pitch as a story. I pitched the editor. She expressed interest, then ignored me when I followed up after a decent interval. I thought the story was dead. Then a week later she wrote with an assignment letter offering more than $1/word. Nice surprise!

Feedback: 9

Virtual Client Connections October 22 – 25, October 29 – November 1

OCTOBER 2019 CALENDAR

SPECIAL EVENT

ASJA Writer’s Conference: A Capital Event November 8

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LAWNSTARTER Corporate writing-editing 800 words $500.00 Landed client through ASJA’s Freelance Writer Search. Client claimed to be an experienced business editor taking over content marketing for a company that funnels consumer leads to local lawn and landscaping companies. He assigned a story about the wisdom of borrowing for lawn care, reported as I would a newspaper article. That is what I did, doing the best I could when qualified sources said, “don’t borrow for lawn care!” He rejected the article because the sources I got to comment on the few circumstances that might warrant charging lawn care for a month or two, (such as to avoid condo fines right after moving in) would not endorse the presumption of the piece. This is a perfect collision of content marketing client expectations with reporting realities.

He wanted marketing copy, not journalism.

And now he’s mad because I gave him the journalism he insisted he wanted.

Feedback: 1

Virtual Pitch Slam TBD Early December

SPECIAL EVENT

ASJA 49th Annual Conference April 19 – 20, 2020

A S K T H E E D I TO R

FREELANCER Q&A

Ever wonder what’s going on inside an editor’s head? There are probably plenty of questions you’d like to ask.

We’ve got questions, too, and that’s why we’ve launched this new department in ASJA Magazine: Ask the Editor.

Each issue, we’ll ask a few editors a question and share their responses here. Our first question is:

Q: What traits do the freelancers you assign stories to tend to share in common?

Here’s what the editors said: “The freelancers receiving Next Avenue story assignments from me are familiar with our site and what we have written. They also submit smart pitches (usually one to three paragraphs) explaining what their story will be about, the types of people who’ll be interviewed (sometimes the precise people) and why they’re well-suited to report and write the piece.”

—RICHARD EISENBERG managing editor and senior web editor,

Money & Security and Work & Purpose Channels, Next Avenue

“I always emphasize to writers that it’s important to become familiar with the publication you're pitching. Go through the archives and read what they've already published. The freelancers I solicit stories from are usually very familiar with the publication. They can also differentiate between a topic and an angle, which will inform how you tell the story.”

—GENELLE LEVY editor, Narratively

“We deal with freelancers all over the world and we do look for common characteristics. You have to know about the topic, and have at least a minimal knowledge of what we write about. I would expect people to look at what we do online, how we cover topics, and how recently we’ve discussed a certain item. Surprisingly, that’s not often the case. People pitch stories but do not bother to check if we’ve done the same topics. We don’t look for opinion pieces; we want people who can do reporting. We are a global publication with a global readership, and we look for freelancers who can understand that we need stories that offer a global angle or interest.”

—ANDREA FIANO editor, Global Finance Magazine

“Flexibility is key in this industry. Some months I might need help with native advertising. Other months it might be evergreen features. My freelancers can roll with the punches and be relied upon to deliver the goods.”

Got a question for the editor? Visit the ASJA Periodicals Forum and leave your question on the “taking questions for editors” thread. We’ll try to get you some answers in an upcoming issue.

—ANNA ATTKISSON editor of Business.com

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 11

T H E S TAT E O F F R E E L A N C I N G

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

DAMON BROWN Freelance Writer

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&

C O V E R S TORY

Where Are We Going?

N

ot too long ago, freelancing and being in-between jobs were nearly synonymous. It was analogous to selfpublishing and being unable to get a book deal.

Freelancing was viewed as a forced, temporary situation, not as a liberating, wise choice.

Today, freelancing is en vogue because of three reasons: Less traditional job security, easier independence through technology and a lower barrier to entry. Currently, according to Pew Research, as many as 40 percent of Americans do “independent work.”

How does this affect professional and veteran freelancers? It hits us in a myriad of ways, as ASJA President Milt Toby emphasized in the recent Freelancer State of the Union. Here is some wisdom from Toby, along with insight that can help us see where we’ve been and, more importantly, where we are headed as a business.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 1 3

CO V E R STORY

“I’M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT THE FREEDOM OF PRESS” – Milt Toby, ASJA President Freelancer State of the Union 2019

State of the Press

I

t’s easy to assume that the era of social media platforms, easy self-publishing and open Internet would usher in greater free speech.

Unfortunately, we don’t have that luxury today. As Toby shared during the Freelancer State of the Union this spring, volatile political climates and effects of Silicon Valley have actually made it harder to do reporting.

The Department of Homeland Security has reportedly been trailing investigative reporters and, in some cases, confiscating their notes and related data, especially on American borders. ASJA recently joined other media organizations in signing a resolution to condemn the aggressive government practices.

From the Silicon Valley end, California pushed through legislation that requires independent contractors have virtually the same benefits as employees. It was intended for potentially exploited gig economy workers at Uber and Lyft, but it also created a chilling effect for freelancers. According to Toby, Reuters and other major media organizations let go of their stringers for fear of the legislation's requirements. Former ASJA president Randy Dotinga and others have been fighting the law and, in the near future, hope to work with the government to revise the legislation.

Both situations add even more importance to not leaning on one outlet.

Freelancers today are likely to have more clients to create a continuous stream of income and publication, relying on various media outlets to make sure that their best stories get told without bias or blockage.

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We Are All Freelancers Now “Gig economy is exploding, looking for freelancers, content marketers, there will be a client that wants to buy it – the mechanics may change, but the paradigm shift will not.”

H

ow we define ourselves determines how we make a living. For instance, if you say you are a newspaper writer, then you are less likely to see opportunities to bring income outside of newspaper writing, even if they came straight to your doorstep.

Two shifts have forced us to redefine ourselves: The removal and, eventual, fall of the gatekeepers and the rise in opportunities outside of traditional journalism. It is the popular, yet arguably misattributed Willie Sutton quote, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is.” The communication money didn’t disappear; it just isn’t in print media anymore, and we all have adapted, some more consciously than others.

A decade ago, attending a journalism conference as a content marketer would create confusion. Just a couple years ago, ASJA itself created special events focused on just custom content to sold-out audiences.

It represents what ASJAer Marci Alboher, Creative Live co-founder Chase Jarvis and other media trend watchers would call the “slash” economy:

Damon is an author, entrepreneur and public speaker

I

’m not just a magazine journalist, but I’m also a photojournalist. I’m not focused only on writing the story; I also know how to lay it out on my own website. I’m not strictly interviewing my subjects for print, but I’m recording our conversation, editing it myself and publishing it in my own podcast.

And so on.

The identity shift is both voluntary and necessary. According to a UNC Chapel Hill study, more than one in five local newspapers have closed since 2004. Strong newsstand magazines like Newsweek and Seventeen have gone digital only.

Diversifying Our Portfolio

Simultaneously, savvy consumers want to feel more connected than ever to the brands they buy – and the brands need people to help communicate their narrative effectively. Media organizations themselves have smaller staffs, so the multifaceted journalist who can handle the pen as well as the camera is even more valued.

Those of us who are less rigid with our identity – and continually improving and adding to our skills – will become even more valuable in the future. It doesn’t mean straight writing doesn’t have merit. It means employers will find more opportunities to hire the versatile freelancers.

Former ASJA Board Member Damon Brown helps side hustlers, solopreneurs, and other non-traditional creatives bloom. He sold his successful startup Cuddlr and now guides others through his consulting, his Inc. column at www.incdamonbrown.com and public speaking on platforms like TED. Damon’s latest book is Bring Your Worth: Level Up Your Creative Power, Value & Service in the World. Join his community at JoinDamon.me.

“You really need to take the lead in promoting and advancing your own career, because as a freelancer, nobody else is going to do it for you. It’s one of the best things and one of the worse things.”

T

he shift represents a great financial opportunity for us, but, as Toby says, it requires us to do more work. The work isn’t getting more assignments per se, but building a reputation that creates a demand for our work.

The freelance space may be more crowded than any recent era because of the underemployed taking on side hustles (which may mean freelancers doing work that represents your main hustle!) and the lower number of high paying and, more importantly, secure staff jobs available for journalists. You may be a marvelous writer that is handy with a camera, but your skills may be overlooked by potential organizations and customers.

As one writer lamented to me, it used to be enough to go into your proverbial cave, write a darn good book, humbly give it to the publisher and have the media get it into the right readers’ hands while you go back to write the next manuscript. The same could be said for journalism.

The biggest difference now is that the publisher doesn’t have the most direct link to the audience. You do. People are not just reading The Washington Post, but they are reading a byline in The Washington Post. And they will follow that byline if it appears in The Atlantic, The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. People are not reading Penguin books, but looking for a specific author.

Organizations know this, which is why they are more apt to pay a premium when you have built credibility through social media, connected with your audience directly through book signings or created a buzz with your pictures taken alongside your strong writing.

As Toby notes, the challenge is that we have all the power and are the main ones in charge of the impact we make. The secret is that this has been the case all along.

It’s just a lot more obvious now.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 1 5

Can Journalists

CONTENT MARKETING? DO

C ON TE N T MAR K ETI N G HAS E X P LO D E D OV E R T H E L A ST D E C A D E .

By 2021, the industry is expected to be valued at more than $412 billion, according to the market research company Technavio. That upward trajectory is in stark contrast to the news business, with constant announcements about newspaper and magazine closures.

W

ith this backdrop, many freelance journalists are looking for ways to supplement their income and grow their business. Content marketing is one viable option — but there’s a misconception you can’t be both a journalist and a content marketing writer. That’s just one of several myths writers have about content marketing.

S AT T A SARMAH HIGHTOWER Freelance Writer

Here, writers who have successfully navigated doing journalism and content marketing dispel some of the most common myths about the industry and answer the question — once and for all — “can journalists do content marketing?” (Spoiler: the answer is yes.)

Satta Sarmah Hightower is a journalist-turned-content marketer and has been a full-time freelancer since 2014. Through her content marketing consultancy, Talented Tenth Media, she produces content for agencies, content studios and healthcare, technology and personal finance brands.

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MYTH #1 Content marketing is just a fad According to the Content Marketing Institute, “content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

In layman’s terms, content marketing is basically a tool companies use to drive leads. It’s a subset of the larger global digital advertising industry. Content marketing also is diverse — it’s blogs, white papers, case studies, infographics, videos, thought leadership content, quizzes, reported features and podcasts (to name a few), which gives print and visual journalists lots of opportunities to land work.

“I didn’t realize the many different facets of content marketing and of copywriting,” says Pamela DeLoatch, a Chicago-based journalist and content marketing writer. “The more sales-focused writing is not my sweet spot, but there’s room within content marketing to find the area where you feel most comfortable.”

As more consumers use ad blockers and reject display ads, companies will need to engage them more authentically. Using content is an effective way to do this — content marketing actually costs 62% less than traditional marketing but generates three times more leads, according to Demand Metric.

That’s compelling proof this discipline won’t be obsolete anytime soon.

MYTH #2 Content marketing is all fluff and SEO content The best content marketing doesn’t sell — it tells a story.

For journalists, there’s a natural synergy between content marketing and the work they already do.

“Journalists are adept at researching, interviewing and synthesizing information based on what the reader would want to know. The goal of content marketing is to create content that readers value, and journalists do that on a daily basis,” says Gary Wollenhaupt, a freelancer from Surprise, Arizona, who specializes in supply chain and logistics and writes for brands and trade publications.

While companies want to create content that compels potential customers to click, they also value journalists’ unique skillset. This can sometimes be the difference between landing a project or losing it.

“One client recently hired me because I could interview. Previous writers hadn't worked out because they didn't come into writing through journalism and didn't have that skill. Even with content marketing, you have to provide legitimate statistics and sources for your facts,” says Debbie Abrams Kaplan, a journalist and content marketing writer who focuses on supply chain management, medical, health and personal finance coverage.

MYTH #3 As long as you’re a good writer, you’ll be successful at content marketing

MYTH #4 Content marketing is selling out

As journalists, we’ve often jokingly referred to PR as “the dark side,” especially as former colleagues left newsrooms in mass to enter that profession.

Today, you hear similar sentiments about content marketing.

Leslie Pepper is a Long Island-based freelancer who produces content for supplement companies and health & wellness, parenting and lifestyle brands and news outlets. She says one of the prevailing misconceptions writers have about content marketing is that “we think it’s selling. And selling out.”

“It’s not! Good content marketing informs, it doesn’t sell. It builds trust between a customer and a brand,” she says. “Honestly, the stories I write for brands are almost the same as the ones I write for magazines.”

MYTH #5 You can’t ethically do journalism and content marketing Being a good storyteller who turns in clean copy isn’t the only skill journalists need to excel at content marketing.

“Content marketing is, in fact, marketing.

Journalists need to understand the audience and find ways to tell the story that are authentic and that highlight the client’s marketing message. It helps to know the client’s business, objectives and voice. It also helps to know who their customers are and what pain points exist,” DeLoatch says.

Content marketing is storytelling bolstered by strategy and data. Writers who want to transition into this industry must find a way to make their stories compelling to an audience and meet the client’s objectives at the same time.

You can successfully do both journalism and content marketing, but the key is to avoid any conflict of interest.

“The bottom line is if I’m being paid by a brand, I can’t use them in any way in any of my journalism pieces,” Pepper says.

While one way to navigate this is to focus on one niche in journalism and another in content marketing — for example, only write about healthcare for news outlets and focus on personal finance and fintech for brands — some writers focus on the same niche in both their journalism and content marketing work.

“I have not had a problem doing both within the same niche. I do not allow most of my supply chain content clients to use my name on the stories. I will not write about them in my journalism stories — nor

have they ever expected or asked,” Abrams Kaplan says. “I've only had one potential conflict in supply chain when an editor asked me to cover a company that I had written for and I told him about conflict.

He assigned it to someone else and appreciated me sharing that with him.”

What Abrams Kaplan did should be a rule of thumb for all writers who want to work in both industries.

“Disclosure is the best advice,” Wollenhaupt says. “Tell your editors or clients if you feel like there will be a conflict. You may have to pass on an assignment or working with a publication altogether.”

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 1 7

CONFERENCE

PREVIEW

T

he Washington, D.C., region is home to many top-notch publications, nonprofits, and professional experts who can help writers expand their businesses and improve their writing. That’s why ASJA chose the nation’s capital for its regional conference on November 8 at Trinity Washington University.

ASJA DC CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS EMILY PAULSEN AND CHRISTINA L. LYONS GAVE US A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES AND PLANNING OF THE EVENT: The goal was to give content writers, news and feature writers, essayists, authors and memoirists a chance to make new contacts, dive deeper into their craft and develop new business management and marketing techniques during the one-day conference.

Paulsen and Lyons secured keynote speaker Dorothy Butler Gilliam, the first female African American staff reporter at The Washington Post and author of

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Trailblazer: A Pioneering Journalist’s Fight to Make the Media Look More like America (Center Street, 2019). She opens the conference with a timely keynote address for journalists striving to make a difference during today’s tense political environment.

During her five-decade journalism career, Gilliam has been a strong advocate of diversity and has fought for women’s and civil rights, said Paulsen and Lyons.

Conference Co-Chairs

THE CONFERENCE INCLUDES LIVELY PANEL DISCUSSIONS THAT FOCUS ON THREE DIFFERENT FACETS OF THE FREELANCERS’ BUSINESS:

Capital Connections includes two panels of editors from national, specialty and local publications who talk about what stories they are seeking and how to pitch to them.

On another panel, representatives of the Pulitzer Center and the New America Foundation team with two veteran journalists to talk about how grants and fellowships help you complete your dream project without going broke.

The Craft of Writing takes a deep dive into interviewing, writing essays and opinion pieces, and expanding an article into a book.

All three panels include a variety of experts —a White House correspondent, the director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, a George Washington University professor and more.

And the Business of Freelance track focuses on landing better clients, answering freelancers’ questions on contracts and other business issues and launching a podcast.

During lunch, editors from Slate, Vox, and Mother Jones dissect some of writer Katherine Reynolds Lewis’s failed pitches, providing valuable information about why an editor rejects pitches. And the afternoon is completed with an ASJA member favorite “Client Connections,” that includes one-on-one meetings with some D.C.-area editors, many of whom pay $1/word.

“We have a great team helping us put together the ‘Capital Event,’” the pair said, crediting veteran D.C.- and Baltimore-area freelancers Laura Laing, Tam Harbert, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Melanie Padgett Powers, Chuck McCutcheon, Lottie Joiner and Lisa Rabasca Roepe. “It’s been an all-hands-on-deck effort from the beginning to put together an agenda featuring high-profile editors, authors, journalists and others who can provide tips to help writers of all levels of experience and all specialties.”

E M I LY PA U L S E N

CHRISTINA L . LY O N S

Join us in Washington, D.C., for a one-day conference for nonfiction writers managing businesses in today’s rapidly changing media world. Learn how to launch or expand your freelance business, land better clients, break into major publications and find new pathways for your talent. Improve your writing, researching and interviewing skills and take your career to the next level — whether it’s tackling new content or writing a book.

4Registration: Sept.19– Nov. 5 Members $209 | Non-members $239

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 1 9

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THE

BOOK Deal

JEANETTE H U RT Freelance Writer

2020

It still happens. Books are still sold, and writers are still hired to write them, but the publishing landscape continues to evolve and change, and authors who want to sell their books need to be on top of things. We talked with five different agents, all of whom have sold bestsellers, and here’s what they had to say on what’s changed and what hasn’t changed.

Jeanette Hurt is an award-winning writer and author who specializes in food, beverages and travel. She’s written 13 books, including Drink Like A Woman and, her most recent, The Joy of Cider from Skyhorse Press. Hurt is currently writing a cauliflower cookbook; she covers booze for Forbes.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 21

HERE’S WHAT’S CHANGED PLATFORM, PLATFORM, PLATFORM Agent Marilyn Allen, of the Allen-O’Shea Agency, says that platform remains one of the most important selling points for any new book deal.

“I find that publishers are checking the social media numbers before they even consider the book,” she says. “I have a couple of publishers who actually employ people to check those platform numbers to make sure the audience is informed and engaged. You cannot fake social media numbers.

They have to be a legitimately engaged audience.”

Agent Regina Ryan, of Regina Ryan Books, agrees that platform is more important than ever. “The author has to be a partner with the publisher more and more with publicity,” she says.

Agent Tina P. Schwartz, of The Purcell Agency, says that it’s not just the number of followers a writer has;, it’s who those followers are that also need to be considered. “You might only have 5,000 Twitter followers, but if 100 of them are book bloggers, or if some of your followers are influencers, that also should be considered,” she says. “When you have a new book coming out, it’s who’s in your circle of influence.”

Agent Hannah Brattesani, with the Emma Sweeney Agency, says that while having a platform can help with fiction, it really is important with nonfiction. “Having a platform, particularly if you’re trying to sell a lifestyle book or a fitness book helps,” she says. “It helps if you already have a builtin readership who already subscribe to your methods, advice and tips.”

Also, make sure that your blog or your Amazon page or your Twitter account is active. “Make sure everything is current,” Allen says. “So many authors are so busy writing a proposal, they let this slide. Make sure your social media is current. You can’t have a blog, and the most current post is from [five months ago].”

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Leah Spiro, of Riverside Creative Management, says that publishers will be more likely to hire authors who have experience across a range of media. “I predict publishers will favor multi-media authors, who know video and who have successful e-learning courses or podcasts,” she says.

“Authors who have large Twitter, Instagram and other social media followings will also be favored.”

Allen also says having opportunities to sell books will interest publishers in your book.

“If you’re doing speaking engagements and you can sell books in the back of the room, or if you’re doing a decorating book and you know a chain of decorating stores would be interested in carrying your book, publishers will be interested,” she says.

SALES AND ADVANCES In the past, more books were sold by word of mouth–being recommended by bookstore owners or in passing, as people saw others reading them on public transportation – but the shift from paperbacks to e-books, has changed the landscape, says Peter Rubie, agent and CEO of Fine Print Literary Agency.

“Book publishers still pay a fair amount of money on the high end, and on the low end (and for the low end, I’m talking about $10,000 advances), it has been pretty solid, but what’s happening is that books in the middle range, of $25,000 to $40,000, are the harder to sell, and it’s harder to get that kind of advance for them,” he says.

“Why, with a million better writers out there, should you be the one to write this book? It is your personal experience with the subject matter whether it’s

adoption or being a chef, or whatever the subject matter. If you have a personal experience with it, that gives you a leg up on everyone else.”

BEHAVIOR CLAUSES But while publishers want followings and an engaged audience, they don’t want authors behaving badly online. There’s now a morals clause that publishers are enacting in contracts, Allen says. “You just want to be very careful of your public face these days,” Allen says. “Publishers are very quick to drop projects if people are behaving unethically. All my agent friends are talking about this whole morals clause. I think the bigger point is these publishers are not accepting of bad behavior.”

VISUAL ELEMENTS Many nonfiction books now have visual elements integrated into their proposals. “People are paying attention to the aesthetic of the proposals,” Brattesani says. “They’re becoming a lot more polished, and proposals need to be as strong visually as they are written.”

“Authors who can provide the material for illustrated books with permissions for photos, maps, drawings and historical documents will also be sought out,” Spiro says.

IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL STORIES Publishers are actively courting Millennial readers, who want to hear personal stories, not just an expert’s point of view. “I find that editors are most interested in self-help books from people who’ve lived through it,” Allen says. “If you got yourself out of college debt, they’d be more interested in your book than in one from a financial planner. They’re very interested in personal stories.”

Purcell says she found this true with a book she wrote herself on organ transplants – because her father received one. “It was my personal experience that sold the book,” she says. “Why, with a million better writers out there, should you be the one to write this book? It is your personal experience with the subject matter whether it’s adoption or being a chef, or whatever the subject matter.

If you have a personal experience with it, that gives you a leg up on everyone else.”

RIGHTS Many book deals now contain clauses for world rights, Ryan says.

“I think one of the biggest things we’re facing is the globalization of publishers,” she says. “They’re much more emphatically wanting world rights. It’s getting harder to hold onto foreign rights.”

With this, publishers are also often looking to hold onto audio rights as well, she says.

That said, there is some good news, Ryan points out. Film rights are big, for both nonfiction and fiction. “There are more possibilities for film development with Netflix and Disney and Hulu and Amazon all competing for content,” she says.

“It’s obviously important to hold onto your film rights,” Purcell says.

HERE’S WHAT HASN'T CHANGED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPOSAL As with the last few years, the competitive books section of the proposal remains really important, and it’s best to make sure that these titles are current. “If there has been only two other books written on the subject since the 1970s, then either there’s no need for this book or no one’s taken the time to write it,” Purcell says. “You definitely have to convince that there’s a need for this book.

And make sure the subject matter is selling, Allen says. “You should really make sure the whole category is selling,” she says.

“Don’t list a bunch of bad titles and want the publisher to take on your idea.”

ATTENTION TO DETAIL Pay attention to the spelling of the agent’s name, whether he or she actually represents your kind of book, and don’t just send a proposal out in a mass email. “I’d say, every one in five queries we get, there’s something that very obviously shows that this writer is sending their proposal to every agent they can get their hands on,” Brattesani says. “I consider them on a case by case basis, but it certainly doesn’t go to the top of my reading list.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS AND AUTHORS Books still matter. “Books have worth, and they still have a place,” Rubie says.

Craft still matters. “I came across this great definition of talent, from jazz drummer Art Blakey,” Rubie says. “He said ‘Talent is the speed with which you learn something.’ That means, if you put in the time, you will get there.”

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 23

Writing Life

5

ASJA MEMBERS

SIDE HUSTLES

Answer Questions About Their

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W

riters tend to be a creative group, and this can apply to how they

build their bottom lines. From teaching to speaking to coaching and more, our members are finding that variety can be the spice

of their livelihood. Take a look at what five of your colleagues are doing to build a thriving business and lifestyle.

Stephanie Golden

>>>

SIDE HUSTLE: GRANT WRITING

Q: What type of writing do you consider to be your main job/source of income?

Three things: writing professional manuals for a fitness expert, book collaborations and book doctoring for a wide range of clients.

“I tend to take on longer projects instead of having a lot of short deadlines (grant proposals are often an exception). I think that makes it easier to juggle, since clients accept that I can’t jump on their latest revision instantly. Plus I never miss a deadline when I have one.”

Q: What is your side hustle?

Grant writing for nonprofits.

Q: How much time do you spend on your side hustle?

It varies a lot.

Q: Does your side hustle provide benefits besides monetary?

Grant writing isn’t particularly enjoyable in itself, so the gratification comes from supporting something I believe in. I also get to meet admirable people doing great work. And I get passed around, so one job leads to another.

Q: How do you balance having a variety of activities that provide income?

I tend to take on longer projects instead of having a lot of short deadlines (grant proposals are often an exception). I think that makes it easier to juggle, since clients accept that I can’t jump on their latest revision instantly. Plus I never miss a deadline when I have one.

Q: What makes you stay in the freelance life?

I don’t want to have to get up early, have a boss, or have someone else control my time.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 25

Writing Life >

side hustles

“Interacting with audiences teaches me about my target clients and my target readers”

Susan Weiner >>> SIDE HUSTLE: HOLDING WORKSHOPS AND TEACHING ONLINE CLASSES

Q: What type of writing do you consider to be your main job/source of income?

Investment and wealth management professionals have interesting things to say, but they lack the time or skill to put those ideas into writing effectively.

I help them with my writing and editing skills, along with my financial knowledge.

I’m a chartered financial analyst (CFA) with experience working on staff for investment managers and a mutual fund trade publication.

Q: How much of your time do you spend on this?

Most of it.

Q: What are some of the other things you do that you consider to be side hustles?

I create and lead training to help financial professionals learn to write better. I focus on three areas: investment commentary, blog posts and emails.

I’ve presented “How to Write Investment Commentary People Will Read” to more than a dozen CFA societies across North America, in addition to presenting a program on effective emails to chapters of the Financial Planning Association. I also do programs for corporate clients.

I turned my investment commentary presentation into a webinar, which I delivered live in an interactive format.

More recently, I converted it to an ondemand webinar. As an introvert, I find live presentations exhausting, even though the interaction with the audience is exciting and informative.

I also offer a five-session class on “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read,” which covers much of the material in my book, Financial Blogging: How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read. That started as an interactive tele-class with homework assignments. Now it’s a five-week ondemand webinar.

Q: How much time do you spend on your side hustles?

The biggest investment of time came in developing the classes.

Q: What percent of your income do your side hustles account for?

A small but significant percentage.

Q: Do your side hustles provide benefits besides monetary?

Yes, clients like that I understand my field well enough to teach about it, and they’re often impressed by my presenting to

26 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

CFA societies. Interacting with audiences teaches me about my target clients and my target readers (for some clients, I write for an audience of investment and wealth managers). Also, scheduling a new event gives me a reason to contact prospects with information about an event they may enjoy.

Q: How do you balance having a variety of activities that provide income?

I manage. I try to schedule my live presentations outside of quarter-end, when I’m busy writing and editing quarterly investment commentary.

Q: What makes you stay in the freelance life?

I love the variety and the fact that I learn something new every day. As my Ph.D. in Japanese history may suggest, I love learning.

Marcia Layton Turner >>> SIDE HUSTLE: RUNNING AN ASSOCIATION & SELLING CLOTHES ON EBAY

“It’s rejuvenating to do something that requires different skills.”

Q: What type of writing do you consider to be your main job/source of income?

Q: How do you balance having a variety of activities that provide income?

I started out as an author and then shifted into magazine writing early in my career, but now I’d say that 70% of my income comes from ghostwriting business books for entrepreneurs and CEOs and 30% comes from content creation for major brands.

I juggle writing and running the Association of Ghostwriters as needed, which is fairly easy because I have a virtual assistant who handles a lot of the administrative tasks for the organization. Selling on eBay is easy to push aside if I have an influx of work, and to focus on over the weekend if I want a break.

Q: What are your side hustles?

I run the Association of Ghostwriters, which aims to help fellow ghosts run more profitable ghostwriting businesses. I’m also an advisory board member for WomensNet.net, which gives grants to early stage women-owned businesses. However, when I really need a break from cerebral work, I spend a little time on my eBay business. I’m a clothing reseller part-time and have sold enough to be a PowerSeller and Top Rated Seller.

Q: What makes you stay in the freelance life?

I have always valued being able to control how I spend my time. I also prefer being paid based on performance and not based on how much time I spend on a task; having to show up to a corporate job for nine hours a day when I could get my work done in three always seemed ridiculous to me and is likely why I’m self-employed. I also couldn’t earn what I currently earn as a writer in a traditional communications job, I don’t think.

Q: How much of your time do you spend on your side hustle?

I I spend anywhere from 1-8 hours a week selling on eBay, depending on how much time I have available. I spend 5-10 hours running the Association of Ghostwriters.

Q: What percent of your income do your side hustles account for?

I make $500-1,000 a month from eBay sales, which is less than 10% of my income. The income from the Association of Ghostwriters varies but is usually a few hundred a month, which is reinvested in the business, to pay for expenses. It is not a profit generator.

Q: Do your side hustles provide benefits besides monetary?

I find hunting for inexpensive designer clothes at thrift stores to be a treasure hunt, so it’s fun to do on its own, even if I weren’t turning around and making money from it. I enjoy learning about new clothing brands that are selling well and can sometimes turn that information into retail articles for Forbes. But mainly it’s an enjoyable, relaxing activity that doesn’t cost much. It’s also a switch from the focused, brain-intensive work that I do during the day. It’s rejuvenating to do something that requires different skills.

Running the Association of Ghostwriters is a labor of love. I founded it as a way to bring together fellow ghostwriters for networking and to help raise the visibility of ghostwriting as a profession. I get immense satisfaction from learning that one of our members has landed a lucrative project or picked up a book assignment through the organization. And I’ve made a lot of close friends.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 27

Writing Life >

June Bell

side hustles

>>>

SIDE HUSTLE: ORGANIZING

Q: What type of writing do you consider to be your main job/source of income?

I’m a former newspaper reporter whose niches are HR and labor and employment issues, legislation, trend and litigation. I also do some content work and ghostwrite for executives, lawyers and business owners.

Q: How much of your time do you spend on this?

“It turns out that organizing is a lot like writing … both involve quickly interpreting and understanding large amounts of information, deciding what’s relevant and then shaping that essence into a meaningful and useful result, whether it’s an article or the contents of a closet.”

I work about 25-30 hours/week.

Q: What is your side hustle?

In my “other life,” I’m a professional organizer. My business is “Enough is Enough Professional Organizing” and I help clients declutter, organize and manage their space and time for better productivity and greater happiness.

Q: How much time do you spend on your side hustle?

I spend about 6 hours a month on organizing, and it accounts for just a small percentage of my annual income. I’m busier with organizing in the summer, when people are eager to clean out their garages or more likely to be making moves (downsizing, relocating, etc.). That works out well because summer can be slower for freelancing.

Q: Does your side hustle provide benefits besides monetary?

It turns out that organizing is a lot like writing … both involve quickly interpreting and understanding large amounts of information, deciding what’s relevant and then shaping that essence into a meaningful and useful result, whether it’s an article or the contents of a closet.

My experience as a journalist and interviewer has helped me be a better listener and ask thoughtful questions when I’m wearing my organizer hat, and my work as an organizer has made me more patient and compassionate. When I’m spending too much time alone in my office wrestling with the structure of a complex piece, doing hands-on, on-site work with an organizing client is a great antidote. And when I get burned out on helping clients make decisions about what to keep, donate or discard, I return to my writing with fresh enthusiasm and energy.

Q: How do you balance having a variety of activities that provide income?

I’m incredibly organized (of course, right?) and a very efficient manager of my time and energy — that’s something I also teach clients. I do a lot of volunteer work, I’m a mom and, for religious reasons, I don’t do any work on the Sabbath. There’s no way I could make that life work without some highly effective time management.

Q: What makes you stay in the freelance life?

I’m passionate about writing and reporting and love the freedom of being my own boss.

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Sandra Beckwith

>>>

SIDE HUSTLE: TEACHING

“I love working in the book publishing industry and helping authors. I have met so many amazing people, including best-selling authors, doing this! �

Q: What type of writing do you consider to be your main job/source of income?

I write articles for trade magazines, alumni publications and corporate employee or marketing newsletters as well as case studies and white papers for magazines and businesses. I also edit nonfiction business books occasionally.

Q: How much of your time do you spend on this?

My freelance writing and editing assignments take about 75 percent of my time.

Q: What is your side hustle?

For my side hustle, I teach authors how to market their books. The business name is Build Book Buzz at https://buildbookbuzz. com. Books don't sell without marketing support, and even authors with traditional publishers are responsible for the majority of their book's marketing. Self-published authors have to do 100 percent of it themselves. I help them identify their ideal readers, discover where they will find them and learn how to get their book titles in front of them.

I do this through a ton of free how-to content on my blog, the online courses I create and by introducing authors to courses or tools created by others. I also present workshops at in-person and virtual conferences. In addition, I sell programs created by others as an affiliate, which means I earn a commission on those purchases.

Q: How much time do you spend your side hustle?

My work with authors takes about 25 percent of my time.

Q: What percent of your income does your side hustle?

It's about 40 percent of my income.

Q: Does your side hustle provide benefits besides monetary?

I love working in the book publishing industry and helping authors. I have met so many amazing people, including bestselling authors, doing this! I had a true fan girl moment when I discovered that one of my favorite mystery writers, Kate White, purchased one of my programs.

Q: How do you balance having a variety of activities that provide income?

It isn't easy! I often feel like I have two full-time businesses. When I have a lot of freelance writing deadlines, I put less effort into my Build Book Buzz business.

When the writing side eases up, I put my time into creating new content for authors. It's an ebb and flow, for sure.

It's worth it, though, because I think that having income from something other than writing for clients gives me more financial security. In the same way that I diversify my writing client base so I don't have too much income coming from one organization that could disappear tomorrow, my income is diversified. I actually have three income sources: my freelance writing, sales of my own products and commissions from sales of other people's products.

Q: What makes you stay in the freelance life?

Honestly, I don't think I have a choice anymore. I've been self-employed for so long that I don't think anyone would want to hire me. Mostly, though, I stay in the freelance life because I can wear yoga pants and Crocs to work, and I don't think I could do that in someone else's workplace.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 29

D The

B E X VA N K O O T Freelance Writer

WORD How Diversity Matters in the Freelance World

Diversity is a bit of a 21st-century buzzword, frequently misused to describe anyone who differs from a normative identity and often maligned as some kind of “political correctness” gone too far. Humanity is naturally diverse. As a species, we express a wide variance of physical characteristics and perhaps an even wider multiplicity of psychological and ontological qualities. But our professional spaces don’t always represent the diversity we know is there. n According to the 2017 VIDA Count, which analyzed the content of over 15 major print publications, fewer than half saw women represented in more than 40 percent of bylines. Only two-thirds of the publications included even one story by a visably nonbinary writer. Seven of the 15 magazines showed less than 10 percent of writers were Black, and only two publications had any bylines from Indigenous writers. One magazine had no stories from disabled writers, and eight had no writing by self-identified disabled women.

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WRITING RESOURCES WHO GETS TO TELL WHAT STORIES? Many editors consider stories from or about marginalized people too niche. Sports sections may allow very limited space for women’s league coverage. Stories about Black and/or LGBTQ+ communities may be popular during Black history or pride months, but impossible to place the rest of the year. Despite this imposed scarcity, it is somehow even harder to tell stories that don’t center on our experiences of oppression. It is tokenizing when editors and publishers seek out op-eds and essays centered on our identities, but don’t hire us as staff reporters or respond to our pitches in our primary beats.

WORK THIS WAY: WRITERS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE ASJA members know how rewarding networking can be, how vital for professional success. Refer your editors to your colleagues for stories about their identities, if you know that they write in these areas. More importantly, get to know their other niches. When we actively lift each other up by sharing opportunities that don’t rely on our colleagues excavating their greatest traumas, we also change the conditions under which publishers so frequently claim that they, using a recent example from The Atlantic, just can’t figure out where to find any women who could write longform features.

When writers spend more time thinking about diversity in our work, it can change the way we do our jobs in a number of other powerful ways.

We can acknowledge the nuanced perspectives diverse voices can bring to stories and so seek out sources from a variety of backgrounds and contexts without tokenizing them or asking them to speak for their entire identity group. We can also use our work to spread awareness, not just by what we publish, but how we interact with others along the way.

For example, I ask all but hostile sources for their pronouns. People will frequently be surprised, as it is so uncommon, and cis people who have never considered the question before are sometimes confused. But it offers me the opportunity to talk to people about my own pronouns (they/them/their/themself) and to start a conversation about gender even if the interview has nothing to do with that. And, of course, I also easily avoid the mistake of misidentifying someone in a published piece.

It is for this latter reason that I also recommend confirming any other identities relevant to the story: Does the Indigenous person I’m interviewing identify as First Nations, Native, American Indian, or perhaps they prefer to use a specific nation name? Is the Black person I’m talking to from the U.S., and if so, do they prefer African-American? Does the person I’m speaking to use person-first language (eg.

“I am a person with a disability”) or identity-first language (eg. “I am a disabled person”)? Does the women in my story who is in a relationship with another woman identify as lesbian, queer, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, or something else?

IN THIS HOUSE, WE HAVE A STYLE GUIDE Many of these self-identity issues will come up for writers in publication style guides, with possible conflict between actual identities and the rulebook. A good style guide doesn’t just tell you what kind of punctuation to use; it gives you a map to create a document that can best serve its readers, by making precise and informed language choices. Some magazines have published subject-specific style guides for their audience, like SELF’s “How Should a Health Brand Talk About Weight?” While not entirely embracing the fight against diet culture, the guide lays out the brand’s values, goals, questions, considerations, and decisions around how to talk about dieting and weight, so both writers and readers can understand the overall context in which the editors are working and the perspective from which they wish to approach their subject matter.

Popular style guides tend to be slow to adopt changes related to identity and justice — AP only approved use of the singular “they” in 2017, disallowing neopronouns, and says when referring to nonbinary, genderqueer, bigender or agender individuals, “Use the person’s name in place of a pronoun, or otherwise reword the sentence, whenever possible. If they/them/ their use is essential, explain in the text that the person prefers a gender-neutral pronoun.” It’s not unusual for writers to have to fight for a style preference against editors less fluent in justice language, or who outright disagree with you or your sources.

I personally believe that, especially where I have privilege, it is my responsibility to stand up for these values, and provide some context to my editors to explain my position.

HERE ARE A FEW RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO USE FOR YOUR OWN WRITING

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Visit irregardless.ly where people can share their own style guides with important context about their opinions on word choices: check out the editor top pick, “The Black Style Guide” by Angela Dodson, an updated version of a document produced by the National Association of Black Journalists.

Search public health resources and support organizations: Advocates regularly share style guides offering harm reduction practices for creating media on subjects like suicide or eating disorders.

Grassroots organizations and mediasavvy foundations also produce content for journalists and other creators. Find a wide selection at DiversityStyleGuide.com covering various subjects and identities.

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Ask a Radical Copyeditor!

Alex Kapitan at RadicalCopyEditor.com has been copy editing for almost two decades, and blogging on the subject of justice-oriented style since 2016. Visit for opinions on Black with a capital B, gender neutral language, writing on immigration, and, aptly, when it is and is not appropriate to use the adjective “diverse” complete with a flow chart.

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Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 31

MOR E THAN 25 WR ITE R S PARTICI PATE D I N ASJA’S NATIONAL R E PORTI NG PROJ ECT AB OUT LG BTQ YOUTH

A S J A’ S N AT I O N A L

REPORTING PROJECT A SJA has provided grants and awards to more than 25 professional and youth writers who have addressed the topic of Gender Identity and

Mental Health, thanks to a $35,000 grant received from the National Institute of Health Care Management in 2018. Through various

publications, writers have communicated with a wide audience that reaches millions of readers across the country.

The conversation has opened up an important discussion among the general public about LGBTQ youth, a topic that is so often ignored.

“On my 22nd birthday, I gave myself a gift: gender therapy. At the office of a nearly 40-year-old therapist in downtown Manhattan, I slouched into a couch cushion as I revealed for the first time that I'm transgender,” wrote Tatyana Bellamy-Walker in Hello Giggles, an online publication by Instyle magazine.

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S H E R RY B E C K PA P R O C K I ASJA Immediate Past President

Many youth who identify as LGBTQ endure isolation, broken relationships and disconnections on an ongoing basis, sometimes with devastating results.

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PE RCE NT OF LG BTQ YOUTH HAVE ATTE M PTE D S U ICI DE

“Over the last two years since then, I’ve been to a series of therapists,” Bellamy-Walker continued. “Many aren’t sure how to handle a patient like me.”

All but one therapist either misdiagnosed or questioned the validity of my gender identity.

I’m Afro-Latinx, pansexual, and my gender identity is somewhere outside of the male/ female binary,” added Bellamy-Walker, who is one of 11 award winners in ASJA’s youth essay competition for young LGBTQ stories.

ASJA’s grant program also provided the opportunity for professional writers to explore the topic of Gender Identity and Mental Health in publications across the country.

Danielle Corcione reported in Teen Vogue that LGBTQ youth are at a higher risk for PTSD, thus, requiring mental health treatment to overcome the anxiety and other obstacles associated with PTSD. Estelle Erasmus reported in Your Teen Magazine for parents that 30 percent of LGBTQ youth have attempted suicide and more than 60 percent suffer depression.

Millie Dawson addressed “Stigma, STDs and Mental Health” in Everyday Health. “A queer youth dealing with an STI and a mental illness may face ostracism for their gender identity and sexual orientation, for having an STI, and for having a mental illness,” Dawson reported. “Each of these factors by itself often prompts widespread stigma. Queer youth also sometimes stigmatize themselves.”

In a cover story for Madison Magazine, writer Maggie Ginsberg reported that there are an

estimated 9,000 middle school and high school teens in Wisconsin who identify as transgender or another non-binary term. The Madison city school district provides a full-time employee who coaches teachers regarding challenges faced by transgender youth, providing tips on how to support these students.

Sandra Gurvis, a freelance writer for Columbus Monthly, wrote a revealing profile about Dr. Scott Leibowitz, one of the country’s first medical specialists working with transgender teens. She reports that one in 137 American teenagers identifies as transgender and that Leibowitz is often dealing with both the physical and mental challenges faced by such youth.

“While the average American might experience isolation and disconnectedness at various times during their lives because of intense career involvement, age discrimination, geographic remoteness or for other reasons, many youth who identify as LGBTQ endure isolation, broken relationships and disconnections on an ongoing basis, sometimes with devastating results,” said writer Phyllis Hanlin in an article published by the New England Psychologist entitled “Isolation and LGBTQ youth: Social, psychological and financial implications.”

Youth from different cultures living in the United State have varying experiences—an issue that many Americans don’t realize exists.

Writer Aditi Kini explored the challenges of LGBTQ youth from South Asia in INTO magazine. “Stigma against mental health is rampant in many of our communities because we’ve often internalized these assimilationist

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suffer from depression

logics wherein we’re often supposed to be some kind of ‘model minority,’ which becomes especially hard to battle if you don’t come from class privilege,” said V. Varun Chaudhry, a Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern University, in the article.

In Managed Healthcare Connect, writer Paul Nicolaus explored federal policy changes and the effect they may have on LGBTQ youth.

The potential implications for the health of the LGBTQ population are extraordinary, explained Stephen Russell, Ph.D. and faculty member in the Human Development and Family Sciences department and the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

“Research has revealed that mood and anxiety disorders, self-harm, and attempted suicide are more common among sexual minorities, for instance, and these individuals are also more likely to report alcohol disorders and behaviors such as tobacco and drug use,” Nicolaus wrote.

The future of trans health care was explored in a series done by writer Bex vanKoot for Medium. Gender specialists around the world are working on new technologies and scientific advancements that could revolutionize genderaffirming care.

“It’s happening really fast,” says Cei Lambert, transgender program patient advocate at Fenway Community Health Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Lambert sees big developments happening in the field of hormone blockers, in fertility and reproduction, and in genital surgeries using robotic and microsurgical techniques.

>>>> To learn more about the project, visit www.asja.org/genderidentityproject.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 33

A DAY IN THE with Laura Vanderkam

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life

ne of the perks of being a writer is that an average day can be anything but. One day might be filled with research, another writing and another interviewing. If you step back, though, you may find that you’ve developed a routine—albeit a loose one. n We wondered what an average day for Laura Vanderkam looks like, especially since she’s the author of several books on time management and productivity as well as the mom to four young children.

>>> What time do you get up?

During the school year, I set my alarm for 6:45 a.m. However, I’m almost always up before then, because my 4-year-old has a tendency to wake up at the crack of dawn.

If he makes it past 6 a.m., it’s a good day.

>>> How do you start your day?

On the days I’m dealing with the 4-year-old, I let him watch videos while I either work or read.

Then I take a shower at 6:45 and get dressed.

7:10-7:50 tends to involve a lot of time in the kitchen as my family eats breakfast in sequence.

If my husband’s home, he’ll generally cook. My 12-year-old and 4-year-old eat first. At some point, I roust my 7-year-old and 9-year-old and bring get them downstairs. I used to think this was all very inefficient, but it’s kind of nice to talk with people in smaller groups, and some mornings we eat family breakfast together. At 7:50 either my husband or I drive the 12-yearold to school or send him out to the carpool.

Our nanny comes to work at 8 and takes over on the kids-getting-ready process (she’s

mostly in charge of the 4-year-old as the big kids are in school much of the day). I do some strength training in my office (kettle bells, resistance bands) from 8:10-8:25. Then I bring the middle two kids out to the bus stop.

I’m inside at 8:35. I walk into my home office, and shut the door. This is when my workday officially begins — though as noted, I’ve often already been working from 6-6:45 or so.

>>> Are there things you have to do to prepare to start work?

Nope. While I love to sit down at my computer with a hot cup of coffee, this generally only happens in the 6-6:45 a.m. shift. By the time I sit down at 8:35, my second cup of coffee is cold and warming it up in the microwave just doesn’t feel quite the same. I don’t have any starting-up rituals.

Sitting down is the start-up ritual. I think I’d find it hard to take myself seriously enough to believe I needed something elaborate to get in the mood.

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Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time-management and productivity books, including Off the Clock (May 2018), I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours.

“One thing I’ve learned from writing about time management is that there are no typical days.” >>> What does a typical workday look like?

When I’m in my office, I aim to do my most challenging writing and editing work in the morning. If at all possible, I won’t schedule phone calls before 10:30/11 or so. This gives me a solid two hours for focusing on deeper work. I tend to heat up leftovers and eat lunch at my desk. I do take a break, though, in mid-afternoon, to run (except during summer — then I try to go earlier). My energy is usually flagging by then and a run perks me up better than coffee does. In the afternoon, I do lighter writing or editing. Sometimes I record my Before Breakfast podcast episodes then (I have a recording set-up in my office that enables this).

At 3:50 or so, kids start arriving off buses. I’ll say hello and then keep working, or do my part of the afternoon kid-shuttling. We’ve got three swim team members, karate, sometimes drama, wrestling in winter, baseball in spring, piano... Our nanny does this if I am traveling or need to work, but if I’m home I do what I can of it.

>>> Do you keep regular hours?

I aim to, though of course one thing I’ve learned from writing about time management is that there are no typical days. During peak conference season (Sept. to Nov. and March to June) I’m generally flying somewhere at least once a week to give a speech. So those days are completely different. I also co-host a podcast called Best of Both Worlds. My co-host, Sarah Hart-Unger, is a practicing physician, so we tend to batch record on days when she’s not seeing patients. On those days I might be interviewing guests and recording various tracks from, say, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

>>> How do you divide home and work hours?

Some of it blends together. One upside of self-employment is that I can do things like go for a run during the day. I generally aim to follow the kids’ school hours for the core of my work. I almost always do some work outside the hours of 8:35 a.m. – 3:50 p.m., but I can’t guarantee there won’t be noise, or that I won’t be interrupted. So I structure my work accordingly. If I’m up early on weekends, I’ll often use that as time to work too (or run).

>>> What does your evening look like?

We eat dinner at different times depending on the activity schedule.

Generally our nanny cooks dinners ahead of time on the mornings when the 4-year-old has preschool (she also grocery shops, runs errands, and does the kids’ laundry — it was so worth keeping these hours despite the little guy going to a few hours of school per week!) So we eat what she’s prepared. Evenings are pretty low key: homework, piano practice, screen time. Sometimes I’ll head back into my home office to work. Sometimes my 12-year-old will have a later swim practice, or the 9-year-old will have a later wrestling practice (we try to carpool for those). I sing in a choir that meets on Thursday nights from 7-9 p.m. We have regular childcare coverage on those nights so if my husband’s traveling, we’re not scrambling. If he’s home, he can go to the gym or something.

>>> When and how do you end your day?

During the school year the 4-year-old is usually down by 8. I get the 7-year-old to bed by 9. The big boys are supposed to be in their room reading from 9-10, with lights out at 10. After that, I’ll hang out and chat with my husband for a bit. I aim to be in bed by 10:30/10:45, given the pre-6 a.m. wake-ups. This doesn’t always happen (and some nights I like to read for a while too!) but some mornings I get lucky and can sleep until 6:45, so it all comes out in the wash. I track my time, and I know that over any given longer period of time (like a month) I’ll average out to 7.3-7.4 hours of sleep/day. This helps me feel more relaxed about the occasional shorter night!

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 35

COLUMNS

STEPHANIE VOZZA

Freelance Writer and ASJA Editor

That's Productive My mother always says, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” I never fully understood what she meant until I started working for myself and learned firsthand about Parkinson’s Law. It states: "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."

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his little piece of brilliance was shared by British naval historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson in 1955 in a satirical article he wrote for the Economist, critiquing the bureaucracy of public administration.

He could have been writing about me. Most weeks I work about 40 hours.

Some weeks I have less on my plate than others, yet that doesn’t always translate to fewer hours. A story that normally takes three hours to complete can take all day.

YouTube, anyone?

Ironically, one of my regular gigs is writing about productivity for Fast Company, where I get to interview experts and researchers in time management. Along the way, I’ve created a toolbox I pull out when I notice I’m not getting stuff done.

DO A BAD DRAFT Perfect is the enemy of done, so instead of worrying about quality just sit down and write a bad first draft. Ann Lamott has a more colorful name for it. In her book Bird

by Bird, she writes: “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something — anything — down on paper.”

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USE A TIMER Our brains have a limited ability to concentrate, and trying to force yourself past its ability can be counterproductive. Robert Pozen, author of Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours, suggests working in 75- and 90-minute spurts to take advantage of the brain’s two modes: focusing and consolidation. Use a timer to know when it’s time to take a break, then take 15 minutes away to reboot your focusing ability.

BATCH YOUR WORK You probably know that multitasking doesn’t work. Your brain takes time switching gears, and it actually takes longer for you to get things done than if you focused on items one at a time. Speed things up by batching like tasks. Scott Young, author of Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career, is a big proponent of batching. He suggests using it on things like email, phone calls, blogging, cleaning, cooking, errands, planning, and even socializing.

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DUMP OUT YOUR BRAIN When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I need to get out of my own head and write everything on paper. It’s almost never as bad as I make things out to be. In his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, time-management expert

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David Allen suggests going through the list, putting tasks into categories. If something takes two minutes or less, do it now. If you can delegate it, assign it. If it’s time specific, put it on your calendar. If it’s something you’d like to do, put it on a “Someday” list. Getting tasks out of your head and onto paper can reduce the feeling of overwhelm and give you a blueprint for your week.

BLOCK YOUR TIME Productive people protect their time.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to time block, carving out blocks of time where you can do focused work. It helps to match tasks to your energy level. Each of us has a pattern based on our circadian rhythm. Daniel Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, says pairing tasks to the right time of day can improve your performance. lf you’re a morning person, do analytic and decision-making tasks during early morning hours and creative tasks in late afternoon or early evening. If you’re a night person, the reverse is true. And if you fall somewhere in between, tackle analytic and decision-making tasks during early to midmorning, and creative tasks in late afternoon or early evening. Administrative work should be done in between.

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C A R O LY N C R I S T Freelance Writer

T O O LS O F THE TRADE

KAJABI

PRODUCT R EVI EW

Cost: $149/month (You can get a 30-day free trial, and bonus tip, you can extend that each month for a year.) No transaction fees.

An “all-in-one platform” for online business owners

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hen I decided to start a new brand focused on freelance writers at the beginning of 2019, I listed out everything I’d need to do it well: a website, a blog, an email platform, a process for tracking customers and a way to create marketing funnels. With the goal of creating passive income to boost my writing business, I wanted an easy-to-use system that would host online courses, ebooks and memberships I’d eventually sell through the site. Plus, I craved a clean aesthetic, smooth user experience and trustworthy cart checkout process. That’s not too much to ask, right? From the outset, my wish list seemed impossible.

Then I found Kajabi, a self-proclaimed “all-in-one platform” intended for online business owners to host their courses, create landing pages and launch marketing campaigns. Around for about a decade but still considered “emerging,” the platform is mostly used by online marketers, personal development coaches and social media gurus, but I have the feeling that freelancers — especially ASJA members like me who want to sell their expertise and intellectual property — will soon take notice.

I’ve taken the plunge and now happily post weekly content on my easy-to-customize site with my own custom domain. I’ve added a few hundred people to my email list, run Facebook ads that link directly to my landing pages and set up products to begin launching this year. Think of it as your one-stop place that links an aesthetically-pleasing Squarespace website, the online course platform of Udemy, the lead generation capabilities of Clickfunnels and the email marketing prowess of Mailchimp.

Features: Custom domain, landing pages, marketing funnels, webinars, email automations, built-in shopping cart, product upsells, blog, customizable text, email marketing and more.

Pros: For me, this really feels like an all-in-one solution with everything I need to start running a brand and online business. Since I’m doing every aspect of the business myself, I can tweak each page and figure out the functionality and aesthetics as I go.

Cons: Since it’s all integrated, some of the features aren’t as robust as individual platforms. For instance, the email marketing analytics aren’t as detailed and segmented as you might see on Mailchimp or other systems.

Kajabi announced plans to enhance this by the end of 2019 and is always releasing updates, but some people may find their “still emerging” phase as slow and annoying.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 37

COLUMNS

PITCH PERFECT

with Clarie Zaulkey

Writers can learn a lot from each other, especially when it comes to successful pitching. In this new recurring feature, we’ll highlight pitches that netted a writer an assignment. This time we’re featuring a pitch that landed Claire Zaulkey an assignment with Chicago Health magazine. (Fun note: Claire met the editor during an ASJA Client Connections event!).

Eve Becker Freelance pitches on ED centers and trauma informed schools (post-ASJA)

Hi Eve: I hope you're having a good week and are transitioning flawlessly from one holiday season to another (I know I sure am.) I have two pitches (below) for you for Chicago Health, one about eating disorders and the other about trauma informed care for youth. Please let me know if you have any questions about either. Thanks so much for your time!

Best, Claire Zulkey

TRAUMA INFORMED SCHOOLS: WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT TO CHICAGO? Trauma Responsive Educational Practices (TREP) is a system that rethinks the traditional method for providing emotional support for at-risk students in Chicago Public Schools. The new system recognizes that the traditional model of keeping a single social worker on hand to counsel students who might be traumatized by witnessing violence or experiencing abuse is insufficient for many schools in Chicago (and around the country) where the majority of children are affected by violence.

The TREP system trains educators and school administrators to spot the signs and symptoms of trauma in students (as well as families and staff), realize the effects of trauma on all aspects of schooling, and fully integrate knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices. Just as importantly, they can alter classroom practices to avoid triggering trauma histories. (TREP also provides an online resource to access a virtual learning community or request in-person training.)

In addition to exploring the background and science of studying trauma in public schools, this piece would also talk about the impact it’s made on students and explore the future of trauma 3 8 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

If you’d like to see more of Claire’s winning pitches, she sells a “Pitches that Worked” ebook at gumroad.com/l/zulkey2019

Looking back on this pitch this is a bit of an info dump, without much storytelling to make it interesting. If I were to do this again I might try to find an anecdote to include.

informed schools and resources in Chicago. I have already worked with/written about Micere Keels at the University of Chicago, the founding project director of TREP. “This source, Micere Keels, is where this pitch came from—I’ve covered her work twice before, both for the University of Chicago, where she works. Trauma informed care seemed promising and interesting to me and unfortunately continues to be relevant in Chicago so it hasn’t been hard to pitch more than one story on it.”

I could also speak with administrators fro Gage Park High School, which is part of the TREP project, the Illinois Collaboration on Youth, and an MD pediatric expert from Lurie about the difference adequate trauma counseling can make -- why this is a health concern for all Chicagoans, not just those who might need these services.

“Yes, my pitch had a typo. ”

T H E P I TC H T I M E L I N E O C T. 2 0 1 7

I met the editor, Eve Becker, at ASJA Chicago at the Content Connections meeting. After a post-conference follow up email hello, I sent her this pitch in Dec. She was interested but asked that I follow up in the spring.

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I followed up with her in March 2018. She replied in April, “Can you broaden your pitch from trauma-informed care in schools to how that’s used in medical care or (better) how trauma-informed care relates to mental health issues (the theme of our next issue)? So, can you write up a description of how you’d approach that and some potential Chicago sources you’d talk to (we can identify some too).” story Assigned in April

Eve Becker Freelance pitches on ED centers and trauma informed schools (post-ASJA)

Hi Eve: Per your request I broadened this pitch and decided to make it a proposed overview of what trauma informed care for children currently looks like in Chicago, how it compares to prior therapeutic models, and how a proposed bill by Dick Durbin could possibly help further.

Please let me know if you have any questions for me, would like to see any clips, etc.

Thanks, Claire

TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE IN ACTION Trauma-informed care focuses on a child’s experiences (like witnessing a shooting) before trying to correct behavior—its effectiveness as a behavior tool have been embraced by therapists, educators, social workers and foster care agencies and received press attention by outlets like 60 Minutes.

“More of a peg than the last pitch. ” In March 2017, Senator Dick Durbin introduced The Trauma Informed Care for Children and Families Act seeks to train providers to provide trauma-based care available to Illinois children at a variety of resources — schools, at home, health and social service providers, and after-school programs at affordable cost to families.

The bill is currently lingering in Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. This piece will examine existing programs that provide trauma-based care to Chicago children, how they’ve worked (especially compared to what child therapy looked like prior to the advent of trauma informed care), and how they could be strengthened by policy.

Some of the programs I would mention (and, I hope, include some compelling storytelling based on what sources are willing to share) include: • Mercy Home: The Home’s clinical director Emily Neal says in this press release in favor of Durbin’s bill that where practitioners once used psychological, emotional, and behavioral terms to diagnose

Story filed in May and Published in September

This happens now and then where and editor will ask me for a different version of my pitch, basically, with reporting. On the one hand, I am annoyed by getting what’s basically an unpaid assignment, but they typically tend to happen with healthrelated stories and so I consider the time well-spent— I’ll probably use the info at some point anyway even if I don’t sell the story.

the effects of trauma, Neal said, “there’s been a shift from ‘what’s wrong with you to what’s happened to you?’ I think this really sums up what trauma-informed care is all about,” said Neal.

“I ended up interviewing her for the story.”

• Trauma Responsive Educational Practices (TREP) is a system that rethinks the traditional method for providing emotional support for at-risk students in Chicago public schools. In Chicago schools, TREP addresses the inadequacy of traditional model of keeping a single social worker on hand to counsel students who might be traumatized by witnessing violence or experiencing abuse is insufficient for many schools in Chicago (and around the country) where the majority of children are affected by violence.

• Lurie Children's Center for Childhood Resilience has been training mental health providers in the "Bounce Back" intervention, a skillbuilding resiliency program since 2013. A recent study found that 93 percent of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students who participated in the Bounce Back program experienced a reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

• Child services organization ChildServ’s trauma-informed clinical framework called Attachment, Regulation and Competency.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 39

ASJA PROFILES

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Brenda Lange

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MEMBER SINCE: 2003 VOLUNTEER SINCE: 2004 W R I T I N G S P E C I A LT Y / F O C U S :

I specialize in profiles, case studies and feature stories. I most like to write about people and issues that encourage readers to feel compassion, and often to inspire them to take action.

For the last 8 years, I worked full-time for several colleges and universities, writing, editing and producing magazines, annual reports, newsletters, donor engagement materials and more.

I re-started my full-time freelance writing and editing work earlier this year, with the goal of building a content marketing business around higher education, social justice nonprofits and travel. (www.brendalange.com) P R O U D W R I T I N G M O M E N T:

Every time I see my byline in print. Seriously, one of my proudest moments was when my last magazine was delivered at my last college. It was well-received and still stands as one of their best publications.

“ When I decided to go back to full-time freelancing, I knew ASJA would play a critical role in my success, and I wanted to jump back in with both feet.”

4 How long have you volunteered for ASJA? Since 2004 or ’05. I helped out with registration at a couple of the annual conferences, was an awards reader and also worked with the Personal Pitch team to organize participants. (Personal Pitch was the precursor to Client Connections.)

What kind of volunteer work do you do for ASJA? I edit ASJA Weekly and I’m a reader for the annual writing awards, and I used to help organize the Idea Marketplace at the annual conference.

How much time to you spend per month volunteering for ASJA? About 10+ hours per month.

Why do you volunteer for ASJA? I kept my membership active while working full-time, because I continued to freelance on the side. When I decided to go back to full-time freelancing, I knew ASJA would play a critical role in my success, and I wanted to jump back in with both feet. Editing the ASJA Weekly came along at the perfect moment, and I’m loving it.

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How do you fit volunteering in with your work commitments?

I try to complete volunteer commitments in the early mornings or later in the day, leaving the bulk of my time open for work.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

I have met some fascinating people (I’ve also volunteered extensively for the church, scouts and my kids’ schools) and learned a great deal. I always feel that I get more than I give.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I take photos and create note cards that I sell and give away, at brendalangephotos.com.

I love to travel and explore, to bike, camp, hike, read, and most of all, spend time with my family.

Please welcome Tim Bennett into the ASJA family. You can reach him at TBennett@kellencompany.com. We’re also thankful that in her new role at Kellen, Holly Koenig remains connected to ASJA.

M E E T A S J A’ S N E W E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R

T IM B ENN E T T

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e won’t admit to having a management super power, but Tim Bennett is fond of spreadsheets and checklists.

“A good checklist (for a project or program) isn’t Kryptonite, but it’s a GPS when you’re setting goals for a new program or project and if the teams feel a little lost at any point along the way,” he says.

As ASJA expands its programming and member benefits to grow membership, Bennett’s lists are welcome. Sometimes fresh eyes are exactly what’s needed.

Bennett joined the ASJA staff in July, when previous executive director, Holly Koenig moved into a senior vice president position overseeing all executive directors in the New York City office of Kellen, ASJA’s association management company. In 2014, ASJA transitioned from employing an executive director to contracting with Kellen to provide a wealth of administrative support, from accounting to event management. Koenig became executive director in 2016.

With Kellen for 12 years, Bennett also works with the Council of Science Editors (CSE), a solid complement to ASJA. “I love partnering with boards, committees, and staff to uncover what matters most to members and communicating out to the full membership the resources available and benefits they may not be aware of,” he says. “Members have day jobs and staff have long to-do lists, but somehow programs are developed,

projects completed, and meetings and conferences happen.”

As a Kellen team member, he’s particularly drawn to learning the ins and outs of associations’ niches in the professional world. “There are more committed professionals per square foot at Kellen than at any other organization that I’ve worked for,” he says. “I’ve watched my colleagues absorb what a society or an association does and what it means to its members and, without taking a breath, start delivering on an organization’s commitments.”

At ASJA, he’s primarily worked with the board thus far, and he hopes ASJA members see how much enthusiasm the board has for the freelance writing profession and the organization’s members.

Bennett clearly has enthusiasm for management. In his spare time, he serves as president of the 96-unit Manhattan co-op building where he lives. “I’m always re-reading bylaws and guidelines, house rules, and financial statements,” he says.

“Absorbing all of those documents is a necessary challenge to get to the fun part—developing a plan to move forward.”

He has big plans for ASJA, including drawing up checklists for each ASJA program and event. “As the new guy, I’ve been given project plans and calendars,” he says. “I’d like to develop a single, detailed operating plan for executing and tracking every major ASJA program.

“I have a feeling ASJA members know plenty about checklists and project plans.”

Indeed we do.

ASJ A STA F F M E M B E R S AT K E L L E N

Tim Bennett, ASJA Executive Director As head honcho on staff, Tim works closely with the board and other ASJA leaders to foster a supportive climate focused on mission, vision, plans, and goals. Tim also oversees Kellen staff assigned to ASJA responsibilities.

Patrick Dougherty, Meetings Director Patrick oversees the logistical details of ASJA’s annual conference in New York City and any regional conferences, including negotiating contracts, managing site-based decisions, and coordinating signage.

Sonya Moeller, Association Comptroller With her finger on the pulse of ASJA’s finances, Sonya makes sure that bills are paid on time and that the budget priorities are met.

James Brannigan, Programs Manager Managing ASJA’s conferences, educational programs, and the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund, James B. is also a valued member of the publications team, sending out ASJA Weekly, posting ASJA Confidential, and managing some details in the production of ASJA Magazine. He also manages Client Connections, and last spring, he developed ASJA’s first conference program app in New York.

James Cafiero, Membership & Communications Manager James C. is often the first person new members communicate with at ASJA. He is responsible for maintaining membership rolls and communicating the benefits of membership. Like James B., he also plays an instrumental role on-site at the ASJA annual conference.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 41

M A R K E T R E P O RT K AT H E R I N E REYNOLDS LEWIS Freelance Writer

Market Report

M OT H E R J O N E S

“Whether it’s human rights, political influence and power, corporate wrongdoing or environmental issues, we really go for the deep reporting and the public-interest angle.”

— MARIANNE SZEGEDY-MASZAK, EDITORIAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF THE D.C. BUREAU

E

stablished in 1976, nonprofit Mother Jones proudly claims the mantle of the longest-established investigative news organization in America, covering politics, immigration, climate change, racial justice, food, and other topics central to the public interest. As one of the few general interest national magazines left standing, with generous per-word rates and writer-friendly contract terms, Mother Jones occupies a top spot on many freelance journalists’ bucket lists.

Based in San Francisco, with bureaus in D.C. and New York City, in 2017 Mother Jones won the prestigious magazine of the year award from the American Society of Magazine Editors.

A typical MoJo reader is engaged, curious and committed to social justice, spanning from Gen Z through Baby Boomers, says Marianne Szegedy-Maszak, editorial operations director of the D.C. Bureau and the senior editor in charge of the Climate Desk, a partnership of 18 media organizations.

“Whether it’s human rights, political influence and power, corporate wrongdoing or environmental issues, we really go for the deep reporting and the public interest angle,” Szegedy-Maszak told me in a recent phone interview.

Freelance bylines could run in the feature well, the OutFront section or the back of the book, which often contains culture, health, and environmental stories. Mother Jones hardly ever takes freelance work for its website, which attracts 10 million readers a month.

Before pitching, read recent issues of the magazine—and web stories — to understand the audience, focus, and already covered angles. Avoid the common pitfall of pitching a story that Mother Jones — or another news outlet ­— has already covered.

42 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

MOTHER JONES AT A GLANCE

Fees: $1.50 to $2 a word, based on the writer’s experience.

Story Lengths: Columns: 700-1000 words; Outfront: 1000-2000; Feature: varies, but average is ~3500.

Circulation: 210,000 (print). MotherJones.com has 10 million monthly readers.

Frequency: 6 print issues (January/February, March/ April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) Payment Terms: If a draft is submitted on deadline, then upon request from the writer, 33 percent of payment is due within 30 days of that request. Full payment is sent after the final draft of the article goes through the editorial process.

Kill Fee: 33% of contracted compensation Rights: Exclusive First North American Print Serial Rights and the perpetual, worldwide, nonexclusive right to reproduce, display and distribute the work in digital, individually retrievable form via a website or database associated with the magazine

It’s harder to break in with subjects that staff writers report on deeply, such as immigration, criminal justice or reproductive rights. But some great stories clear that bar. For instance, earlier this year, Mother Jones ran a reproductive rights story from a freelancer who’d discovered an interesting central character, had unusual access and “knew how to tell the story really well.” Chelsea Conaboy’s piece on a woman who’d been banned from selling abortion pills online ran in the March/April issue.

And even though the magazine rarely takes international stories, there are always exceptions to that rule as was shown with the recent series on Syria by Shane Bauer.

Be sure to do enough pre-reporting so that the pitch includes “the strong character or powerful anecdote, the documents, a real command over your story and your writing and reporting, the alignment with all of that and who we are,” Szegedy-Maszak advises.

“We really need to get a sense that whoever wants to write for us has done a lot of legwork before they’ve come up with the pitch.”

This all adds up to demonstrating why you’re the best person to write the piece, whether that’s special knowledge, possession of important documents, or exclusive access to a unique source.

Try to anticipate a group of editors reading it, all expressing their own doubts so that you can address the likely questions in the pitch itself.

Because so many Mother Jones’ stories are political, you can stand out with a culture, health, technology or even a sports pitch. Avoid “news you can use,” coming of age, or parenting pieces. “We’re very eager to go for the counterintuitive, to explore things that aren’t clichés or caricatures,” she says.

New freelancers can read bios on the MoJo masthead and send a pitch to the editor most likely to be interested. Editors discuss freelance and staff pitches every four to six weeks in a story meeting.

If your pitch gets a green light, brace for an exhaustive editing and fact-checking process.

“One of the greatest benefits of writing for us is that we’re extremely protective of our writers and our organization, so we always have meticulous fact checks and, when necessary really rigorous legal reviews with our attorney,” Szegedy-Maszak says. “If you can bring your curiosity as a writer and reporter to the editing process, you’ve got the opportunity to learn from some of the great editors, Clara Jeffery and Dave Gilson being two of the top ones. They read everything and are really brilliant in their editing.”

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 43

ASJA NEWS / ANNOUNCEMENTS

Meet the newest members of our publications team! a s j a p u b l i c at i o n s

Usher in Big Changes Over the last six months, leadership has been hard at work revamping some of ASJA’s publications. As

Award-winning journalist Leida Snow is a former radio news anchor (ABC/NY) and theater critic (WINS-AM/NY). Her background includes editorial and supervisory experience with a national trade organization and three nonprofits. Bylines include: The Washington Post, Newsday, amNY, NY Daily News, Forbes, Global Finance Magazine and PBS Next Avenue. Leida served as president of the Drama Desk, where she produced and hosted the annual Drama Desk Awards and edited the 40th Anniversary Book of the critics’ recognitions. As owner and president of LS Consultants, Leida provides communications coaching to elected officials and to executives in law, medicine and the arts. She is arts adviser to a member of Congress. And she has written lyrics for songs recorded on major labels. Leida has served as a judge of the ASJA Awards. She has been an ASJA member since 2015 and, as Publications Chair, she hopes to help strengthen the ASJA community. Find out more about her on her website: leidasnow.com and follow her @LeidaSnow. And, she says, feel free to send along comments and suggestions about our publications.

Laura Laing moved into the vice president position, Leida Snow accepted the call to become Publications Chair.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Vozza stepped up as ASJA Magazine editor and Debbie Koenig took on

responsibilities for the ASJA Confidential blog.

Brenda Lange remains ASJA Weekly’s editor.

Debbie Koenig (debbiekoenig.com) is a food, health and parenting writer and the author of the cookbook Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap-Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals & Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents (William Morrow). She lives in Queens with her omnivorous husband and their stubbornly non-nivorous son.

In addition, the magazine and blog are being published less often. ASJA Magazine has moved to a quarterly schedule, in order to bring you a bigger magazine with more features. ASJA Confidential is being published on the first, third and fifth Tuesdays of each month, with columns from Milt Toby, president, and the leaders of ASJA’s member programs.

44 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

Stephanie Vozza specializes in business and real estate. She’s been a regular columnist at FastCompany.com for five years, covering leadership and careers.

Stephanie has also written for Inc., Entrepreneur and SUCCESS magazines, as well as for companies that include LinkedIn, Staples and Mastercard. She took a brief hiatus from writing to launch an e-commerce business called The Organized Parent, which she sold to FranklinCovey Products five years later. Stephanie lives in the Detroit area with her husband and two sons.

FINANCIALS

ASJA WRITERS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND

B

y definition, freelance writers are independent. Unfortunately, when we are unable to work—especially when these situations come out of the blue—the bottom line can take a big hit, threatening financial stability.

In 1982, ASJA set up a fund for writers who face economic crises because of sudden illnesses, injuries, or natural disasters. Formerly the Llewellyn Miller Fund, the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund (WEAF) has offered nearly $670,000 to more than 250 writers in need since it was founded.

WEAF is funded through generous donations from our members and others in the writing community. Each month, a team of three ASJA members, led by the vice president of the board, reviews applications from writers who are facing hardships. Some applicants are ASJA members

All donations are tax-deductible and can be made via the ASJA website. (The WEAF information page is linked at the bottom of the pull-down menu called “For Writers.”) Please consider making a one-time or on-going contribution.

Thank you for supporting WEAF and your fellow freelance writers

NUMBER OF

TOTAL AMOUNT

2016

10

$28,645

2017

13

$32,455

2018

9

$19,000

7

$11,000

YEAR

2019 (as

and others are not. Writers who receive WEAF grants have demonstrated hardship from a sudden illness, injury or natural disaster, as well as their status as a professional writer.* Nonmembers must demonstrate that they would qualify for membership in order to be considered. WEAF receives between two and five applications each month.

of august)

WEAF RECIPIENTS

AWARDED

*WEAF funds are not awarded for financial hardships because of changes in the freelance writing industry, the loss of an anchor client or difficulties building a freelance client base. They are also not available for one-time projects, such as investigative reporting or book research.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 45

A portion of the proceeds of your trip will help support the initiatives of ASJA

JOIN ASJA IN

CUBA! A WEEK OF EDUCATIONAL AND

CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN HAVANA, CIENFUEGOS AND TRINIDAD

March 21 – 28, 2020 > > >

Charles Bittner, who teaches sociology at St. John’s University in NYC, will host this premier, all-inclusive week-long trip customized to the interests of writers.

SPACE IS LIMITED

> > >

Guided tours Seminars Lectures

Museums

Music concerts

Dance performances

ALL-INCLUSIVE COST (PER PERSON)

Single occupancy: $4285 Double occupancy: $3885 Spouses, other writers and non-members are welcome

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER

> Contact Charles Bittner: charlesbittner@verizon.net or 617-833-1435. > Visit online at asja.org/cubatrip2019

46 ASJA Magazine / A Members-Only Publication

the last word

“

When another writer tells you a rate is terrible, we’re not trying to shame you, we’re trying to lift everyone up.”

JENNIFER NELSON Freelance Writer

Rate Shaming, Anyone?

M

ore than a decade ago I taught a three-day nonfiction workshop at a writing conference in Montana. One student, a travel writer for the local paper, read aloud her beautiful work, then proceeded to share that she made $.04 per word.

“Why aren’t you writing for bigger, better-paying outlets?”

I demanded to know. “That story could run in The New York Times.”

Flattered, she sputtered and coughed and regaled our group with her lack-of-confidence-fearful-stay-in-your-small-town-lane mentality.

I vowed to work with her after class on a list of top publications she needed to pitch.

Was I rate shaming?

Hardly. A decade back we hadn’t yet heard the term that now implies trying to help other writers get out of their own way and earn more shames them for accepting low pay in the first place.

But I call B. S. I’ve read the many threads on writer’s boards debating whether negative comments on low rates constitutes rate shaming, questioning another writer’s offered, acceptable or earned rate for their work.

Apparently we’re supposed to zip lips and sit by idly while they continue to write for pennies on the word or accept fees like $15 for a 400-word blog post. But is that doing them any favors?

There were always and still are low payers in the writing world – local, regional, small-town publications and start-ups that just don’t have the budget to pay more, like my student’s hometown paper.

But post-recession, post newspaper closings, post magazine foldings, post reinvent-yourself-and-write-content-for-companies-inaddition-to journalistic-outlets, the bottom dropped out of our rates.

Now, getting a dollar per word makes us warm and fuzzy. Only I got that dollar a word – or more – circa 1999. And those who went before me got it 1979, maybe 1959.

What’s changed is a lot of rates now lie at the bottom of that postrecession barrel. How about $35 for a blog post or $100 for a 1,000word article? No thanks.

I want to scream “don’t take that rate” to anyone even considering it.

Why? Because maybe if no one wrote for that rate, if no one replied to calls for cheap writers, if, like models who don’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 per day, writers didn’t write anything more than a grocery list for $15, all those pittance payers would dry up and roll on.

Maybe we could get back to raising rates in one of the only industries where they’ve not only stagnated but gone down. Maybe we could level everyone up to warm and fuzzy again.

So when another writer tells you a rate is terrible, we’re not trying to shame you, we’re trying to lift everyone up.

Fall 2019 / Quarterly, No 1 47

P E R I O D I C A L S

American Society of Journalists and Authors 355 Lexington Avenue, 15th Floor New York, NY 10017

LISTEN UP! Join us for the newly launched podcast that is curated and hosted by Estelle Erasmus, a longtime ASJA member and 2017 New York City Conference Chair.

Sage advice from the following guests is online and ready for download, free of charge to ASJA members.

Nonmembers can download a select group of podcasts for $24.99 in the ASJA Store.

DONNA TALERICO Hippocampus magazine MICHAEL ZAM Co-Creator, Writer & Producer on FX’s Feud: Bette and Joan RICHARD EISENBERG Managing Editor PBS’s NextAvenue.org

ASJA.ORG/ASJADIRECT

W W W.A S J A . OR G

ANNA GOLDFARB Author of Clearly, I Didn’t Think This Through DAMON BROWN AND JEANETTE HURT Co-authors of The Passive Writer: 5 Steps to Earning Money in Your Sleep LISA BONOS Lead Writer and Editor of Solo-ish, a WaPo blog

ASJA DIRECT INSIDE INTEL ON GETTING PUBLISHED AND PAID WELL HOW TO ACCESS THE PODCASTS

>>> Go to ASJA Direct (on the ASJA website, the link is under the section For Writers) and select the podcast you’d like to download. >>> You will be redirected to the ASJA Store. Members must be logged in to the site in order to download the podcast for free. There is a fee for nonmembers. Once you order the podcast, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to download the recording. >>> If you have any trouble accessing the recording or finding your download, please email ASJAoffice@asja.org for technical support.