How Do You Define a Book?

A book is a publication of words, usually 35,000 words or longer. Some books, such as fitness guides, pop psychology, and children's books may be shorter. If you are the author of a shorter book, the Membership Committee suggests you include a word count with your application. The committee may consider a shorter book in combination with article credits.

Self-published or subsidy-published books are not acceptable as qualifications for membership.

Does a co-authored book fulfill ASJA's membership requirements?

It depends. For some books co-authored by a writer and an expert, the writer writes the entire book. In other cases, both authors share the writing. The Membership Committee may ask for clarification from the applicant or possibly contact the book's editor to verify the contribution of each author.

How Do You Define an Article?

ASJA's membership requirements call for six articles of 1,000 to 1,200 words. Applicants can submit more, shorter clips to qualify, but the Membership Committee wants to see at least some longer articles from national or well recognized regional or trade publications.

What if I am submitting shorter articles, say 300 or 400 words?

You should submit more articles so they add up to six articles of 1,000 to 1,200 words. However, the Membership committee wants to see at least one or two longer articles.

Can I Submit Articles From Only One Magazine?

You should submit articles from two or more publications, showing that you are a true freelance.

Is it OK to submit articles published in a "freebie" publication?

It depends. The Membership Committee would like information about the publication. Some freebies, such as the Village Voice, are respected and publish good journalism. Others are merely throw-aways with puff pieces about their advertisers. If you are submitting articles from a freebie, please give us information about the publication, such as a copy of their writer's guidelines or their "about us" statement.

What Is a Major Trade Publication?

In general, this means trade publications with a wide circulation and trade publications that are often referred to or used as sources by editors and writers for the public. However, some trade publications are "controlled circulation" and are sent free to everyone who qualifies for a subscription. Other trade publications are highly respected but have a small circulation. Furthermore, some trade publications are highly respected but not widely quoted outside the industry.

The Membership Committee does not accept clips from publications where the writer is required to write about major advertisers. It also does not accept advertorials as clips. The committee is looking for trade publications that contain good journalism. Examples include Women's Wear Daily, Variety, Editor & Publisher, and the New York Law Journal.

Because there are so many trade publications, many of them unfamiliar to the Membership Committee, we suggest you include information (circulation figures, audience, e.g.) about the publication with your clips.

What about old clips?

Some applicants to ASJA submit perfectly good but old qualifications -- two books published 20 years ago, for example. The Membership Committee asks that you submit some recent clips showing that you are back at work as a freelance. The committee realizes that it may take a year or 18 months after you return to freelancing before you have new clips to add to the oldies.

What about Canadian clips?

The Membership Committee recognizes that writers try to sign a First North American Serial Rights agreement, indicating the American and Canadian market is one.

Our Canadian members have noted that Canada is a niche market, about the size of California or other regional or specialized markets, so the committee usually accepts as qualifications articles published in major Canadian publications, such as Chatelaine, National Post, and Toronto Globe and Mail. The committee would like to see, but does not require, clips from major US publications.

What About English-language Clips From Elsewhere?

The Membership Committee usually accepts as qualifications articles published in foreign English-language publications that are widely circulated in the US, such as the International Herald Tribune, The Economist, and The Financial Times. It does not accept as qualifications articles published in foreign English-language publications that are major in the country where they're published but not widely circulated in the United States. In future, with expansion of the Internet, the committee may look at this issue again.

What About Internet Publications?

The Membership Committee wants to see articles published in major Internet publications such as Salon and Slate. The committee recognizes that MSNBC, MSN, and other sites publish shorter features (600-900 words) that require high-level writing skills. The committee maybe unfamiliar with some websites, so information about the site and a URL should be included with your clips.

What About Custom Publications?

The Membership Committee does not accept as qualifications articles that must mention the advertiser or are part of magazines publicizing an institution or company. The committee tries to draw a line between publications such as "in-flights," which are published by airlines but have general informational content and publications that promote a company or institution. Smithsonian and AARP, for example, are accepted because they are general-interest magazines and widely available. Custom publications (sometimes called one-shots) from major publishers (for example Your Perfect Wedding, Your Perfect Kitchen Make-Over) are acceptable provided the assigning, writing, and editing are independent -- ie, the writer does independent research and is not required to mention advertisers) Advertising inserts (advertorials) are not acceptable as credits.

Must Articles or Books or Websites be Written in English?

Yes.

My Articles Are Not By-lined. Can I Qualify?

ASJA's by-laws require that articles be by-lined. We regret that a few publications do not give writers by-lines.

I'm a staff writer, but I also freelance. Can I qualify for ASJA?

Yes, but only for the work you have done as a freelance--the books or articles you wrote on nights or weekends. We're sorry, but your staff work doesn't qualify. ASJA is a society of freelances and independent writers.

Do I come up to ASJA's literary standards?