Conference Highlights

by the Conference Committee

How is it possible that every year the ASJA conference just seems to get better? This year the schedule of events has been revamped and rearranged a bit, but remains packed with good stuff all the same. Below are a few highlights of panels (a couple on Friday, for members only, the others on Saturday) and the Idea Marketplace.

On the social side, dinners and other activities are planned to make your New York nights sparkle during the conference. Evening dinner groups are being arranged in a variety of venues, from Grand Central to Little Italy, from delis to steak houses.

Plan to participate in a free tour of Grand Central to kick off the weekend Thursday at 6, or consider a wine-tasting event on Saturday evening. A sign-up opportunity will come before the end of February. All events include limited seatings, so early sign-up is imperative. (Participants will pay for their own dinners.) Watch the ASJA forums for additional information.

And Saturday evening there will be a cocktail party for all, members and nonmembers alike, with our own David Groves performing magic (read his essay on page 11).

Members may watch the ASJA forums for additional information as it trickles in, and see you there!

Chasing History: Writing Biography
(Friday morning, for members only)
To write biography is to be Sherlock Holmes, combing through the archives to uncover the secrets of a human soul. This panel will tackle the legal, moral, technical, and artistic challenges faced by biographers as they struggle to bring the past to life. The panelists—veteran biographers all—include Sidney D. Kirkpatrick (a Pulitzer Prize nominee for his work on the painter Thomas Eakins); Hazel Rowley (whose literary biographies include Tête-à-Tête: Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre); Marcus Mabry of The New York Times (author of a recent biography of Condoleezza Rice as well a memoir about growing up black in white America); and ASJA member Nancy Kriplen, whose new biography is titled The Eccentric Billionaire: John D. MacArthur—Empire Builder, Reluctant Philanthropist, Relentless Adversary. Moderator Beverly Gray specializes in Hollywood, and has chronicled the career of her former boss, B-movie maven Roger Corman. She'll touch on a key question for biographers: can you make a living by writing about the lives of others?

Magazine Trends: Don't be Left Without a Market
(Friday afternoon, for members only)
Magazines—and the magazine market—are changing faster than ever. Opportunities provided by the Internet, competition from the Internet, trends toward shorter pieces and more tightly formatted editorial sections, the growth of competing sources of information—all these trends and others are changing the opportunities and demand for magazine writers. Are writers destined to become simply "content providers" with few residual rights to our own work? Will it be possible to make a living as a freelancer? What new skills and tactics will we need? We'll discuss these issues with a group of media consultants, magazine-watchers, editors and writers to try to get a clearer picture of the not-so-distant future of magazines and how to survive as a magazine writer.

Have Your Say—and Make It Pay:
Writing Essays and Op-Eds
(Saturday morning, open to all)
When it comes to selling essays and op-eds, querying isn't the name of the game. It really is (almost) "all in the writing." Take a peek inside the minds of editors at this jam-packed, two-hour session with some of the best in the business: Marilyn Milloy, features editor for AARP the Magazine; Mark Schone, news editor for Salon.com; Paula Derrow, articles director and editor of the Self Expression column for Self (she also teaches essay writing for Mediabistro); and Catherine Orenstein, who has shared her opinions and essays with readers of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Examiner Sunday Magazine and Ms. Magazine. We'll talk about how to break into your dream markets, what editors look for in essay and op-ed submissions, what rates to expect, the biggest mistakes writers make in this genre (and how to avoid them) and much more. Bring your questions and join us for an exciting morning.

Winning Tactics:
Difficult Editors and Challenging Assignments
(Saturday morning, open to all)
Four veteran freelance journalists and members of ASJA will tackle a politically-sensitive, rarely-discussed problem for writers at every stage of their careers: How can you work with bad editors? They will discuss solutions to challenges such as: the editor who completely changes the direction of the assignment after you've written it, wants you to explain quantum physics in 25 words or less, never responds to questions or screams at you for following directions he gave you by phone, which he doesn't remember doing. The panelists are former ASJA president Lisa Collier Cool, winner of 18 journalism awards; Todd Pitock, who has written for such magazines as Forbes and Life; Sherry Suib Cohen, the author of 21 books; and Scott S. Smith, who writes for Boys' Life and Air Tran's Go! and will moderate. Substantial time will be devoted to allowing the audience members to talk about their experiences, so come prepared to share your craziest stories.

Medical Writing Beyond the Magazines
(Saturday afternoon, open to all)
You know how to translate medicalese into English, how to make topics like skin cancer compelling, and how to explain complex medical issues to an eighth-grade audience. Now learn how to take that knowledge beyond the world of newsstand magazines to new markets that need people with your talent. During the Medical Writing Beyond the Magazines panel, you'll hear three experienced medical writers—none of whom have a science background, and all of whom make a great living—tell you what medical communication and medical trade companies are looking for, as well as how to approach unique markets like newsletters, nonprofits, and custom publishers. If you're ready to earn upwards of $100 an hour without pitching, this is the panel for you.

Idea Marketplace
What, you might ask, is the Idea Marketplace? It's simple, really. The Idea Marketplace is like a farmers' market full of fresh ideas for you, the writer, to share with the world. Businesses and organizations set up shop here and happily provide you with ideas for magazine articles and books on just about any topic under the sun.

We have gathered a diverse group this year, with many of our tried and true exhibitors returning but with plenty of first-timers joining them. Whether you write about travel, food, health, women's issues, parenting or finance, it's a good bet you'll find ideas in our market.

This year, you can shop the Idea Marketplace on both Friday and Saturday. In addition, the exhibits will be centrally located in the heart of the conference—where attendees come to register, meet up with friends between sessions, or take a coffee break.

Visit the exhibitors' list at www.asja.org/wc/im/2008im.php and come to the Marketplace with a shopping list of questions. You're sure to go home with a bag full of ideas.