Meltdown! ASJA Members Respond to the Financial Crisis
By Julie Catalano, Sandra Dark, Bruce W. Fraser,
Mary Beth Klatt, Andrea Warren
Five members respond to how the financial crisis is affecting them.
Julie Catalano
Getting paid has gone from dismal to abysmal. I am chasing down three late pays as we speak, for amounts that would hardly break their bank account but make a real difference to mine. I have begun to think in extremely creative ways on how to remarket myself as a desirable commodity that editors, readers, viewers, agents, publishers, etc. want to go to as opposed to a pitiful freelancer looking for crumbs of work. There's an old term from the '80s that pops into mind—value-added. I'm trying to be a value-added writer. If I don't end up living under a bridge, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Sandra Dark
My magazine markets have, to a great extent, gone down the toilet. Some editors whom I've worked with for years, and am on a first-name basis with, won't even return my emails lately. Pay is slower, and assignments have such hellaciously long deadlines that they are effectively POP. So I took some slack time and turned out a book proposal that was triggered by a natural disaster we experienced a year ago. The proposal is getting a lot of interest from editors, especially since it can be tied to the recession. My agent subsequently asked if I'd be interested in working up a proposal for a type of book—also recession-related—that several editors had told her they would be interested in seeing. So I've just finished churning out that proposal, as well.
It appears that material related in some way to surviving the recession is in demand. So I'm looking at every other article and book idea in my files to see which ones can be adapted to that angle.
Bruce W. Fraser
My specialty is business-financial writing and editing. Last year was a year of great challenge. On the plus side, I moved from a cramped, expensive studio apartment I had inhabited for 20 years in the East 20s in Manhattan to new quarters with three times the space, a walk-in kitchen, one-third less rent, and I still have a Manhattan address on the Upper West Side within three subway stops of my significant other. Hard to do at any time, much less during an economic downturn.
On the minus side, I lost substantial work time and income in the interim and have had to postpone marketing a book proposal on millionaires because the time seemed totally wrong. Two print magazine clients from whom I derived income in the upper teens for several years are now assigning less work. I suspect this is the case for many ASJA members. One editor who had five publishers within two years at one magazine has left and is now freelancing himself.
I'm now seeking more outlets on the Internet and widening my writing specialties. In November, I moderated a panel on custom publishing and advertorials, a fast-growth area, for ASJA, and hope to secure work there. I'm also seeking to become more involved in writers' groups to which I belong, including ASJA, hoping this will benefit those organizations as well as me. I'm sharpening my computer skills and doing more research on the Internet. On balance, it's promising but a challenging environment for a freelance writer. I feel the heat.
Mary Beth Klatt
Since I specialize in writing about architecture, fashion, and historic preservation, I see a definite slow down in writing assignments. That, coupled with fewer opportunities in proofreading at local advertising agencies (my other source of income), has led me to significantly revamp my business plan for 2009. I project most of my income to be teaching-related. The upside? I expect to become more of an expert.
For example, I will be teaching a series of sewing workshops at local universities, colleges, even a fabric shop. I'll be teaching sewing enthusiasts how to make 1950s-era skirts and aprons, and 1930s hats and 1960s ties. I encourage my students to dress up in vintage attire. The best outfits win a prize and a picture in the next store newsletter. I want to publicize these workshops with my colleagues. I will also rename my website so that it reflects my passion for fashion (www.ChicagoFashionWriter.com). Of course, I will continue to write for well-paying clients (at least a $1+ a word).
Even during these troubled economic times, I still negotiate contracts. I recently got a small raise from a regular client. With these strategies in place, I expect '09 to be my best (and most fun!) year yet.
Andrea Warren
An important segment of my income, since my books are used so much in schools, is author visits, for which I receive nice honoraria. I've never had to do anything to get these; the invitations just came in because of word of mouth. But this fall they've dropped off sharply with so many schools in financial crisis. Last week, a librarian called me in tears to cancel an upcoming visit (and the $1,000 fee I was to receive) because her principal is having to dip into the library budget to cover office necessities.
For the first time, I'm trying to promote myself as a visiting author, and I'm getting very few takers. Even top-of-the-rung private schools are feeling the budget pinch.
Send news about how the financial crisis is affecting you to newsletter@asja.org
