Conference Panel Reviews
More great panels from the 2009 ASJA Writers Conference

I’m only reviewing panel recordings I found especially useful, so if you’re reading about a panel here, it’s a good one. And they’re only $19! Download to your iPod, plug in those earbuds, and get to walking or running or whatever it is you do to keep your writer’s limbs limber.

The Elusive Editorial Process: Two Editors Bare All
Moderator: Sondra Forsyth, ASJA, former Ladies’ Home Journal executive editor
Panelists: Ada Calhoun, founding (and former) editor in chief, Babble.com Darcy Jacobs, executive editor, Family Circle

Sondra Forsyth is always elegant—in how she presents herself and how she deals with others. I loved listening to her talk with these two editors. Even though this was billed as an early career panel, I still learned from it—especially as to how editors think and how they put together a magazine, and how we, as writers, need to look at magazines.

 

Career Changer: Let’s Get Technical
Moderator: Stephen Regenold, ASJA; founder and editor of Gearjunkie.com
Panelists: David Wallis, founder and editorial director of Featurewell.com Robin Blakely, author and editor Lee Klancher, ASJA, author and publisher

Billed as an advanced panel, this panel was packed with good info, from how to make money with a blog or website to how to get attention from editors. It was fun to hear how David Wallis started Featurewell, plus all the tips and pointers from the panelists. Kept my interest straight through.

 

Geometry for Writers: Finding the Perfect Angle
Moderator: Steve Slon, ASJA, former editor of AARP The Magazine and former managing editor of Men’s Health
Panelists: Betsy Carter, founding editor and editor in chief of New York Woman Claudia Dreifuss, ASJA; columnist for “Conversations With” in The New York Times/Science Times, Mark Matousek, contributing editor to O: The Oprah Magazine

As someone who has A.D.D. when it comes to filtering topics into specific ideas and storylines, I appreciated the panelists’ tips on how to move from idea to pitch to story. The speakers were all eloquent and generous with their information, and laughs came at all the right times.

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These opinions are solely those of the reviewer, and not those of ASJA or the membership at large. More fave reviews to come next month.
To Order: Visit www.asja.org/wc/recordings.php
CDs cost $19 each (longer ones are $25). You can also order MP3 downloads for $15.