It’s Time to Renew Your ASJA Membership for 2026--and Celebrate!
The world of entrepreneurial writing is going through some changes, as reports from the news and ASJA members concur. That’s why participating in an active community of nonfiction writers such as ASJA has never been more important. ASJA leaders are working hard to increase the value of our membership, including lowering annual dues and increasing educational programming. And we’re excited about more goodness coming in 2026!
According to members, one of the most important things we offer is a professional community. ASJA offers many kinds of community-building opportunities, including a virtual holiday party on Wednesday, Dec. 10 where members can come together to reflect on the year and celebrate. More on that in a minute. Another community-building activity is Client Connections. One of my wins for 2025 is getting my first project from a Client Connections meeting – back in 2024!
We couldn’t build a community without you – which is why if you haven’t already, now is the time to renew your ASJA membership for 2026. You might not realize that my fellow Membership Engagement Committee volunteers and I have been hard at work on the annual membership drive behind the scenes since August. We have reached out to previous members and editors or writers who have lost their full-time employment. We have invited newcomers to join us, including people who aren’t members but subscribe to the ASJA Weekly newsletter, attendees at past ASJA conferences, and writers who’ve entered articles or books in our awards program.
Through mid-November, we’ve welcomed over 70 new members, half of whom joined during the membership drive. In more good news, 70 previous ASJA members have rejoined the organization so far this year.
What Members Say About ASJA
In our communications, we have focused on our entrepreneurial business expertise, our community of colleagues, and the ways we connect members to clients. We conducted some virtual member interviews and they reminded me why this organization is so valuable. You might not have seen the promotional video or social media posts we created, so read below, in our own words, what makes ASJA so crucial.
“I learned early on that my fellow members are not competitors. They are people who are resources in and of themselves. ASJA makes that membership-owned resource available to all members better than any other organization for writers that I’ve been in.” – Jack El-Hai, Past President and Board Member
“There is a lot of uncertainty right now in our industry. And I know that the answers on how we adapt are going to come from inside the community of ASJA. I think community is how we navigate any big change.” – Ashley Cisneros Mejia, Membership Engagement Committee Member
Need more convincing? Remember that:
- ASJA membership is fully tax deductible.
- Renew now and you’ll be eligible to register for the ASJA conference April 20-22, 2026, at the members-only extra early bird rate, which opens today, Dec. 1.
- You’ll be eligible to participate in members-only Virtual Pitch Slams, Virtual Client Connections, and Client Connections 2026, which takes place April 23-24 in conjunction with the 2026 conference.
- You’ll continue to have access to members-only benefits, including daily conversations on our Facebook page, weekly virtual coffee chats and co-working sessions, monthly meetups for parents, and DEAI and retirement chats.
- You’ll keep access to a wealth of free resources, including monthly educational webinars, the Paycheck database, press card, discounted legal services, and ASJA’s new members-only e-book, “Building an Independent Writing Business.”
I hope you will join me and renew your membership for 2026 by the end of the year. For more information and to renew your membership click here.
When you renew, consider making a donation to the ASJA Foundation. Donations to the ASJA Foundation help fund WEAF grants to freelancers in financial need (who meet eligibility requirements), and scholarships to the annual conference. No donation is too small. The membership renewal form has a place where you can indicate an amount that you would like to donate.
Dec. 10 Virtual Holiday Party and Membership Meeting
Have you ever felt a twinge of jealousy when your friends with full-time jobs talk about their office holiday parties? Are you looking for an excuse to wear an ugly holiday sweater? If so, please mark your calendar for ASJA’s virtual holiday party, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time. Keep an eye out for an email from the ASJA office with a Zoom link.
I like to think of it as a No Office party, and I look forward to laughing and reflecting with others who get what I do. I hope all active members will toast the year ahead with us, so bring your drink of choice! I wasn’t kidding about the ugly sweater–feel free to wear the best worst one in your closet (totally optional of course).
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Kim Kobersmith writes about philanthropy, higher education, the outdoors, and arts + culture, often through a rural lens. Her work has appeared in The Daily Yonder, Bitter Southerner, Taproot Magazine, and National Parks Traveler.