ASJA 2025 Year in Review: Change, Community, and Outstanding Committees
ASJA President Darcy Lewis breaks down the highlights of the past year, including an in-person conference, new management company, and more.
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GEO Webinar Recap: What Writers Need to Know (Before It’s Too Late)
Key Takeaways* Generative engine optimization (GEO) helps content appear in AI search results.* Publishers are…
How to Build a Writing Business Working With Retainer Clients
I started freelancing almost two decades ago after leaving a job in corporate marketing. I…
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…
Virtual Pitch Slam is Back
The Next VPS is Dec. 9 with Award-Winning Trails Magazine It’s back! ASJA’s well-regarded Virtual…
AI Is Changing Ghostwriting, and Other Top Takeaways from 2025 Gathering of the Ghosts
If you went to this week’s Gathering of the Ghosts conference and haven’t started using…
How Content Writers Can Make the Most of 2026 B2B Content Marketing Trends
The Content Marketing Institute’s annual industry forecast is a reliable barometer for gauging where content…
I’m an ASJA Member and Librarian: Here’s My Advice for Supporting Banned Books All Year Long
Librarians love Banned Books Week, which this year took place Oct. 5-11. I left my…
Meet the Member: Robert Lerose on Winning a 2025 ASJA Book Award and More
Robert Lerose has been writing for as long as he can remember, and has freelanced…
ASJA’s 2026 Membership Drive Kicks Off With Lower Dues, Free E-Book, and More
When I started my independent writing career, I absorbed everything I could about owning a…
Almost There: How to Position Yourself to Win ASJA and Other Writing Awards
Do you find yourself entering awards competitions and coming up short? We asked ASJA members…
Jack El-Hai on Writing for the Silver Screen
This November, the movie Nuremberg, based on the 2013 nonfiction book “The Nazi and the…
Applause, Please, for The 2025 ASJA Book Award Winners
After months of serious reading, the judges for the 2025 American Society of Journalists and…
Superman’s Editor Had a Super Power Too – He Was a Long-Time ASJA Member
Any research project can lead to serendipitous discoveries. One such discovery for me was how…
Use the ASJA Paycheck Database to Find Out Who’s Assigning and What They’re Paying
When new issues of ASJA’s former print magazine were mailed, one of the most eagerly…
ASJA Is Evolving Membership Requirements to Meet the Current Publishing Landscape
To say that the world of freelance writing has changed dramatically is a huge understatement….
ASJA Conference April 20-24, 2026 – Your Blueprint for Navigating the Future
Following ASJA’s pattern of alternating in-person and virtual conferences to best meet the needs of…
Tips for Cultivating New and Existing Writing Clients
Mid-August is that time of year when vacation season is ending, kids are going back…
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Nice to Meet You!
Over the past week, I’ve been seemingly unable to escape the Adele song, “Hello.” (For…
What We Lose When We Spout Off Online
About a zillion years ago—in the early 1990s, to be exact—I worked as a rookie…
Staying Sane on a Book Tour
I’ve done many book tours over the years, most recently when my publisher, Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books, sent me on the road this…
Reasons for Rejection
You don’t like to be rejected—no one does. But it’s part of being a freelance…
What Was I Doing? Procrastination and the Writing Process
“Writing process: Hang out on Facebook until bored. Then hang out on Facebook more. Ignore…
Fitness Quickies for Deskbound Writers
How can busy writers find time for exercise with workdays filled with deadlines, pitches, and…
How Self-Publishing Looks Now – and You Should Explore It
Self-publishing, especially on the ebook front, seemed to go through a gold rush a few…
Banned Books Week Event at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
On September 29 a free-wheeling conversation took place at New York City’s Housing Works Bookstore…
How a Freelance Article Turned Into a Book Deal
Several years ago I wrote an article for a local newspaper. The pay wasn’t great,…
Why Would Anyone Want to be a Ghostwriter?
In a 2009 US News and World Report article, Marty Nemko labeled ghostwriting one of…
Why You Need a Writers Group
It sounds cliché but it’s true: every writer needs a writers group. I’m not talking…
Hiccups in Writing for the Theater
I enjoy writing for the theater. But I hate submitting my scripts. Every month, there…
Newseum Executive Paints Bright Future for Freelancers
It’s hard to be optimistic about the state of journalism today. Newspapers and magazines are…
Ready, Set, Re-launch the Peer to Peer Group
That empty feeling when you enter a crowded room – or join a group of…
Looking Forward to a Wider Reach for ASJA
A few years back, I stopped to eat at a truck stop outside Bakersfield. If…
How to Make the Most of a Writers Conference
With ASJA’s Washington, DC, conference on August 28, it’s timely to offer ideas from writers…
Career sagging like old socks? Join us in D.C.
You do have a personal get-work-I-love strategy, right? If you just flinched (or you know…
Think Strategically: Adding Content Strategy Can Help Boost Your Business
When it comes to industry buzzwords, arguably none is hotter for writers right now than…
Eight Yummy Tips from ASJA Conferences
With the Capital Event coming up in Washington, D.C. in August, I’m reminded of all…
ASJA DC: Learn the Best Markets in Your Nation’s Capital
When I came to Washington, D.C. two decades ago, a veteran Senate staffer gave me…
Simplified Content Calendars Can Work For Writers
My sociology professors taught me that I’m not quite the Rae Padilla Francoeur I think…
How to Write Through Grief
There have been two times in my writing career when it was nearly impossible to…
Gaslighted: A Playwright’s Nightmare
I bet you’ve had your share of freelancing nightmares: Magazine editors who pay late or…
Why We’re Excited about the Upcoming Regional Conference in DC—and we think you should be too!
Do you hear that buzzing noise? That’s the sound of writers talking about the upcoming…
National Press Club: A Rich History
This summer, ASJA members have a prime opportunity to gather in the heart of our…
Is Resume Writing Right for You?
What It Takes – Insights from a Professional Resume Writer With graduation season in full…
When It Comes to Contracts, Don't Put Yourself on Autopilot
As a guy who’s 5 foot 19 inches — I’ll let you do the math…
Consider Using an Online Questionnaire
I write health books and use online questionnaires I create as part of my research….