Read About 2024 Conference Keynote Speaker Krishan Trotman and Books Sessions
As chair of the books track for the ASJA 2024 conference, I’m honored that we…
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ASJA Confidential
Welcome to the ASJA blog, where you’ll get current information about ASJA’s programs, as well as special features on the business and art of nonfiction freelance writing.
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ASJA’s Newest Benefit is a 20% Discount on AP Stylebook Online
Being an ASJA member comes with lots of perks. The newest is a 20% discount…
Five ASJA Members Receive Ghostwriting Scholarships
ASJA has chosen the five recipients of scholarships to an upcoming ghostwriting workshop hosted by…
Now the Fun Starts: CC24 Recruitment Ends with 65 Confirmed Clients
Last week was a big one for me. I dropped my daughter off at college….
See the ASJA 2024 Conference Schedule
The ASJA 2024 conference schedule Sept. 24-26 is live. The three-day conference features more than…
Hear From Editors and Award-Winning Journalists in ASJA 2024 Conference Journalism Sessions
Freelance journalists are on a never-ending journey to expand their skills and keep a steady…
Make a Date to ‘Speed Date’ for Writing Work at Client Connections 2024
More than 50 top-tier print and digital editors and literary and content marketing agencies have…
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Readers Hate Clichés. Except When They Don’t.
Clichés weren’t always clichés. Once they were creative images or poignant observations that became clichés…
Should You Find a Publisher or an Agent?
Should you pitch a project to publishers, agents, or both? While having an agent who…
Transformative writing, how to teach it
If we go deep within to the spaces we are scared to go, we defeat…
Pushing Your Limits
In 2010, I was told that my 29 assignments for the “Leaders & Success” column…
The Top 5 Mistakes Even Smart Essayists Make
Essay is a popular genre. Trouble is, the number of viable markets is shrinking while…
Five Ways to Put Your Heart on the Page: Putting Words to the Caregiver’s Journey
My mother’s Alzheimer’s drove me to write. My writing inspired me to speak. Over the…
‘Freelancing Sucks’: A Texas-Sized Whopper
Independent writers are used to being disrespected. It goes with the territory, along with all…
Writing Rituals that Make Things Work
I’ve always been fascinated by how creative people balance their work and personal lives. Recently…
The Trade of Trade Magazine Writing
I’ve taught “Succeeding As a Magazine Writer” for many years. Usually, my students’ main goal…
Speaking (and Signing) for the Work
What I’ve always liked about writing: it isn’t talking. But even in my earliest years…
Take a Hike!
I make this suggestion for two reasons. First, it removes you from your writing space…
Businesses are hiring writers who specialize
Recently I asked a technology executive if businesses value writers as much as lawyers or…
3 Ways Stats Can Screw Up Your Story
Whether you’re writing a non-fiction book or crafting a piece for one of the…
Sportswriting, anyone? 8 Tips from National Sports Editors
As a decades-long suffering Cleveland fan (read: no championships in my lifetime — yet), I’m…
An Impulse that Paid Off
I got a book idea over dinner with an opera star. My favorite Metropolitan Opera…
An Essential Tool for Writers: Building a Creative Community
I spent many years participating in career days at local schools, asking classrooms at every…
MFA Programs: What are they and how do they work?
You’ve been freelancing for years. Clients love your work. But something about your writing isn’t pleasing…
Small Writers Group Nets Big Results
The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, FastCompany.com, Columbia Journalism Review,…
Take the Reins On Your Amazon Reviews
Your book’s Amazon page is part orchestration, part free for-all. Your publisher will set up…
Why I’m Glad to be an Office Nomad
For much of my freelance career I had a home office, a spare second-floor bedroom…
My Favorite Office Assistant: Freelancers have a special bond with their pets
When he was with me, my office assistant always let me know when a package…
No Tax Break If Client Stiffs You
Contrary to what many freelancer writers mistakenly believe, long-standing regulations usually prohibit most of them…
Writing a Children’s Book? Make It Predictable.
If you’re like many ASJA members, you probably write for adults. But have you ever considered…
Treasures in the Attic
Early in my writing career I attended a Golden Gloves championship on assignment for a…
Commitment or Obsession? When It's Time to Let Go
Where is the line between commitment to your pet project and manic obsession? It took…
Power of Memoir in Spotlight at ASJA 2014
Emma Brockes’ mother stood up against family abuse as a child in South Africa. Michael…
Negotiating a Publishing Contract
Identifying potential problem areas in publishing contracts is a primary focus of ASJA’s Contracts &…
No Sweat: Six Ways to Build Your Fitness-Writing Muscles
You don’t have to complete Ironman triathlons, bench-press your own body weight, or have washboard…
Inside the ASJA2014 Long-Form Narrative Panel
Anytime you assemble a crew like we had for the state of the long-form narrative…