What's Coming Up in 2014?

Alexandra Cantor Owens

As the professional association of independent nonfiction writers, ASJA has to stay current with the times. And exciting times they are! More and more writers are becoming entrepreneurs as existing media structures fall away and morph into something else. And as health insurance becomes less of an anchor on employees, more will be ready to make the leap.

Among writers’ organizations, ASJA’s membership qualifications have long been the most selective. They are that way for a reason—professionals need to have a place they can call their own. As selective as they are they do change with realities of the writing industry. Our members’ clients include all kinds of enterprises in addition to the traditional media outlets and publishers, and they are expanding into arenas far beyond traditional articles and trade books.

What does that mean for you? It means you will find both experience and advice here from writers who are forging the way and finding new paths to success. So if you are a professional independent writer of nonfiction, ASJA is the place for you.

A quick look at the session lineup for ASJA2014: Expand Your Reach will show you what I mean. Our 43rd annual writers conference will touch on subjects that would have been complete gibberish to attendees of our tenth. Along with the usual rich mix of craft- and business-building sessions (longform narrative, writing about trauma, crafting and selling memoirs) attendees will find sessions on things like e-books and e-singles,  a social media crash course, the journalist’s guide to internet privacy, and whether writers need their own apps. The things successful writers need to know about are more varied than ever.

And our event calendar is growing. Building on the wonderful success of the inaugural Content Connections event in Chicago this past November, our amazing volunteer corps will be presenting a follow-up event in San Francisco PLUS a return engagement in Chicago. These events focus on the world of corporate content and custom publishing for both novices and veterans. ASJA member Bethany Bradsher said earlier this month: “I have had wonderful results from ConCon! One regular writing job and one nice one-time assignment, with hopes for more to come. The trip has already paid for itself and then some, and I made some great contacts as well.”

All of these events are open to all writers, but ASJA members enjoy special discounts, additional programming, and direct access to sponsors and partners such as our newest, Smith Publicity. Exclusive events throughout the year give ASJA members a direct line to editors, agents, content buyers, corporate editorial managers and more.

So make 2014 the year you invest in your freelance writing career. Apply for ASJA membership!