Back when I worked at a newspaper, we’d talk about those “Hey, Mabel!” headlines, the ones that would grab the reader and make him call the wife over to hear the shocking news.
I didn’t cry out Mabel’s name when I ran across a commentary from Nieman Reports a few months ago. Instead, I spouted a phrase that’s even pithier than its “Freelancing Sucks” headline.
The writer, an editor from Fast Company, declared that everyone knows about how freelancing stinks, from the harried writers who don’t get paid on time to readers who must put up with shoddy content. You know, the quick-hit stories written by freelancers like, well, me. And maybe you too.
To the Rebuttal-a-Tron 2000!
I promptly wrote a rebuttal that appeared in ASJA’s The Word, our online spotlight for commentaries about writing. Then, drawing upon my self-promotional superpowers, I ventured on Twitter to make sure everyone who’d tweeted the original column knew about my perspective. One person wasn’t impressed and responded with this: “I can’t imagine why the leader of a trade association w/interests tied to the status quo would object. Oh wait. I can.”
Upon hearing about this dig, a friend of mine had a perfect response: “You are just a puppet for Big Freelance.” Good one!
Go team! But to where?
“Big Freelance”: It’s a joke, but it raises a good point. While the tweeter fails to understand that the ASJA is not a trade association, he makes me wonder about our proper role as we work to expand our influence and raise our voice. Is there a line where we might become cheerleaders – Rah, Rah, Go Fighting Freelancers! – who accept too much of the status quo because we like what we do?
On one hand, I’m tired of listening to online pundits slamming the world of freelancing, and I want to defend what we do because so many of us are making it. But low pay is standard for many freelancers. And even the most successful independent writers often cope with 18-hour days, stressful stand-offs with editors and missing checks.
Check, please. No, I’m serious
Indeed, one publisher for a major publication just sent me a note saying “when receivables slow down dramatically for reasons that were not anticipated, sometimes I have to make adjustments on the payable side to compensate.” In other words, he’s outta scratch. But he said nothing about shrinking his own salary, or that of staffers, while waiting for money to come in.
As we go forward in molding the ASJA’s mission, we must be honest about independent writing. We should puncture myths like the idea that no one succeeds at freelancing and we all hate it. (As a big guy who’s about 6-foot-7, here’s hoping it doesn’t take a skirt and pompoms to get that message across.) But we should also make sure writers understand the pitfalls of our profession.
Speaking of checks (not) in the mail
And now for some bad news.
Many of you are hoping to get checks, in some cases for thousands of dollars, as part of the long-delayed settlement of the class-action database lawsuit. The ASJA filed the suit in 2000 along with other writer organizations and several freelance writers. The case finally came to an end last year, and the claims are being processed. And, alas, processed some more.
We’d hoped to see checks land in mailboxes early this year. But our attorney tells us that there have been some processing glitches, and the checks may not be sent out until the second quarter of the year or even later in 2015.
This delay is disappointing, but we expect every writer with a valid claim will be properly compensated. ASJA will go back to court if that doesn’t happen.
Start spreading the news
There’s still time to sign up for the annual ASJA writers conference at the end of April in New York City. We’ve cut costs in order to keep member registration rates at the same level as they were in 2014, when we slashed fees by 8 percent. You’ll be paying less to register for the conference in 2015 than in 2013.
We often talk about moving the annual conference out of NYC, or at least out of Manhattan, but we remain in Midtown for 2015 because our attendees need to meet agents, editors and publishers in person. Unlike the poor city of Oakland, there is a there there. Still, we’ll continue to explore alternatives as we seek the best ways to meet the needs of our members.
Can’t make it to the Big Apple? Check out the conference recordings online. And be aware that ASJA conferences are now a coast-to-coast phenomenon. We held three successful regional conferences in Chicago and San Francisco in 2013 and 2014, and we’re exploring prospects for a conference in Washington, D.C. this fall.
Speaking of locations, we may reach a milestone this summer. If members approve the recommended slate of candidates, ASJA’s board of directors will have only a single member from the Northeast and none from New York state. The West Coast, in fact, is currently home to five board members, including me, and that number may rise to six by the summer.
So is ASJA New York-centric? Getouttahere. Or as we say here in San Diego, “Dude!” We are truly a national and even international organization, and we’re going to keep on acting like one.