Highlights From the 2024 ASJA Conference Survey
People who attended the ASJA 2024 virtual conference appreciated the advice and insights they got from keynoters and other speakers, found the online platform easy to use, and based on their experience, would recommend the conference to other writers, according to a post-event survey.
The ASJA conference planning committee routinely surveys conference attendees about their experience and incorporates feedback and suggestions into shaping future events. ASJA will use the feedback on the 2024 event to plan the next in-person conference, which takes place Feb. 24-26, 2025, at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
2024 Conference Key Feedback
Speakers and Topics
More than two-thirds of attendees said they’re very likely to recommend an ASJA conference to friends and colleagues.
“I had never attended a virtual conference before, and, even though I served on the committee, wondered whether it would be a passive experience,” said ASJA member Rita Colorito. “Happy to report that ASJA’s 2024 Virtual Conference exceeded my expectations! At the end of each day, I was energized and didn’t want the conference day to end.”
This year, ASJA introduced Airmeet as the conference platform, and most attendees said it was easy to use. Attendees liked that Airmeet was “fabulous” and “a wonderful addition.”
The Airmeet technology allowed us to debut the Writers’ Lounge, a virtual hang-out space to build connections with other attendees through networking and socializing. Although more than one-quarter of attendees rated the Writers’ Lounge as ‘excellent,’ this is an area that the conference committee is looking to evolve at future conferences, including more lounge promotion and dedicated time in the schedule.
Each conference day kicked off with a keynote speaker. All three keynotes received accolades from attendees, with with the overwhelming majority of attendees rating them good to excellent.
Attendees heard advice and insights from keynotes Krishan Trotman, author and founder of Hachette Book Group’s Legacy Lit imprint; Peter Shankman, serial entrepreneur, founder of the new Source of Sources service; and David W. Brown, Temple University assistant dean and communications professor, journalist, student advisor, long-time media industry professional and award-winning speaker.
ASJA member Christina Sherwood said, “I learned so much from the ASJA conference, leaving the sessions energized and ready to take my business to the next level.”
Client Connections
Client Connections ran in conjunction with the conference and offered ASJA professional members one-on-one meetings with more than 60 editors, agents, and other clients from top magazines, newspapers, book agents, and marketing agencies. Survey participants said the client list was “super impressive” and “fabulous.”
This year, 80% of ASJA professional members who signed up for Client Connections got a meeting with their first pick of a client, close to 98% got their first or second choice, and every single person got their first, second, or third choice. Overall, survey participants were “happy” or “very happy” with the number of Client Connections meetings they received.
More than 90% of attendees had previously participated in Client Connections, and 87% would like to participate again in the future. One participant said, “The quality and variety of clients this year was excellent.”
Reasons for Attending
Almost three-quarters of attendees were ASJA members, and the majority had previously attended an ASJA conference. Two-thirds learned about the conference from ASJA announcements, and the top reasons they chose to attend were:
- Gain new clients (59%)
- Network (61.5%)
- Learn more about industry trends (61.5%)
- Learn how to grow my freelance business (53.8%)
ASJA member Carol Katarsky said, “The ASJA conference is one of the most important tools I have in growing my business.”
The conference offered tracks for books, content marketing writing, and journalism, as well as cross-track sessions. The bulk of attendees’ freelance work comes from a combination of journalism and content marketing writing (29.7%), followed by journalism (27%) and content marketing writing (18.9%).
Amelia Edelman, editor, content strategist, and journalist who spoke at the ‘Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Content Strategist?’ session said, “I loved joining the ASJA conference as a speaker, connecting with fellow journalists and content strategists, and most importantly growing the diverse pool of talent with whom I’m able to work going into the future.”
ASJA awards scholarships to annual conferences to talented, up-and-coming freelance journalists and writers from historically underrepresented populations who demonstrate potential and passion for storytelling. Emilio Mesa, a Bronx writer and 2024 scholarship recipient, said, “In today’s rapidly evolving and fast-paced publishing industry, ASJA is keeping pace with the changes.”
“ASJA was integral to me going out on my own and starting my freelance business years ago, and it continues to deliver by helping me to grow my writing and editing business, exposing me to industry trends, new ideas and tools, and helping me to stay connected to the freelance writing community,” summed up ASJA member Deborah Blumberg. “Any freelance writer that is not an ASJA member is missing out.”
Stay tuned for more details coming soon on the 2025 ASJA conference.
Emily Dalamangas is a content marketing writer and ASJA member based in Rockland County, New York. She is the assistant chair for the 2024 virtual conference and the 2025 in-person conference.