Application FAQ

Yes, but we strongly recommend that you read through all membership qualifications, this FAQ, and the full application before you begin. Then gather all of your supporting documents (links and pdfs), so that you can complete your application in one sitting.

Staff-written work can be used to satisfy all five clips to qualify for an associate membership. A successful professional membership application may include staff-written work, if the following conditions apply: 

1. Applicant has submitted a minimum of three substantial freelance credits (which could include long articles, editorials, paid blogging, or a book);
2. Applicant held a staff job as a writer or reporter at an established media company (newspaper, magazine, website, etc.), and can provide at least three substantial bylined clips from that media company;
3. Applicant’s qualifying staff job terminated at least 6 months before date of application.

Yes.

Some applicants to ASJA submit perfectly good, but old, qualifications (two books published 20 years ago or magazine articles from 10 years ago, for example). In that case, the membership review committee asks that you submit some recent clips showing that you still working as a freelance writer.

The membership review committee doesn’t evaluate applicants’ work. That’s the job of an editor at a respected publication. The committee wants to see that you have published in several magazines, newspapers, or websites or have published books that meet the criteria described above.

No. The application process must be completed in full using our online forms. Supporting documents must be submitted as links or PDFs.

Before submitting your application, you will be required to submit a credit card payment of $310, which includes an application fee, an initiation fee, and the first year of dues. If you are not accepted for membership, you will receive reimbursement of $285 for the first year of dues and initiation fee. The application fee is nonrefundable. Because you have pre-paid the first year of dues, you will automatically become an ASJA member if you qualify, and your ASJA benefits begin immediately.

If your application falls short of qualifying for professional membership, we will let you know why. In that case, you will be granted associate membership, and you can apply for professional membership after you’ve qualified. It’s often just a matter of adding a few more credits before a working freelance writer can qualify to join ASJA as a professional member.

It can take up to six weeks to notify applicants of their membership status. See Apply for details about ASJA’s membership review process.

ASJA defines a “clip” as a published reported article, essay, blog post, infographic, etc. for a print publication or website. Applications must include at least one clip of 1000 words or more from national or well-recognized regional or trade publications or major websites. Applicants may also submit shorter clips to qualify.

The membership review committee expects to see at least one clip of 1000 words or more. If you are submitting shorter pieces as well, submit more articles so they add up to six articles of at least 1,000 to words total.

No. You must submit clips from two or more publications.

Clips published in free publications qualify for associate membership.

For professional membership, qualification depends. In that case, the membership review committee would like information about the publication. Some freebies (such as nationally known alt weeklies) are respected and publish good journalism. Others publish mostly puff pieces about their advertisers. If you are submitting clips from a freebie, please give us information about the publication, such as a copy of their writer’s guidelines or their “about us” statement.

In general, this means trade publications with a wide circulation that that are often referred to or used as sources by editors and writers for the public. However, some trade publications are “controlled circulation” and are sent free to everyone who qualifies for a subscription. Other trade publications are highly respected but have a small circulation. Furthermore, some trade publications are highly respected but not widely quoted outside the industry.

The membership review committee does not accept clips from publications for which the writer is required to write about major advertisers. It also does not accept advertorials as clips. The committee is looking for trade publications that contain good journalism. Examples include Women’s Wear Daily, Variety, and the New York Law Journal.

Because there are so many trade publications, some may be unfamiliar to the membership application review committee. We suggest you include information (circulation figures, audience, e.g.) about the publication with your clips.

Yes, you can submit non-bylined clips with proof of authorship, such as a contract or assignment letter/email. 

ASJA recognizes that writers try to sign a First North American Serial Rights agreement, indicating the American and Canadian market is one.

Our Canadian members have noted that Canada is a niche market, about the size of California or other regional or specialized markets, so the membership review committee usually accepts as qualifications articles published in major Canadian publications, such as Chatelaine, National Post, and Toronto Globe and Mail. The committee would like to see, but does not require, clips from major US publications.

The membership review committee usually accepts as qualified articles published in foreign English-language publications that are widely circulated in print or online in the U.S., such as the Guardian, The Economist, and The Financial Times. It does not accept as qualifications articles published in foreign English-language publications that are not widely circulated in the United States.

Online-only clips qualify as long as they were produced on a freelance basis and paid for by the market. If online clips are shorter than those for print publications, a larger number should be submitted.

Unpaid content or that produced for pay-per-click models do not qualify for ASJA membership.

The membership review committee tries to draw a line between publications such as “in-flights,” which are published by airlines but have general informational content, and publications that promote a company or institution. Smithsonian and AARP, for example, are accepted because they are general-interest magazines and widely available. Custom publications (sometimes called one-shots) from major publishers (for example Gannett special publications for USAToday) are acceptable, provided the assigning, writing, and editing are not tied to advertising (i.e. the writer does independent research and is not required to mention advertisers). Advertising inserts (advertorials) are not acceptable as credits.

A book is a publication of words, usually 35,000 words or longer. Some books, such as fitness guides, pop psychology, and children’s books may be shorter. If you are the author of a shorter book, please include a word count with your application. The committee may consider a shorter book in combination with article credits.

It depends. For some books co-authored by a writer and an expert, the writer writes the entire book. In other cases, both authors share the writing. For collaborative or ghostwritten projects, the membership review committee may ask for clarification from the applicant or possibly contact the book’s editor to verify the contribution of the applicant.