Increasing Content Writing Revenue is My No. 1 Conference Goal
Learning new skills to expand my career opportunities – and revenue – has always been a key reason I attend ASJA’s annual conference, including ASJA: Always in Fashion, NYC2025 Feb. 24-26, at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.
After all, increasing my revenue is how I pay the bills and save for retirement. Every year, the ASJA conference has new sessions that provide tips and insights on how to add a new skill set or improve upon the ones I already have.
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for more ways to make more money from work you’ve already completed as well as the skills you’ve already honed.
At this year’s conference, you’ll have an opportunity to do just that.
In the “How to Leverage Your Experience and Skills to Create Passive Income” session, ASJA member Sandra Beckwith and Stephanie Chandler will show attendees how to turn what they know already into revenue streams that don’t require client writing assignments. In this interactive workshop that incorporates real-world examples, you’ll learn how to leverage your writing skills and life experiences to create so-called “passive income” that goes beyond books to include courses, coaching, printable resources, membership groups and lucrative corporate sponsorships so you rely less on freelance writing.
In the session, Beckwith and Chandler will draw upon their own experience with creating passive income. Beckwith, a freelance writer, book marketing coach, blogger and author, earns nearly half of her income from selling the digital tools she and others create. Chandler is the author of several books and the CEO of the Nonfiction Authors Association and the Nonfiction Writers Conference.
Content Marketing Sessions at the 2025 Conference
Learning how to create passive income is just one of six content marketing sessions in the 2025 conference. Here’s a sneak peek at the others, including descriptions, speakers and times.
LOI Slam, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 9:45-10:35 a.m.
Content managers typically assign work rather than solicit pitches, so content writers need a strong letter of introduction (LOI) to get their attention. Does yours get results? Could it be stronger? During this session, you’ll have the opportunity to present your LOI and get live feedback on how to improve it from Denise Schipani, editorial director of Onward Publishing; Cam Brown, founder and CEO of KingFish+Partners content agency; and Megan Gilbert, vice president and executive editorial director for Fortune Brand Studio.
Writing with Style: Breaking into Beauty & Fashion Writing, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1-1:50 p.m.
The U.S. beauty and fashion industries are expected to generate a combined $200 billion in 2024, making them some of the country’s biggest business sectors. The field is dominated by a handful of big names, but hundreds of smaller companies need good writers for everything from blog posts to website copy to newsletters. Learn more and get tips for breaking into the industry from Margaret Fisher, a seasoned content strategist, editor and copywriter as well as a graduate of FIT’s cosmetics and fragrance marketing program, and Dale Arden Chong, senior fashion commerce editor at ELLE.com.
All You Need to Now About Writing Case Studies, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 9-9:50 a.m.
Ever heard another writer say they write case studies, but weren’t sure what those are? In this session, you’ll learn everything you need to know about case studies: what they are, how to write one, finding case study clients, what to charge, and more. Experienced case study writers and ASJA member K.J. Bannan and Jodi Helmer will lead the conversation.
Is Copywriting for You?, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 10-10:50 a.m.
Content clients often prefer to work with “one-stop service” contractors who do content writing and copywriting. But significant differences exist between the two and doing both isn’t necessarily a good fit for every writer. Copywriting experts Neil Brownlee and ASJA member Emily Dalamangas will discuss the differences between copywriting and content writing to help you decide if you want to add copywriting to your list of services. They’ll also offer tips on how to break into the market.
From Campus to Cover: Writing Alumni Gold, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 11-11:50 a.m.
Writing for alumni magazines involves telling the stories of accomplished, often fascinating graduates, plus compelling trend stories, and features. More often than not, stories are written in a journalistic style. But the magazines also serve as a marketing tool – helping schools to attract alumni donations – and can pay well. In this session, we’ll hear from Jonathan Vatner, managing editor of Hue, FIT’s alumni magazine, and Nicole Anderson, editor in chief of Barnard College’s alumnae magazine, about their editorial goals, how they work with freelancers, and how to get the attention of alumni magazine editors.
Register for the Conference Today
If you haven’t signed up yet, ASJA is running an early bird special on conference registration. Through Jan. 3, rates are $459 for members and $559 for nonmembers. For professional members, the early bird price for the conference plus Client Connections 2025 is $608, also through Friday, Jan. 3.
Register and find out more about sessions, speakers, activities, and Client Connections clients that have already signed up here. Find out more about FIT and its New York Chelsea neighborhood surroundings here.
For more than 20 years, Karon Warren has covered numerous topics including travel, personal finance, lifestyle, insurance, and more for USA Today, USA Today’s 10 Best, CruiseCritic.com, Kiplinger, and U.S. News & World Report, among other outlets. Warren’s first book, “100 Things to Do in the North Georgia Mountains Before You Die,” was published in September 2022 by Reedy Press. She’s been an ASJA member since 2010; in 2021, the organization awarded the ASJA Exceptional Service Award to Warren and six other members for their work fighting anti-freelance legislation.