What You Need to Know about ASJA’s March 6 Webinar on Writing A Climate Book

ASJA is hosting a March 6 webinar designed for the growing green legion of journalists, authors, content marketers, environmentalists interested writing a book about climate change.

The webinar features John J. Berger, an environmental science and policy specialist, journalist, and prize-winning author, and Danielle Arigoni, an urban planner and community resilience expert, who’ll discuss their respective paths to publishing and promoting a climate book. ASJA virtual education committee member and award-winning environmental author and freelance journalist Sandi Schwartz will moderate. The webinar takes place March 6 from 2 to 3 pm Eastern time.

John Berger, ASJA member and author

Berger, a long-time ASJA member, will share the process he went through to get his latest book, Solving the Climate Crisis, published. It started in 2002, when he decided to revise a climate book he’d written several years before, which ultimately led him to write not one but three climate books totaling 959 pages. Find out how Berger became interested in writing about the environment in this Meet the Member Q&A on the ASJA Confidential blog.

Berger will discuss the challenges of preparing a winning proposal, finding (and losing) an agent, securing a publisher, scoping a project, raising money for research and travel, getting endorsements, working with a contract editor, and more. He’ll also share what he’s learned about promoting his books, including why he placed a massive order to buy copies of his own book, and why he’s contracted with a trio of people to plan and execute a digital marketing and email campaign,.

He plans to speak to why climate writing is a particularly difficult niche to enter, saying: “I want them to know the obstacles can be overcome, but it ain’t for the faint of heart.”

Danielle Arigoni, author

Arigoni will discuss pitching the idea behind her first book, Climate Resilience in an Aging Nation, to an editor at Island Press, and the process–and challenges–of writing a 60,000-word manuscript in just seven months.

“The journey of writing a book was an altogether new one for me,” Arigoni says. “It was a way to unburden myself of thoughts and ideas that I had had knocking around in my head for years, which I hoped could make a difference in the world. The most lovely and unexpected part of it was finding my own voice.”

Arigoni will also share the strategies and lessons she’s learning as she shifts to the second most important part of writing a book: marketing.

Sandi Schwartz, moderator

Moderator Sandi Schwartz has more than 20 years of experience effectively and creatively communicating to various audiences in the areas of sustainability, green living, home and garden, and nature. Her writing has appeared in the Environmental Defense Fund’s Moms Clean Air Force, Green Child Magazine, and One Green Planet.

“Climate change is such a critical issue now, impacting every industry and country around world,” Schwartz says. “I am very excited to hear these two authors share their journey from developing the idea for their book, to publishing it, to marketing it to ensure that as many people as possible learn from their research and writing.

“As someone who also writes about environmental topics like climate change, I am intrigued to hear John Berger address the reasons why climate writing is a particularly difficult niche to enter even given its popularity and importance now.”

The webinar will include ample time for questions from the audience.

The webinar is part of ASJA’s ongoing education programming to help professional writers advance in their careers. Registration is free for members, $20 for nonmembers. Sign up here. For more information about the webinar or ASJA contact asjaoffice@asja.org.