Now the Fun Starts: CC24 Recruitment Ends with 65 Confirmed Clients
Last week was a big one for me. I dropped my daughter off at college. I started working on a New York Times Wirecutter assignment I’m really excited about. And we finished the first – and most labor-intensive – part of preparing for Client Connections 2024 – A Virtual Event!, closing out with 65 confirmed clients.
It was a big week for ASJA member Karon Warren, too – she won the Client Connections 2024 recruitment contest. More about that later in the post.
(Just a reminder: Client Connections 2024, our “speed dating” for assigning clients and freelancers, takes place Sept. 26-27 in conjunction with the 2024 ASJA annual conference running Sept. 24-26.)
An Ambitious Goal
It’s hard to believe that we started working on this year’s Client Connections when it was still cold here in New York. At that first meeting, Client Connections co-chairs Cari Shane, Richard Eisenberg, and I discussed our goals for how many clients we wanted to recruit. Last year, the Client Connections committee secured 35 participants, which allowed each ASJA member who registered to choose up to four outlets when the lottery opened.
During our discussion we said, why not go a little wild and set a goal of 40 clients? It was an audacious idea because the industry seems to be a little mad right now and assignments are tougher to come by.
Fast forward six months. We finished recruitment with close to double the number of last year’s clients signed up, surpassing our reach goal of 40 by more than 60 percent.
The astounding total means each member who registers for Client Connections can choose to meet with up to 12 clients. We are thrilled and have been high-fiving each other via text and email all week.
Confirmed Clients for Client Connections 2024
The number of participating outlets is even more impressive when you look at the caliber of the clients that signed up:
For freelance journalists, we have editors from AARP The Magazine, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times Wirecutter, Next Avenue, U.S. News & World Report, Los Angeles Times, Fodor’s, Costco Connection, Bankrate, Runner’s World, Smithsonian, and more.
ASJA members who specialize in content marketing writing are equally as lucky. Content marketing writing outlets include: Kingfish + Partners, Forbes Content & Design Studio, Masthead Media, and Industry Dive/studioID. Other custom publishing clients that signed up include: Springer Nature, Revmade, and Long Dash/The Atlantic brand storytelling agency.
Literary agents, book publishers, associations, medical organizations, and more round out the clients on tap. If you haven’t taken a look yet, see the entire list here.
Save the Date – Client Connections Prep Session on Sept. 9
Registration for Client Connections 2024 runs through Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. To register for the program, you must use the conference portal. The CC24 lottery will open on Sept. 5 at noon Eastern time and stay open until Sept. 12 at 9 p.m. Eastern. For more information about the lottery, you can go to the FAQ here.
Client Connections is open only to ASJA professional members, and is $69 bundled with conference registration, and $129 without.
We’d like to invite everyone, whether you’ve participated in Client Connections before or not, to attend a Client Connections prep session Monday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. Eastern.
Twenty years ago when I ran the very first Client Connections (then called Personal Pitch) we asked clients for feedback after the event ended. Along with a heartening number of compliments and kudos, we fielded some negative feedback. Twenty years later, things haven’t changed. Clients overwhelmingly love participating in the event. But issues and problems arise that the clients bring to our attention. The session is our bid to be more proactive and prepare everyone for success.
During the Zoom discussion, we’ll go over Client Connections dos and don’ts, highlight what drives editors and agents crazy – and what makes them want to hire you. Put this prep session on your calendar. Here’s a link.
Thank You to Client Connections 2024 Volunteers
I can’t finish this post without thanking the volunteers who helped our committee assemble such an amazing lineup of clients. Cari, Richard, and I were blown away at the level of commitment, generosity, and elbow grease that went into this year’s CC24 prep.
We’d especially like to thank the winner of the recruitment contest (and my ASJA Facebook page co-chair), Karon Warren, who secured six assigning clients from four outlets: Masthead Media, Costco Connection, and Investopedia. Karon, I hope that plenty of positive karma finds your assignment spreadsheet – and soon!
We’ve got one more week of August. Take a little time for yourself as the summer winds down. Maybe a walk or a trip to a park will get your creative juice flowing and inspire some CC24 pitches. Just don’t forget your sunscreen!
KJ Bannan is an experienced journalist, content writer, editor, moderator, and script writer. She covers a wide variety of topics including technology, health, personal finance, human resources, and marketing, among others. Her work has appeared in publications such as the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, Parents, Time, WebMD, and Marie Claire.