Make a Date to ‘Speed Date’ for Writing Work at Client Connections 2024

More than 50 top-tier print and digital editors and literary and content marketing agencies have signed up to meet with ASJA professional members for Client Connections 2024 — A Virtual Event! 

ASJA’s signature networking event is slated to take place Sept. 26-27 in conjunction with the ASJA 2024 annual conference.

The opportunities that writers who are ASJA professional members have for quick, nine-minute meetings with potential clients at Client Connections are why we like to call the event “speed dating for clients and writers.” Writers who wordsmith content marketing material can meet with marketing agencies. Freelance journalists can sit down with editors to sell their story ideas. Non-fiction book authors can pitch their book proposals to agents and publishing houses. 

Client Connections 2024 is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26, the last day of the 2024 annual conference, and Friday, Sept. 27. Both Client Connections and the conference take place online on the AirMeet platform. The deadline to register for CC24 is Aug. 30 at 9 p.m. Eastern time. You must register for Client Connections 2024 through the 2024 conference registration portal. 

Updated List of Clients Attending Client Connections

Here’s a list of some of the more than 50 clients that have registered for Client Connections 2024 and the rates they offer:

• The New York Times (.50 – $1.25/word)
• Costco Connection ($1.25/word)
• Industry Dive ($1/word)
• Society of Women Engineers ($1/word)
• Weill Cornell Medicine ($1/word)
• Washingtonian ($1 – $1.50/word)
• Global Finance Magazine ($1/word)
• Kingfish Media ($1- $2/word)
• Harvard Public Health ($1/word)
• Smithsonian ($2/word)
• Vassar College ($1 – 1.25/word)

Here are some of the literary agents, publishers, and other outlets that had signed up by mid-August:

• National Geographic Books
• Stonesong Literary
• The University Press of Kentucky
• Amplify Publishing Group
• Wendy Sherman Associates
• Rita Rosenkranz Literary Agency
• Nordlyset Literary Agency
• Gotham Ghostwriters

Find the full list of attendees here. 

Praise from Past Participants

Each year, we get an overwhelmingly positive response from ASJA professional members who attend Client Connections. A full 95% of ASJA members who booked client meetings during last year’s event said they would participate again, and 75% said they had attended the event before.  

If you still need convincing, here’s what a handful of past participants said about how the event helped their writing business, and why they registered again this year.

“CC is one of the only ways (on the planet) to meet editors up close and personal. In this environment with thousands of freelance writers vying for coveted work, consider this an opportunity! I did score work last year that lasted for a short time (not every match is a match made in heaven), and had a chance to talk to two clients I have always wanted to write for. Don’t miss this. The volunteer committee works hard to ensure that ASJA membership opens doors.” – Stephanie Stephens

“I joined ASJA in 2019 to turn my writing business from a side hustle into a full-time business. Since then, I’ve participated in every Client Connections, and landed assignments that have enabled me to achieve the level of freedom I wanted running a business. Many of those one-time assignments that started with a virtual or face-to-face Client Connections (meeting) have turned into long term relationships that are invaluable.” – Katie Navarra Bradley

“I credit ASJA for my success — and joy — as a full-time freelance writer. After attending my first ASJA conference in 2007 as a newly full-time freelancer, I became a member and soon began reaping the benefits of what I had learned. Meeting with editors through Client Connections led to steady work for trade magazines, including IEEE Spectrum, ASME, and University Business, as well as CURE, which allowed me to write about cancer at a time when loved ones were battling cancer. I leveraged this experience to land more health-and science-related stories after Client Connections meetings with editors from Discover, Nature, and Next Avenue. A virtual Client Connections conversation got a “yes” on a story from an editor at Landscape Architecture. Nature, too, has consistently assigned interesting pieces over the years. My confidence has grown as I’ve taken on more challenging stories. Not every Client Connection meeting has ended in paying work, but it has played a vital role in making connections with editors and getting work I enjoy. – Theresa Sullivan Barger

“Before I joined ASJA, the number one benefit I kept hearing about was that Client Connections brought in great business for members. It’s what drew me to join. I was an associate member and Client Connections was the impetus for me to become a professional member. 2023 was my very first Client Connections. I remember looking at the list of organizations and being excited about the amazing opportunity to be introduced to editors and content marketing managers. I met with a few content agencies and branded content studios and although I didn’t get any business directly from the meetings, it gave me the confidence to go after better and more lucrative clients.” – Emily Dalamangas

“I love Client Connections, whether virtual or in-person. A few years back I met with an editor from AKC Family Dog magazine and that led to fairly steady work. I met an editor from Realtor.com and wrote for her. I wrote for OneZero/Medium and UVA’s Batten School magazine. I currently work for Skyword. I never would have connected with these editors if I hadn’t met them through Client Connections. Even if I don’t match with an editor or end up writing for them, I feel I’ve made a connection, and do my best to keep up a relationship in some way. I send an occasional email to check in, and I’ve told editors about other ASJA writers they should contact. I’ve suggested to my regular editors that they participate in the program.  – Stacey Freed

Stay Tuned for Help to Prepare for Client Connections

My Client Connections co-chairs, Richard Eisenberg, Kat Bannan, and I are hosting a webinar to help ASJA professional members who register have the best experience possible. Join us whether it’s your first time or you’ve participated in the past and want pointers on getting more out of the experience. We’ll cover what to expect, how to prepare, and how to comport yourself during these quick, nine-minute meetings. We’ll post the webinar date and other details in the ASJA Weekly newsletter and on ASJa’s social channels.

ASJA will also host a separate webinar with instructions for how to use the Airmeet virtual conference platform, which will host both Client Connections and the conference. Look for information about this instructional webinar in your email inbox and on the ASAJ site.

Register for Client Connections 2024

You must register for CC24 through the ASJA conference registration portal whether you plan to attend both the conference and Client Connections 2024 or just Client Connections 2024. Registration for Client Connections 2024 ends promptly at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, Aug. 30. Please note: Client Connections registration ends before the final deadline to register for the conference. 

Client Connections 2024 participants will take part in a lottery where they select the clients with whom they want to meet. The lottery opens on Thursday, Sept. 5, at noon Eastern time and runs through Thursday, Sept. 12, at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Because of the number of clients that have registered, we anticipate that participating ASJA members will be able to choose to meet with up to 10 clients, which they must rank from their top picks down. Because the event is so popular, participants may not be assigned to meetings with every client they select. Please check the Client Connections FAQ for more about how the lottery works.

To keep up with news and updates about Client Connections 2024 and the ASJA 2024 conference, subscribe to the ASJA Weekly newsletter and read the ASJA Confidential blog.

ASJA board member Cari Shane is in her third year chairing Client Connections events. Shane is a freelance journalist, ski addict, hot yoga apologist, Airbnb “Superhost” and Manhattan native who lives in Washington, DC. Her byline has appeared in a variety of outlets including AARP, ESPN’s Andscape, Fast Company, Fodor’s, Insider, Leaps, Scientific American and Smithsonian. She’s also a volunteer editor for Street Sense Media, a non-profit that elevates the voices of DC residents experiencing homelessness.