Sure, the U.S. economy is doing well, and so are plenty of independent writers. We’re hearing from freelancers who are getting so many assignments that they’re turning down gigs and referring editors to other ASJA members. (Nice non-work if you can non-get it!) And on the publishing front, bookstores are on the rebound as print books experience a rebirth.
But we still face threats to our well-being like a sudden financial catastrophe, a libel lawsuit or a failure of copyright law to protect our work.
ASJA, the only North American nonprofit group devoted to supporting professional
independent writers, has a responsibility to lead the charge against these dangers. Now,
we’re looking to expand our efforts, and you can help.
BULK UP: BUILDING ASJA’S MUSCLE
Bigger, better, bolder. Our board of directors wants ASJA to become all of those things, and we just got a jolt of inspiration about how to get there.
At our fall meeting in sunny southern California, we met with philanthropy superstar
Bob Kelly, former CEO of the San Diego Foundation, which has overseen hundreds of
millions of dollars in grants. Kelly gave us valuable insight into how we can transform our
charitable arm into a greater force in support of independent writers.
If you’re scoring at home, the ASJA is a professional society. Our sister organization,
the ASJA Charitable Trust, is a 501(c)(3) that oversees our conferences and the Writers
Emergency Assistance Fund.
Unlike ASJA, the Charitable Trust can accept tax-deductible donations. You can donate to
it just like you give money to the Red Cross, United Way or Greenpeace.
Donations cannot be used to only help ASJA members, however. They must support
independent writers as a whole. That’s why we open our conferences to the public, and that’s why any writer who’s eligible for ASJA can apply for an emergency grant.
Here’s where we see tremendous opportunity to make a difference on a wide scale. We are
now thinking about how ASJA can expand the role of the charitable trust and do more to help independent writers.
ASJA DREAMS: WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE?
There are plenty of ways to build on our mission. Should we form a legal defense fund for
freelancers and book authors? Endow grants to support great independent journalism? Offer college scholarships to young journalists?
We could also do more to educate writers about how to protect themselves from threats
like predatory contracts and publishing scams. We’re already launching an effort to investigate indemnity clauses, and we can do more along those lines. (By the way, thanks to the 100-plus members who took part in our survey about these clauses. As we seek financial support for this research project, we’ve gained valuable insight into how these clauses chill independent journalism—and how we can fight back.)
Then there’s a kind of Holy Grail for those of us who realize the deep dangers facing writers on the copyright front. Could we hire a lobbyist—on our own or in conjunction with other associations of creator types—to defend our interests in the halls of power in Washington, D.C.?
As we’ve learned, we can’t depend on courts to protect our interests. Just this past October, an appeals court ruled against writers in the Authors Guild vs. Google case over the copying of copyrighted books. Even when we win big, as we did in 2001’s landmark Electronic Database Case, the victory can be tarnished. Almost 15 years later, hundreds of writers (including me and many ASJA members) are still waiting for millions of bucks in settlement funds to land in our mailboxes. We just learned that yet another delay will keep us on the hook until next spring or summer—if we’re lucky!
Yes, we have people in our corner. The unsinkable Salley Shannon, a former ASJA
president, has been our volunteer lobbyist in Washington, D.C. for years; she just met with
the White House’s intellectual property czar to discuss writer rights. And we have attorneys working on the Google case for us on a pro-bono basis. But we can do so much more to raise awareness, change the law and fight in court.
DOLLARS TO DONUTS,WE’LL NEED DONATIONS
A great vision is one thing. Funding is another. That’s where we (and you) come in.
Once we develop a bolder mission for the ASJA Charitable Trust, we’ll need to figure out how to raise money. This will be a big challenge. Most of us on ASJA’s board of directors don’t have experience with fundraising. We’ll need to get training and find the volunteer time to devote to wooing potential donors, and we’ll need to pay for consulting.
Fortunately, we won’t just be reaching out to strangers. Our members have long given to
ASJA’s Writers Emergency Assistance Fund, and several have donated to our Charitable
Trust through bequests. They’ve left sterling legacies for generations of independent writers to come. Inspired by their generosity, we see tremendous opportunities for our members to make a difference in their lifetimes and beyond.
But first, we need a road map. As we move into 2016, ASJA board members will consider
our priorities. If we expand the role of our charitable arm, what should its focus be? And
what’s our pitch to those with the funds to support us?
We want to hear from you. Tell us how we can do more to help freelance writers
and nonfiction book authors. And let us know what would inspire you to open your
heart—and your bank account—to help our colleagues survive and thrive.