There are many active organizations and discussion groups and useful newsletters to help you with your writing, marketing and publishing. Here's a list:
The Marketing & Publishing Resource comprises a collection of articles to help NASW members take advantage of new technologies and techniques for marketing and publishing their articles and books, whether they self-publish or work with a commercial publisher.
Where can you find story ideas? Should you send stories on spec? How should you track your time? Two veteran freelances address these and other questions.
The National Writers Union has issued an open letter to major publishers in the US calling on them to negotiate licenses with the union's Publication Rights Clearinghouse in order to protect themselves from significant financial liabilities in the wake of the victory in the landmark lawsuit, Tasini v. The New York Times. See the text of the letter and the list of publishers who received the letter at NWU's web site.
When Beryl Benderly opened an NASW Jobs List email in 2001, she didn't know it would eventually take her to Mexico, South America, and most recently, up the Panama Canal. Herewith, her lucky tale.
When you're on a tight deadline, you need information fast. Glennda Chui offers her best advice for finding the people and papers you need. Among her tips: "If all else fails, try directory assistance — either on-line or on the phone — and see if you can get the source's home number. You'd be surprised how many people are listed."
Do you need an agent to sell your book? How do you find a good one? In November 2003, The nasw-freelance list featured a discussion on this topic with much advice from experienced authors. Highlights (and there were lots) are collected here.
In early March 2003, the NASW-freelance list held a lively discussion about query letters — their value, their formality, their structure, and their success. What follows is edited from that discussion.
