From the New York Times, a story discussing how some bloggers have turned their no-pay hobbies into sometimes-lucrative businesses. Some sold ads, some sought donations, some spun off books and other sidelines. "What the successful have in common is a passion for their subject and a near-compulsion to share what they know," reporter Kate Murphy writes. "Advertising, merchandising, offline events, book deals, donations and sometimes sheer luck also play a part."
Your business
A reminder about an NASW grant program for science writers; a search for potential mentors of AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship winners; plus new web resources for freelancers, instructors, and others interested in the science writing world.
Brian Deer, who made his name covering autism doctor Andrew Wakefield, says his investigative science reporting ran into a wall of lawyers at the British science journal, Nature. Writing in the Guardian, Deer lists his objections to a contract full of confidentiality and indemnity clauses. "I frankly couldn't believe this charter to drown journalism," he said. "It read less scientific than Scientological." Nature responds in the Guardian article's comments.
Roy Peter Clark of the Poynter Institute presents the case for self-promotion, long anathema to many working journalists, but now a necessity in the era of declining big media brands. "Like everything else in the world of digital media, the old boundary between the writer and the promoter has been erased," Clark writes. "There is no chance that my bosses will pay to put my picture and name on a billboard or the side of a bus. It’s up to me."
From the Scholarly Kitchen, two well-established writers going in different directions. One, thriller novelist Barry Eisler, spurned a $500,000 advance in favor of self-publishing. The other, Amanda Hocking, who specializes in the young-adult paranormal genre, is signing with St. Martin's Press after self-publishing nine wildly successful books. Plus more on Hocking's move from the New Yorker and the New York Times.
A federal judge in New York has set aside the latest version of Google's class action settlement with the Authors Guild over the search giant's scanning and archiving of some 12 million books, many still under copyright. For discussion of what happens now, see this analysis on the Scholarly Kitchen blog, with a list of links to other coverage of the ruling, and a longer review on The Laboratorium.
A half-dozen articles with tax-season tips for freelance writers and others, from attorney, author and frequent ScienceWriters contributor Julian Block, They include Red flags for audits, Don't overpay Social Security, and Common tax issues faced by freelancers.
Think back to the last time you went to a party where you didn't know many people. Did you have a good time? Make some new connections? If so, then you probably didn't just stand in one spot and expect people to approach you for conversation — you mingled. Dave Taylor and Amy Gahran explain how online mingling — through commenting — can enhance your freelance career.
Sure, you're a great science writer. But can potential clients find you? Media consultant Amy Gahran shows how the basic tools of online "findability" can help you get noticed. (Sorry, having your name come up at the top of Google results doesn't necessarily help.)
Liability is a major concern for many freelance writers, especially as contracts with onerous indemnity clauses seem to be growing like fungus after a warm rain. While for most science writers, the chances of getting sued are small, it can happen. In this three-part series, NASW Freelance Committee member Kendall Powell looks at steps you can take to limit your liability. Part I: Knowing your risks, and avoiding them.