NCSWA Freelance Workshop

10:00 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday, November 2, 2002
Seven Hills Conference Center
San Francisco State University

Registration form (deadline for registering is October 18)

The Northern California Science Writers Association (NCSWA) invites all Bay Area writers to join us for a workshop on the rewards and challenges of freelance writing (non-fiction). The day-long workshop will include keynote talks by Jane Stevens, a freelance multimedia journalist who has written and produced stories for Discovery Online, MSNBC.com, the New York Times Television’s Science times unit, National Geographic and Discover magazines, and the Boston Globe and San Francisco Examiner newspapers, and a second nationally known writer to be announced. Registrants also will attend two of the following panel discussions on topics of interest to beginning and veteran freelancers alike:

• The Legal Side of Freelancing – This panel will discuss the finer points of contracts, rights and permissions, liability, recent court decisions, and other legal concerns of freelancers. Panelists include: Bob Pimm, a contract lawyer familiar with the publishing business; Donna Albrecht, a magazine writer associated with the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and Bruce Hartford, onetime national Secretary-Treasurer of the National Writers Union. Both ASJA and NWU have been active in protecting the legal rights of writers.
• The Business Side of Freelancing – This panel will look at the financial concerns of freelancers, from setting up a business, sole proprietor vs. incorporation, to expenses, taxes, and retirement plans. Panelists include accountant Mildred Brown, partner in the Oakland accounting firm of Mowat, Mackie and Anderson, a financial advisor also familiar with the special concerns of freelance writers, and a freelance writer who deals with these issues every day.
• Writing for National Magazines – This panel will describe how to make contact with editors and cultivate relationships with magazines, find ideas for features, craft strong story proposals, develop a niche for specialty writing, and survive the rigors of working alone. Panelists include Robert Irion, Sally Lehrman, Anil Ananthasway, and Lisa Davis, writers who have published in magazines that include Scientific American, Science, Discover, Rosie, New Scientist, Health, Nature, Oprah, and Readers’ Digest.
• Writing Books – This panel will examine how to get your book published, including choosing an agent, writing the book proposal, and working with editors. Panelists include: Jay Wurts, co-author of a variety of books, including “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places” (made into the 1993 Oliver Stone film, “Heaven and Earth”); Bob Finn, author of “Cancer Clinical Trials: Experimental Treatments and How They Can Help You” among other books; Robert Aquinas McNally, author and co-author of nine books, including “Voices of the Rocks: A Scientist Looks at Catastrophes and Ancient Civilizations;” and Michael Larsen, a literary agent who is the author of “How to Write a Book Proposal.”
• Alternative Markets – This panel will look at non-traditional markets using freelance writers, including the Web, museums, and corporations. Panelists include Mary Miller, a science writer who produces webcasts for the Exploratorium science museum, and other writers who write for the web and corporations.

The workshop will include an extended lunch period, during which attendees are encouraged to talk informally with speakers and panelists. A box lunch is included with workshop registration.

The cost of attending the workshop is $10 per person or $5 for students. NCSWA is subsidizing the cost of the workshop to keep the program affordable for students and early-career professionals.

The registration deadline is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18. Confirmations that include directions and parking information will be sent via e-mail to registered participants.

Use this form to register for the conference.

Please contact workshop co-organizers, Sally Stephens and Robert Irion, with any questions: stephensfw@mindspring.com or irion@nasw.org.