Friday Aug. 28 ASJA conference offers expert advice and freelance opportunities in the D.C. area

National Press Club members have a prime opportunity to learn how to build a successful freelance career as the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) holds its first-ever D.C. conference on Friday, Aug. 28. The “Capital Event” conference will be jam-packed with editors and writers who will talk about freelance opportunities in the Washington area and offer advice on how to get gigs.

The event will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the NPC followed by a cocktail party 5 p.m. -7 p.m., at the Club.

Gene Policinski, chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and its First Amendment Center, will kick off the conference with a keynote speech. A veteran multimedia journalist and founding editor of USA Today, Policinski writes and lectures on First Amendment issues. The remainder of the day will feature two concurrently running educational tracks that include speakers from The Washington Post, Politico, Mother Jones, the Washingtonian and Bethesda Magazine. One track –- Building Your Freelance Toolkit –- has sessions on keys to successful freelancing, finding your niche, mining the government’s rich research institutions and marketing through social media. The other track -- Tapping D.C.'s Resources –- has sessions on covering Washington politics and current affairs, how to find writing gigs within the government, writing for associations and non-profits (moderated by former NPC President Tammy Lytle) and writing for regional travel and lifestyle publications.

The conference will also offer optional mentoring sessions with established professional freelance writers.

ASJA is the nation's professional organization of independent nonfiction writers. Its membership consists of more than 1,000 freelance writers of magazine articles, trade books, and many other forms of nonfiction writing. Headquartered in New York City, ASJA serves as a community for networking and professional development. It also represents freelancers' interests, serving as spokesman for their right to control and profit from uses of their work.

Early bird registration (available through July 31) is $175; after July 31 it’s $195. NPC members can receive a $20 discount by using the code dc20npc. For more information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.asjaconferences.org/asja2015dc/. Questions? E-mail Tam Harbert at [email protected].