Northern California Chapter of American Society of Journalists and Authors

News and Events

What Our Members Are Up To:

CBS-San Francisco goes Local: Patricia Kutza has been invited to write for their new Travel/Outdoors department. 2-11-12
Laird Harrison’s novel Fallen Lake, the story of a group marriage in the 1970s and children growing up in it, launches February 14, with a unique interactive feature. 2-12-12
Gayle Keck’s feature on “bouchons,” the small restaurants unique to Lyon, France, is the cover story in AFAR's March/April issue, just out. 2-12-12
Howard Baldwin’s Computerworld article on the wireless spectrum crunch got him on NPR’s To The Point (the last eight minutes). 2-13-12
The Cost of Not Selling Out, D. Patrick Miller’s financial memoir, is now available from Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. 2-16-12

Any NorCal ASJA member is invited to submit a 25-word posting of news about a recent new publication, reading, or professional recognition. All entries are dated and removed after 90 days; one notice per member online at a time, please. If you have a new listing within 90 days, submit it to replace your current posting. Send information to info (at) fearlessbooks.com with subject heading, "ASJA Member News Item."

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“E-Books, Apps, and Clouds”
Public Meeting at the Berkeley Public Library,
May 15, 2011

featuring (left to right): Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, Gini Graham Scott, ASJA member,
and David Marshall, VP of Editorial and Digital at Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco
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About 85 people filled the Community Meeting Room at the Berkeley Public Library to hear an informative and inspiring discussion of the profound sea changes in publishing that are taking place as books evolve from print on paper to e-books, digital apps, and cloud-based distribution. Local ASJA member and veteran published author Gini Graham Scott gave a quick overview of the steps necessary to launch an e-book independently. Mark Coker then issued a stirring call to throw off the yoke of mainstream publishing, comparing the rise of self-publishing in digital formats to the rise of the Free Speech movement in 1960s Berkeley. David Marshall, a successful author and editor with his finger on the pulse of new book media, concluded with an informative overview of how nonfiction books are increasingly being melded with video applications, and commented on the future of books as “cloud-based.” The meeting was moderated by NorCal ASJA President D. Patrick Miller, and special thanks are due to local writer Sari Friedman for an aesthetic and efficient arrangement of refreshments. Our thanks also to the Berkeley Public Library for hosting the event.

For ASJA members and other interested writers who couldn’t make this meeting,
here are links to some of the information provided:

Gini Graham Scott, e-bookpublishing.com

Mark Coker, Smashwords and The Free Speech Movement Meets Big Publishing
Smashwords blog post on same subject • The Seven Secrets of E-Book Publishing Success

David Marshall, Berrett-Koehler and
TRANSFORMING ROLE OF AUTHORS (PowerPoint file)
If you can't open PowerPoint, see these links from David:

The 10 Awful Truths About Book Publishing • What Good is a Book Publisher?

D. Patrick Miller, Fearless Digital

NorCal ASJA holds two public meetings yearly. To join our mailing list
for meeting announcements, write to info(at)fearlessbooks.com
and request addition to the “Friends of ASJA” list.

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About ASJA
Founded in 1948, the American Society of Journalists and Authors is the nation's leading organization of independent nonfiction writers. Our membership consists of more than 1,100 outstanding freelance writers of magazine articles, trade books, and many other forms of nonfiction writing, each of whom has met ASJA's exacting standards of professional achievement. • To its members, ASJA offers extensive benefits and services focusing on professional development, including regular confidential market information, meetings with editors and others in the field, an exclusive referral service, seminars and workshops, discount services and, above all, the opportunity for members to explore professional issues and concerns with their peers. • To independent writers, ASJA is a primary voice in representing freelancers' interests, serving as spokesman for their right to control and profit from uses of their work in the new media and otherwise. Join us. • To editors and others, ASJA offers ready access to writers proven in the marketplace, capable of producing articles, books, brochures and scripts on any imaginable subject. Click here for ASJA's Freelance Writer Search. • To the entire publishing community, ASJA brings leadership in establishing professional and ethical standards, and in recognizing and encouraging the pursuit of excellence in nonfiction writing. ASJA headquarters are in New York City. The Society has active regional chapters in Northern and Southern California, the Rocky Mountain area, and Washington, DC.

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