American Independent Writers: Smoothing the writer’s path in uncertain times

May 9, 2:26 AMDC Publishing Industry ExaminerWendy Coakley-Thompson

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Washington Independent Writers began in DC in 1975, with the goal of providing the following: a social atmosphere for writers working alone, a job bank to encourage job placement for freelancers, and access to health insurance for freelancers. Last year, in a move approved by its Board of Directors, the organization renamed itself American Independent Writers (AIW). Despite the name change, the goals of the thirty-four-year-old organization remain basically the same. Instead of the health insurance provision, however, AIW now hosts an annual all-day conference, now in its thirtieth year.

2009’s conference, themed The Business of Writing in a Changing World, kicks off on Saturday, June 13 at George Washington University’s Cafritz Conference Center. The 300-plus expected attendees will be able to listen to keynote and plenary speakers, attend one or more of sixteen takeout sessions, or make a ten-minute pitch to several New York literary agents.

According to Donald O. Graul Jr., AIW’s Executive Director, the name change was necessary “to reflect the fact that former Washingtonians have relocated outside the DC area. They can take advantage of what the organization offers.” Graul characterizes the DC area as an entrepot, to which talent arrives and from which that talent disperses throughout the country. One past AIW board member recently relocated for a job in central Connecticut, as did another member, a former AOL executive who left the area for employment in Chicago. The more all-inclusive AIW allows members like these who no longer live in the area to avail themselves of the organization’s benefits. As of the beginning of 2009, 10% to 12% of AIW’s membership resided outside of the DC area, a figure Graul expects will increase.

Graul breaks down AIW’s membership this way:

• 25% are fulltime writers, producing media releases, catalogues, and the like
• 25% are fully or partially employed. These members write part-time but have fulltime jobs as, for example, communications directors or fund-raisers in the government or not-for-profit sectors 
• 25% are reviving their lifestyles. These members might have worked for the government, retired early, and started freelancing, taking full advantage of connections to their previous employers
• 25% are new to freelancing, perhaps fresh out of college. These members might include former interns, who became employees, then, for whatever reason, became freelancers

Graul says that fulltime freelancing is becoming more popular in tough economic times, especially as it is mutually beneficial to both the employer and the freelancer. The employer can hire freelancers without incurring overhead costs. The employer can also choose a specialist for a particular writing task. Freelancers benefit, because, unlike internal writers, they can take on only the work they wish to do (see, as an example, The state of publishing: One editor’s personal story).

Still, says Graul, “It’s tough. The job numbers are disappearing.” He cites the recent losses of established newspapers as one reason. AIW seeks to respond to these challenges by helping both existing freelancers and those created by the shutdown of different media. “We’re working on a couple of avenues to support some of the new directions [in which] the industry’s going.”

To this end, AIW seeks to collaborate with online journalism outlets like ProPublica and The New America Foundation. These types of alliances, per Graul, aim to help members “rise to the electronic challenge.”

Graul seems unfazed about AIW’s ability to weather the recent economic storm. These times, though trying, are old hat. “1975 through 1977 was a tough time for writers, as were the early 1980s,” he says.

Given the choice to change or die, AIW shows from its historical resilience that it prefers to do the former.
 

For more info: For more information on American Independent Writers (AIW) itself or on its June 13th conference, visit the organization's web site.