Bravo, National Association of Science Writers!
I'm a proud long-time member (wish I had joined sooner, but I didn't know the caliber and generosity of NASW...$90 to join seemed like a lot. Now I know it's a bargain considering all the resources this organization offers. And the first-year join rate is $50, I believe.)
Excited to see more support for people to attend national meetings. The networking is a great opportunity to meet seasoned science communicators and hear amazing talks and meet other scientists, writers, editors, podcasters, etc.!
As a freelancer, conference costs can be prohibitive. Q4 of last year I attended 3 national conferences and was shocked when I calculated my Q4 net income (gross minus expenses): for the 3 months, my net income was $1,000. And that was working full-time with no vacations.
That's airfare, staying in the conference hotel, 1-2 meals a day (just dinner, for networking and being social). I take breakfast bars to save money and most conferences provide coffee and tea, so I don't buy a morning beverage.
This year I've already skipped one national conference that I had planned to go to, and I'm probably skipping Am Medical Writers Association in October. I learn a lot and make great connections...
I joke that I "conference hard"--I attend sessions all day, go out to dinner with a group each night, introduce myself to the speaker after each talk if I can, introduce myself to anyone nearby, visit all the exhibit tables, hand out >100 business cards, take notes and follow up with people afterward, connect on LinkedIn after the conference and send a personal note...It's exhausting but worth it from a professional development perspective and from a personal connection standpoint. But the expense as a freelancer--ouch!
And it's not only the expense, it's also time spent that we are not billing a client--so it's an expense AND a loss of income.
These aspects I'm enumerating are not complaints. But perhaps conference organizers should consider a freelancer rate that's a range? Or do what some organizer do: offer some funds to help early-career, recent graduates, freelancers, caregivers (who usually cannot put in 40 hrs writing bc they are also caring for someone else), and anyone who has been laid off (unfortunately happening more and more in #Journalism and #SciComm)--for these individuals, networking and hearing about opportunities to add skills and knowledge and locate jobs/work is crucial--and so is having seasoned, well-connected freelancers and staff writers, editors, and others! Win-win.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Excited about our #SciWri24 national conference this fall, but need a little financial aid to make the trip or to participate in the virtual portion? The National Association of Science Writers has community support grants available. Applications due Sept. 10 — share this opportunity with a writer, editor, communicator, educator, or student that you know!
Share These NASW and CASW Due Dates:
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Browse Our Conference Program:
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Get a Feel from Past Conference Coverage:
https://lnkd.in/gUCzc-BV
