In terms of privacy, the only thing that’s safe to say is that nobody’s safe. If you so much as glance at a YouTube video, peek at a website, have a website, subscribe to anything online or even simply “like” something – boom! You’ve just given away a part of yourself. Your habits, your information – it’s all out there, and most aggravatingly, you’re now prone to be a victim of scams. Such as the one that was raised at our September Roundtable meeting – which triggered other scam stories.

One member – let’s call him Brian -- confessed that he was contacted for what seemed like a fabulous writing assignment from Biogen -- a perfectly legitimate biotechnology company. Problem was, the “assignment” wasn’t really from Biogen. After going through hoops filling out forms and providing some pretty private information, big red flags starting waving. It had to do with the "client" needing Brian to deposit money in a bank account. (Sorry, can’t recall the details, but you get the picture.) Fortunately, Brian then ceased all communication and suffered no real harm – other than wasted time and remorse for having been so trusting.*

How did this all happen? Could have been that the member’s email was “scraped” – a process where spammers obtain email lists from other spammers. If your email is on the net, you’re vulnerable. Now think of all the places where you’ve entered your email, hm? Let’s just say, lots. So I’d like to offer a few security tips, some from personal experience, some from what I’ve heard. While they aren’t guaranteed to keep you scam-proof, hopefully they could help prevent such occurrences.

1. When providing your email address, replace the @ with “at”. ” So it looks like: “Alice at gmail.com” I’ve even seen: “Alice at gmail dot com” Looks illiterate, but supposedly these obfuscations have some degree of success in foiling the scrapers. One drawback is that it may be annoying to business prospects. So this method is up to you. Click here to get more opinions on it.

2. Sender’s email is weird. Whether it’s seemingly from a prospective client, your bank, credit card company or any company you may have dealt with, if the sender is telling you to click on a link, DON’T! DON’T CLICK ON ANY LINKS. Look at the sender’s email address. It’s not Kosher if the address is totally different from the company it claims it’s from. For instance...

I received an email supposedly from my email provider, with their logo in the message area. Looked good! But uh-oh. They told me that my account “is about to be disconnected, so CLICK HERE TO REACTIVATE!!!” Their email address had nothing to do with my provider’s name. So, I immediately marked it as spam and trashed it.

3. But even if the email does have the “correct” name, it often can include some nonsensical figures, such as in the Biogen email, which was followed with a grouping of odd letters after the word “Biogen.” A dead giveaway. That being the case, trash it immediately or relegate it to “Junk.” You can also block suspicious emails.

4. What if the email does look totally legit? Closely examine the message area. It might look like a genuine logo or banner. But there’s most ALWAYS a tell. Misspellings. Grammatical errors. Odd wording. Case in point: Normally I get alerts from USPS when a package is being delivered. The other day I got a so-called alert from tracking@usps.net. That email address sure looks like it was from USPS, no? But the legitimate alerts are always from “auto-reply@usps.com” (Note: not “.net”) Also, within the message, “USPS” was written as “Usps.” Again, dead giveaway. Plus, the info in the message was unlike the usual messaging. Into “Junk” it went.

These are just a few of the warning signs that when not heeded, can open you up to computer viruses and worse if you click on the link they so desperately urge you to do. Be vigilant. The best rule of thumb is: Don’t click on anything or respond to anything that looks the slightest bit suspicious. Check it out by Googling. (*Google “Biogen scam” and it will come right up.) Or simply call the company that supposedly sent you the email. If it’s legit – or not – it’s safe to say, they’ll tell you so.

- Laura Stigler

Well, the year sure started out good. But as we’re all well aware, the world took a drastic turn, as did many of our lives. As an organization, IWOC braced itself, faced the challenges swept in by COVID-19, and has been able to stay afloat and ride this wild wave. We plan to do so until we can safely be brought to shore and carry on as normally as we ever have.

Whether it was before, during and will be after the pandemic cloud passes, IWOC’s course has remained steady, mapping the ways for members to get more work, including offering programs and information to help them improve upon or learn new skills designed to increase their own marketability to potential clients. Without skipping a beat, we took our programs from the Gratz Center to Zoom, adapting to these unprecedented times with unprecedented programs to help buoy up members not only professionally, but personally. From the onset of the virus we also provided easy access to numerous links to resources so that our members can stay afloat financially. (These links remain posted on our General Resources page.)

To recap the year’s happenings:

The show must go on – even while sheltering in place!

Program Chair Jeff Steele and his stalwart Committee of Vladimire Herard and Betsy Storm have continued to bring in programs that both informed and entertained. Members who missed any can download the podcasts on our Member Resource page and relive such info- and advice-packed gems as: What They Wish They Knew Then, Life in the Freelance Lane, Tech Tools for Writers, Blogging for Bigger Bucks, Growing Your Business Through Podcasting, Building and Preserving Your Brand in COVID-19 Times, Business Survival Kit, The Bushido Code: 7 Simple Secrets to a Happier, Healthier Life, and Stay Current on Ever-Changing LinkedIn.

And now that we have a Zoom account, the program possibilities will be virtually endless.

Uniting with our long-lost sister, Independent Writers of Southern California

When IWOSC President Gary Young proposed an affiliation between IWOC and IWOSC, there was no hesitation. We said, “I do.” Since June, we’ve been opening up our programs to each other’s memberships, and it has enriched the offerings of both organizations. Thus far, we were able to sit in on – for free – four of IWOSC’s Zoom webinars: How to Write Query Letters & Proposals, The Art of the Personal Essay, Learn to Zoom and an Online Conversation with Distinguished Author T.C. Boyle.

There’s more to plan but all I can say is, the honeymoon is not over! We’ve only just begun.

Events of Interest. We’re not the only ones who put on outstanding programs. We also informed IWOC members about these world class events:

• ScreenCraft Writers Summit
• Rosemary’s House Writers Retreat in Greece
• Lighthouse Writers Workshop

Promoting our members. Proud of their breaking news and accomplishments, horns were tooted for:

• Alicia Dale’s appointment as a Book Reviewer by the Nonfiction Author’s Association
• Tephra Miriam’s co-chairing of Organization Development’s Role in Building Racial Equity
• Francesca Peppiatt’s winning the Edgewater People’s Choice Award for her one-person show, “Life and Times of a Hopeful Romantic”
• Jeff Steele’s guest appearance on “HearSay with Cathy Lewis,” a radio talk show on NPR affiliate WHRV in Norfolk, VA
• Tom Thorson’s release of his debut novel, Heirs Apparent, A Malcom Winters Mystery
• David Anthony Witter’s publication of Oldest Chicago, Second Edition

Promoting our authors

Last Spring, we got wind of #IndieApril, a new Twitter trend that promoted independently published authors. What a great way to promote IWOC member authors! And so we did, spreading word amongst our 1000+ contacts via e-blasts and our social media platforms for: Cindy Bertram, Adela Crandell Durkee, Tephra Miriam, Kathryn Occhipinti, Karen Sandrick, Jennifer Worrell, and Joseph Wycoff.

Perks in the works:

• 10% Referral Reward. New Board Member Anne Hagerty had a splendid idea: Reward members with a 10% discount on their next membership renewal when they bring in a new member. Bring in several members within a year? Get an additional 10% discount for each. Details have to be worked out, but it will be a fine way to act as “IWOC Ambassador,” where you can help fellow freelance writers discover and reap the benefits of IWOC, and be nicely rewarded in return.

• Association of Publishers for Special Sales (www.bookapss.org) This promising perk was brought to our attention. We need to do a bit more research on it, but if IWOC signs on as a partner, our members get to join for a substantial discount, and get tons of perks in return – whether or not they are book authors. Check out what would be in it for you at http://pro.bookapss.org/join-application

Oh, what a year it was. Challenging for sure. But, also, pleasantly surprising in what we were able to accomplish, including establishing affiliations and technological skills that ended up expanding IWOC in unforeseen positive ways. We actually were able to safely navigate a sea of adversity. With a watchful eye on the horizon, we fully expect to be heading towards calmer waters and sunnier days.

Land ho!

- Laura Stigler

New blood, that is..

Yes, it’s that time of year when we’re scouting for members who would like to serve IWOC by serving on the Board of Directors. As of this writing, five of our current Board Members have been generous enough to volunteer for another term. I am grateful, as they each are great “donors” to the well-being of our organization. Yet we’re thirsting for more. To continue serving its members in the best ways possible, we need an infusion of new people who can inject fresh ideas that will keep IWOC strong, relevant and vibrant. Now and into the future.

So spill: Are you willing to run? Or know someone who might be? Nominate them – or even better, nominate yourself!

Here are the data to enter into your decision-making:

• To qualify as a candidate, having been an IWOC member for at least one year is preferred, but not mandated. Appreciating the value in IWOC and having the desire and viable ideas to make it even better are what matter most.
• Serving on the Board is not an onerous task. We meet for just one hour on the 2nd Tuesday of every month right before our monthly program. However, during COVID we've been meeting (for one hour) at 1:00pm on Zoom, which we'll continue to do until we can resume in-person meetings.
• We have lots of laughs. Some disagreements. Such is the price of democracy. But the result is a satisfying sense of accomplishment towards the goal of creating a better IWOC.
• Most importantly, you’ll be able to have a real influence on how IWOC can help boost everyone’s writing career – including your own.

Since 1981, IWOC has been playing a unique and vital role devoted to helping independent writers succeed. This is your opportunity to actively help morph IWOC into your vision of how it can best serves its members. Come join the Board. In doing so, I can almost guarantee one more benefit: You’ll find yourself growing in positive, unexpected ways. To my surprise, I know I did.

I seriously hope you give it a shot.

Note: Please send your nominations to the Nominating Committee – either Brent Brotineb, Betsy Storm or myself -- by Friday, August 14. Questions? Contact me!

- Laura Stigler

Bet most of you never knew IWOC even had a sister. Guess what. We do! She lives out on the West Coast – L.A. to be exact. Her name? Independent Writers of Southern California. IWOSC, I was told, was born in 1982, having been inspired by the formation of IWOC. How flattering is that! Well the other day, I was minding my own business (literally), when a surprise email came through...

It was from IWOSC President Gary Young, introducing himself and reacquainting me with IWOSC. Gary also mentioned he was impressed with our website...and suggested we form some kind of alliance. How could I refuse? Flattery will get you everywhere!

Gary made the first move, inviting IWOC members to IWOSC’s 6/29 webinar for a discount. I accepted that gracious invite and it was passed along to our members as an “Event of Interest.” That proposal got us to thinking that perhaps we can exchange more of our orgs’ various offerings. We decided to consult our respective Board of Directors and then compare notes.

In an impromptu IWOC Board meeting, here are some of the initial ideas we came up with that we will bring to the table:

That’s just a start. As of this writing, much remains to be discussed amongst ourselves and with IWOSC. But the potential for enriching our members’ careers, networking opportunities and educational growth is tremendous.

We all are looking forward to seeing how this can progress. To paraphrase one of moviedom’s classic last lines, “This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”

P.S. Check out IWOSC’s website. You’ll be equally impressed.

- Laura Stigler

Well my friends, looks like we’ll have to hold off on the huggin’ and high-fivin’ until September. Just got word from the higher ups at Fourth Presbyterian (no, not that Higher Up) that all public meetings at the Gratz Center are cancelled until then. Disappointing, to be sure. Along with the people, I miss lunging at the snack table and plunging my bare hands into bowls of salty popcorn. Ah, the good old days! But adjust we must. So, for the next couple of months, our meetings will be held via Zoom.

That being the case, and with reports of thousands of people contracting a strain of what has been identified as zoomus fatigueocci (Zoom Fatigue), I’d like to lay out a few guidelines to help make the Zoom experience a bit less painful for all of us:

1. Wear Pants Just in case you have to get up and fetch a cup of coffee or let the dog out. Please. We don’t want to see what we don’t want to see. The horror!

2. Put yourself on mute. The incessant barking of that aforementioned dog can get pretty grating. Same goes for a barking spouse or whoever you happen to be living with. But what if you have something to say that will contribute to the conversation? Great question. Yes, then it is completely safe to unmute and speak your piece. When your exchange peters out, however, revert to mute.

3. As Babs Streisand will tell you, lighting is everything. Don’t be sitting in a darkened room like you’re holding a séance. Nor have a lamp so bright it looks as if a poltergeist hacked into the meeting. Natural light is best. But if that’s not possible, try and arrange a lighting source that will make you look as lovely as Babs. (This goes for men, too.)

4. Nostrils aren’t the most pleasant things to look at. Position your device – laptop, mobile, etc. – at a respectable angle. Straightforward at about eye-level is ideal. And you don’t have to lean in so close to your screen that it begins to feel invasive. Trust me. We see you! A bit of social distancing here -- say, one to two feet – is advisable. Try to simulate a real-life encounter as much as possible.

5. Remember: You are on camera at all times. Things you generally wouldn’t do in public – checking to see if your deodorant is still working, licking dinner plates, etc. – are definite no-no’s. Again, we see you! Should you need to engage in such practices, click the Stop Video icon. Then Start once you’re decent.

Those are all the guidelines I have for now. I loathe rushing summer, but hopefully, September will be here soon enough. And life can get back to some semblance of normalcy.

Miss you all. Looking forward to seeing you at our next Zoom meetings, but especially, in person.

High five!

- Laura Stigler

COVID-19 news has been inescapable. Taking up every inch of content online, in print, on TV, radio. Everywhere. Understandably so. But we made it through April. And in addition to the lilacs about to bloom, there are glimmers of hope starting to resume. At IWOC, we’re making sure of that.

Good News Item #1: We know that in the last month, many of us have experienced a downturn in our business. So, we’ve assembled a toolbox of ready-to-implement tips to help you keep your business afloat as we ease out of these challenging circumstances...and beyond. Members will be invited to partake in our Zoom Webinar, “Business Survival Kit,” taking place on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00pm – the time of our usual monthly meetings, just to maintain some semblance of normalcy! We will be welcoming participants to share their tips as well.

Good News Item #2: Because we’ve acquired the skills to hold meetings via Zoom, we now have the capability to conduct programs featuring speakers from across the country – and maybe the world! At any time throughout the year! Big dreams. Now made possible.

Good News Item #3: A few weeks ago, Membership Chair Alicia Dale approached me with an idea: There’s been a recently hatched Twitter trend called #IndieApril. Its purpose: to promote independently published authors. So, hey! why not promote IWOC’s Indie Authors? We sure have a lot of them! And that’s what we did. In the last week of April, on Social Media and in e-blasts, we spread the word about IWOC member authors Cindy Bertram, Adela Crandell Durkee, Tephra Miriam, Kathryn Occhipinti, Karen Sandrick, Jennifer Worrell and Joseph Wycoff. The response has been overwhelming, bringing awareness of these talented writers and their works to our over 1000 contacts – and more! But the best news is the book purchases that are being reported back. Author! Author!

Good News Item #4: For our June 9 Zoom program, we’ve nabbed John Godoy as our featured speaker. John is a professional growth coach, whose dual Japanese/American heritage has inspired him to devise “The Bushido Code” – 7 core principles based on ancient Samurai philosophy. Obviously, this won’t be your typical “business-y” meeting. But it will provide you with a foundation of thought that is affirmative, uplifting and that could only benefit the well-being of you and your business. Your spirits will be buoyed by the end of John’s talk. Mine were. Just the cure for these challenging times.

And that, my friends, is the Good News for today. May it continue and get better and better in all of your lives from this day forward.

See you soon by Zoom!

- Laura Stigler

You see them everywhere. A sign posted in the window of a bungalow, greeting passers-by with a “Hello, neighbor!” Five bright-eyed 20-something friends, guys and girls, standing on the sidewalk, safely spaced 6’ apart, having a fun conversation with another friend who is leaning out her apartment window 3 stories above. I couldn’t help myself. Through my mask I called out, “Now that’s what I call social distancing!” “That’s what we’re doing!” they gleefully responded. I love young people. And this just in: Animal adoptions are way up. That’s not just a silver lining. That’s platinum.

(Please read on. There’s something in this for you.)

It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of what we or loved ones or even strangers may be going through. The coronavirus seems to be everywhere – not just the virus itself, but the news of it. It’s inescapable. What would have been our everyday getaways are now obsessed with it as well. Sports reporters are writing about empty stadiums. Theater critics are bemoaning how there’s nothing to critique. Travel articles? They go nowhere.

It’s even encroaching on my sub-conscious. Last night, I had one of those feverish dreams where I was trying to sign into a Zoom webinar and kept getting the wrong password. Would I ever have dreamed that were it not for the virus?

But herein lies another silver lining:

In my waking life, I’m learning something that I might never have bothered with BC (Before Corona). I’m taking a free webinar: Zoom Meetings 101. Beyond helping me build my own brand by enabling me to offer this service to clients, this newfound capability will help add another arrow to IWOC’s quiver. Perhaps we can have more programs this way, inviting speakers from afar. If you find virtual meetings may be beneficial to your business, learn how to conduct them in the free webinars Zoom is offering.

More welcomed news: Yes, we had to postpone what promised to be a very unique in-person program on April 14. However, on April 7 at 6:30pm, IWOC and the Chicago Creative Coalition will be co-hosting a free Zoom Webinar, moderated by C3’s President Katherine Kearns, in which the world-renowned LinkedIn expert, JD Gershbein will be speaking about “Building and Preserving Your Brand during COVID-19 Times.” Mr. Gershbein was to be our speaker on the 14th, but has graciously restructured his talk to be relevant to present circumstances. JD is funny, knowledgeable and compassionate. Until they find a cure, this promises to be the shot in the arm we all need right now.

IWOC members will be emailed a link to register for the April 7 Webinar. Space is limited, so I encourage you to sign up quickly. On midnight of Friday, April 3, we will be opening up the invitation to all our non-member friends of IWOC.

Until then and long afterwards, I wish you safety and good health. Let’s look forward to sunnier days sure to come, when no search for silver linings will be needed.

- Laura Stigler

I am not one to press Panic buttons in anticipation of situations that may not come to fruition. But there’s a new law wending its way around the legislatures of several states that is raising the activist hackles in me. Already passed in California, introduced in New Jersey and New York and spreading, it’s a law that can have – and where it’s enacted, is having a pernicious effect on the careers of independent contractors, even to the point of eliminating their jobs altogether. Note: we’re not just talking Uber drivers. This includes freelancers in every line of work from journalism, advertising and public relations, to teachers, graphic artists, photographers and more. In other words, all of us. That’s 57 million Americans, according to a Freelancing in America Survey.

So why do we all freelance?

Whether we live it full time or part-time to supplement our incomes, we love the freedoms a freelancing life offers us. We love the flexibility it allows us in where we work, for whom we work, in how much we earn, in the number of hours we choose to work. Even in the time of day we work. Some of us are our most productive at 2:00 am! So be it. But “freedom” is the operative word here, and any lawmaker who treads on that in Illinois better prepare for a backlash. Because I for one will be on the front lines, marching to Springfield in unrelenting protest. And I hope you would join me.

To clearly understand the ramifications of this law, below is an excerpt from an excellent article in The Washington Post by Kim Kavin, a New Jersey journalist who is sounding the alarm and fighting against the passage of Senate Bill 4204. You can read the rest of the article here. If unable to access it, contact me and I’ll send a pdf.

Please read, beware and prepare accordingly.

- Laura Stigler

“In 2003, I walked away from my full-time, $80,000-a-year job as the executive editor of a national magazine. I had no other job lined up; I just had a hunch, having worked in the publishing business for about a decade, that I could have a better work-life balance and make a lot more money if I put out a shingle as a freelance writer and editor.

“As it turns out, I was right. Today, I work fewer hours, I work only the hours I want, and I make six figures. I’m happier, I get to pick my projects, and I get to choose which editors I want in my life. I am 47 years old with a career that is successful in pretty much every way.

“But that career will no longer exist if my home state of New Jersey and other states like it continue on their current path with independent contractor legislation, putting freelance journalists like me out of business....

“Based on the outcry that has erupted in New Jersey in the past few weeks, those of us in a frenzy are at the point of exasperation for good reason. The people raising their voices against this legislation include working mothers who need flexible schedules to care for kids. They are people who have a spouse or child with a chronic illness, and who need to be able to work between doctor’s appointments. They are people with disabilities who need to work whenever they feel up to it. They are people in professions that traditionally welcome women, jobs like marketing, publishing, public relations, teaching and communications, but where full-time opportunities are not what they used to be. They are people in their 40s, 50s and 60s who can thrive as independent contractors, but who, because of ageism, are likely to be last on the list as a full-time hire...”

-- Kim Kavin, “Laws to protect Uber drivers could put freelance journalists out of business.” The Washington Post, December 11, 2019, (PostEverything)

Read the rest here.

(Members can comment by clicking on the vertical dots next to the headline.)

Anyone remember Steve Martin’s advice on how to make a million dollars? “First, you get a million dollars.” That was the initial skeptical thought I had when a particular blog was brought to my attention, entitled “10 Rules for Making More Than $7K a Month as a Freelance Writer,” written by Shannon Ashley for the Better Marketing website. Really? Like Steve, is she joking? But then I started to read the rest. And I found myself enthusiastically nodding like a bobblehead, mentally applauding, and at moments, falling silently in awe at these simple, universal truths that we sometimes forget (or are too fearful) to put into practice. The advice given is just too good, too reality-based and too genuinely caring to not pass along to you.

So, for my February Stet Post (my first for 2020), why not start the year with a big, optimistic bang by offering those 10 helpful rules that can open up the possibilities of making this year – and all the years to come – your most prosperous ever.

And now, because I couldn’t have said it better myself, I’m handing over the dais to Ms. Ashley, who will engagingly go through each rule at: https://medium.com/better-marketing/10-rules-for-making-more-than-7k-a-month-as-a-freelance-writer-fcb36f32ba48

If, for some reason, you can’t access the page, contact me and I’ll send you a PDF of the article. No joke.

- Laura Stigler

(Members can comment by clicking on the vertical dots next to the headline.)

We’ve all been recipients of what has been promised to be “the gift that keeps on giving.” Yah. Often that means once we receive it, we keep on giving it to someone else. The re-gift, as it were. But as the frenzied holiday season starts ramping up, and racking your brain for good gift ideas has you breaking out in hives, here’s a gift you may want to consider that would be a real “keeper”: IWOC! No, not for everyone, but if you know someone who is a professional writer, or has the goal of becoming one, or even is in a vocation that usually collaborates with writers (graphic artists, web designers, photographers, photojournalists, etc.), then IWOC may be the OMG-PERFECT gift for them! And if that someone is you? Even better! Talk about a gift that keeps on giving!

IWOC keeps on giving...

Job Ops. Professional Level members get to have their profiles (including all their services) posted on IWOC’s Online Directory – a promotional tool that never stops working for them, making them accessible to prospective clients around the world 24/7/365.

Learning Ops. With IWOC’s free (i.e., free for members) informative monthly programs and recorded podcasts thereof, there is no telling what helpful tricks of the trade one can learn that will benefit their career. Like diamonds, knowledge is forever.e.

Networking Ops. At IWOC, we all learn from each other. We love giving and getting advice. Our pre-program networking hour teems with people who’ve “been there, done that” and can provide the very writing- or career-oriented answers your gift recipient (or you!) may be looking for.

Fun Ops. When it comes down to it, writers just wanna have fun. And for IWOC-ers, there is much fun to be had, whether it’s socializing at the post-program dinners, yearly Summer and Holiday par-tays, or a Mixer with another symbiotic organization.

I could see you’re chomping at the bit. “Tell me, tell me! How can you give the Gift of IWOC?” you may ask. Come right this way... On that page, you’ll also find a link to the descriptions/benefits of the 3 membership levels, so you’ll know exactly what your gift entails.

Treat someone else. Treat yourself! But above all, on behalf of IWOC, have a truly wonderful and safe Holiday Season!.

- Laura Stigler

(Members can comment by clicking on the vertical dots next to the headline.)