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Start the New Year with NSNC

  • Are you the next Columnist Contest winner? Submissions are now open
  • Don't miss our exciting webinar on indie book publishing
  • Send us your news so we can highlight you in the next newsletter
National Society of Newspaper Columnists

Enter the 2023

Columnist Contest


National Society of Newspaper Columnists Annual Column Contest

Opens: January 1, 2023 8:00 a.m. (EST)

Closes: March 31, 2023 11:59 p.m. (EST)

For Registration & General Guidelines visit: nsnc.submittable.com/submit


Email Adam Earnheardt, contest chair, with any questions at acearnheardt@ysu.edu.


"The NSNC Annual Columnist Contest gives us a chance to acknowledge our colleagues for their outstanding contributions. We look forward to receiving this year's submissions."

- NSNC Director, Ginny McCabe


Submit today! You could be this year's winner and get published in our newsletter and be recognized at the NSNC annual conference.


Don't Miss NSNC's Webinar

with Jim Azevedo of Draft2Digital

Who Will Share a Firsthand Perspective

on the Rise of the Indie Book Market

NSNC February Webinar


What: Join National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC)

for a Zoom webinar

with Jim Azevedo of Draft2Digital


When: Fri., Feb. 3, from noon to 1 p.m. EST


Session Title: Indie Publishing: What's the Big Deal?


Description: In the last 15 years, the publishing industry witnessed not one, but two sea change events. The first was the democratization of the industry, circa 2008. The second was the merger of the two largest indie publishing platforms, Draft2Digital (D2D) and Smashwords, in March 2022. The union of D2D and Smashwords created a self-publishing juggernaut overnight, added to the legitimacy of the indie author movement, and ensured that even more writers will achieve their dreams of becoming published authors. We’ll talk about why the merger happened and why it’s a “big deal” for indie authors and publishers.


Cost: $25 for NSNC members and $50 for non-members


Register Today for Webinar Feb. 3 "Indie Publishing" 

registration link



Questions or more info., email: nsncdirector@gmail.com

Jim Azevedo

Jim Azevedo is the Corporate Communications Manager at Draft2Digital, having joined the company in March 2022 as part of the Smashwords acquisition. As marketing director at Smashwords since 2011, Jim helped the company grow from representing 35,000 indie authors and publishers who released 80,000 titles, to more than 150,000 authors and publishers who published over 590,000 titles. Draft2Digital offers a broad suite of free and powerful automated and self-serve tools that authors, and publishers, can use to build and manage their publishing businesses. This includes tools to simplify e-book and print publishing, distribution, metadata management, and marketing.


Following its acquisition of Smashwords, Draft2Digital now serves more than 250,000 authors and publishers who’ve collectively published over 930,000 e-books and 24,000 print books.


Visit Draft2Digital at https://draft2digital.com or follow them on Twitter at @Draft2Digital

Join us for the fifth annual Student Press Freedom Day on Feb. 23, as student journalists across the United States raise awareness of the challenges they face, celebrate their contributions to their schools and communities, and take actions to protect and restore their First Amendment freedoms.

The Student Press Law Center (SPLC) created Student Press Freedom Day to give student journalists a platform to advocate for press freedom in their communities. We support the advocates with our legal and policy expertise, by educating them on their rights, and through a grant program that aims to make hosting an event easy.


The theme for Student Press Freedom Day 2023 is "Bold Journalism & Brave Advocacy."

Participate in expert-led training workshops, an op-ed coaching program, student-led community forums, and a letter-writing party on behalf of New Voices. Or get creative and plan your own Student Press Freedom Day activities! Your involvement is what makes the day truly impactful.


Op-Ed Boot Camp

A fan-favorite annual event, the virtual Op-Ed Boot Camp is the perfect opportunity for student journalists to take your op-ed writing and pitching skills to the next level! Tune in on Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT where you’ll learn from Steve Holmes (formerly of the New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN) and get tips from fellow students who have successfully placed op-eds in major media outlets. Register here.


Student Press Freedom 101: Watch the recording, with surprise guest Cathy Kuhlmeier of the landmark Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) Supreme Court case.


The best way to stay in the loop about all the exciting ways to get involved this year is by signing up for Student Press Freedom Day email updates. You’ll get first access to event registration, talking points, a toolkit, and more!


National Society of Newspaper Columnists is a partner of SPLC for Student Press Freedom Day.

It's Contest Season!

Check Out These Other Contests

for Journalists and Writers


GREATER CINCINNATI SPJ PRO CHAPTER

EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM CONTEST

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists

is looking for the most outstanding work appearing in print, online and on-air between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, in Southwestern Ohio (Cincinnati & Dayton markets), Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. 


The Excellence In Journalism Contest is a way for publishers, editors, reporters, producers, freelancers, college and university students, photographers and videographers to promote excellence in journalism by showcasing work that informs and enlightens the public with professionalism, truth, integrity and ethics. 


ENTRY DEADLINE:

11:59 P.M. - MARCH 15, 2023


For more info., or to enter, go to https://cincyspj.blogspot.com/2023/01/greater-cincinnati-spj-pro-chapter.html.



OHIO SPJ AWARDS

Ohio’s Best Journalism – 2023

Competition Call for Entries

Honoring the Best of Ohio’s Print, Broadcast, Digital Media, Freelance, Trade and College Journalism. Go to he contest website for details: www.ohiospjawards.org

Send Us Your "Stuff"

Call for Newsletters, Podcasts, Book Announcements, and Good News

We're rounding up a list of ways we can feature you, your writing, your podcasts, your newsletters. Please send information about:


  • Your newsletter (its link, how to subscribe, whether it is paid or free, etc.);
  • Your podcast (how to access it, what it's called, its cover art, etc.);
  • Your upcoming book release (title, how to buy it, book cover, and author headshot);
  • Anything else you want to let us know about that doesn't fit into the above categories.


Our hope is to feature these items in newsletters and social media as space allows. Send your item(s) to Debbie West, newsletter editor, at westdeb7@gmail.comPreference will be given to current NSNC members.

Join Us in the NSNC Writing Space on Zoom

 Join us! See our meeting times and details -- on Wednesdays and Sundays -- below.

Sundays
Pacific Time:  7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (PDT)
Mountain Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (MT)
Central Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (CT)
Eastern Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon (EDT)
Meeting ID: 958 8989 6420
Passcode: 940130
Wednesdays
Pacific Time:  1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (PDT)
Mountain Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (MT)
Central Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CT)
Eastern Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EDT) 
Meeting ID: 964 7713 8466
Passcode: 861637
The National Society of Newspaper Columnists invites you to our Wednesday and Sunday “NSNC Writing Space” where friends get together, write quietly and get our projects done! Email Suzette Martinez Standring to be put on a reminder email.
National Society of Newspaper Columnists

Editor

Debbie West


Copy Editor

Dave Astor


This Newsletter

The Columnist is the newsletter for members of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. By columnists we include bloggers, vloggers, indeed all writers of the serial essay, where the work is published in newspapers, magazines, and other print media, on personal and major websites, and in video and audio formats. The Columnist aims to educate, inform, and entertain as well as announce members' latest books and news. It is delivered electronically on a monthly basis.


Email Updates

Please email changes in address and other news items to NSNC Newsletter Editor Debbie West at westdeb7@gmail.com.


Postal Mailing Address

205 Gun Hill Street

Milton, MA 02186


 Facebook 

 Twitter @NSNCgroup



Your Membership

NSNC remains one of the best bargains in membership in writers groups or other associations, $75 a year. Details are at our website's Join or Renew page.


NSNC Statement of Purpose

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists promotes professionalism and camaraderie among columnists and other writers of the serial essay, including bloggers. NSNC advocates for columnists and free-press issues.



Some Fine Print 

The editor and NSNC board reserve the judgment whether to publish information in The Columnist, on the NSNC website columnists.com, and/or through one or more of NSNC's social media accounts, or at all.

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