The NWU Delegate Assembly was held in New York City, August 6-8. This is Part I of the International Greetings we received from our colleagues around the world! GREETINGS FROM MALAYSIA The National Union of Malaysia sends warm greetings to the delegates of the NWU on this important event. We hope that all decisions and […]
President’s Letter
The NWU Delegate Assembly will convene from August 7-9 in New York City, where roughly 50 delegates, chapter and division chairs, along with national officers, will chart the course for the union going forward. The DA is the highest governing body of our union, and it’s charged with addressing the major issues we face in […]
Netroots Nation
Over nearly a decade, Netroots Nation has grown to become a powerful force in promoting the Democratic Party. It serves as a platform for community activists, labor organizations, and even presidential candidates. With a reputation for compelling content and boisterous voices, Netroots 2015 descended on the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona’s capital city last month, […]
Building Your Author Platform
People often talk about building a platform as a writer, but what does that really mean. It’s about three things: Establishing and maintaining your authority over your subject matter Finding and growing an audience for your work Making a big enough splash that editors and agents come knocking Building awareness beyond the people you already […]
Notes on the Harlem Book Fair
African voices can be muffled by white supremacy and racism, but poets and writers who are invested in self-determination will find a way to get their words out. Panelists who participated in the National Writers Union discussion, “Silencing Black Writers in the USA,” shared these and other perspectives at the Harlem Book Fair in late […]
Orphan Works and Extended Collective Licensing (ECL)
July 22, 2015 — What’s happening with “orphan works”? What is “Extended Collective Licensing” (ECL)? Why should NWU members and other writers care? These issues are complicated, but important for working writers. Many NWU members are only beginning to understand what is meant by so-called “orphan works”, and most writers have never heard of “Extended […]
Independent Contractor or Employee?: US Dept of Labor Stiffens Criteria
The U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) is stiffening the criteria by which it determines whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee. The DOL’s rules control whether you qualify for a few things—minimum wage, overtime, hours worked, child labor, and time and payroll records. Employees do, contractors don’t. Other agencies control other financial aspects […]
Authors and Booksellers Demand Inquiry into Amazon’s Control of the Book Market
I received an email that some of you probably received too. It’s a follow-up to letters some of us signed in support of Hatchette authors in their dispute with Amazon. Now the dispute has expanded into fundamental questions of freedom of information in a democracy. Amazon now has more monopoly power over books than Standard Oil had […]
SHE JUST KEPT WRITING: The Passing of Susan Carol Hauser
Our sister Susan Carol Hauser could use her pen to wage war, but the writing she most enjoyed nurtured, celebrated, and nudged the world towards change. She died suddenly on July 7 of a brain aneurism at the age of 72. A member since 1986, Susan served the NWU as a contract adviser, Twin Cities’ […]
Problems with your book contract? You have options.
Many people have contacted us in the last few years about getting out of book contracts. Maybe they want to self-publish an e-book. Maybe the publisher isn’t promoting their book properly. Maybe their editor left and they’re unhappy with the new cast of characters. If you want out, the first step is to ask. If […]
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