Networking with snacks and beverages begins at 5 p.m. and the meeting at 6. Nonmembers are cordially invited. The meeting is free for IWOC members and $15 for nonmembers. Plan to stay for a buy-your-own dinner at a nearby restaurant after the meeting. Remember: the location is National-Louis University, 122 South Michigan, Room 5008. This is now our permanent room. National-Louis U. is across the street from the Art Institute. See you there!

April Meeting Reprise

Left to right: Jim Kepler, Catherine Rategan, Jeff Steele, and Jennifer Lyng

New members and seasoned veterans alike gathered to hear a panel of IWOCers — Jim Kepler, Catherine Rategan, Jeff Steele, and Jennifer Lyng — tell us what many old-timers already knew: membership in IWOC gives us a great return on the bottom line. Still, as the panelists’ stories unfolded, many of us were startled to realize just how much we actually do get back for our relatively modest outlay for dues. Several panelists said that the work they had received through their IWOC connections would pay for their memberships for literally hundreds of years. Panelists received work in a variety of ways: from tips from other members, member referrals, the online and print directories, Writers’ Line, links from the IWOC website to their websites, and from speakers’ leads or networking with them at monthly meetings. The speakers all stressed that they got the most from IWOC when they got involved by coming to meetings, joining committees, and generally giving back to IWOC. Panelists praised IWOCers for their generosity in helping other members with tips, support, and how-to help as well. All said they had also made lasting friendships among the membership. As we left the meeting, we all felt pretty smug that we had made a wise choice in electing IWOC membership.

March Meeting Reprise
Chris Benevich gave IWOCers a whirlwind tour of the dizzying world of professional networking internet-style at the March meeting.

Professional networking on the net is like professional networking anywhere. You listen to people, talk about what you do, help others with contacts or information or advice when the opportunity arises, and let your expertise be known in mostly low-key ways. Thus you create a situation in which you can ask for an introduction or a favor, and in which others will readily refer work to you.

Benevich talked about how you can showcase yourself with websites, blogs, and profiles and also how you can link up with others via sites like LinkedIn. She recommended that — in the networking arena—you always give more than you receive, i.e., always be ready to offer help and advice to others whether or not you get anything in return. It will pay off in the long run, she assured us.

February Meeting Reprise
An afternoon snowstorm didn't prevent IWOC stalwarts and guests from coming out to brush up on their financial planning, tax, and insurance info. Speakers Madhuri Thaker and Sid Blum, both CPAs, took a tag-team approach: Blum gave financial planning advice, and Thaker followed each suggestion with the tax implications. Kevin Paulsen, CFA, was along to handle additional questions. We learned a lot about what to do with our money and how various options would affect us come April 15. (Our apologies for not getting a picture of Thaker before she left.)

January Meeting Reprise
Braving the January freeze, a full house of IWOC members and guests heard Joe Weber, Business Week’s national Chief of Correspondents, discuss current trends in business journalism while describing a new monthly print magazine, BW Chicago, launched last November. Weber and BW Chicago Editor, Michael Arndt, are aiming to provide Chicago-area Business Week subscribers with more depth and perspective than a business weekly, while still being timely and offering superior images and graphics to web publications. Unlike the staff-written parent, Business Week, the new magazine uses many freelancers and wants crisp, timely articles aimed at executives moving upwards, always with a Chicago focus.

Weber said stories in all categories are getting shorter to appeal to time-pressured readers. Content is moving rapidly to the web, and publishers are increasingly providing it free, because advertisers pay more to capture “eyeballs.” Today’s tech-savvy generation demands interactive multimedia, streaming video, and podcasts and likes the simplicity of free online subscription services like RSS (Really Simple Syndication) that deliver information and entertainment to their laptops, cell phones, and iPods.

Holiday Party Reprise
Café Iberico was jumping as IWOCers and guests gathered to break bread and toast the holidays. The food was scrumptious — ooh, that cake — and the sangria flowed. Santa was good to us, and we all got to choose a book that another IWOCer had read and enjoyed. Everyone pronounced it a splendid evening, but hey, a picture is worth a thousand words:

Big smiles from our happy revelers. Cliff and Pat Terry (left photo); Harry Karabel and Noreen Kelly (right photo).

Roger Rueff awaits his gift from Santa aka Mary Ann Porucznik. Catherine Rategan and Cathy Dusberger looking fabulous.

More pictures.

November Meeting Reprise
A full house gathered to hear Laurie Cunningham, FOCUS editor of Crain's Chicago Business detail her requirements for freelancers who want to make the grade with FOCUS. Cunningham's presentation was lively, informative, and succinct — attributes that she also finds desirable in her writers. Cunningham gave us a comprehensive list of do's and don'ts. A few of them were: forget jargon and don't overquote, but do be specific and give examples, write economically, and look for larger themes in your writing. She also named several books that she has found helpful throughout her career. They are: On Writing Well by William K. Zinsser, The Art and Craft of Feature Writing by William E. Blundell, and Follow the Story by James B. Stewart. Overall, Cunningham's presentation was a primer on how to hone one's writing skills, regardless of the topic or the publication.

October Meeting Reprise
Editors Adam Istas and Merideth Landry attracted a capacity crowd for their presentation at IWOC's October meeting. Small wonder. Istas and Landry, both senior editors with custom publisher Imagination Publishing, came to talk business. Specifically, they detailed the freelance needs of their numerous online and print publications, and they brought samples: beautifully designed and eyecatching magazines — all quickly snatched up after the meeting. When Imagination's client list came up on the screen during the informative visual presentation, everyone was blown away by the diversity of the opportunities. Whatever one's writing specialty there seemed to be a slot for that type of expertise. People were scribbling fast and furiously, and the questions flew too. We all appreciated Istas and Landry's straightforward answers: we know what they pay, when they pay, what to do, and what not to do. Hint: my grandfather died — a guy with more lives than a cat — won't wash if you miss a deadline. Everyone had a wonderful time, and better yet, came away with solid information about a myriad of freelancing possibilities with this diverse publishing house.

IWOC Workshops/Seminars  IWOC periodically offers workshops and seminars to help writers advance their skills and/or to introduce them to new fields of writing. These professional development events are open to the public as well as to IWOC members. Nonmembers can get a reduced member rate if they join IWOC on or before the date of the workshop. Watch this space for upcoming offerings.

IWOC Greet-Meet-Eat Local Get-Togethers

IWOC welcomes nonmembers at these informal gatherings. Come and network with fellow writers in your community. It's best to get in touch with the contact person first, though, in case of a time or venue change.

First Thursday of every month: IWORP Monthly Breakfast (Independent Writers of Rogers Park). The Rogers Park and North Side IWOCers meet at 9:00 a.m. at the A&T Grill, 7036N. Clark St., Chicago. For more information, call Esther Manewith at 773/274-6215.

Fourth Thursday of every month: IWOOP Monthly Lunch (Independent Writers of Oak Park). Join near western suburbanites at noon at Poor Phil's, 139 Marion Street, Oak Park. For more information, call Barbara Dillard at 312/642-3065 or e-mail her at bdbusiness@sbcglobal.net

The Far North Group and the Streeterville Group are currently inactive. If you're interested in reviving them — or starting another group — check out your directory and find others who live in your area. It's easy to do via e-mail, and the get-togethers are a great way to get to know other IWOCers better. If you get a group going, notify webmaster@iwoc.org so we can post notices of your meetings.

Notices of Events of Other Organizations

Illinois Women's Press Association (IWPA)

Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8
Chicago Tribune's Printer's Row Book Fair
The IWPA invites those who have books to sell to get under their big tent. The single-day fee for either day is $75 for members and $100 for nonmembers. If you wish to join IWPA ($51.50 national dues + $25 state dues = $76.50), your space fee will be reduced by $25. For more details and registration procedures, click here.

Chicago Women in Publishing (CWIP)

Locations and Times: National-Louis University

Board Meetings
Dates TBA; Time 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 21
How to Get Published: Tips for First-Time Authors
You wrote the book, now what? Iris Waichler, freelance writer and co-author of A Book is Born: 24 Authors Tell All will offer advice on how to assemble a publishing team and attract a publisher. She will also share the key points first-time authors need to know to navigate the world of publishing.

The meeting will be from 6-8 p.m. in Room 5006, National-Louis University, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Premium members free; CWIP members by May 19 $10; nonmembers and tickets at the door $15. Students with ID $10. Cash or check only. Register online at www.cwip.org/events.htm by Monday May 19, call 773-508-0351 x2, or send a check payable to CWIP to P.O. Box 268107, Chicago, IL 60626.

Publicity Club of Chicago (PCC)

June 11 PCC Monthly Lunch Program

The June luncheon will feature a panel of newsbeat reporters: Ed Curran, technology reporter and meteorologist for WBBM-TV; Steve Dolinsky, food reporter for WLS-TV; and Lisa Parker, Target 5 consumer-investigative reporter for WMAQ-TV. The moderator will be Susan Anderson, adjunct lecturer "Chicago Broadcast and Journalism Methods," Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University.

Cost: Nonmembers $45 if paid by preceding Friday, $55 after that, and $60 at the door. For reservations, go to publicity.org or call 773-463-5560.

Midwest Writers Association
Next event TBA.

American Medical Writers Association
No current information on scheduled events.

Midwest Society of Professional Consultants (MSPC)

Marcello's Restaurant
645 W. North Avenue
Chicago, IL
Free parking at the restaurant
Meetings are the first Wednesday of the month
Programs before and after dinner begin with registration at 5:00 p.m. Nonmember price is $55, but by calling any member or the president, nonmembers can attend at the $45 member price. Call 312-201-0596 for a reservation or call president Joe Cavolick or any board member directly.

June Meeting TBA

Joe Cavolick
MSPC President 2006
http://www.mspc.org
847-753-9898