January 2011 Archives - Outdoor Writers Association of America

Defending the small independent publisher

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:12:29 +0000

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BY MARY J. NICKUM
Mary Nickum presented content from this article at the 2010 OWAA Annual Conference in Rochester, Minn.
You finished the final draft of your book and feel it’s ready for publication. Now you’re faced with
the problem of where to send it. You’ve already checked some of the best known publishers, but most of them are closed to freelance submissions, requiring an agent to open those doors. Self-publishing is another option, but that requires a cash outlay that may be hard to justify. Enter the small independent publisher.
Independent publishers are not an imprint, nor an arm of another company. They are usually described as publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Generally, in the United States this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts. That’s compared to larger publishers that generate sales of more than $100 million. Small presses are also defined as those that publish an average of fewer than 10 titles per year.
Currently, there are at least 50,000 publishers in the United States. Although most trade books found in chain bookstores are published by any one of a few very large publishers, the vast majority of publishers are small. Between the two extremes are the established small publishers that have grown to mid-size proportions, publishing about 25 to 100 books per year.

THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AT A GLANCE
In publishing, the Big Six are the entrenched, powerful entities, the major players in publishing. But independent publishers, when viewed as a group, are a major power unto themselves.
Just to be sure who we’re talking about, The Big Six Publishers are:
1. Random House, the world’s largest English language general trade book pub- lisher, is a subsidiary of media conglomerate Bertelsmann.
2. Penguin Group is the second largest trade book publisher in the world, behind Random House.
And, in no particular order from here:
3. Hachette Book Group is owned by Hachette Livre, a French company.
4. HarperCollins Publishers, under the News Corporation umbrella, is based in midtown Manhattan and publishes a lengthy list of bestsellers.
5. Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, a division of the Educational and Professional Publishing Group of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
6. Simon & Schuster is a major trade house based in New York City, N.Y., that dates back to the early 1920s and was home to one of the industry’s most famous editors, Maxwell Perkins.
The book publishing industry is traditionally divided into the following sectors:
-Trade: Most of the books you find at the bookstore, intended for the general public.
-Professional: Books specific to a particular industry or even a particular company.
-Textbook: Books specifically targeted at students.
-Scholarly: Specialized books, primarily published by the university presses.
-Religious: Books published by religious organizations for their members or potential members.
Small independent publishers may be found in all of these sectors.
IS INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING YOUR BEST BET?
Independent publishers may NOT be the answer to your publishing needs if:
-You want your book to be on the table closest to the front door of Barnes and Noble.
-You are working through an agent.
-Your book contains color photos or illustrations.
If that’s not the case for you, keep reading.
Why might an independent publisher be preferable?
They’re open to riskier content, they are willing to take the time to develop an author’s career and they’re specialized.
Also, independent publishers account for almost half the books published annually.
There are publishers that exist for nearly every imaginable genre. There are regional publishers, micro-publishers and electronic-only publishers.
By specializing in certain topics, a pub- lisher develops a keen sense of the market and a set of deep relationships with relevant channels.
Some are more willing to take risks; others are only willing to buy books that are sure to succeed. Some have a long and storied history; others crop up to meet a need, releasing only one or two books.
HOW DO YOU FIND THESE PUBLISHERS?
Search the Internet. Check with bookstores and libraries. Ask other writers you know.
Qualities that might make an independent publisher attractive:
-Plenty of author control: The author agrees to all changes.
-Print on demand: There are no storage issues.
-No agent required: In fact, most agents won’t work with independent publishers.
-Higher royalties: You’ll make more money on book sales.
-Publishing contract is straight forward and simple to understand: You won’t need a lawyer to interpret it.
-Best of all, it’s not self-publishing: There’s no stigma attached, no money up front.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Here are some terms and statements to watch for in your search for an independent publisher:
-Book printer vs. publisher vs. book distributor. Here’s the difference: A book printer is just that, a printer. A publisher works with the author to develop a marketable product and, through established contacts, will assist the author in selling the book. A book distributer gets books from the publishing house to the bookstores. A distributer does not print books or communicate with authors.
-If a publisher wants money upfront, that’s a big red flag. This is the fastest way to distinguish a vanity press from an independent publisher. An independent publisher will never charge money for publication, marketing or any aspect of publishing your book.
-In conclusion, for an author, independent publishers provide another avenue for publication, with many accepting unsolicited submissions, something that’s virtually unheard of at imprints of the Big Six. Independent publishers come with upsides and downsides that differ with each publisher, but for an author, the more options, the better.
For an increasing number of authors, indie publishing is the fastest and easiest way to produce books without the stigma or cost of self-publishing or vanity publishing. As with any publishing venture, do your homework.
–A member since 2000, Mary J. Nickum is a retired librarian who is now an editor and freelance writer. Her primary focus is on science for the public. Nickum is editor-in-chief of the Intermountain Journal of Science and currently edits World Aquaculture magazine. Contact her at mjnickum@hotmail.com.

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Old ways still ring true

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:49:35 +0000

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BY BRENT FRAZEE
OK, I admit it. The closer I get to my 60th birthday, the more I realize I am well on my way to becoming a grumpy old man.
A lot of it has to do with this era of modern technology and gadgetry.
I’m proud to say that I don’t tweet. I don’t send text messages on my cell phone. I don’t have a Facebook page. I don’t have an iPad or an iPod. Heck, I don’t even use a tape recorder when I interview someone. I still scrawl my notes in a notebook.
The younger generation might shudder at such admissions.
“How can you function in a modern society – and in your field – without such technology?” they might ask.
I do just fine with my old-fashioned ways, thank you.
Call me a dinosaur if you like, but I think I can make a case for a traditional approach to journalism and life in general.
I look at modern journalism’s race for immediacy and I shake my head.
Grown men and women make fools of themselves, relying on an anonymous source for a breaking new story, posting it on a website and proudly proclaiming, “You heard it here first.”
There’s only one problem. Often, there was a reason that source didn’t want to go on the record: He or she was wrong. That means the reporter was wrong.
No problem. In our era of journalistic immediacy, that transgression is quickly forgotten.
Life goes on, and so does the race to see who can first post the breaking news.
When I came to the Kansas City Star 30 years ago, I thought I had really done something if I could get some outdoors news one day and get it in the paper the next.
In today’s world, that item is old news by the time someone reads it in hard print.
Sure, it’s great to get the news out faster than ever. But often, old-fashioned tenets of journalism are sacrificed.
What happened to checking facts and making sure you have multiple sources before sending a story to press?
That’s what bothers me about the Internet. Anyone can post something as fact and get away with it, never facing accountability.
I know the newspaper business has taken its shots in recent years, but I still think editors demand factual integrity.
Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way. Some stories based on anonymous sources still make their way into print. But at least there are standards.
Sorry, this grumpy old man doesn’t see those same standards on the Internet. Please understand, I’m not damning all websites. I have seen plenty that are factual, include good feature writing and are pleasing to the eye.
I see way too many young journalists who use modern technology as a shortcut. Whatever happened to the basics of good, solid journalism? In my eyes, it’s not always who posts the story first. It’s who comes up with the most interesting way of telling the story.
With that in mind, I believe outdoors writers can still fill a niche role at newspapers despite what some will tell you.
Think about it. The sports pages are filled with stories about local pro teams and their big games, superstar athletes getting in trouble and the minutia about the national scene.
But those stories are reported by many different outlets in an only-slightly varying style.
When an outdoors writers comes up with a feature about something unique – maybe a kid with cancer who chose to go fishing as his last wish or a 95-year-old man who is still deer hunting – that’s unique.
The reader isn’t going to get that story anywhere else.
It’s good old-fashioned journalism.
It’s relying on sources you’ve met over the years to provide tips. It’s keeping your eyes and ears open when you go to area bait stores. It’s regularly talking to wildlife biologists and conservation agents to see if they have seen anything unusual.
That being said, I’m not condoning all of the old-fashioned ways. The old “Me and Joe” stories are an example of an outdated way of writing.
Sorry, that’s lazy journalism. So are the brag pieces some writers put out time after time, lobbying for the readers’ vote as outdoorsman of the century. Do you really think the reader cares about that? I don’t.
He or she wants to be informed, entertained and transported through words to the place where the writer was.
Challenge yourself to write in a lively, descriptive style. Feature the person who is taking you fishing or hunting and learn as much about him as you can in your short time together.
Immerse yourself in your beat, the outdoors.
Resist the urge to sit inside and learn via tweets, text messages or Facebook posts. I reluctantly admit they might help in some instances. But they’re still no replacement for being “out there.”
Take it from a grumpy old man.
–Brent Frazee has been the outdoors editor of The Kansas City Star for 30 years. In that time, he has won more than 30 national awards for his writing and photography. He also serves as the president of the Outdoor Writers of Kansas and is currently the head of the newspaper section of OWAA. Contact him at bfrazee@kcstar.com.
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Video editing 101, Part One: Fetching footage

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:40:53 +0000

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BY PAUL QUENEAU
Let’s be honest: these days the average fifth grader may know more about editing video than many of us professional communicator types. Yet many editors and publishers are starting to see video as an integral part of their story packages. Even without an assignment, we have the option to shop our motion creative to a world-wide audience with a few simple clicks using Vimeo, YouTube and the like.
But first you have to know how to get raw footage onto your computer to pluck the wheat from your seizure-inducing chaff. There are more than a dozen capable editing applications on the market and most employ a similar logic and layout. But virtually every video and TV producer I’ve worked with in the past few years uses Apple’s Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express, so let’s focus on those as the current standard.
Before you even open an editing program, though, make sure you have lots of free hard drive space because video files can be truly monstrous. In Final Cut Express, capturing HDV will happily eat 49 gigs per hour of footage—no kidding.
RIPPING TAPE
If your camera records to tapes such as the popular HDV format, the first step is to connect it to your computer using a Firewire cable (aka iLink /IEEE 1394), which you can find for $2 on Amazon.com or for a small fortune at your local electronics store. Before you do that, though, eject your tape and make sure its tiny plastic switch is flipped to “save” or “read only” so you don’t accidentally record over anything while trying to extract it.
Next, plug your camera into a wall outlet so your battery doesn’t give out mid-capture. Then switch it to VTR or Play mode and rewind the tape.
Open Final Cut, go the File menu, choose Easy Setup and choose the best match for your format and screen-ratio. (For HDV, I use HDV- Apple Intermediate Codec 1080i60.) Next, go to Capture under the File menu. Take the time to come up with a descriptive title for the footage so in the future you can easily identify what can be dozens or even hundreds of video files. It helps enormously to know what they are at a glance.
Push the capture button and for the next hour find something else to do that doesn’t involve your computer. Your software will quit capturing if it drops frames because your hard drive or processor can’t keep up.
FLASH MEDIA AND ON-CAMERA HARD DRIVES
Many new camcorders and all video-capable DSLRs save files onto flash cards such as SD and Compact Flash, or onto hard drives. This saves mounds of time versus capturing off tapes and often provides higher-resolution footage and longer record times. Unless you’ve got limitless hard drives, archiving all these files can be a challenge, though, not to mention backing them up. Tapes provide some reassurance in that way.
Another downside of flash or hard drives is that many camera manufactures employ proprietary file formats that may not play nice with low-cost editing programs like Final Cut Express. I’ve run into this problem working with footage from Panasonic P2, Sony XDCAM and even native HDV files captured in the high-end Final Cut Pro. Final Cut Pro can open just about anything under the sun with supplied plug-ins, but it costs $1,000.
To capture footage, simply put the card into a card reader or connect the camera using a USB or Firewire cable. It should show up on your desktop as a drive, then copy the footage over to your computer. From there, use Import under the File menu.
Once your footage shows up within your editing program, you’re ready to edit. I’ll cover that in part two, coming up in the February issue.
Paul Queneau grew up in Colorado hunting, fishing and backpacking. He started with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Bugle magazine as an intern and is currently the conservation editor. Contact him at pqueneau@RMEF.org.</em>
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How to be a better videographer

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:31:26 +0000

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BY LISA DENSMORE
This article is the third of a four-part series aimed at helping you improve your television skills no matter your area of expertise. The first installment, “How to be a better producer,” appeared in the August issue of OU. Part two, “How to talk to a camera,” appeared in the October issue. The final installment will cover editing.
I’m not a videographer, but if you are, I can help you become a better one. As a producer, I’ve hired many videographers during the last 20 years. The ones that I rehire time after time have two important traits. First, they are dependable, getting the shots I need. Secondly, they are creative, often enhancing the show because of their camera skills. We’re both part of a team. As producer, I’m like a football coach on the sidelines, calling the plays. The videographer is the wide receiver that makes the catch time after time. And the host is the quarterback. While the fans might pay more attention to the quarterback (or TV show host), the wide receiver (or videographer), is just as important to the team’s success.
Sometimes the producer is also the host or the videographer. And many times, the videographer also has to be lighting technician and sound engineer. In outdoor television, we wear more than one hat. Regardless of the hats you wear, if you run a camera you can earn a trip to the championship game if you follow these basic tips:
LAND YOUR SHOTS
Most shots involve a zoom, a pan or a pull-out. At the end of the move, hold the frame for at least ten seconds. It gives your editor options. He can cut during the camera move or allow the viewer to “rest” at the end of your shot.
BE SMOOTH
In the modern video world where cam- eras are often hand-held and camera angles are less and less traditional, one rule still holds true: be smooth. Shaky or jerky cam- era work is unusable.
GET CUT-AWAYS
Close-ups are called “cut-aways” in television because they allow the editor to literally cut away from a wide shot, often to shorten a soundbite. Shoot lots of close-ups, and you’ll be your editor’s best friend. Certainly get the wide shot of the host landing the 25-inch rainbow trout, then get a close-up of the fish. Better yet, get a super-close up of the fish’s head with the fly in its mouth. Also get the host’s hand on his rod as he casts, his eyes concentrating on his rod, the fish splashing on the water, the guide watching the action, and any other tight shot that helps give details to the viewer. At a bare minimum, listen to what’s said on camera and notice objects that are central to the story, then get close-ups of them.
WATCH HOW YOU FRAME PEOPLE
With the advent of high-definition television, traditional camera framing has changed dramatically. If you’re shooting an interview, place the person to the right or the left of the frame. Then be sure the other half of the frame is filled with something generic or germane that’s not distracting to the viewer.
One rule that hasn’t changed is alternating sides of the frame for back-to-back interviews. If the first person is on the right side, place the second person on the left to avoid a jump-cut or awkward transition. Likewise, make sure you don’t leave too much space above a person’s head. And al- ways leave room at the bottom of the frame for “lower thirds,” the graphics that identify the person and their credentials.
TRY UNUSUAL ANGLES
Unusual angles catch a viewer’s eye. They mark you as an innovative, creative member of the production team. While not every angle should be unusual, shoot them as you are inspired. Creative camera angles often set a show apart from the rest of the clutter, keeping a viewer’s interest.
GET THE MONEY SHOT
Unusual angles are fine, but always be sure you’ve got the standard ones too. The difference between a new creative angle and a bad shot is a subjective call by the producer and the editor, but no one will find fault with normal camera angles if they are done well.
WHITE BALANCE A LOT!
Keep checking the camera lens iris and always adjust the white balance when the light changes. If there are two or more cameras capturing the action, be sure you are synched, not only in terms of time code but also white balance.
Use another take if you need it. If you don’t like your camera move, do it again and again if needed. And if the move isn’t working, suggest a change. It’s better to capture a good shot in the field than to settle for fair one. What looks fair in the camera usually translates to poor when viewed in post-production.
WATCH YOUR BACKGROUND
This is particularly important with HD as the frame is wider. In real life, a red rope marking a ski area boundary seems obscure enough, but when on camera it will add a distracting bright.
A member of the OWAA Board, Lisa Densmore has garnered numerous awards during her 20-year television career, including three Emmys, dozens of Tellys and the OWAA President’s Award for television in the Excellence in Craft contests. Her website: www.DensmoreDesigns.com.
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Editorial Guidelines for Outdoors Unlimited

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:02:44 +0000

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Updated: January 2011
General: All material submitted by OWAA members will be considered for publication. The decision to publish rests entirely with the executive director and editor. Opinions expressed are the authors’ and not necessarily those of OWAA, its officers, board of directors or staff. All submissions should be sent to OU Editor Ashley Schroeder at aschroeder@owaa.org or 121 Hickory St., Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59801.
Copyright: Contributors (less OWAA employees) grant rights for OWAA to publish once in Outdoors Unlimited®, including archives, and on the OWAA website.
Article submissions: Electronic submissions are preferred. Please use Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or ASCII format.

PHOTOGRAPHS

“Portfolio” submissions: Submit up to 20 images via e-mail to aschroeder@owaa.org or on a CD or DVD. FTP site also available, contact OWAA for login info. Include captions and a brief biography. Specifications for digital images: high-resolution (300 dpi), 1-2 megabyte per image, JPEG format.
Mug shots: Mugs are welcome for feature stories, craft pieces and member news. E-mail a digital photo. Specifications for digital mugs: 300 dpi, 1 megabyte, JPEG format.

ARTICLES

Craft improvement: Headquarters endeavors to print multiple craft articles per month, including one each from the OWAA Sections: Magazine, Newspaper, Photography, Radio and TV/ Video, as well as articles on writing/journalism, marketing, business, technology and general topics relevant to members. Word limit: 800. Photos and graphics (1 MB), as well as audio (MP3) and video clips (imbedded links) are encouraged.
Features: Preferred length is 800 words or fewer. Articles may be edited and shortened without notification to the author at the discretion of the editorial staff. General focus of articles, other than those from committee members charged to contribute to OU, should be on craft improvement, news of activities affecting the outdoors or other news of general interest to members. Word limit: 800. Photos and graphics (1 MB), as well as audio (MP3) and video clips (imbedded links) are encouraged.
OWAA Legends: Do you know an OWAA legend who has sig- nificantly contributed to conservation and OWAA? Send story ideas to OU Editor Ashley Schroeder at aschroeder@owaa.org. Word limit: 900; photos are encouraged.
Conservation Corner: Conservation-related articles and related briefs are published in this space. Authors are encouraged to base stories on science and/or credible sources and include websites having additional information. Word limit: 900.
Section/committee contributions: Submissions accepted as charged by the section or committee. In general, one OU page is reserved each month for each section/committee. Word limit: 900. Photos and graphics (1 MB), as well as audio (MP3) and video clips (imbedded links) are encouraged.
Miscellaneous columns: OWAA conference content is compiled by OWAA’s conference planner and either written or assigned by the Conference Program Committee.

DEPARTMENTS

Outdoor Market: Headquarters publishes job listings and publishers’ editorial needs relevant to outdoor communicators. Word limit: 100 words, including who, what, where, when, pay- ment and contact information.
Bookshelf: Information about members’ recently published books and videos are invited. Include title, author, publisher, number of pages, price and a brief write-up. Word limit: 100. Book/video cover photos welcome; for photo specifications, see “Mug shots,” above. A “Bookshelf” submission template is available at www.owaa.org; click “Promote Your Book” in the members-only section of the website.
Opinion (comments/online forums/letters to the editor): Members are encouraged to write about issues and topics, and use OU’s online forums as virtual letters to the editor. Letters may be e-mailed to aschroeder@owaa.org. Anonymous comments are not allowed. The executive director and editor will decide whether opinions are appropriate for OWAA debate or if the comments promote a personal cause; if the “cause” is unrelated to OWAA’s mission and potentially damaging to the membership, the comment might not be published. Because of OWAA’s tax-exempt status, comments endorsing candidates for public office or otherwise directly addressing political campaigns cannot be published. Headquarters will not publish comments that are libelous in nature. Letters to the editor word limit: 400. Comments exceeding the word limit may be returned to the sender for editing.
Supporting Group News Tips: Supporting groups, agencies and businesses are welcome to e-mail or snail-mail press releases. Headquarters categorizes and abbreviates each press release into two or three sentences, including contact information. When possible, readers are referred to supporter’s websites to view the entire press release. Word limit: 50.
Supporter Spotlight: Usually, one supporting group is featured in each issue. Standard press releases will be abbreviated. Word limit: 400.
News Briefs: Press releases will be considered for publication and may be edited and/or abbreviated, usually to 75-100 words. Member news (mug shots welcome) and other relevant announcements will be edited and/or abbreviated.
Calendar items: Calendar items contain information on activities of interest to members and appear as space permits. Include contact information.

MISCELLANY

Deadline for submissions: The fifth of the month preceding the month of publication. For example, the November OU deadline is Oct. 5.
Trademarks: Trademark names are used throughout OU. Rather than place a trademark symbol at every occurrence, OU uses the name only in an editorial fashion, with no intent of trademark infringement.
Payment: OWAA does not pay for material published in OU. Members contribute material for the benefit of the membership.
Return policy: Text submissions and materials submitted for review will not be returned. Hard-copy photographs and artwork are returned immediately after use; OWAA pays shipping. OWAA is not liable for photos/artwork lost or damaged in shipping. Members wanting photos/artwork returned insured or via special handling must inform the editor and pay insurance/special handling fees.
Reprint policies: Permission to reprint from OU must be obtained from OWAA and the author or photographer; both must receive credit lines. A copy of any reprinted material must be sent to OWAA.

Subscriptions: OU is a member entitlement. Others wishing to subscribe must submit requests to the executive director; if approved, subscription cost is $150 per year.

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Strength in numbers

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:42:49 +0000

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BY MARK TAYLOR
On a chilly early winter day in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, a dozen teenagers split into smaller groups walked through brushy fields following baying beagles.
The youth were participating in a state-sponsored rabbit hunt, an event that had started with a workshop. In addition to the dogs, the hunt included nearly 25 adult mentors.
And that’s how these things always go, don’t they?
Experienced hunters are always more than happy to help out novices, eager to sacrifice their own day of hunting – or just relaxing – to help bring along the next generation.
Yet as OWAA has struggled in recent years to retain some veteran members, and also to recruit new members who already may be fairly well established as outdoor communicators, we have fallen short on tap- ping into the altruistic nature of those folks.
We have been so busy touting what OWAA can do for communicators trying to get started – a noble mission and one that should remain a focus – that we have not paid enough attention to what we offer experienced communicators.
And, what they can offer us.
It’s no secret that OWAA’s membership, of both individuals and supporters, has been in decline.
If the organization isn’t able to reverse the trend we face having to take drastic measures, including potential cuts in staff and services.
Any cuts will make it more difficult to keep members and attract new ones.
It’s a vicious cycle, not unlike the one many fish and wildlife agencies are facing nationwide as license sales decline.
That there can be strength in numbers is among the many talking points OWAA members should keep in mind as we move forward on the recruiting push launched this past fall.
We are offering incentives during this membership drive, with members gaining raffle chances for great prizes from generous supporters for every new member they bring in.
OWAA members are the group’s best salespeople. We not only know what OWAA has to offer, but we know plenty of peers who are not members but could benefit from OWAA – and could help OWAA, too.
Sometimes it is easy. The other day I asked a fellow outdoors writer in Virginia if he’d ever considered joining OWAA.
“I’d love to join,” he answered. “You’re the first person who has asked me.”
Often a recruit, or a former member, will hit us with a host of questions and/or objections. We need to be ready with answers.
I’ll get back to the mentor issue. First, here’s a realistic look at the advantages of OWAA membership.
PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
OWAA’s staff provides a number of tangible benefits for members, including the membership directory, how-to business manuals, and print and electronic versions of our Outdoors Unlimited.
Nowadays, OWAA’s comprehensive and constantly improving website has become a critically important benefit. Simply put, access to the members-only information on the site can help outdoor communicators do their jobs better and be more successful.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Access to an annual conference filled with craft improvement workshops and newsmaker panels is another huge benefit.
As a bonus, OWAA’s staff has shifted the emphasis on conference sites away from typical conference facilities in cities and toward exciting venues in amazing outdoor meccas such as Snowbird, Utah this coming summer, and Chena Hot Springs, Alaska in 2012.
Perhaps as important as anything, the conference allows us to get to know one another better.
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” is not just a catchy phrase. It’s reality.
If communicators are serious about this business, getting to the conference and developing relationships with editors, industry folks and other members will help those communicators make more money. It’s that simple.
CREDIBILITY
Because OWAA members must meet membership criteria, affiliation with our group provides members with instant, important credibility.
In the age of the Internet, anyone can claim to be an outdoor writer, photographer or videographer. We aren’t people who simply say we are outdoors communication professionals. We actually are outdoors communication professionals, with extensive and legitimate readership and viewership – and the influence they bring.
MEMBER DISCOUNTS
Arrangements with supporters enables OWAA members to take advantage of generous discounts on items that help us do our jobs better, and help our bottom lines.
In many cases, the purchase of a single big-ticket item at the OWAA discount rate more than covers the cost of annual dues.
The more members we have, the more at- tractive we are to supporters – the opposite of a vicious downward spiral.
OWAA IS A BUSINESS EXPENSE
The cost of annual dues for OWAA is a common objection for potential and/or lapsed members. No doubt, $150 is not chump change.
The board recently voted to eliminate the initiation fee to help soften the impact. First-time conference attendees also get a financial break.
Costs such as dues and conference registration fees are businesses expenses. All businesses have costs, and the outdoors communication field is no different.
As the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. Obviously, the idea is to spend as little as possible while still maintaining revenue.
For anyone who is trying to be a professional outdoors communicator, OWAA’s annual dues – and conference attendance costs – are a sensible, reasonable, important business investment.
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
The Excellence in Craft contests have traditionally been a popular selling point of OWAA. They not only offer cash prizes, but also the opportunity for important, confidence-building affirmation of our hard work.
Members know that the EIC contest rules underwent some significant changes this past year. Those changes, intended to streamline the contest and make prizes more prestigious, were generally not well received.
The board listened and another committee has been tasked with revisiting the contest and structuring rules that are more agreeable to most members.
Updated rules will likely be much more similar to the previous rules than to this one-year departure from tradition. No changes will be finalized until after the members have had their chance to weigh-in on any proposed changes.
MENTORS
Having industry pros among our ranks is critically important to OWAA. Those veterans attract the attention of novices who want to meet and learn from the best.
And by mentoring the next generation, those experienced writers, photographers, videographers, and industry professionals are helping to strengthen the outdoor communication profession as a whole.
This is absolutely critical as this industry continues on its rapid, uncertain evolution.
We all have a personal stake in how things in this business unfold. And, simply put, the more of us that are working together to get better, the better off we all are. There is no organization that can bring us together better than OWAA, which has been doing it for more than 80 years.
In the next few weeks, call five friends and ask them to consider joining OWAA. Be assertive. Instead of asking if the staff can send them application materials, tell them you are having the staff send the materials. Follow up a couple of weeks later and ask if they have sent in the application yet.
As we reach out to potential new members, or to our friends who have let their memberships lapse, our primary motivation should not be trying to score more raffle tickets for prizes (although those prizes are great).
It should be because we know that OWAA is an important part of this business, and can remain so only if membership remains a robust mix of supporters and members, novices and veterans.
Again, this isn’t just about you, me or them. It’s about all of us.
—Mark Taylor is the outdoors editor of The Roanoke Times, and a freelancer whose work has appeared in Petersen’s Bowhunting and several other national outdoors magazines. He is OWAA’s second vice president. Contact him at mark.taylor@ roanoke.com.
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The case for copper

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:31:46 +0000

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BY PAUL HANSEN
It is time for those of us who hunt to move away from using outdated lead bullets to using high-tech copper ammunition. Research from state fish and game agencies show that most lead bullets are pulverized on contact with big game. This can contaminate the meat we bring home, as well as the offal piles we leave behind and the scavengers who consume the offal piles.
In a North Dakota study of 738 blood tests, people who ate a lot of wild game had higher lead levels than those who ate little or none. The more recent the consumption of wild game harvested with lead bullets, the higher the level of lead in the blood.
Action levels are the levels of concentration at which a contaminant is considered dangerous. For adults, the amount of lead was below action levels. However, the amount of lead was too high for children. The Minnesota and North Dakota Departments of Health now urge no consumption of any game shot with a lead bullet for pregnant women and children under the age of 6. They advised food pantries across the states to not distribute or use donated ground venison because of the contamination with lead fragments. According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, if these lead fragments had been found in beef, the meat would have been recalled.
A Minnesota Game and Fish study used 72 previously-euthanized sheep as surrogates for deer. The sheep were shot, skinned, cleaned and analyzed by radiograph. Researchers found, per carcass, an average of 141 fragments that dispersed far from the wound channel – an average maximum distance of 11 inches. Fragments were found so far from the exit wound that routine trimming likely will not remove all of the lead. Most lead particles in venison are too small to see, feel or sense when chewing.
The research showed that using bullets with no exposed lead (a heavy copper case surrounds the lead core) or solid copper fragmented very little and left no lead.
Lead has been known for centuries to be a broad-spectrum toxin for humans and wildlife. In general, children are at higher risk because they absorb more lead than adults do and their developing brains are more easily damaged by the lead. Most of the effects are subtle and cannot be easily recognized. The Environmental Protection Agency calls lead “one of the most dangerous neurotoxins in the environment.”
Lead has been banned in paint and gasoline. In 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ordered a ban on the use of lead shot for hunting migratory waterfowl. About 1 million ducks, geese and swans were dying each year from eating spent lead shot pellets. The Wildlife Society, the professional association of the nation’s wildlife biologists, now advocates for the replacement of lead-based bullets used in the field.
In Jackson Hole, leading research at Beringia South has found that 50 percent of ravens had elevated blood levels during the hunt- ing season, but only 2 percent did during the non-hunting season. Females had significantly higher levels than males. In the pristine Greater Yellowstone, 85 percent of the bald eagles tested have elevated lead – more than half of these at levels that cause impairment. An average of 160 fragments of lead is found in an elk gut piles left by hunters, which these scavengers then consume.
Hunters contribute a great deal to wildlife conservation. Given this great record, none of us should want to contaminate our hunt by bringing home tainted meat or leaving toxic lead in the field. We now have good alternatives that allow us to prevent both. In Arizona, 90 percent of hunters in regions critical to the endangered California Condor have voluntarily switched to copper. While only 5 percent of Americans hunt, 80 percent support legal hunting. By being responsible in the field, we can keep it that way.
Unfortunately, this issue has become unnecessarily polarized. Three environmental groups have petitioned EPA to ban the manufacture of all lead bullets. This will be a setback for reducing the use of lead in the field. The use of lead for target shooting presents little exposure to humans or wildlife and it can be managed to eliminate what little risk there is.
This fall, I made a killing shot on an elk on using the lead core copper case bullet. I found the bullet, with the lead core intact within the copper case. Advanced ballistics makes these bullets very accurate. They are more expensive.
It was nice to come home and process the elk with no second thoughts about the lead I brought home or left behind.
A list of links to scientific information can be found at http:// www.beringiasouth.org/left-page.php.
—Paul Hansen is a lifelong conservationist and former executive director of the Izaak Walton League. He has been an OWAA member since 1983. Contact him at paulwhansen@me.com.
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Proximity of national parks ‘exquisite torture’ for 2011 conference-goers

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:21:28 +0000

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BY BRETT PRETTYMAN
2011 CONFERENCE LOCAL COMMITTEE CHAIR
It was hard to determine just where to begin when it came to bragging about having my home state host the 2011 annual OWAA conference and what that means to our members and supporting groups. So, like many others appointed as local committee chair, I had others do my work for me when OU started publishing articles about the 2011 event.
Thanks to Hollie Brown of Utah State Parks, Mark Hadley of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Patrick O’Driscoll of the National Park Service for whetting our appetites in previous editions of OU with their descriptions of the plethora of stories and memories that await you here in Utah.
I have avoided my duties long enough and now, having entered the actual calendar year of the conference, it is time to get serious.
I’m not only excited about the conference returning to Utah (we were in St. George in 2001 and Salt Lake City in 1990), but also that the annual gathering of this country’s best outdoor writers is coming back to the West and will truly be held in the mountains.
That’s right. No need to drive anywhere to do a story. Just look out your window each morning and there it is. Nothing against any of the previous conference locales or states, but, well, Utah rocks.
Granted, as a lifelong resident I am a little biased.
The folks at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, the Utah Office of Tourism, OWAA headquarters and my local conference committee, including Tom Wharton and Brian Brinkerhoff, and Conference Program Chair Mark Taylor, are working hard to create a solid list of pre- and post-conference trips that will lead to stories and pay for your conference expenses.
For a list of tours, visit www.owaa.org/2011conference, and I hope you will be pleased with the diversity found there.
Also, we are working to create sponsored trips by building relationships between our supporting groups and tour providers.
Trout Unlimited partnered with Daggett County to sponsor the Fish Flaming Gorge trip. This free guided fly-fishing adventure takes place on the Green River below Flaming Gorge Reservoir in northeastern Utah. The Green is known well by anglers as one of the most productive and scenic fisheries in the world. Spots are limited, so register as soon as possible.
Are you a supporting group interested in sponsoring a trip like this? If so, contact me at brettp@sltrib.com. Don’t sweat the details; trips are already lined up. Visit the OWAA conference website (listed above) to view trips offered.
Featured trips range from multi-day whitewater rafting to mountain biking on high mountains in southern Utah. Tours of state museums loaded with ancient peoples’ artifacts and dinosaur bones await you. There are 20 National Park Service units within a day’s drive of Snowbird.
Wildlife stories include innovative fishing regulations on blue ribbon trout waters, to the world record non-typical bull elk (a.k.a. the Spider Bull), to some of the most important shorebird and waterfowl habitat on the continent.
If you are looking for something a little more gripping, Utah has its fair share of issue-related topics, including: invasive species, wild mustangs, bark beetles and stream access.
As the program chair, Taylor is dedicated to making sessions valuable tools to help each attendee become a better writer, photographer, videographer, blogger or all of the above.
He and I have talked about, and with, several possible keynote speakers. Nothing has been finalized as of yet, but we are excited about the possibilities.
The hot topic in the West has been wolf management and we are working on building a panel to discuss the issue.
Shooting day will be held at the Lee Kay Center for Hunter Education in the Salt Lake Valley. This world-class facility was also used at the 1990 OWAA conference, receiving raves reviews. Personnel and volunteer Hunter Safety instructors from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are excited to once again host OWAA – and to see all the new firearms before their buddies do.
We are all reaching out to local outdoor-related businesses, and there are a ton of them in Utah and the surrounding states, encouraging them to get involved in OWAA, sharing their stories and gear with our members. I can’t say enough about the amazing staff at Snowbird. They are helping OWAA figure out the best way to accommodate the various needs of attendees.
Taylor and I set a goal for attendance at the Snowbird Conference and we feel the best way to reach that lofty number is by providing three days full of quality, educational and productive sessions surrounded by a wide variety of trips before and after our long weekend at one of the most scenic conference sites in recent memory.
All that said, we still seek advice and tips on how to make it the best conference ever. So, if you have thoughts, concerns or crazy ideas you think merit our attention, please e-mail them to me.
— Brett Prettyman is the 2011 OWAA Conference Local Committee Chair. A member since 1992, he is also a member of the OWAA Board of Directors. Prettyman is also an outdoor/recreation writer for The Salt Lake Tribune and author of “Fishing Utah,” second edition. Contact him at brettp@sltrib.com./em>
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Dyanphos 1000-watt Continuous Light Kit

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:17:23 +0000

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BY JON LAWTON
Photography is all about capturing light. Most photographers start out by simply working with whatever light is available; whether provided by the sun or interior incandescent light fixtures. Eventually, you will find yourself in a situation where it could be beneficial to have more control over the direction and the intensity of light. Portrait photography is a great example of one of these situations. Having the ability to place a light exactly where you need it can make the difference between a lackluster portrait and one that looks like it was taken in a studio.
Dynaphos is a company that makes a number of pho- tographic lighting products, ranging from high-end studio strobe flashes to portable light stands. Dynaphos’ DP-2497 is a single light kit that makes studio-style portrait lighting a simpler task with its continuous 1000-watt tungsten light source. What makes this kit great for portrait photography is not only the impressive amount of light, but the quality of light it puts out. The DP-2497 features a 32-by- 24-inch softbox that evenly distributes the light and eliminates harsh shadows on your subject. The light is easy to position exactly where you need it as the supplied lightstand comes with wheeled casters and is fully adjustable up to seven feet.
When it comes to operating the light, it is pretty straight-forward. You simply plug it in and turn it on. If you need to tone down the light hitting your subject, the kit also comes with two light dampening louvers that can be secured to the front of the softbox to limit light output. Because of the size of the softbox, you have the flexibility to light even large group portraits as well as individuals. I would recommend the DP-2497 kit to any photographer who is looking for a straightforward and simple way to enhance their portrait lighting.
The Dynaphos’ DP-2497 light kit includes one light head, a softbox, a lightstand and four 1000-watt lamps that are rated at 2000 hours each. The entire kit can also be folded down and stored in its own wheeled carrying case for transport.
— If you have any questions about the Dyanphos light kit or any other photo-related topic, please contact Jon Lawton at jlawton@wbhunt.com.
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Reminders, reminders, reminders

OWAA staff — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:04:04 +0000

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BY TONY DOLLE
Sometimes these columns are less about what an OWAA president has to say about a topic and more about what I call “housekeeping items” – items worth discussing, but not worth an entire column by themselves. While it is often hard to choose what to talk about, that’s not the case this month.
MEMBERSHIP
Growing OWAA’s member numbers has been a goal of mine since I joined this great group some 30-plus years ago. As president, it has moved higher on my priority list than ever before. That said, I think I have failed to make it as much of a priority during the first half of my term as I should have.
That will not be the case for the next six months. On a regular basis I intend to prod, poke, gouge, push, shove and drag, if necessary, qualified members into this organization. I challenge the Board and committee chairs to do the same. This is something we must all do to insure the secure future of OWAA.
This fall, Board members made phone calls to folks who had dropped out of OWAA, asking them to rejoin. If they declined, Board members asked why. This action, suggested by former Board member Jim Foster, was a new follow-up measure taken shortly after OWAA HQs sent out approximately 200 renewal packets. That was a great idea and the effort opened the eyes of Board members who made the calls.
OWAA’s Membership Drive was launched in October. Right now, based on the number of members entered in the raffle, the odds are in your favor to win any of the eleven prize packages (turn to page 12 for details). Deadline is Feb. 1.
Let’s face it: None of us are getting any younger. We need new blood in this group and we need it now! I challenge each of you to bring a new member into the organization.
TRANSPARENCY
We need to practice better transparency as an organization. I’m asking our Executive Director to publish our board meeting agenda on OWAA’s website at least seven days prior to the Board meeting, earlier if possible. Our membership should know what topics we plan to discuss.
I’m also instituting measures to make sure critical changes to larger, popular programs within OWAA are published on the website, allowing our members to comment before the changes are made.
Two recent program changes – switching OU to a digital format and the EIC overhaul – probably should have had better member input. The fires that have to be put out because of members’ reactions to these changes are large. Being more transparent with these changes would have likely alleviated many members’ angst. Even if it wouldn’t have, there is no reason for OWAA to operate in a vacuum. While we don’t intend for that to happen, unfortunately it often does.
But that’s easily rectified with better transparency, and that starts today.
RELATIONSHIPS
In recent discussions with some OWAA Supporting Groups, I was surprised by a recurring topic: OWAA members don’t send tear sheets, hardcopy or electronic, like they used to. And, one supporter told me, that’s not cutting it with his boss. A lack of tear sheets makes it harder each year to sell his boss and others at his company on the value of renewing their support of OWAA. I thought sharing tear sheets was a no-brainer. Everybody always does it, right?
Apparently, it doesn’t matter if it’s about a Supporter or location; tear sheets have become as rare as Bigfoot sightings. Tear sheets from our members appear to be nothing more than a fabled myth these days.
When OWAA HQs presents tear sheets as part of the bidding process for a conference location, potential bidders see the amount of press coverage generated from hosting an OWAA conference. Sharing tear sheets is paramount to the availability and affordability of pre- and post-conference trips. The value of potential tear sheets encourages a conference site, the respective CVB and other businesses to provide more perks to OWAA conference goers.
Long-time friend Bill Vanderford tells me that sending tear sheets is a ritual for him. I believe it. Bill sends tear sheets no matter how large the article or story. He sends them electronically these days – it’s easier, he says. In all the years I’ve known him, he’s never failed to get a tear sheet out within a reasonable amount of time. For him, it pays off with work assignments and invites to some pretty cool places.
When I was a newspaper editor at a small Missouri daily, my outdoor page consistently contained product information. Former Remington public relations guru Dick Dietz regularly sent me firearms to test and write about. I once asked Dietz why he sent them to me, since I knew I wasn’t influencing that many people (the paper’s circulation was about 15,000).
“It’s the tear sheets,” he told me at the SHOT Show one year. “You send them every time. Can’t say that about others.”
I’ve never forgotten those words and, like Vanderford, I’ve never forgotten to send tearsheets.
Whether hard copy or electronic, the form in which you send the tear sheets isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you send them.
— Tony Dolle, OWAA President tdolle@ducks.org
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