Ruth Thaler-Carter Member of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors

Basic Tips for Authors — and How NAIWE Can Help

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© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Networking Member, NAIWE Board of Experts

One of my activities is managing a Facebook that connects aspiring authors with editors. The main challenge of this activity is dealing with aspiring authors who can’t or don’t want to pay appropriate rates for professional editing services, along with editors wanting to join the group who work for low-ball platforms that don’t respect professional skills and experience. I’ve expanded my guidance for the group as a Valentine’s gift for my NAIWE colleagues.

Authors, especially if you plan to self-publish, please start saving now so you can afford to pay for elements of that process that are legitimate, such as professional editing, proofreading, cover and interior design/layout, etc. Self-publishing gives you control over the whole process and usually moves much faster than traditional publishing, but it also involves costs you might not expect. Even experienced writers need editors and proofreaders, because few of us can be objective enough about our words to catch our own typos and clunky transitions.

Amateur design, illustration and layout is as noticeable as unskilled writing or editing, and readers will not only notice but comment about that difference. You want to be complimented, not criticized (or laughed at), for both the content and the look of your book.

Investing in professional editing and proofreading can give you an edge in the traditional publishing world as well. For one thing, if you intend to go the traditional route, you’ll need an agent, and submitting a polished, edited manuscript can help you look better to any agents you’re trying to work with. And many traditional publishing houses these days have cut back on in-house editing and proofreading, so investing in those services yourself will ensure better reception from that prospective audience, and its readers, as well.

Legitimate agents do not charge authors for their services, by the way. They get a commission once the book is accepted and published by a publishing house.

Beware of vanity presses that charge you to get published and people who call themselves agents, editors, proofreaders, etc., but are not trained or experienced. Unfortunately, there are a lot of such potential ripoffs.

To learn more about the publishing process, go to your library or online and do some research. Writer’s Digest magazine and the Writer’s Market directory are excellent, trusted sources of information about almost any aspect of getting published that I can think of. There are also organizations for self-publishing and for finding agents, editors, etc., and plenty of publications, that can provide advice and guidelines.

NAIWE, of course, can be your friend in your path to publication. We have members who are experts in both self- and traditional publishing, as well as writing, editing, proofreading, design and more. Between member blogs and association events, NAIWE will help smooth your path to success as a writer or editor!

Networking proves its value!

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By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Networking Member, NAIWE Board of Experts

Ah, networking — an eternal topic for independent writers and editors.

I’ve been procrastinating about writing this column because it felt as if I had said everything about networking there was to say. Then two things happened: I received a new ongoing writing project through networking, and I started an entirely new venture that will require networking in new ways and new communities. Networking suddenly felt fresh!

The writing gig came from a Facebook group colleague and happened because I’ve been active and helpful in that group; the essence of networking. That networking connection was a handy shortcut for my colleague: It meant they knew enough about me to trust that I could do the work without having to request writing samples or go through other time-consuming common aspects of fitting freelancer to project. It’s proof that networking … works.

The new venture involves creating art (glass and clay), and planning to use networking to create visibility similar to my established presence in writing, editing and proofreading groups. That will mean identifying groups or organizations to join, finding the appropriate way to promote my work without being too blatantly “salesy,” and — most importantly — looking for ways to both learn about this new activity and share helpful tips and resources, because networking is a two-way street: It only works if you give as much as you take.

I’m reveling in the new opportunity to exercise my writing chops and the new kinds of projects I’ll be doing. One is the result of networking, while the other will require networking for it to succeed — the full spectrum. While I reflect on both, here are a few insights about networking in general that I hope colleagues will find useful.

A constant perspective

No matter what kind of publishing work you do, networking is key to its success. Of course, training and skill come first — but none of that matters if no one knows who you are and what you can do. Networking makes that happen.

Networking essentially means connecting with people you can learn with and from. New jobs/projects are often, even usually, a result of skilled networking, but self-gain shouldn’t be the goal. Becoming known for skills and colleagiality should be the goal.

The traditional process is to build your network by joining professional organizations like NAIWE or ones specific to an industry you write about or edit in. Nowadays, it includes joining relevant groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., as well as keeping in touch with former employers and co-workers.

It takes more than just joining up, though, for networking to do its job. Being not just a member, but an active, visible, helpful member, of an organization or group is vital to networking success, especially in these increasingly digital and post- (we hope) Covid days. You can join every professional association and collegial online group there is, but if you don’t contribute, you’ve wasted most of that investment, whether it’s money spent to join or hours spent online every day. Networking is not passive.

Overcoming that reluctance

Most of us agree, or ruefully admit, that networking is important to our business efforts, but not everyone is a poster child for extroverts like I am, so not all of us enjoy doing it. Keep in mind that you can do a lot of effective networking these days without meeting people in person, whether your hesitation is based on being an introvert or continuing to be concerned about health. Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as the discussion lists or forums of associations, make it possible to share insights, successes, advice and requests for help without ever leaving home.

As professional events come back to in-person life and online efforts continue to be important, it might help to think about some new angles for your networking activities. And it could help overcome any reluctance to think about how networking is likely to improve your reputation and expand your writing or editing business. You could even reward yourself for new efforts; chocolate always works for me.

Ask some questions

You might think that asking questions — whether about your craft or having an independent writing or editing business — makes you look foolish. On the contrary: Asking questions makes you look smart enough to seek professional, collegial advice rather than bumbling around and making business-damaging mistakes. It also creates the opportunity to share answers with colleagues, and maybe even incorporate their responses (with credit, of course) in any blog posts or articles you might write.

You could ask the one vital question that several colleagues have wanted to post, but been afraid to. Bringing it up and making it possible to share the answers makes you a valuable networking connection.

Provide some answers

Of course, you want to look for answers in obvious places (Google, LinkedIn and Facebook groups, etc.) before asking colleagues for help, but even that could be the basis of networking.

Once you have those answers, or figure something out on your own, apply them to your networking activities by sharing them as widely as possible. Consider writing a blog post or article about that process. Show colleagues how you solved a problem or answered a knotty question, so they can expand their knowledge and skillset. You’ll be a star!

Do some good

Networking can be a factor in providing community service and supporting causes you believe in: By volunteering or otherwise supporting a cause, you gain visibility with an organization’s board members, staff, and even clients or audiences.

If you write an article or edit a project for a nonprofit organization on a pro bono basis, ask that your contact info and a (brief) bio be included. If you donate goods to a nonprofit, write about why and what you hope will be the result of the donation. If you endow a scholarship, send a press release to appropriate outlets.

Whatever it involves, pro bono work makes us feel good while doing good, and can bring good karma (as well as practical results) to our lives and businesses. There’s nothing wrong with hoping for and receiving business success by doing good. It’s all part of both promoting your business and building your network of contacts that might hire you as a result — of either seeing what you do or sharing your commitment to that cause or organization.

Do it now!

Other than recognizing networking as a two-way process, accepting its value in enhancing your writing or editing business is key to success. If you’re an introvert, grit your teeth and get to it, even if only in one forum, organization or platform (the more you try, the more comfortable you should become with the process). If you’re an extrovert, keep your flag flying.

Either way, I wish you success in getting your name and business out to new audiences and clients.

Let us know how you approach networking and what has worked for you and your writing/editing business.

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is known as the “Queen of Networking” for her many years of active membership in various writing- and editing-related professional associations and online groups, contributions to publications; and creating and hosting Communication Central’s “Be a Better Freelancer”® conference, now co-hosted with NAIWE. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com.

The business of a business plan

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© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Networking Member, NAIWE Board of Experts

Based on a similar post for the An American Editor blog.

I often see advice from colleagues and outside experts who say the key to success as a freelancer or consultant is to have a business plan, ideally before you launch your editorial business. Most recently, National Association of Independent Writers and Editors executive director April Michelle Davis reminded members that December is National Write a Business Plan Month, saying, “As a freelancer, you are a business owner, so consider writing a business plan this month!” Inspiration struck!

I can’t argue with the advice and urge NAIWE colleagues to at least keep it in mind, even though I have to admit that I’ve never had a formal business plan. I started freelancing when I was in high school, kept it going while in college, and took on freelance projects when I had full-time in-house jobs in journalism or communications.

The closest I ever came to a business plan was when I reached that point of “can’t do this any longer” at a full-time job at a trade association where I enjoyed the work of writing, editing and producing a monthly newsletter but was tired of the slog to and from the office, meetings, and other aspects of being in-house, along with the demands of focusing almost exclusively on one topic. My one and only formal plan involved preparing a pitch to my boss to turn my “regular job” into a consulting contract and going from there, backed up by the resources of a regional writers’ organization to find more freelance gigs. The pitch worked, and I was in business — and that was as planned as I ever got.

Essentially, my business plan has always been:

  1. Get trained and experienced.
  2. Network and become known for skills and willingness to share knowledge/resources with colleagues.
  3. Find projects/clients.
  4. Do the work.
  5. Get paid.
  6. Suggest that clients with one-shot projects use me for future projects and pitch ideas for new topics to cover or services to offer.

Boom!

And repeat. That last item has been a huge factor in keeping my writing, editing, proofreading and speaking business/career going for lo these many years. Clients often told me that I was the only freelancer they used who was proactive in keeping the relationship going beyond what was conceived of as a one-time assignment.

It wasn’t really anything conscious, formal or structured, and a lot of what the experts advise were things I did without realizing I was contributing to a plan. If you’re thinking about going out on your own, or have already started your editorial business but want to expand or improve it, here are some of those elements that you can adapt into a formal plan of your own.

Training and experience

The ideal — at least in my book — is to start with an in-house job where you get hands-on experience and meet colleagues who can provide guidance and mentorship. A lot of people skip that step these days, which can be understandable. Editorial jobs can be hard to find as publishers and publications merge, consolidate and even shut down, but I still think that working in-house is an important source of experience. It’s where you learn how publishing works and start building your network of colleagues and contacts who can be invaluable sources of not just advice and examples, but future connections with or as potential clients for your business.

A regular job can also pay for tools like training, software programs, memberships, events, etc. Look for memberships, courses, conferences, books, blogs, videos and other resources to learn or enhance the skills you need to be professional. You don’t have to take a full-scale degree-type certificate or certification program — there are lots of practical, reputable sources of training to build and enhance your skills.

If you haven’t joined a professional association yet, do it now. That’s a great way to find sources of development and skill-building, as well as enhance your visibility and value to colleagues and potential clients. It’s also often a way to find new projects; some clients only post work opportunities to associations, or go there first, and some associations have their own job services. Those can be highly competitive, but someone gets those gigs, and it might as well be you.

Networking and interacting with colleagues

One of the best ways to get freelance work is through former employers and co-workers, as well as colleagues we meet through professional associations, online groups and social media, and — if you have them — previous clients. As I’ve often said, be more than a “checkbook member” of any association or online group you join, especially this one. When you offer advice and answer questions, you become known as a valuable resource and someone whom colleagues will recommend, refer, hire or subcontract with.

That doesn’t mean you can’t post questions or ask for help. Such posts can create fascinating and useful conversations. It just means that you give at least as much as you take — and you don’t sit back and wait for the organization(s) to do the work for you of becoming visible and finding leads to projects or clients.

Since you’re reading this in my NAIWE blog, you already understand the value of association membership — but you could probably make even better use of this one. Blog regularly (do as I do, not as a I say!), present a webinar, answer group discussion list questions, write for our newsletter, respond to NAIWE’s Facebook writing prompts, etc. The more you do, the more you benefit. As NAIWE colleagues, we’ll buy your books, subscribe to your blog or newsletter, and otherwise support your publishing efforts.

An actual plan

The smart move is to actually have a plan before launching an editorial business. That isn’t always possible; many of us are forced into freelancing without time to plan or organize ourselves because we get laid off or fired, our employers go out of business, we have to cope with a health crisis of our own or a family member. Responding to such crises is a lot more fraught than moving into freelancing/consulting with forethought and foresight.

The foundation of any such plan is to have some funds set aside to cover basic life’s expenses until the freelance effort starts to pay off and become sustainable. It isn’t easy to do, but try to set aside something every month in savings to tide you over during the first few months to a year of being in business. Knowing you have a savings cushion means you won’t feel desperate if it takes time to build up your client base and will be less likely to accept bargain-basement rates or work you don’t enjoy.

A new plan — for the future

If you’re already in business, or if you had a business plan focused on launching your business, now — the dawn of a new year, but really anytime — is a good time to think about a plan for the future. Have a plan for expanding, enhancing or adapting your editorial business to be more profitable, incorporate and offer more services, or otherwise change to fit current conditions. A new plan for an established business could include looking as far ahead (which for some of us isn’t very far at all!) as succession and retirement.

Elements could include:

  • Financial goal
  • Increased rates
  • Amount to save every month (this time for paying self-employment taxes and for updating or purchasing essential equipment and software, memberships, conferences, emergencies)
  • New associations to join or activities to participate in with ones you already belong to, such as board or committee service
  • Potential new clients/outlets to query
  • Projects, assignments or story ideas, or services to pitch to current and past clients
  • Training to take to develop new skills or strengthen current ones
  • Promotional outlets to use and efforts to make, such as creating a website (or updating the one you have), blog or newsletter; platforms to join; posts to make about new successes, etc.
  • Conferences to attend — and maybe speak at
  • Charitable cause to support
  • Vacation

And by the way, you can develop a business plan for your career even if you are or plan to remain an in-house writer, editor, proofreader or other publishing professional (photographer, graphic artist, website designer, content creator, etc., etc., etc.). It might be called a career plan or matrix, but it can still considered a business plan. That plan could include:

  • Salary raise and/or higher title
  • Expanded responsibilities
  • Additional training
  • Memberships, including committee or board service
  • Expanded benefits (conference or membership support, work from home, etc.)
  • Move to a new department or location

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com), NAIWE’s Networking member of the Board of Experts, is an award-winning provider of editorial and publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide, and the editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor. She created the annual Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference for colleagues (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with NAIWE (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns A Flair for Writing (www.aflairforwriting.com), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com.

Networking is back!

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By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, NAIWE Board of Experts Networking Member

The past few weeks have been so exciting for this super-extrovert because it looks like in-person networking is back, and I’m loving every opportunity connect, or re-connect, with colleagues in real life. I’ve been on a plane, at a sizable conference, in a restaurant, at a couple of local events … life is starting to feel almost normal again. (I’ve been vaccinated and boosted; have at-home COVID testing kits; and am still masking, especially in airports and on flights.)

Networking never really went away during the past two years or so of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s been conducted remotely, and I’ve really missed getting together in person, both formally and informally. I’m very appreciative of the ways we’ve been able to stay connected through social media and online events, and I don’t see those virtual or remote interactions ending any time soon; I had three Zoom meetings just the week of publishing this post, and I love the way that technology can connect us with colleagues (and family and friends) all around the world. It’s just so much more energizing — at least to me — to meet in person again.

Networking over Zoom, e-mail or social media has its own conventions. We need to know about making our Zoom presence its most effective and professional, which means remembering to wear something appropriate for the event, placing lighting in front of our computers and faces, reducing noise and interruptions as much as possible, using the mute function out of courtesy to other participants (as well as to reduce that noise), and trying to read participants’ faces and voices to understand both intent and spoken words. It also means showing up as promised — so many online events have been free that a lot of people got into the habit of RSVPing and bagging the commitment at the last minute — and doing our best to contribute something positive and constructive to conversations rather than wasting time on irrelevancies.

Now that we’re going back to networking in person, I’ve noticed a few aspects that we might want to keep in mind for that next event, whether it’s an organization chapter session, large-scale conference or your own webinar/speech presentation.

  • Remember the process.

Networking is still a two-way process. Colleagues are usually more than willing to provide advice, resources and shoulders to lean on, but expect to see some response as well. For every time you use your network to get something, try to give something back.

  • Look your best!

We can get away with minimal “dress for success” efforts for Zoom and other virtual platforms, but for in-person events, it’s time to make the effort to look professional. That doesn’t have to mean a three-piece suit or stockings and high heels, but it also doesn’t mean T-shirts and jeans, at least for most of the events we’re likely to attend. I tend to prefer dressing up a bit to dressing down, so you won’t see me in anything super-informal or sloppy, but I’ve had to stop myself to put on earrings and a dash of lipstick before heading out the door.

It also doesn’t hurt to keep a few breath mints at your door, in your car, and in your pockets and briefcase or other bags. Now that we’re breathing on people again, we want those breaths to be fresh and enjoyable!

  • Take along a mask.

Most of the in-person events I’ve attended recently have not required that we wear masks, but I take them along anyhow, even though I’m fully vaccinated and boostered. Some venues still require them (at least some airports and planes leading the pack), and we don’t always know the people we’ll meet well enough to assume that they’ve taken those basic precautions over the past year or two.

  • Carry those cards.

Business cards remain important. Even when a lot of attendees seem to use their phones to record contact info of newly met colleagues, I still prefer to get and give business cards, and many people seem to agree — every meeting I’ve attended so far this year has included being asked for, and asking others for, business cards. I’d rather go home with all of my cards still in hand than be the person who says, “Oh, it’s been so long that I went to a real meeting that I forgot all about business cards.” I keep a stash of cards in every jacket pocket, briefcase and handbag, and in my car, so I don’t become that person.

I also use business cards with nametags, especially tags hanging from lanyards. You know how those hanging tags can flip over when you aren’t paying attention to them? I tuck a business card on the other side of the nametag so if it does flip over, people still see my name and affiliation rather than a blank surface. If I’m wearing something without pockets, I put a few cards in the nametag holder so I don’t have to fumble around when someone asks for one.

Your card is part of your marketing strategy. Don’t leave home without it!

  • Show up.

In-person events cost money, either for the venue or the refreshments, if not both. If you sign up for an event, show up unless there’s a really, really good reason not to. The host, whether an individual or an organization, is counting on you and probably wasting money on you if you’re a last-minute cancellation.

  • Speak up.

Getting together in person might mean refreshing your “elevator speech” skills. Take some time at home to practice introducing yourself.

  • Keep hands off.

Figure out a smooth escape from shaking hands or unsolicited hugs if you or the people around you are not yet comfortable with physical contact, and don’t be the one who tries to hug everyone else. Yes, it’s great to be back together in person, but even mild physical contact can still feel risky.

Business planning as networking activity

For me, an important part of networking is to take a few moments early in a new year to think about what did and didn’t work for my writing and editing business in the past one, and what I might do more or better in the new one. Doing so plays into my networking strategy (yes, I have a strategy!) because sharing those thoughts could help colleagues enhance their professional efforts for the year. That might mean you think of me when you need someone to help with or take on a project for some reason.

These are some of my resolutions for my editorial business in 2022; I hope they are useful to my NAIWE colleagues.

  • Remain or become more visible in at least one professional membership organization to enhance credibility and expand networking.
  • Update membership profiles, and look for new organizations to join and network in.
  • Review style guides and check for any updates, revisions, additions and other changes that might affect work for various clients — and share them with colleagues as part of my networking services.
  • Learn a new skill or service to offer to existing clients; something new about the topic area of a client; or an entirely new topic to write or speak about, edit, or proofread (or index, photograph, illustrate or otherwise work on) to expand my business.
  • Create or refresh my website to reflect recent projects, client testimonials, new skills or training, and whatever else will make me look good to past, current and prospective clients.
  • Draft a few potential posts to use for my own blog or as a guest on colleagues’ blogs; being a guest blogger is a great way to network, and having posts ready to go will make it more likely that I’ll actually get them out there.
  • Seek new clients on a regular basis, through cold queries, responding to membership association opportunities, social media resources, etc.
  • Make networking an active, constant part of every business day, or at least every week, by giving something back to colleagues or communities.
  • Update or change all passwords.
  • Establish or refresh a connection with a family member, friend or colleague to back up passwords and access to phone, e-mail, social media, banking and other important accounts — just in case.
  • Save toward retirement! And think about colleagues to hand off work to when I’m ready for that life moment.

Here’s wishing my NAIWE colleagues a successful approach to networking together as — we hope — the world starts to tilt back toward what we think of as normal.

How are you enhancing your networking efforts in this new year?

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is the Networking member of the NAIWE Board of Experts and the owner of “I can write about anything!”® as well as the “Be a Better Freelancer”® conference (hosted by Communication Central and NAIWE), the An American Editor blog and the A Flair for Writing publishing business.

Making the most of “the calm before the (holiday) storm”

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By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, NAIWE Board of Experts-Networking
Owner, I can write about anything!®, Communication Central, An American Editor

For many of us, the few weeks from mid-October through late November are a form of calm before the storm. The holidays are coming up fast, and a lot of clients seem to slack off on work requests, creating a false sense of relaxation for some of us and a feeling of “how will I make it financially through the end of the year?” panic for others.

The storm, of course, is the holiday season itself, with all the fun, stress and frantic activity it demands; there’s also the end of the year, with its requirements for wrapping up record-keeping and preparing for tax season early in the new year. We have to balance family plans and expectations against client demands and deadlines, and all of that against the needs of our businesses, and that isn’t always easy.

Here are a few tips for making the most of downtime if you don’t have a lot of work in hand at the moment.

  • Get a head start on organizing tax records. If you’re flush, figure out what business-related expenses you can take care of before the end of this year to reduce your tax burden.
  • Review your recent income and expenses to see where you need to make improvements, and start working on a plan to generate more income in the new year. Plan on a rate increase, identify clients who aren’t worth keeping, look for new markets to explore, etc.
  • File stuff!
  • Update your résumé, website and promotional material.
  • Write a few blog posts or articles to build up a bank of material to publish over the next few weeks or months, so you have it ready to go when you’re mired in the holiday or end-of-year demands. (This is something I have to do myself!)
  • Learn a new skill or program that will benefit your writing or editing business.
  • Look for colleagues to follow online, especially those with blogs you can comment on, to learn something new and build your online presence.
  • Plan your professional development activities for the new year: organizations to join or rejoin, conferences to attend, etc. This will help you start putting funds aside for such expenses (think of them as investments in your writing or editing business).
  • Review past published material to see what you can update and resell or repurpose.
  • Start writing that book!
  • Do some holiday gift-buying or — if you’re crafty — -making.
  • Consider taking a refreshing few days totally “off” — a spa day, a weekend trip to somewhere fun, a family trip when the prices are inflated by the holiday season.

If this time of year is when some of your clients do the panicking about packing a lot of last-minute work into November or December, consider yourself at least somewhat lucky — many colleagues would like to be in your position. Do as much holiday planning and purchasing as you go along as possible, and enjoy being well-employed!

Long-time freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is the Networking member of the NAIWE Board of Experts and owner of Communication Central, which partnered with NAIWE this year to present the 14th annual Be a Better Freelancer® conference. Her website is www.writerruth.com and she can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com.

Why a website? Highlights of conference session

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By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Communication Central owner and
NAIWE Board of Experts member for Networking

I’m looking forward to talking about websites for freelancers at “Gateway to Success,” this year’s “Be a Better Freelancer”® conference, coming up October 11–13, 2019, in St. Louis. This topic is always fun to discuss because there’s always something new in the world of creating and managing websites, and because it lends itself so well to graphics and illustrations. It’s also kind of fun to share what doesn’t work in a website, alongside what does make an effective site to promote your freelance business.

It’s become common knowledge that freelancers in any skill set need websites to build and support our business efforts. Sure, you can promote your business at LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, but a website is important because:

  • It’s all yours; no one else controls or limits how it looks and what it presents.
  • It helps you be found — it comes up when someone searches for the skills and services you provide. That’s especially important for anyone starting out, because unknown freelancers won’t be found by their names.
  • It gives you a permanent e-mail address.
  • It’s flexible — you can choose what to post, what and when to update it, the amount of information you provide, etc.
  • It speaks for you with clients who aren’t local; it’s your portfolio in an era when you probably will work with more clients who aren’t in your geographic area than ones who are, and you aren’t likely to meet them in person to show your work samples.

Even if you already have a website for your freelance services, it can probably benefit from insights at this session. You might gain new resources for making it look or read better, and more effective at getting you business and educating prospective clients about who you are and how you work.

Think of your website as the base and office of your freelance business. It’s your showroom. It’s your path to being a better freelancer!

To benefit from this session — and many other ones — by registering for the conference, go to https://naiwe.com/conference/. This is the 14th offering of the conference, and the first-ever partnership between Communication Central and NAIWE. We hope to see you there!

A great start to the new year

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It’s an honor and a pleasure to start the new year as a member of NAIWE‘s Board of Experts, especially with Networking as my area of NAIWE expertise. As many of you know, I’m a long-time, even passionate believer in networking, as evidenced by the many professional associations and online communities of colleagues that I belong to, along with the Communication Central “Be a Better Freelancer”® conference that I host every year. Even more important to the concept of networking is that I’m far more than what I call a “checkbook member” – I don’t just pay dues and wait for the membership to do something for me; I’m active and visible in every group I belong to (yes, it’s OK to end a sentence with a preposition).

For organizations such as the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), ACES-The Society for Editing, Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists (GSLABJ), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Association of Independent Information Professionals, Association for Women in Communications (AWC) and NAIWE, I do everything from write for and edit newsletters to  present webinars, workshops and conference speeches; write booklets; contribute to online conversations; manage and update websites; organize events, etc. That may seem like a lot of work, but I enjoy it (I’m the poster child for extroverts) and it means that I’m constantly learning from, not just sharing knowledge with, colleagues at all levels of professionalism. Even better from a professional success standpoint, it means I become visible and known within these groups, which often leads to being hired or referred for projects. I even make a few bucks from some of these activities in and of themselves.

In addition to the professional advantages of networking, I’ve also made great friends through many of these organizations and found resources that have made my work life easier, more diverse and more interesting.

My point is that networking is a two-way process. You don’t get much, if anything, out of joining an organization or group and waiting for it to do something for you. When you engage in genuine networking, the group benefits you in a number of ways, many of which can be quantified in terms of income and renown. Do keep that in mind as NAIWE makes it possible to do more for ourselves and each other in this new year.

Here’s to a successful, profitable, enjoyable year of writing, editing and networking for all NAIWE members. To coin a version of a popular phrase, may we live well and prosper!

Registration open for freelancing conference

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Registration is open for “Be a Better Freelancer”® – Profiting in Publishing,” the 11th annual Communication Central conference, Oct. 28-29, 2016, in Rochester, NY, with a special extra session on Oct. 30.

The conference offers a stellar line-up of speakers – including NAIWE’s Janet Campbell! – and topics of interest to a wide range of colleagues, both new to and established in freelancing in general and editing, proofreading, writing and other areas of the publishing world in particular.

Rooms in the conference hotel are eminently shareable and many colleagues will be looking for roommates. There also may be opportunities to share rides from the DC area to Rochester. To share a ride or room, send a message to conference@communication-central.com.

The hotel is part of a new complex with a Barnes & Noble, several restaurants and shops, and easy access to parks, the Genesee River and the University of Rochester. Partners, spouses and offspring will find plenty to do while participants are conferencing.

For program, speaker and registration info, go to:
http://www.communication-central.com/category/conferences/

Clients’ books are in print!

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Books by two of “my” local authors (that is, I did editing and design & layout for one, and editing and proofreading for the other) are in existence! I’m so pleased for them. These are really fun, creative projects.

Jane Austen fans, check out Carolyn Meisel‘s PuzzleBooks for Readers – six books, each based on an Austen novel, with crossword, story and scramble puzzles for each: www.puzzlebookforreaders.com

Those who sew, are sure to enjoy Meredith Drake‘s Song of the Seam Ripper & Other Sewing Poems: www.songoftheseamripper.com (props to Victoria Brzustowicz, www.VictoriaBCreative.com, who created Meredith’s website).

Now to help these authors set up some readings/signings in area bookstores and shops!

Date and speakers set for 2016 conference for freelancers

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NAIWE founder and director Janice Campbell is among the speakers who will share their expertise, tips and insights on how to “Be a Better Freelancer”® at the 2016 Communication Central conference, Oct. 28-29 at a new Hilton Garden Inn in Rochester, NY.

Other speakers include Rich Adin, Bevi Chagnon, Kat Friedrich, Carolyn Haley, Daniel Heuman, Pamela Owens Hilliard, Jack Lyon, Ally Machate, Dick Margulis, Adrienne Montgomery and Lori Paximadis. Geoff Hart may present a special workshop on Oct. 30.

NAIWE members are eligible for the colleague’s discount on registration. Watch this space for more details about session topics, speaker backgrounds and registration! Information also is in the Conferences section of www.communication-central.com.

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