Ruth Thaler-Carter Member of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors
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Connection is the key to networking value and success

April 24, 2024 Post a comment

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

At a recent meeting of one of my local professional organizations, the value of such affiliations was clear.

We talked about what that organization provides to members — why it was worth joining and being active; services and resources that could be used at any level of involvement; what made it different from other organizations, etc. The keyword was “connection,” and it applies to NAIWE.

Association membership is a great way to enhance a writing or editing career. Associations offer learning experiences through training sessions, webinars, courses, conferences, and publications; opportunities for visibility through discussion lists and forums, publishing, and presenting; even ways to earn a few bucks by presenting and contributing to or creating various projects and events. Interacting with colleagues builds our skills, answers our questions, provides access to resources, offers encouragement, and creates long-lasting friendships.

You might not have thought of it in these terms, but participating in any and all such activities is networking, especially if you remember that effective networking is a two-way process: It works when you give as well as get.

Networking through NAIWE means you have colleagues and friends to turn to for advice and for fitting into a new niche of some sort. Fellow members can refer or introduce you for projects and give you a strong leading edge over other candidates. Perhaps most importantly, association membership creates a connection that you can carry wherever you go, whether it’s to new clients and projects, a new industry, a new city, even a new country. That’s especially true of an association like NAIWE, because it’s national.

Despite all of the advantages that networking can bring, though, some colleagues aren’t comfortable with the concept. It might feel more natural and doable to think in terms of connections instead. When we connect with colleagues through associations like NAIWE, we strengthen our professionalism and often contribute to that of others. That makes networking even more than a two-way street; it’s a win for everyone.

However you define it, consider giving networking and connecting a try. If you haven’t tried to connect with colleagues to provide resources, ask for advice, answer questions or other actions, it’s time to start. If you’ve made efforts in that direction, think about new ways to make an impact. You might be pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable, and beneficial, it can be.

Let us know how connecting with colleagues has worked for you!

Categories: Uncategorized

Basic Tips for Authors — and How NAIWE Can Help

February 12, 2024 Post a comment

© 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!

Categories: Personal Perspectives, Resources, Uncategorized Tags: Insights

The value of networking: How it can build your business

January 6, 2024 Post a comment

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

We hear about networking all the time, but what is it and why is it valuable to independent writers and editors? Networking is simply interacting with colleagues to exchange information, resources and support. Done right, it can create credibility, provide leads to new projects and clients, and bolster an independent editorial business. The key to remember is that networking is a two-way and proactive process; it goes beyond simply joining a professional organization.

The 2024 trifecta start of this new year — the week, month and year all began on the same Monday! — is a great opportunity to think about networking efforts and how to make them more effective.

Let’s start with the why.

Networking can build your independent writing or editing business by establishing you as someone with smarts, skills and experience. It can make you and your business visible to potential clients as someone worth hiring, or at least worth contacting about projects. It can get you noticed by colleagues who might refer or recommend you to their clients for projects they can’t or don’t handle, and who might hire you themselves as a subcontractor for their businesses.

Your goal is probably to use networking to become well-known enough to get more work from a given group or activity — but that means you have to be careful not to come across as needy or greedy.

Here’s the what.

If you go by the dictionary, networking is:

  • “the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.
  • “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business …
  • “… the process of trying to meet new people who might be useful to you in your business …”

At least one definition mentions the skills of bargaining and negotiation, although I see those as business skills that aren’t really factors in networking.

For all of that to happen, you have to do networking right. It’s vital to remember that networking is a two-way process. You can’t just take from colleagues or organizations; you have to give something back as well.

The how is probably the hardest aspect of networking for many of us in the writing and editing field. So many of us are, or are assumed to be, introverts who aren’t comfortable with promoting ourselves and our work, or with attending meetings in person; even on Zoom or other online platforms. Rule number one of networking might be: Get over it.

That is, face the fact that networking means interacting with colleagues and clients in person as well as online, and at levels online that might be a challenge for the shy and self-effacing.

The reality is that your business won’t grow very far or fast if you don’t do some networking.

You can prepare yourself to be better at the how. Start with doing things for the associations you join that don’t involve in-person interactions. Then move gradually into showing up at events, starting with local ones before advancing to regional and national ones. Rehearse a brief “elevator speech” to introduce yourself. If you’re really terrified of meeting people in person, ask a friend to help you role-play or go to a few events with you.

The other aspect of “how” is to build your network by contacting everyone you know to tell them about your writing or editing business, and asking them to keep you in mind for projects with them or with people whom they know. You might have to explain what you do to some of the people you know (especially family and friends ), and you might have to set boundaries with some of them in terms of how much time you have available to talk about your business, but you want to be sure that everyone you’ve ever known or worked for and with is aware that you have a writing or editing business.

Volunteer with organizations involved in causes you believe in — a shared passion can help you feel more at ease at events — through your skills; write for or edit/proofread their publications, websites or social media; present at their events, etc.

Look for ways to provide all those people with useful information. Just don’t push your business so much that you become annoying.

You can do this!

What not to do

  • Make your first post to an association you’ve joined a “Give me work, send me all your client contacts” — colleagues are usually glad to share advice and tips, but not the relationships we’ve cultivated with our clients, and few professionals are going to risk their own reputations by referring or recommending someone they don’t know.
  • On discussion lists that have rules about tags and subject lines, don’t post without those.
  • Don’t be rude or sarcastic in networking circles.
  • Don’t send private posts — even nice ones! — to group lists or forums, especially when responding to job opps.
  • Don’t over-promote yourself — it can be fine to post a “brag” moment (some groups and organizations have specific ways or times to do that), but keep those to a minimum and consider only posting such items when someone else has started the thread. There’s a difference between, say, announcing an upcoming speech/workshop or a recent success versus flooding a networking community with self-aggrandizing material.
  • Don’t post about your financial issues or whine about business problems — it’s one thing to ask about ways to manage your business more efficiently and effectively, but no one likes a whiner, and sharing too much info about financial struggles will make you look incompetent to both colleagues and clients.
  • Don’t spend so much time on networking that you don’t get any work done!

What to do

Again, networking isn’t all about you; it’s a two-way process, not all take and no give. I think of networking along the lines of a Billy Preston song, “Nothing from nothing” (“Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin’,
You gotta have somethin’ if you wanna be with me
”),

and the old saw “What goes around, comes around.” Granted, you try networking to get something out of it, but that won’t happen unless you put something into it. What to do can include:

  • Report on trends and suggest solutions to problems that colleagues might encounter, such as writer’s block, slow payers, scammers, low-paying job sites, authors who plagiarize, requests for writing or editing tests, etc.
  • Answer questions promptly.
  • Participate actively when you join an association, rather than be a “checkbook member” — write blog posts or newsletter articles, mentor newcomers, attend or host events and meetings, serve on committees and boards.
  • Follow group rules!
  • Be visible in as much social media as you can handle without losing control over your work and personal lives. It’s very easy to let social media activity take over our lives because there are so many channels to participate in and so much interesting stuff to read and respond to. Consider setting specific days or times to be active in social media so it doesn’t take over your work life or feel burdensome.
  • Most importantly, give (back) — offer advice, resources, helpful information.

 

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, NAIWE’s Networking member of the Board of Experts, is known as the Queen of Networking. She is active in about a dozen professional associations, created and hosts Communication Central’s Be a Better Freelancer® conference (with NAIWE), owns the An American Editor blog and A Flair for Writing publishing business, and is a respected member of several online groups for writers and editors.

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Insights, NAIWE, networking, Queen of Networking, Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

Current writing activity by Ruth Thaler-Carter

March 5, 2021 Post a comment

I’m having a great time writing for two new outlets:
MetroWire Media St. Louis, a news company focused on commercial real estate –
http://www.metrowiremedia.com/stlnews/irem-asks-where-will-you-go-in-cpm

St. Louis American newspaper –
http://www.stlamerican.com/business/people_on_the_move/bjc-healthcare-ramps-up-diversity-commitment-tapping-steven-player-for-elevated-role/article_c5b5fa62-5837-11eb-a480-df844b086d24.html

The blog of one of my clients –
https://www.jaffepr.com/blog/great-style-debate-one-space-or-two

and, of course, the On the Basics column of the An American Editor blog –

On the Basics: Coping with — and heading off — problems

On the Basics: Scams are always with us

Categories: Uncategorized

Presentations by yours truly this month!

April 15, 2020 Post a comment

I hope all of my NAIWE colleagues are holding up in the throes of the coronavirus crisis. I have two webinar presentations coming up this month that might help:

“Survival Tips for the Current Crisis,” 7–8:30 p.m. Eastern time, April 16, for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). To register, go to:

https://www.the-efa.org/product/survival-tips-for-the-current-crisis-webinar-free-for-efa-members-sp20/

“The Way of Networking: Connecting Effectively,” 7 p.m. Eastern time, April 23, for NAIWE: https://www.facebook.com/events/2793098760806432/

Networking can be especially important these days as many of us struggle to keep clients and/or regular jobs in the face of the crisis. I look forward to providing some reassurance and insights that should help colleagues manage a little better.

Categories: Uncategorized

Freelancing and freedom

July 7, 2019 Post a comment

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

The 4th of July celebrations this past week, along with a prompt from NAIWE executive director April Michelle Davis, got me thinking about the connection between freelancing and freedom.

The link between my areas of expertise — writing, editing and proofreading — and our country’s role as an exemplar of freedom is easy to make: I live in a country where I can express what I believe and want to say, and edit or proofread materials that relate to my beliefs and perspectives. I can accept assignments that are consistent with those beliefs and perspectives, or turn down assignments that go against my principles and beliefs. I can even use my skills, as well as the income those skills generate, to support causes I believe in. I can set my own schedule and fees. I am not just a freelancer; I am free.

That freedom is invaluable, and not something I take for granted. I’m the daughter of Holocaust survivors (yeah, it happened). I’m a member by birth of a religion that is still stigmatized and under constant attack even these days — and sadly, even in my own country — and by choice of one founded on principles of freedom. I see examples of the lack of freedom in the headlines every day. Both in the USA and beyond, there are many, many people who cannot claim the luxury of living in a country or community where they are free to do the work they love, be with the people they love, or simply enjoy comfort and peace on a daily basis.

I am very lucky.

My country is not perfect, and certainly is seeing an unprecedented level of hostility and threats to our freedom in the current political realm. But it is still a, if not the, leader of the free world. Most of us are still free to express our beliefs and advocate for what we think is right and fair. We owe it to ourselves, our families, our histories, our futures to use our communications skills to keep it that way, for all of us.

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: choice, editing, free, freedom, freelancing, peace, proofreading, writing

Kids, summer and writing — opportunities for fun and the future

June 12, 2019 Post a comment

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, NAIWE Networking Expert

It’s summertime and the livin’ is supposed to be easy, but some of our kids (and grandkids) might want to make use of the vacation months to do some writing. While summer is traditionally a time when many kids are encouraged to read a lot, writing is also something they might enjoy doing for fun and as a way to fill the dog days of the season.

I’ve never forgotten the first publications I created, back in high school days: a literary magazine I put together with friends after being turned down for the official school version, and a “yearbook” for a summer leadership program I was in one summer. I still have copies of both (and I still remember the smell of the ink from the A.B. Dick mimeograph machine that we used to create them). Today’s kids are probably a lot more sophisticated when it comes to producing versions of their own writing; you might be pleasantly surprised at both the content and the look of what they come up with.

In many communities, finding writing opportunities for kids might be easier than you might realize. In my hometown of Rochester, NY, the Writers and Books literary center has a Summer Write program for youngsters. I’m sure many other communities have similar programs, so if your kids want to write the summer away, a first step would be to look for a local or regional writers’ or literary center to see if it hosts anything along these lines.

If that doesn’t work, look into your area high school continuing education programs; library system; bookstores — both chain and independent — and book clubs; museums — especially children’s museums — and art galleries; newspapers (there’s a national Newspapers in Education program that might work with you on this kind of project); colleges and universities; or various not-for-profit organizations — the local YMCA/YWCA, JCC, Boys and Girls Club, Urban League, etc.

And of course, if your town doesn’t have such resources, consider being the innovator and starting a kids’ summer writing project yourself. It can be as small as you and your own children; it could be a neighborhood project; it could even become city-wide. A successful summer program could even become a year-round activity.

If you do get involved in such a project, be prepared to help kids come up with ideas for what to write about. Encourage them to be creative with fiction, poetry, graphic novels, even playwriting! Make sure they don’t feel pressure about making their writing letter-perfect, especially if they’re very young. Ask them to share what they write, just in case anything evolves that suggests someone needs help with challenges such as bullying or abuse, but be prepared for some children to be shy about showing their work.

You don’t have to have children of your own to do this. You can find kids’ writing programs on behalf of nieces, nephews, grandkids, neighbors’ kids, even the children of total strangers.

It’s never too soon to encourage children to express themselves in writing. (Those of us who are editors or proofreaders will need them as clients in the future!) Let us know what you find and how your kids enjoy a summer writing experience.

Categories: Personal Perspectives, Uncategorized Tags: children, Insights, kids, summer projects, writing by kids

A great start to the new year

January 7, 2019 2 Comments

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!

Categories: Resources, Uncategorized Tags: active, advice, benefits, colleagues, NAIWE, networking, visible

Clients’ books are in print!

January 8, 2016 Post a comment

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!

Categories: Resources, Uncategorized

Award-winning moment!

January 8, 2016 1 Comment

This was so exciting – I’m a recipient of a 2015 Big Pencil Award from Rochester, NY’s Writers and Books literary center for being “A teacher of adults who has inspired the creation and appreciation of literature” and someone who has “contributed significantly in the advancement, creation, and understanding of literature in the Rochester community.” The award presentation was on November 14 – and I’m still glowing.

RETC-2015 Big Pencil Award

Categories: Uncategorized

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Connection is the key to networking value and success

April 24, 2024

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The value of networking: How it can build your business

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