National Association of Independent Writers & Editors
Member Benefit #36
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) is the professional association for Australian and New Zealand editors. It exists to advance the profession of editing and to support and promote Australian and New Zealand editors. IPEd offers a range of professional development opportunities, including training and webinars to improve your skills
NAIWE members receive member pricing!
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
January 2: National Science Fiction Day. American author and Boston University professor of biochemistry Isaac Asimov was born on January 2, 1920. He was best known for his works of science fiction and his popular science books.
January 3: National Play Outside Day. Spend a few minutes outside today enjoying the beauty and the fresh air.
January 5: National Screenwriters Day. Inside the industry, screenwriters are well known for their ability to crack the story, create great roles for actors, and write memorable dialogue.
January 6: National Technology Day. From the wheel to smartphones, technology has been changing the world. Recognize those achievements and look to the future for more advancements in technology.
January 13: National Clean off Your Desk Day. This day is an opportunity to begin your new year with a clean and organized work space. Whether your desk is in a private or shared office, cubicle, home, or a make-shift desk on the counter, having your work space uncluttered, organized, refreshed, and clean will help you work more efficiently and give you a sense of serenity.
January 15: Get to Know Your Customers Day. When businesses get to know your customers, you also get to know more about what you need to grow.
January 18: National Thesaurus Day. Whether you are looking for a new word or trying to complete a sentence, the thesaurus can be your best friend. Expanding your vocabulary improves both written and spoken communication skills and creative writing abilities and can be helpful in advancing your career.
January 23: National Handwriting Day. Reintroduce yourself to a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. According to the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, it is a chance for all to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.
January 24: National Compliment Day. What a wonderful way to brighten someone’s day or to give credit for a job well done!
January 28: National Plan for Vacation Day. It takes planning to work hard, but many people forget to plan to play hard as well. Spend a few moments deciding where you want to go on vacation this year.
January 31: National Fun at Work Day. Many people spend a good portion of their lives at work, so why not enjoy it?
Member Benefit #34
Shaila Abdullah has over a decade of experience designing websites for authors. Being an award-winning author herself, she understands the industry and will provide you with a content management website that reflects your unique style, genre, and personality. Other design services such as book covers and interiors, marketing materials, and email campaigns (e-newsletters, announcements, etc.) are also available.
NAIWE members receive 10% off any service!
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
We wanted to get to know Rachel Bradley (NAIWE’s Branding and Marketing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.
What led you to transition from a legal career to becoming a freelance editor?
I had come into a radically life-changing experience with God’s grace and had fallen in love with grace over justice. I sought the Lord for a change in careers, and at an unlikely and unexpected moment, he dropped into my heart that I was a freelance copyeditor. At that point, I pursued training in the field and two years later, “hung up my shingle.”
How does your legal background inform your editing work?
As a legal assistant, I had to analyze documents for logical arguments and holes in the presentation. Every preface had to have proof, and conclusions had to follow the evidence. I use a similar skill to analyze a manuscript for a solid plot line and elements of strong writing as well as continuity of ideas and flow.
How did you go from wanting to become a freelance editor to obtaining your first client?
I dedicated one of my journals to my journey and committed to writing down each day at least one thing I did to advance my goal of becoming a freelance editor. Some days were so busy with other things that the only item I wrote down was “Prayed for my business today.” But tracking each day like that really helped alleviate the overwhelm of everything that needed to be accomplished to get my business off the ground. The PEN Institute online gave me the additional training I needed to enter the freelance editing field. And I also attended writers’ conferences and offered my services as an editor-in-training for free until I had enough experience to begin charging clients.
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You can join in this conversation on December 11 at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on maintaining and growing a copyediting business. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!
Rachel E. Bradley holds a BS degree in paralegal studies from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and graduated summa cum laude in 2006. She is a gold member of the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, is an established freelance editor with the Christian Editor Connection, is an instructor with the PEN Institute, is a judge for the Editors’ Choice Award, and has served as faculty for PENCON, the only conference for editors in the Christian market. After serving nine years in the legal field and becoming an advanced certified paralegal, Rachel started her business as a freelance editor and indexer. She now owns Revisions by Rachel Inc. In 2018, Rachel lost her first husband, Matthew, after an intense battle with brain cancer. This life experience carried over into her editing and gave her a new understanding and a fierce compassion for people who feel broken and hurt. In celebration of continued life and hope, Rachel became a licensed skydiver and takes to the skies with her rainbow canopy, “Promises,” any chance she gets. In early 2021, she asked God to choose her next husband. In an incredible tale of trusting God and giving him her yes without exception, Rachel is now joyfully married to Alexander Bradley. They have been assigned the awe-inspiring and continually humbling task of raising two incredible children. Beyond reading, Rachel enjoys Bible studies, dancing during church worship, skydiving, swing dancing, rock climbing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.
December: National Write a Business Plan Month. As a freelancer, you are a business owner, so consider writing a business plan this month!
December 2: National Day of Giving. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.
December 7: National Play Outside Day. Spend a few minutes outside today enjoying the beauty and the fresh air.
December 26: National Thank-you Note Day. It is a day to get some note cards, paper, pen, envelopes, and stamps to write special thank yous.
December 31: No Interruptions Day. This is a day set aside for getting organized for the new year by cleaning up your workspace without interruptions.
Member Benefit #33
Anyone working in today’s publishing industry is in a double bind. Not only is an editor expected to hit deadlines and produce compelling work, but they also have to be up to speed on industry developments and trends—whether for their own work or to help clients. The Hot Sheet is an email newsletter available only by subscription, delivered every other Wednesday at midday. It’s modeled on the financial-advice newsletters produced by analysts for their clients on Wall Street, and on the Publishers Lunch newsletter that many publishing professionals subscribe to.
NAIWE members receive 20% off a subscription!
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
Author: Steve Waddell
People often create new products or services to solve problems they experience. However, many people don’t know how to pursue their ideas and inventions. Valuepreneurs can help!
Steve Waddell provides a step-by-step guide beginning with getting started before an entrepreneur even has an idea going all the way to having a product and turning it into a business. In Valuepreneurs, Waddell spends a lot of time focusing on the steps before the final product. He works through several stages to ensure that the product is valuable, worthwhile, and desired. While some entrepreneurs have an idea and then develop a product, Waddell emphasizes the importance of developing the concept and then launching a prototype before protecting the product idea and researching how to market your product.
While this topic could be considered dry, Waddell has developed a method that is anything but. His knowledge as a visionary leaks throughout the pages in an easily understandable format. Valuepreneurs offers many visuals to help you understand how to mold your ideas to succeed as valuable and profitable products.
Congratulations, Steve Waddell’s Valuepreneurs for being a NAIWE 2024 Book Award winner!
November: Family Stories Month. Record or listen to stories from relatives of all ages.
November: National Family Literacy Month. Enjoy some family readings.
November: National Life Writing Month. Write about yourself and your life as you have experienced it thus far.
November: National Novel Writing Month. Use this month to write the first draft of your novel.
November 1: National Author’s Day. Celebrate your favorite authors and the books they have written.
November 1: National Family Literacy Day. Read a book with your family today.
November 3: Job Action Day. Get the tools and resources to master a new job search and land the career of your dreams!
November 5: National Stress Awareness Day. Develop a routine to help you manage your stress.
November 10-14: National Young Readers Week. The focus of the week demonstrates to youth the importance of reading.
November 28: You’re Welcomegiving Day. Share a “You’re welcome” with at least one client today.
November 29: Electronic Greetings Day. Send an electronic greeting to the clients you haven’t heard from in a while.
November 29: Small Business Saturday. Support your local small businesses.
November 30: Computer Security Day. Help secure your computer by installing and running antivirus software.
As with any industry, there are experts in the publishing industry, and at NAIWE we delight in highlighting them as they give back to others in the community. The NAIWE Board of Experts calls attention to 12 people with exceptional skills and information to share with others through articles and webinars.
Each month, a member of the NAIWE Board of Experts writes an article, which is published in the “From the Experts” newsletter. All of these informative articles are then available to our members in the NAIWE Member’s Library.
Each month, a member of the Board of Experts leads a webinar, which is then available in the NAIWE On-Demand Training Center.
If you would like to be considered for a future position on the NAIWE Board of Experts, please send us your resume and area of expertise.
April Michelle Davis has been the executive director of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) since 2018. Prior to that, she was NAIWE’s Social Media Marketing Expert. NAIWE is an association that focuses on career building for writers, editors, and other professionals in the publishing industry by developing multiple streams of income; it helps its members market their products and services through social media, newsletters, and more.
She is also the coordinator for the Virginia chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association, a lifetime member of the American Copy Editors Society, and a freelance editor, indexer, proofreader, and author. April Michelle has taught courses through her own company, Editorial Inspirations, as well as for associations and colleges on topics such as editing, indexing, grammar, writing, and creating macros.
Her credentials include a master’s degree in publishing from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Messiah College, as well as certificates in editing (University of Virginia), book publishing (University of Virginia), and professional editing (EEI Communications).
April Michelle has shared her insights about her career development by contributing quotes and vignettes to several books. She has presented sessions on various editorial topics to many groups, including the Virginia Writers Club, the Communication Central conference, Randolph-Macon College, the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, the EFA, Copyediting newsletter, RavenCon, and the Hanover Book Festival. In addition, April Michelle has published four books.
Author: Leslie K. Simmons
As the son of a Cherokee leader, John Ridge returns home from New England with an education and a white bride. But as Southern states dispute with the federal government, setting the stage for Indian removal and later a civil war, John seeks to assist his people.
Leslie Simmons has a way with words. The prose she lays on the page is visual and beautiful, and the reader is quickly mesmerized by this dynamic work simply because of the way Simmons tells the story. Her excellent way with words makes it easy to forget that this is a historical fiction text.
John and his bride, Sarah, are faced with difficult choices while the Cherokee’s beliefs are tested. Red Clay, Running Waters is a family saga filled with love and sacrifice woven with outside influences such as politics, race, and religion.
This is a timeless and engaging story that is difficult to put down!
Congratulations, Leslie K. Simmons’s Red Clay, Running Waters for being a NAIWE 2024 Book Award winner!