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Blog

Book Review: Red Clay, Running Waters

October 13, 2025 Post a comment

2024 NAIWE Genre Fiction Winner

 

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!

Categories: Book Award Winners, Book Reviews

Member Benefit: Discount on Grammarly

October 10, 2025 Post a comment

Member Benefit #32

Confusing and sloppy writing damages your company’s credibility and frustrates your customers. Grammarly helps you write clear messages every time.

NAIWE members receive over a $70 savings!

Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.

Categories: Member Benefits

Jeanne Grunert, NAIWE’s Branding and Marketing Expert

October 3, 2025 Post a comment

We wanted to get to know Jeanne Grunert (NAIWE’s Branding and Marketing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

How do you define “generative search” and “GEO” in a practical way for freelancers?

Generative search is a new way of searching online that uses artificial intelligence to give you direct, conversational answers instead of just a list of links.

For example, if you ask, “What’s a good laptop for college students?” a traditional search engine might show you ten websites. A generative search engine, on the other hand, reads through those websites and gives you a summarized answer like a helpful friend who already did the research for you.

It’s like talking to someone who’s read everything and can explain it clearly in one go.

Now the new term is “GEO” or generative AI search engine optimization. It’s similar to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but instead of helping websites rank higher on Google, GEO helps businesses make sure their content is included in AI-generated answers.

In traditional SEO, companies try to get their websites to appear at the top of search results. In GEO, they want their brand or product to be mentioned when an AI gives an answer to a user’s question. People are asking longer, more complex questions. AI is becoming the main way people get answers. Freelancers need to adapt so they stay visible in this new kind of search

When someone searches “Who’s a good freelance writer for tech blogs?” generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity don’t just list websites—they summarize answers. That means your name or site might not appear at all unless the AI sees you as a trusted source. Zero-click searches are rising—users often read the AI’s summary and never visit any links. Authority and clarity matter more than keywords—AI wants to quote reliable, well-structured content.

So instead of just optimizing for Google rankings, you now need to optimize for AI-generated answers.

AI models prefer content that sounds natural and easy to understand. Avoid jargon and write like you’re explaining things to a smart friend.

 

In your work with B2B tech and SaaS companies, what specific challenges and opportunities does generative search present?

Because so few companies are prepared to optimize their websites for GEO/gen AI search (many are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach), there are enormous opportunities now to improve rankings. The trick is to focus on brand-aligned, unique topics that are difficult for AI to summarize quickly. The challenge for most companies is to pivot and scale quickly. Few companies are ready for this massive shift in how to optimize for AI. And it changes so quickly – that adds to the challenge!

 

How will generative search and AI-generated answers affect local businesses?

Generative search and AI-generated answers are changing how people find local businesses by shifting from short keyword searches to longer, conversational queries. Instead of showing a list of websites, AI tools often provide direct summaries, which can reduce clicks to individual business sites. This means local businesses need to adapt by creating clear, helpful content that answers common questions, maintaining strong local SEO through platforms like Google Business Profile, encouraging detailed reviews, and using structured data to help AI understand their services. While AI is becoming a major source of information, traditional local search tools still play a key role, especially for location-specific needs. Local businesses should continue using traditional SEO resources but add conversational, helpful, unique content, too.

 

BONUS TIP

Check “under the hood” of your website – your technical SEO. Make sure your site is responsive, fast to load, and has few, if any, errors. Google now simply skims or skips sites with a lot of technical errors, broken links, and problems. Don’t forget to resubmit your site map to the major search engines (Google, Bing) after making updates, too. Every little bit counts!

——————

Generative AI is reshaping how people discover content online—and traditional SEO tactics alone won’t cut it. In this webinar, we’ll explore how AI-powered search is changing the digital landscape and what that means for your website. Learn how to optimize for AI-driven engines, adapt your web strategy, and stay ahead of the curve in a world where search is smarter, faster, and more conversational than ever. For independent writers, editors, and others, this is a must-attend webinar to learn the latest best practices for building your personal brand and attracting web searchers to your virtual doorstep.

You can join in this conversation on October 23 at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on AI and generative searching capabilities. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Jeanne Grunert is the president and founder of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency. She is an award-winning writer and direct marketing expert with over 30 years of writing, marketing, and business experience. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education, Teachers College Columbia University, The College Board, and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in writing and an M.S. in direct and digital marketing (awarded with distinction) from New York University, as well as certifications in social media marketing, content marketing, and adult education. Originally from the New York City area, Jeanne currently resides with her husband, John, and many pets on a 17-acre farm in rural Virginia. When not leading marketing teams through her work at Seven Oaks Consulting, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and writing mystery novels.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events

Days to Celebrate in October

September 26, 2025 Post a comment

October: National Book Month. Curl up on the couch with a good book.

October: National Reading Group Month. Gather a group of friends, and meet weekly to discuss a great book!

October: National Work and Family Month. Focus on one way to improve your work/life balance. The Be a Better Freelancer conference recordings include suggestions to help with this.

October: Self-Promotion Month. Promote your skills to gain some new clients. Some of the Be a Better Freelancer conference recordings are of sessions on this topic to help with this.

October 7: National Fruit at Work Day. Take a break today to enjoy a piece of seasonal fruit at work.

October 1-7: Mystery Series Week.

October 1-7: National Newspaper Week.

October 5: National Do Something Nice Day. Do something nice for one of your clients today!

October 6-10: Customer Service Week. Take notice of other industries and the good customer service they provide and strive to provide the best customer service you can.

October 8: National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day. Spend a day with a cuddly friend to make you smile. 🙂

October 13-19: National Work at Home Week. Reevaluate your home office for functionality and ergonomics.

October 20-26: National Business Women’s Week. Is there a woman in business who you have looked to as a mentor?

October 19-25: National Friends of Libraries Week. Use this week to support your local library.

October 25: National Make a Difference Day. Do something to make a difference in the life of someone else.

Categories: National Days

NAIWE: Enhance and Encourage Community

September 18, 2025 Post a comment

Sometimes a freelancer has a question, but it is difficult to get an answer because many freelancers work alone and may not have connections within the publishing industry.

However, NAIWE members have access to other freelancers because all members are part of a discussion board where they can brainstorm and bounce ideas off of one another.

NAIWE members are professional and respectful in their responses, and they may add new ideas and have other resources to be considered in topics brought up for conversation.

The NAIWE discussion board provides freelancers with a sense of belonging!

 

April Michelle Davis, NAIWE Executive Director

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.

Categories: News

Book Review: The Galaxy According to CeCe

September 15, 2025 Post a comment

2024 NAIWE Middle Grade Winner

 

Author: Sherry Roberts

Starting middle school and facing the unknowns that it presents can be difficult for many, but CeCe was excited to share this experience with her friends. However, shortly before the school year was to begin, CeCe discovers that her family will be moving.

Devastated and defiant, CeCe is forced to quickly pack and say good-bye to the life that she had known to then be shoved into a car and travel across the country. She feels like she has lost control of everything.

Author Shelley Roberts writes this book in the first person and in the present tense, which is no easy feat. Many books written in the first person lack the depth that the reader desires. However, in this book, the author’s skillfulness in using the first person enables the reader to be one with CeCe and share in her thoughts and understand her challenges. All of the words in this book are straight from the mouth or thoughts of CeCe. Excellent job!

This is a useful and relevant book to help children cope with life through the many changes they are forced to face, especially when they feel they have no control over what’s important in their lives.

Congratulations, Shelly Roberts’s The Galaxy According to CeCe for being a NAIWE 2024 Book Award winner!

Categories: Book Award Winners, Book Reviews

Member Benefit: Discount on Introduction to Ghostwriting

September 12, 2025 Post a comment

Member Benefit #31

Ghostwriting Professional Designation Program (GPDP) trains writers, journalists, and published authors to be book-industry experts proficient in ghostwriting theory, skill sets, unique tools, and mindset transitions. The GPDP prerequisite Introduction to Ghostwriting is the 6-week class to help you decide if professional ghostwriting is a good fit for you.

NAIWE members receive 10% off Introduction to Ghostwriting!

Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.

Categories: Member Benefits

Jake Poinier, NAIWE’s Freelance Expert

September 5, 2025 Post a comment

We wanted to get to know Jake Poinier (NAIWE’s Freelance Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here are some thoughts he shared with us.

How did you get started in ghostwriting, and how did your previous experience in editing inform your approach?

My first ghostwritten book opportunity happened out of the blue. I’d interviewed someone for a magazine feature, and when I asked him if he’d ever written a book, he responded, “No, but I’ve got a great idea for one. Can you help me write it?” I’d already been writing and editing for a long time, so the main challenge was working in a much longer format and structuring my time over an extended period. Having been a managing editor of a magazine was helpful in that respect: You need to drive the project, because the client is looking to you for guidance.

 

For writers just starting out, what would you say to them about building a reputation as a ghostwriter when they can’t publicly claim their work?

This is a tricky one if you have a nondisclosure agreement. On my website and LinkedIn, I list “ghostwriting” as a service. My portfolio simply says what type of book or client it was, without giving details, and I will say the same thing verbally if I am talking to a potential client. My business has always been word of mouth, and that’s a good way of getting these types of projects: Let everyone know that it’s something you offer, whether it’s existing clients or new prospects. You might not be able to jump right into books without a background, but smaller steps like blogging or speechwriting can be a stepping stone.

 

How do you adapt your voice to match that of a client? What is your process for learning their communication style?

Nothing can replace spending an ample amount of time talking with someone, preferably in person but over the phone or video can work too. I record every conversation, which allows me to pay full attention to their speaking style without taking notes. I run the conversations through Otter.ai for transcription, and listen to the whole thing again. From there, it’s a matter of mimicking word choice and cadence, hearing how they convey themselves, and areas where they feel passionate or put emphasis on.

——————

Not everyone has the time or talent to write for themselves — but that can spell opportunity for freelancers. In this webinar, Jake “Dr. Freelance” Poinier discusses how ghostwriting can open up new business avenues for you by crafting content in a client’s voice and style, in whatever platform they need: books, speeches, articles, blogs, and videos.

You can join in this conversation on September 24 at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on working with agents. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Jake Poinier made the leap into freelance writing and editing in 1999 after a decade of positions in the publishing industry, giving him key insights from both sides of the desk. As the founder and owner of Boomvang Creative Group, he has worked with a diverse array of Fortune 500 and small businesses, consumer and trade magazines, and independent authors. Jake is committed to helping freelancers improve their businesses and shares his knowledge and experiences frequently as a speaker at industry conferences, through webinars, and on his blog.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events

Book Award Winner: Tong Ge

September 3, 2025 Post a comment

Today’s podcast episode is a Book Award Winner episode, where we get to know a writer who won the NAIWE Book Award.

Tong Ge won the 2024 Book Award for her book The House Filler in the Literary Fiction category.

Born and raised in China, Tong Ge moved to Canada in the late 1980s as an international student, earning a master of science degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1992. Since 2012, she has written under both her real name and the pen name Tong Ge, publishing poetry, prose, and short stories in English and Chinese across North America, England and Taiwan. A recipient of five literary awards and a finalist for five others. Her debut novel, The House Filler, was published in Canada in 2023. It is a finalist for the 2023 Eyelands Book Awards and the 2024 Canadian Book Club Awards for fiction and won two book awards.

Here is a preview of today’s discussion:

 

Your book The House Filler was recently published. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

The House Filler is told through the experiences of Golden Phoenix, a widow with bound feet who faces war, poverty and political turmoil as she fights for survival, freedom and happiness.

After the untimely death of her husband, Golden Phoenix is determined to keep her family together, although finding a close enemy intent on destroying them. However, poverty forces her to make the heart-wrenching decision to allow her teenage twins to go to the Red Army. During the upheaval of the Japanese invasion of her hometown, she is separated from her two young girls, and her remaining son leaves to fight with the Nationalist army.

Golden Phoenix, along with her adopted son, remains to endure the horrors and the hardships of war. When the Civil War ends with the Communists winning power in 1949, one of her twins, a member of the Communist Party, is wrongly accused of being a traitor and is sentenced to death. Golden Phoenix and her family must find a way to save her son’s life.

 

What inspired you to write this book?

I always wanted to write my family’s stories into a book but struggled to find the right angle. Then, one day in 2004, while gardening, an idea struck me — the narrator could write a series of letters to her sister in China, recalling their family history. Though this format was later replaced by each book’s protagonist telling the story from her own perspective, that moment of inspiration allowed me to begin.

My family’s story became the foundation for this book and the two that follow.

 

What did you learn while working on this book?

I learned many things while working on this book.

First, I proved to myself that I can write fiction in a second language—and that I am the best person to tell this story. When I first started in 2004, I wrote in Chinese but soon realized I wouldn’t have access to critique groups, beta readers, manuscript evaluators, freelance editors, or publishers. At the time, I didn’t believe I could write it in English, so I searched for a ghostwriter. When that didn’t work out, I realized I had to do it myself. I took writing courses, read books on craft, and studied as much fiction as I could to learn from other writers.

Second, I learned to be patient. Writing is a long journey. Early on, I sent out query letters too soon, not realizing that you only get one chance per agent or publisher. Submitting flawed work means losing that chance forever.

Third, I learned the importance of professional help. I don’t believe a first-time writer can do this alone.

Fourth, I learned to be humble and take feedback seriously. As emerging writers, it’s easy to get defensive when receiving criticism and to believe that if others don’t recognize our talent, it’s their problem. But there is always room for improvement. If you can’t find an agent or publisher, the issue might not be them — it might be you.

Categories: Book Award Winners, Book Chat, The Freelance Life Podcast

Days to Celebrate in September

August 29, 2025 1 Comment

September: Self-Improvement Month. Take some time to improve yourself. What class will you take or conference will you attend to improve your business self? Think ahead and sign up for an on-demand training through NAIWE!

September 1: Labor Day. This day recognizes the men and women who labor to build this country. As self-employed professionals, many tend to work on this day, but what will you do to celebrate?

September 6: National Read a Book Day. Grab a book (a fun read or even one for professional development) and spend the day reading.

September 7: National Play Outside Day. This is a day to spend a few extra minutes outside, enjoying the fresh air.

September 10: National Swap Ideas Day. Share a creative or helpful idea with a client or colleague.

September 12: National Day of Encouragement. This day is dedicated to uplifting people around us and making a positive impact. Who can you encourage?

September 15: National Online Learning Day. This day recognizes the advantages and vast potential of online learning and the accomplishments of these students. What can you study today to improve your skills? NAIWE hosts monthly webinars, which members and nonmembers may attend, to become familiar with new subject matter, learn new skills, polish existing talents, and get their questions answered by experts!

September 16: National IT Professionals Day. This day is set aside to honor the venerable geeks of the world we all rely on to keep us connected.

September 22: American Business Women’s Day. A day set aside to honor and reflect on the contributions and accomplishments of the millions of women in the workforce and the millions of women business owners in the United States.

September 24: National Punctuation Day. A period, a comma, a semicolon, a question mark, and an exclamation point are examples of some of the punctuation used in writing to separate sentences and their elements and to clarify meaning. National Punctuation Day commemorates these and all punctuation marks.

September 29. National Coffee Day. According to an expert cupper (a professional coffee taster), there are four components of a perfect cup: aroma, body, acidity, and flavor. Linger over a cup today while examining the importance of your words.

Categories: National Days

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Recent Posts

  • Book Review: Red Clay, Running Waters
  • Member Benefit: Discount on Grammarly
  • Jeanne Grunert, NAIWE’s Branding and Marketing Expert
  • Days to Celebrate in October
  • NAIWE: Enhance and Encourage Community

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Latest Posts

Book Review: Red Clay, Running Waters

October 13, 2025

Member Benefit: Discount on Grammarly

October 10, 2025

Jeanne Grunert, NAIWE’s Branding and Marketing Expert

October 3, 2025

Days to Celebrate in October

September 26, 2025

NAIWE: Enhance and Encourage Community

September 18, 2025

Book Review: The Galaxy According to CeCe

September 15, 2025

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