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Days to Celebrate in October

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

October 6: National Fruit at Work Day. Take a break today to enjoy a piece of seasonal fruit at work.

October 4-10: Mystery Series Week. This is an excellent week to investigate your characters, to ensure some mystery is included with their personality.

October 4-10: National Newspaper Week.

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

October 5-9: 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 11-17: National Work at Home Week. Reevaluate your home office for functionality and ergonomics.

October 14: National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day. Spend a day with a cuddly friend to make you smile. 🙂

October 18-24: National Business Women’s Week. Is there a woman in business who you have looked to as a mentor?

October 18-24: National Friends of Libraries Week. Use this week to support your local library.

October 24: National Make a Difference Day. Do something to make a difference in the life of someone else.

Back to School Savings

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Schools have recently started back up, making it a great time for publishing professionals with children to complete their professional development goals before the end of the year!

Training classes allow you to stay up-to-date in the industry or learn new skills to increase your services and further develop multiple streams of income.

And NAIWE is here to help!

This month, all recordings in the NAIWE On-Demand Training Center are Buy 1 Get 1 50% off, providing the encouragement for you to complete essential training. (Use coupon code: BOGO50.)

Now is a great time to take not one—but two—courses led by our beloved and knowledgeable experts in the NAIWE On-Demand Training Center.

 

 

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.

Book Review: Believing in Horses Out West

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2025 NAIWE Young Adult Book Winner

 

Author: Valerie Ormond

Fourteen-year-old Sadie Navarro rescued a mare from an auction. Young Sadie believed she had accomplished her most meaningful work—until she found out that a ranch on the other side of the country had adopted the mare. Now Sadie feels like a failure because she cannot ensure that Sunny’s new home will care for the horse in the manner she would prefer.

While Sadie’s love of horses has led her to worry what may become of Sunny, her supportive parents agree to take the family summer vacation at the dude ranch where Sunny now lives.

With the family vacation being scheduled several months out, Sadie struggles with preparations to leave her own horse in good care, but also with many mixed emotions of what she could do as a teenager if she discovers that Sunny is not being well cared for.

Valerie Ormond flawlessly and seamlessly gets in the mind of her main character, a young teenager, to express her many thoughts and her feelings of powerlessness in discovering what kind of a person she wants to become in relation to her current love of horses. This is a well-written book that describes a supportive family helping one another in need.

Congratulations, Valerie Ormond’s Believing in Horses Out West for being a NAIWE 2025 Book Award winner!

Member Benefit: Discount on Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

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Member Benefit #44

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process — from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make an impact with their work.

NAIWE members receive 15% off the print version of the APA style guide!

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

Melissa Yi, NAIWE’s Medical Crime Expert

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We wanted to get to know Melissa Yi (NAIWE’s Medical Crime Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

Your protagonist, Dr. Hope Sze, routinely faces horrific crimes—from bioterrorism to serial killers—yet she frequently lets fly a terrible pun or a sarcastic observation. How do you strike a balance between maintaining high stakes and dropping in comedic relief?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a super reader. You’ve absorbed enough books, and maybe watched enough movies, that you now have an intuitive grasp of when you can crack a joke and when you need to push adrenaline to the limit. It helps to have a beta reader or ten, so you can sift through their reactions and figure out when you’ve gone too far. You’ll notice stand up comedians do the same thing, trying out new material live, checking how it lands. Keep learning, keep testing, and above all, have fun.

 

Many reviewers and peers comment on how fast-paced and incisive your writing is. Do you find that a comedic voice naturally speeds up the pacing of a thriller?

Humor is that spoonful of sugar that makes everything more palatable. Pages whirl by faster if you not only care about Hope and her friends, and sweat over how she’s going to get away from the latest killer, but also if you giggle over some of the phrasing. I know that when I’m deep in a book, I’m always highlighting jokes that make me want to re-read. Right now, I’m listening to Mhairi McFarlane, who is so witty that I’ll come back to her again and again. And I don’t even understand all of her Scottish jokes!

 

Humor is highly subjective. When you are writing a witty line or a funny interaction between characters, how do you test if it hits the mark? Do you read it aloud or lean on early beta readers?

All of the above! Reading aloud is a super way to catch mistakes. I love to have people read it and chortle, or tell me if they don’t understand or if I crossed the line. I never want to hurt feelings unnecessarily, and it’s often not worth offending people. But sometimes, you also need to go with your gut and say, I am the Grand Poobah, and I have the final say on this matter. In the end, you gotta be you. You could spend your whole life not offending people, wearing a mask, and is that really what you want to do with your one precious life? I say, choose wisely. Laugh often.

——————

Writing can transform a book into a bestseller. It eases your way through life and makes you more resilient when things invariably/incessantly go south. Or to paraphrase Mary Pettibone Poole, “She who laughs, lasts.” Join Melissa Yi, medical crime and award-winning author, for a humor workshop brimming with writing tips, samples, and hands-on exercises.

You can join in this conversation on September 29 at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on adding humor to your writing, no matter the genre. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Melissa Yi could slice your throat and sew it back up again. Legally. Because she’s an emergency doctor. This inspires her heroine, Dr. Hope Sze, to solve everything from ingrown toenails to full-blown murder. In the thriller Killing Me Slothly, Hope confronts a cult that worships the alien god, Cthulhu–and that may overtake Hope’s own mind. Melissa writes multiple genres, including romance (hockey! Pride and Prejudice!) and memoir (The Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World).

Book Award Winner: Ana Maria Lopez Jimeno

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

Ana Maria Lopez Jimeno won the 2025 Book Award for her book Vademecum of English. A Complete Reference Guide for Teachers and Learners in the Reference category.

Ana Maria Lopez Jimeno is a linguist and language educator with over 40 years of teaching experience across three languages — English, Spanish, and Arabic. She founded a language academy and the first English kindergarten in Toledo, Spain, and she has spent the last several years teaching Spanish to refugees and migrants as a volunteer with the Spanish Red Cross. That combination — rigorous linguistics on one side, grassroots language access on the other — is what shaped both her teaching methodology and, eventually, her latest book. She is currently working toward a Doctorate in Didactics of Languages.

Here is a preview of today’s discussion:

You recently had your book Vademecum of English published, which is a reference book on the English language. There are many other reference books that have been published. Can you tell us about your book and the need it fills?

Vademecum of English is a structured reference handbook for English teachers and advanced learners, organized into over one hundred charts covering phonetics, grammar, vocabulary, and etymology. The premise is simple: teachers should be able to find a clear, well-reasoned explanation for any aspect of the language in a single place, without consulting multiple sources that often contradict each other. Nearly half the book is devoted to etymology and morphology — what I call etymorphology — because understanding how words are built is, in my experience, the most powerful tool for genuinely owning a language.

 

What did you learn while working on this book? And what were some challenges you faced during the writing or publication of this book?

The main challenge was restraint. There is always more to say about language, and deciding when a chart was clear enough — without becoming a dissertation — required constant discipline. I also learned that explaining something simply is considerably harder than explaining it in full complexity. The grammar sections went through many revisions because I was not willing to state a rule without showing the logic behind it. Finding that logic sometimes meant going back to historical linguistics; sometimes it just meant sitting with the question until a better answer came.

 

What avenues have you used to market your book? And which ones were the most successful for you?

Book award competitions have been more effective than I expected — not for the visibility alone, but because recognition from independent juries gives other educators a concrete reason to take the book seriously. Reviews from within the professional teaching community, particularly TESOL Spain, reached exactly the right readers. Word of mouth among teachers has also been significant; it is a practical profession, and recommendations travel fast when something actually works in the classroom.

Days to Celebrate in September

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

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: 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 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 15: 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.

Authors Seek More Book Reviews

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Many NAIWE members have published books, and to help its members promote their books, NAIWE offers to write reviews for the books published by NAIWE members.

 

Those book reviews are published on the NAIWE blog and then promoted on NAIWE’s social media pages.

 

Please see NAIWE member benefit #16 for further information.

 

 

 

 

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.

Member Benefit: Discount on ProWritingAid

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Member Benefit #43

ProWritingAid is the only platform that offers world-class grammar and style checking combined with more in-depth reports to help you strengthen your writing. The unique combination of suggestions, articles, videos, and quizzes makes writing fun and interactive.

NAIWE members receive 10% off annual or lifetime subscriptions!

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

Book Review: Vademecum of English: A Complete Reference Guide for Teachers and Learners

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2025 NAIWE Reference Book Winner

 

Author: Ana María López Jimeno

The Vademecum of English is a reference book filled with charts for teachers and those seeking to understand the nuances of the English language. This reference guide could also be helpful for native Spanish speakers who are learning English as a second language.

With that in mind, introductory material, notes, and symbols are in both English and Spanish. Numerous charts are included to learn more about grammar (30 charts), phonetics (16 charts), etymology (54 charts), and vocabulary (16 charts).

This guide is a handy resource for editors, writers, lovers of the English language, and learners of the English language.

Congratulations, Ana María López Jimeno’s Vademecum of English: A Complete Reference Guide for Teachers and Learners for being a NAIWE 2025 Book Award winner!

Latest Posts

Days to Celebrate in October

September 25, 2026

Back to School Savings

September 18, 2026

Book Review: Believing in Horses Out West

September 14, 2026

Member Benefit: Discount on Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

September 11, 2026

Melissa Yi, NAIWE's Medical Crime Expert

September 4, 2026

Book Award Winner: Ana Maria Lopez Jimeno

September 2, 2026

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