We wanted to get to know Marcia Rosen (NAIWE’s Public Relations and Book Marketing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

What is a characteristic of a detective that will aid in developing a memoir?

Persistent, determined, willing to ask questions to anyone who might have answers to knowing the truth. A good detective needs to be tenacious, patient, look at the truths of a situation and ask questions that get to the heart of the matter. These qualities are exactly what is needed to write a good memoir. How do you search for clues about your history and their impact on your life?

 

Are there characteristics or situations for a detective that do not align with developing a memoir?

Of course, being involved in murder cases for example. Putting your life in danger when working on a case.

 

Is there a particular detective skill that is essential in the prep work for a memoir?

Willingness to spend time searching for answers to your questions about your life and history. Asking serious questions about your life.
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A good detective needs to be tenacious and patient. A good detective needs to look at the truths of a situation and ask questions that get to the heart of the matter. Those same skills are needed to write a good memoir. How do you search for clues about your history and their impact on your life?

You can join in this conversation on April 30 at 7:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on becoming the detective for your novel. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is an award-winning author of eleven books including her newest one, An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo plus The Senior Sleuths, Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (menus by her son Jory Rosen). She is also author of The Woman’s Business Therapist and award-winning My Memoir Workbook and has given memoir writing presentations and classes for close to 20 years. She has assisted many authors in developing, writing, publishing, and promoting their books. For 25 years, she was the owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency. Marcia has frequently been a speaker or program moderator at organization meetings and conferences, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom programs. Topics she has taught and presented over the past 20 years include Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery, Writing Your Memoir, and recently Anatomy of Writing a Murder. Many articles on these topics have been published on mystery reader blogs and in newsletters and magazines and her newest articles include Location, Location, Location: Murders Have Their Places; Hearing Voices of Past Famous Detectives: Their Impact and Influences; and Writing Mysteries at a Zoo: With Caution. She is a member of Sisters in Crime National and New Mexico (Croak & Dagger), Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Women Writing the West, Public Safety Writer’s Association, Women’s National Book Association, and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

We wanted to get to know Susan Treadgold (NAIWE’s Personal Energy Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

Are the contents of this webinar just for women?

The content of the webinar is targeted at women, but men are welcome and will also benefit.

 

When many of us think of energy, we relate it to physical activities. What makes up the energy that you will be talking to us about?

Everything is energy. Anything that we come in contact with — be it food, a thought, or another person — it all either enhances or detracts from our energy.

 

Is it true that taking small actions are better than taking no actions? How do you recommend starting to build energy in our day?

Taking action and creating small habits that we continue to “stack” is the path to exponential energy. It all starts with a morning routine — to set up your day, week, month, and life — that you don’t need a vacation from!

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Join us for a masterclass with best-selling author Susan Treadgold as she unveils the secrets behind the six habits of high-performing women, with a focus on ENERGY. Susan Treadgold, international executive coach and an award-winning speaker, will share her wisdom gleaned from two decades in investment banking and a phenomenal 15-year coaching career.

Are you tired of feeling drained and overwhelmed? Ready to banish burnout once and for all? Drawing on a pool of extensive research driven, science-backed tools and strategies, Susan Treadgold will equip you with the keys to identify, master, and turbocharge your energy levels.

Brace yourself for a live event that will change the game.

You can join in this conversation on March 27 at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on developing more energy for every day. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Susan Treadgold is a holistic high-performance coach, speaker, and multiple #1 best-selling author with nearly two decades of investment banking experience at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup. She empowers women to have more energy and success with the use of science-backed high-performance habits, executive presence, training and a personally curated longevity portfolio of cutting edge biohacking products. She is an award-winning artist, host of The High-Performing Woman talk show, and on the leadership committee of 5050 Women on Boards. She is a proud mother of two teenagers. Family is her love language, and as a board member of Roots of Promise, she is passionate about helping less fortunate kids.

We wanted to get to know Jennia D’Lima (NAIWE’s Creative Nonfiction Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

Do all types of life experiences make for good material for a memoir?

They all have the potential to be used to write a riveting memoir. On the other hand, even the most extraordinary life events can fall flat if style falls flat, the voice reads as inauthentic, or the pacing is off. Much like when writing a fictional narrative, these story elements contribute as much to a story’s readability as the plot or events do on their own.

 

At what point in an individual’s life are they ready to write their memoir?

Readiness is dictated by the intensity of the emotions that still surround the events being written about and has nothing to do with an author’s age or their life circumstances. It’s important to note that an honest emotional assessment needs to come before any outlining or writing. Writing before the emotions have settled and been processed has the potential to harm the author rather than help them find catharsis or share their story in a way that could benefit others.

 

Are there different types of memoirs?

Yes! There are multiple types or sub-genres when it comes to the memoir category. Summarizing each one would take an entire article, but popular subgenres include the celebrity memoir, the travel memoir (Bill Bryson is one of my favorite travel memoir authors, though he’s written books in other creative nonfiction categories as well), and the transformational memoir (overcoming some type of addiction is a popular theme seen in this subgenre). Many memoirs will fit into multiple subgenres, so I advise authors to not worry about figuring out which one is the best fit for their manuscript.

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You’ve lived through some harrowing, unique, life-changing, or otherwise fascinating events. You’re certain that a memoir is the best way to share these experiences and maybe even change someone else’s life or become their source of inspiration. But before you begin, it can be helpful to ask yourself a series of questions to determine whether writing a memoir is right for you. This webinar will use these questions to define what a memoir is and what it isn’t while also addressing an individual’s emotional readiness to share their story.

You can join in this conversation on February 13 at 7:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on determining if writing a memoir is right for you. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Jennia Herold D’Lima is a full-blown logophile. She joined her high school’s newspaper in ninth grade, winning statewide awards for her writing, and expanded her journalism skills by continuing to write and edit throughout her high school years and as a college freshman. While earning her BA in psychology (and minoring in cultural anthropology with a focus on precolonial Mesoamerica) and her MA in applied developmental psychology, her writing and editing naturally skewed toward all things academic. Writing for and publishing in peer-reviewed journals, editing papers for classmates, and writing parenting resource guides honed her research skills. Jennia joined multiple professor-led research groups and completed four internships throughout her academic career. After graduating with a master’s, she worked at a national nonprofit in Washington, DC, and as an assistant researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. Jennia gradually transitioned to full-time editing. She is the host of the Writing & Editing podcast. Jennia enjoys traveling, volunteering, and taking creative photos of books and book-related items in those rare moments when she is not reading or editing.

We wanted to get to know Laura Pennington Briggs (NAIWE’s Business of Writing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

Consistent client service and automation, how do these align for today’s freelancer?

It’s important to provide a good client experience to everyone, but it’s hard to do when you’re busy marketing and also serving clients. When you get more of your time back, you show up more effectively for your clients and also feel better about your work.

 

Most freelances may not know that a sales pipeline system and outstanding client service go hand in hand, but do they?

They do! The more you can automate and systematize your pipeline and how you handle current clients, the more you maximize everything you do and get the most out of your time.

 

Is there a routine yet creative way to drive clients to your services/products?

It’s actually not super creative. Pick a platform or method of marketing and show up to do it everyday, even if only for five minutes. This can really help build consistency and snowballs over time. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold pitching, scanning job boards, TikTok, LinkedIn, or circling back with a former client, they are all valuable when you take little actions over time.

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In this training, we’ll discuss key ways to provide outstanding and consistent client service while building automation or systems that save you time, as well. We’ll discuss three big ones worth upgrading or creating for 2024: sales pipeline systems, onboarding, and offboarding. Make a better impression on your clients and earn repeat business and referrals while spending more of your time on billable work.

You can join in this conversation on January 17, at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on streamlining your client service to save you time and make clients happier. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A two-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy and the host of the weekly Advanced Freelancing podcast, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their business. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six Figure Freelancer and How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business. She’s also the founder of Operation Freelance, a national nonprofit providing free entrepreneurship training to military spouses worldwide.