National Association of Independent Writers & Editors
Geoff Hart has recently published the 4th edition of Effective Onscreen Editing, which covers Microsoft Word 2016 for both Macs and Windows. NAIWE members receive 22% off the print book or 25% off the e-book!
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
It’s the end of the year. A time for holiday parties and festivities, and as a business owner, it is a time for me to touch my current and former clients with holiday cards.
While I have spent the month of November writing and addressing these cards, December is when they are mailed out, so for the rest of the month I spend it focusing on my business and planning for the new year.
I review my business’s mission statement and how it affects my marketing plan. I review the types of clients I have worked for and how our relationship has stayed true to my mission statement.
I also review my monthly marketing plan’s goals, to determine the ones I want to continue focusing on and ones that need to be updated. These goals allow me to proactively market each month without delays, as the marketing plan is one of my guides and maps to success!
NAIWE offers On-Demand Training to help freelancers with their marketing plans.
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 three books.
Today’s podcast episode is a Book Chat episode, where we get to know one of the books that has been published by a fellow NAIWE member.
Our guest today is Marcia Rosen.
Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is a marketing and public relations advisor for authors and a senior team member creating out-of-the-box strategies for a marketing/advertising agency and client projects. She was owner and founder of a business/marketing and public relations agency and consulting firm in New York City; The Hamptons; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the company served as advisors to a wide range of national, regional, and local clientele. Marcia has presented book marketing and public relations programs at local and national events, including major book conferences, for nearly 20 years. In addition, she has worked with numerous authors developing and implementing plans to create an awareness of them as authors and gain recognition and sales for their books, including book launch campaigns and ongoing actions both through social media and traditional activities. Marcia is the author of ten books. She has published numerous articles and is a member of Sisters In Crime Los Angeles and Albuquerque, Central Coast Writers, Public Safety Writer’s Association, and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.
Q: How long have you been a writer? And what piqued your interest about this industry?
I’ve been writing books for almost twenty years, first business, then memoir and last eight two mystery series. I wanted to be a writer since I was 14.
Q: Is this your primary profession, or do you have other careers?
It is now. Prior to this, I owned a full-service marketing and public relations agency offices in New York, California, and New Mexico.
Q: When did you first have the idea for this book? And what inspired you to actually write this book?
The idea of the Senior Sleuths Mystery series was a combination of loving the Thin Man series and wanting to write mysteries and adventures with seniors being active, interesting, exciting, and adventurous with a touch of romance mixed in with murder.
Q: What prompted you to publish the book when you did?
Good timing for seniors and me as a senior.
Q: What did you learn while working on this book? And what were some challenges you faced during the writing or publication of this book?
I kept at it same as in business. I don’t listen to negative voices, only let people I trust read and edit it.
Q: What avenues have you used to market your book? And which ones were the most successful for you?
Lots! Signings at bookstores and conferences, social media actions, networking, guests on blogs and not going programs on zoom, which are very helpful.
Q: Where has this book been mentioned, and has it won any awards?
It has been mentioned on Goodreads, Amazon, social media, mystery blogs, Mystery Scene Magazine, and it placed second with Public Safety Writer’s Association—a great organization. It won first place for writing, “My Memoir Workbook.”
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our listeners?
Accept and act on how important it is to stay visible with your book and you as an author.
Easy Relationship Application (EZRA) is a database to house all of the information for your small business! EZRA was developed by Editorial Inspirations to meet the record keeping needs of freelancers and their businesses. NAIWE members receive a $50 savings! And there’s a free 30-day trial available.
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
It seems PerfectIt 5 is an editor’s heaven, but I’m not privy to the software as an iMac user. The latter didn’t seem bothersome as I’ve been in a habitual, dedicated relationship with one document editing system for a few years now. However, when I heard Intelligent Editing was creating a new PerfectIt Cloud software, I jumped gleefully at the opportunity to review it. Since compelling iMac owners to purchase a PC solely to accommodate PerfectIt didn’t seem plausible, the engineers at Intelligent Editing created a Cloud version of the software. The idea of linking a document editing program to The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) Online seems like an encounter with a mythical creature. It’s the Pegasus for which other editing software programs didn’t think to capitalize.
Manually thumbing through CMOS can be intimidating on a good day and downright daunting when one needs to retrieve a style rule in a jiffy. Conveniently, PerfectIt Cloud provides a digital experience where professionals have direct access to CMOS guidelines and modifications with a click of the PerfectIt button in Word’s title bar. After several weeks of tinkering with the software, the CMOS collaboration is its most significant selling point. It is the rock star driving the reason PerfectIt Cloud may be more attractive to professionals who rely heavily on CMOS. When I failed to italicize “The Chicago Manual of Style” in my review’s rough draft, the software presented a pleasant but assertive message, “The title of a book is usually italicized, including an initial ‘The’ belonging to the title. See more from CMOS 8.168.” Agreed. Thank you kindly for the reminder and the rule!
In my current editing practice, I’m accustomed to completing an assessment within a certain amount of time, depending on the word count. Therefore, my one criticism is the time the program takes to complete an error and consistency check. Although seeing the CMOS rules appear beside my Word document made me giddy, it took more time to see them than I preferred. My waiting period for a document containing 1,400 words or less is roughly twenty minutes, sometimes much longer. I’ve conducted several assessments on various documents (professional editing projects, blog posts, graduate school writing assignments) at different times of the day. Unfortunately, my efforts were inconsequential.
Chris McKay, the customer support manager at Intelligent Editing, graciously spoke with me regarding my issue. He provided insight into and a remedy for the lag time. Unlike PerfectIt 5, the Cloud requires continuous internet connection and patience. Any break in connectivity, however slight, may cause a lag in the editing assessment. Additionally, McKay informed me an Apple user might run into issues using a Windows add-on. He recommended a hard drive partition; it splits the Mac drive into two sections—one for the Mac system and one for Windows. That way, the user can choose the Windows operating system when she wants to use PerfectIt for a timely edit.
Is the Cloud version as perfect as its Windows-friendly counterpart? Not yet. But McKay and the engineers at Intelligent Editing are working to make it so.
Latoya Johnson is an editor, graduate student, and U.S. Air Force veteran who spends most days lounging on her back porch. She lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with her daughter and pet rabbit.
The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the undisputed authority for style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Completely searchable and easy to use, CMS Online is available to individuals and small user groups, as well as academic, private, and public libraries, through annual, IP-based subscriptions. Subscribers receive full access to the 17th and 16th editions of CMS, as well as access to the online CMS Users Forum.
NAIWE members receive 20% off the book or online subscription!
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
Some of my clients have a seasonal schedule. They have a busy season and a season when there is almost no work. When I first picked up these clients, this dry spell worried me. I worried about having little work, which led to few checks in the mail.
However, as time passed, I began to manage my budget better to save during the feast to survive the famine, but even then I had time to fill.
I joined a few associations and became active in them, growing my online presence and credibility and networking with fellow professionals. I used this time to grow relationships by attending in-person and online networking events.
I also began using this down time to expand my skills through live webinars and on-demand training so I could be more valuable to my clients and provide them with additional knowledge.
Finally, I used this time to do or prepare for speaking engagements and work on my own projects, such as writing my own book or preparing to teach a new class resulting in multiple streams of income.
Here at NAIWE, we emphasize the importance of building multiple streams of income. That way, if one stream dries up, you have others to rely on while you create a new one.
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 three books.
April Michelle Davis had her first interview as the executive director of NAIWE. April Michelle was excited to share her story with Suzanne Lynn of Triangle Media at WQBQ 1410 to let the public know of her devotion to the members of NAIWE and to the industry. April has been working in the industry for over 20 years and strives to make a difference through NAIWE by providing opportunities for her fellow freelancers to grow, develop, and create multiple streams of income. April Michelle invites freelancers of all genres and stages in their careers to join NAIWE where they will receive a warm welcome and many insights from their fellow colleagues.
Cadman Training aims to help writers and editors to save time and improve quality. Its online, self-paced courses combine videos, exercises, and quizzes, making it easy to track your progress. And lifetime access means you can return to the courses whenever you need to. Cadman Training currently offer courses in PerfectIt and EndNote, for both PC and Mac users. NAIWE members receive 25% off all courses!
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
Today’s podcast episode is a Member of the Month episode, where we get to know one of our fellow NAIWE members.
Our guest today is Ruth Thaler-Carter.
Ruth E. “I can write about anything!” Thaler-Carter, NAIWE’s Networking Expert, provides writing, editing, proofreading, website critiques and updates, and presentations to publications, associations, businesses, not-for-profit organizations and individuals in diversity, decorative arts, cats, landscaping/gardening, education, facilities management, healthcare and wellness, communications, freelancing, business, law, public relations/marketing, and much more.
Thaler-Carter is the author/publisher of “Get Paid to Write! Getting Started as a Freelance Writer” and the short story “Sometimes You Save the Cat …” and co-author of the 2020 editions of “Freelancing 101: Launching Your Editorial Business” and “Resumés for Freelancers” for the Editorial Freelancers Association. She owns Communication Central, which co-hosts with NAIWE an annual conference for freelancers; A Flair for Writing, which helps aspiring authors get published; and the An American Editor blog.
Thaler-Carter has received awards for her writing and editing skills; contributions to the Rochester, NY-area literary community; and support of fellow freelancers. She is a popular presenter at conferences and in webinars about freelancing, websites, editing and proofreading, grammar, websites, working with associations, specializing vs. generalizing, networking, and other topics related to the world of writing, editing, proofreading and publishing.
Known as the “Queen of Networking,” Thaler-Carter is active in the NAIWE, EFA, Cat Writers Association, Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: The Society for Editing, and several more.
Q: Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.
I did my first freelance writing back in high school, first by creating my own literary magazine after being turned down for the one published by the school and then by writing a column for a local community newspaper. In college at Indiana University-Bloomington and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, I wrote for the campus newspapers and typed and edited papers for other students, which expanded my skills in editing. I had several full-time jobs in communications before going freelance full-time and have never regretted that decision. Over the years, I’ve expanded my independent business from writing only to writing, editing, proofreading, website work, speaking, and conference host. I’ve also become known as the “Queen of Networking” through my active involvement in, and support for, professional associations.
Q: How and when did you make this business a reality?
I was freelancing on the side for several years while working in full-time, in-house communications jobs until I hit burnout with the day-to-day routine and went full-time freelance at the end of 1984. It was a reality from the jump, because I negotiated a contract with my job and set up two part-time gigs, so I started with a good flow of work and income.
Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far in your career?
Two things, actually: Diversify, and never give up!
Q: Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time?
I’m trying to be better about posting regularly to the An American Editor blog and playing with some fiction possibilities.
Q: Are you working on any special projects you’d like to tell us about?
Starting to plan the 2021 “Be a Better Freelancer®” conference!
Q: What are some of the teachers, books, or authors who have influenced your professional life in a positive way?
My parents, who brought me up to love reading and learning; my sixth-grade English teacher, who instilled never-forgotten and constantly used grammar skills in me; my 11th-grade “Critical Reading and Writing” and 12th-grade AP English teacher, who gave me confidence in my skills. I’ve been a voracious reader my whole life and couldn’t begin to pinpoint any specific books or authors as influences.
Q: As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer an independent writer or editor who is just beginning a career?
Learn something about the type of work you want to do as a freelancer, ideally by getting real experience; save money before you launch; identify what you need to earn so you can set your rates accordingly; network to learn from—and give back to—colleagues.
Q: What inspires you?
I’m inspired by the memory of my parents’ and husband’s pride in what I do; my parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle as Holocaust survivors; and how great it feels to do good work.
Q: How has your membership in NAIWE benefited you professionally?
Belonging to NAIWE has introduced me to new colleagues and brought a welcome partnership for my “Be a Better Freelancer”® conference.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
The beauty of being an independent writer and editor (etc.) is that I’m never bored by my work, am always meeting new people and learning new things, and have a life I enjoy. I wish colleagues the best of luck in all of your freelancing endeavors and hope you’ll all participate in the “Be a Better Freelancer”® conference!