Member Benefits

Book Chat: Karin Beery

April 1, 2024 Post a comment

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 Karin Beery.

Karin Beery is a published author and editor with experience in traditional and self-publishing, freelance editing, and editing for publishers. She is an active member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, as well as a PEN Institute instructor. Her specialty is substantive fiction editing with an emphasis in romance and women’s fiction.

Here is a sneak peak of what we discussed.

Q: When did you first have the idea for this book? And what inspired you to actually write this book?

I started this book several years ago after watching many seasons of Dancing with the Stars with my special needs aunt, who lived with us at the time. I’d finished writing a novel and was ready to start a new one. After seeing how much my aunt loved that show and living with her for several years, I wanted to include a dance competition in my book as well as a tribute to my aunt.

Q: Please describe one of your favorite characters from your book.

I love the women of Pathways, a fictional home for special needs women. Many special needs adults (like my aunt) are capable of so much more than people expect. I let my aunt and the women she used to live with inspire the women in this book.

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 learned quite a bit about ballroom dancing and football, but many aspects of this book (from working with special needs people to having two sisters) mirror my own life, so I tapped into a lot of personal experiences. My biggest challenge is always me: making time to write (and letting it be a priority).

To learn more about Karin Beery and her new book Finally Forever, listen to the podcast episode.

NAIWE Presence Offers International Streams of Income

March 15, 2024 Post a comment

NAIWE is a professional association that was founded in 2007 as the National Association of Independent Writing Evaluators. As the association grew, we discovered that our original name simply wasn’t big enough for our members or our mission, so our name was changed with the dawn of 2009. Although our name contains the word “National,” we are international in scope and reach, and our membership is not restricted by geographic borders. In fact, NAIWE is known internationally, and we welcome professional freelancers from all locations.

Members include novelists, copywriters and copyeditors, proofreaders, writing teachers and coaches, business writers and editors, academic writing evaluators, indexers, book cover designers, project managers, public speakers, and other specialists.

NAIWE provides an online presence, guidance for freelance best practices, and general support that allows readers, editors, publishers, and potential clients to find you.

To help members with their marketing, NAIWE allows content from member blogs to be easily found and shared on our social media platforms and newsletters. Today, NAIWE has expanded its focus to include helping its members develop multiple streams of income.

Our goal is to help you earn a living with words and have the career of your dreams.

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 three books.

Member Benefit: Book Chat

March 8, 2024 Post a comment

Member Benefit #13

Your Book Chat interview will be highlighted on the NAIWE blog and podcast and in The Edge: Success Strategies for People Who Work with Words, one of NAIWE’s newsletters. This benefit has great PR potential, as you can post the recording of your Book Chat interview on your own site, and it will be archived on the NAIWE site for as long as you remain a member in good standing. Doing a Book Chat will provide an opportunity for you to share your story with readers or potential clients and network with other members. This is the kind of positive press that helps to build your career!