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Blog

An Author’s Co-Pilot

August 14, 2023 Post a comment

Developmental editing, also known as substantive editing, structural editing, or heavy line editing, can begin even before the author starts writing. The developmental editor may help plan the organization, features, and other aspects of the work. Although the author is technically writing the text, the editor may work with the author to create an outline to help with organization as early as possible in the writing process.

For many traditional publishers, developmental editing is completed in-house, so the publisher can ensure the overall product fits within the brand the book will be published under. The developmental editor may help establish the goal for the book and define the goal for each chapter within the book.

Once the outline of the book has been refined, many publishers will then outsource copyediting to a freelance copyeditor.

To learn more about developmental editing, check out Editing 101’s Lesson 1.

 

 

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.

Categories: News

Member Benefit: Searchable Database

August 11, 2023 Post a comment

Member Benefit #6

NAIWE members are all listed in NAIWE’s free searchable database! The database can be accessed by members and non-members so instead of just hoping for traffic, you can have the confidence that anyone can easily find your NAIWE website. You’ll be able to communicate with readers and potential clients through the information on your NAIWE site.

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

Categories: Member Benefits

Amy Waters Yarsinske, NAIWE’s Nonfiction Expert

August 4, 2023 Post a comment

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

Do you interview people for your nonfiction projects?

Yes, I’ve done hundreds of interviews (often 100+ on a single project with a significant research and investigative requirement), which I am quite sure are well into the thousands over my 35+ year career.

 

How do you manage controversial topics, or perhaps topics you disagree with?

It is not whether I concur or not with the subject matter but present it fairly and pointedly for the reader; I am not baited into controversy and believe it unprofessional to make something personal. Narrative nonfiction provides ample opportunity to parse controversial subjects. Investigative subject matter is a good example where getting into the controversies can be enlightening for the writer and the reader. Stories should be told honestly and with all the bark on. I don’t shy from that aspect of my writing, and readers and reviewers respect that by and large.

 

Do you come up with the ideas/topics for your manuscripts?

Yes, I do pick the subject matter for my books. The best work comes from what you know and what drives your interest.

——————

This webinar starts with a short introduction from NAIWE nonfiction expert Amy Waters Yarsinske followed by a time for attendees to ask Amy whatever you wanted to know about the multifaceted aspects of writing nonfiction and being successfully published.

You can join in this conversation on August 24, at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on refining your public speaking skills. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Amy Waters Yarsinske is the author of several best-selling, award-winning nonfiction books, published regionally, nationally, and internationally. Amy’s proposal technique was featured in literary agent/author Peter Rubie’s Telling the Story: How to Write and Sell Narrative Nonfiction; she also did a National Press Club panel with Rubie during the No One Left Behind press tour. She has been a regular contributor with international, national, and regional media, to include continued guest spots on national radio. An American in the Basement: The Betrayal of Captain Scott Speicher and the Cover-up of His Death won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for General Non-fiction in 2014, and No One Left Behind: The Lt. Comdr. Michael Scott Speicher Story earned her literary awards, an incredible press tour, and national/international recognition. With over 30 years in the publishing industry, Amy has published over 85 nonfiction books, most of them spotlighting current affairs, the military, history and the environment with a few biographies and corporate histories interspersed. Amy graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she earned her bachelor of arts in English and economics and the University of Virginia School of Architecture, where she earned her Master of Planning and was a DuPont Fellow and Lawn/Range resident.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events, Professional Development

Days to Celebrate in August

July 28, 2023 Post a comment

August: National Wellness Month. This month focuses on self-care, managing stress, and promoting healthy routines.

August 5: National Work Like a Dog Day. This is a day to pay attention to how hard you are working.

August 7-13: Simplify Your Life Week. This week was dedicated to be an encouragement to refocus your life and declutter. A suggestion is to eliminate things that cause stress or anxiety.

August 8: National Happiness Happens Day. Happiness is a choice. It is not a destination, but a life-long pursuit.

August 8: National Dollar Day. This day commemorates the day Congress established the U.S. monetary system in 1786.

August 9: National Book Lovers Day. A day for those who love to read to find a favorite reading place and settle in with a good book.

August 10: National Lazy Day. Nearing the end of summer, we all need a day to just kick back and do very little.

August 15: National Relaxation Day. Take this day to slow down, unwind, and relax!

August 25-31: Be Kind to Humankind Week. This is a week when we can make a difference in someone’s life by being kind to them.

August 27: National Just Because Day. This is a day to do something unexpected for another (or even for yourself) just because!

Categories: National Days

2023 Summer Challenge

July 24, 2023 Post a comment

This summer, NAIWE is challenging you and your fellow NAIWE members to be the best version of yourselves. You may personalize this challenge to fit your needs and summer goals. Choose a book to read that you classify as a self-help book even though its genre is far from that. Choose a project that has been nagging at you but will also produce great reward upon completion. And finish the challenge by spending some quality time with our experts learning how they mastered creating multiple steams of income. Throughout the challenge, be true to yourself and your goals!

There are three parts to this challenge:

  1. Read one book that will stretch your mind and inspire your creative spirit. The 2023 Summer Challenge is a great way for you to catch up on those business reads that have been piling up.
  2. Finish one project that’s been nagging at you for longer than you care to admit. This is not so much about the length of time to complete the project as it is about finishing what you started. (For some motivational tips, listen to NAIWE’s Productivity Expert Meggin McIntosh’s teleclass on How to Complete Your Projects, Especially the Ones that Have Been Bugging You.)
  3. Brainstorm a new project that will bring you an additional stream of income, then take the first step to make it happen. NAIWE is willing to be your partner and advocate to bounce ideas off of.

After you read your book selection, leave a comment below with the name and author of the book and your takeaway from this book so others will know if they should read this book.

Categories: Events

Book Review: Izzy’s Fire

July 21, 2023 Post a comment

Izzy’s Fire

Author: Nancy Wright Beasley

Bravery was rare during the Holocaust in Lithuania, as many people tried to keep their head down and simply survive. However, the bravery of one small Catholic family saved thirteen Jews.

Chapter 1 opens in the year 1943 in the Kovno Ghetto with Edna Ipson, her son, and her husband escaping in the middle of the night. The tension is strong, and the details are vivid. Edna climbs up on a wagon, and once seated, she regrets how she climbed up, worried that she may have lost a button from her sweater. It is too dark to see, but she slides her hand along her sweater’s edge, counting the buttons. One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . five. All there!

The reader is quickly captivated by this family to discover if they survive their escape. However, the next few chapters take the reader back in time, leaving the reader to continue wondering and unable to put the book down. Several chapters describe Edna’s life in Lithuania before the Nazis entered. Their simple but happy life was filled with family, friends, and love until 1941. Their life even included a baby daughter, leading the reader to wonder where this baby was during the escape from Kovno Ghetto.

Edna was given the nickname “Izzy’s Fire” when she was young and her husband’s sisters were trying to convince their mother to allow Edna and Izzy to marry. She was called “Simchah Fire,” everlasting flame or unquenchable fire. Izzy’s parents had wanted him to marry a wealthy woman so he could rise in society.

Nancy Wright Beasley is a gifted writer. She is able to keep the information accurate while entertaining the reader at the same time. Beasley brings the characters to life and helps the reader relive the events through the eyes of Edna. She showcases the tensions between family members who make different decisions and shares how families are ripped apart emotionally and physically.

As of 2015, five of the thirteen Jews that were saved were still living. Beasley interviewed survivors and read memoirs, which led her on a seven-year journey of Edna Ipson. This enlightening and empowering book was nominated for a People’s Choice Awards in 2006.

Categories: Book Reviews, Member Benefits

How to Learn a Style Manual

July 17, 2023 Post a comment

Learning a new style manual takes time, and part of being a copyeditor is thoroughly knowing at least one style manual. As you edit, you ask questions, often about the same types of changes, so knowing some items to look up when learning a new style manual can give you a head start in the familiarization process. You may even want to create a style sheet for the new style manual.

When choosing which style manuals to begin studying, keep the following in mind: For general trade books, use CMS. For academic writing, use MLA Style Manual, 3rd ed. or CMS. For journalistic writing, use the Associated Press Stylebook. For scientific writing, use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Here are some topics you may want to include.

  • Abbreviations
    • How do you introduce acronyms and initialisms?
    • Which state abbreviations do you use: two-letter or traditional?
  • Dictionary
    • Which dictionary does the manual use?
  • Hyphenation
    • AMA Manual of Style (10th ed.): Section 8.3
    • Associated Press Stylebook: Punctuation chapter, “hyphen” entry
    • CMS (17th ed.): Section 7.81
    • The Gregg Reference Manual (11th ed.): Chapter 8
    • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.): Table 4.1
    • The Yahoo Style Guide: Section IV, “Hyphens”
  • Names
    • Personal names
    • Titles of people
    • Organization and company names
  • Numbers
    • Numerals vs. words
    • Plural and possessive numbers
    • Dates
    • Fractions
    • Units of measure
  • Possessives
    • Singular noun
    • Singular noun that ends in s
    • Plural noun
    • Plural noun that ends in s
    • Exceptions to singular or plural rule
  • Punctuation
    • Serial comma
    • Em dash
    • Ellipsis
  • Titles of works
    • Capitalization rules
    • Rules for using italics, quotation marks, or nothing at all

To learn more about style manuals, check out Editing 101’s Lesson 2.

 

 

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.

 

Categories: News

Member Benefit: Newsletter Promotions

July 14, 2023 Post a comment

Member Benefit #5

Posts on your NAIWE blog may be promoted in The Edge: Success Strategies for People Who Work With Words, which is the NAIWE newsletter that has a subscriber list of over 8,000, as of October 2022. Both members and prospective clients subscribe to The Edge, so your blog posts promoted in the newsletter become calling cards to introduce yourself and advertise your books and services.

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

Categories: Member Benefits

Book Review: To the Moon and Back to Me

July 10, 2023 1 Comment

To the Moon and Back to Me

Author: Christine Hassing

 

The physical loss of a loved one is always hard, and it takes time to accept and then process the end of a relationship and then the beginning of a life without the loved one. And even then, when loss comes again in life, feelings from a previous loss can resurface, and one is then forced to try to cope with both losses. This is what happened to the author Christine Hassing.

In To the Moon and Back to Me, Hassing writes in short journal entries as she processes the loss of her four-legged running partner Too. To the author, this partner was more than a dog; it was the member who completed their family.

“In my dream, I handed you to your daddy, our family of three, you as our baby girl, to make us better people, to make us complete. . . . The child I didn’t bring into the world in you I would find.”

When reading along, though the journal entries speak directly of images of Roo, Hassing’s first loss are hinted at in the pages.

The journal entries, which begin with dates to help the reader follow along, go back and forth from the present to memories — the present trying to cope with the current loss of Roo and the memories thinking about the encouragement Roo provided when running alongside.

Written in the first person to Roo, Hassing describes well the feelings of loss that she experiences over one year. The reader walks alongside the author as she processes her feelings, slowly comes to acceptance, and even finds a way to move on.

This book is a positive read for anyone struggling with a loss. It can help the reader process their emotions and grow, while learning to live when the circumstances have changed.

Categories: Book Reviews, Member Benefits

Ruth Thaler-Carter, NAIWE’s Networking Expert

July 7, 2023 Post a comment

We wanted to get to know Ruth Thaler-Carter (NAIWE’s Networking Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

How do you know if you have info worth sharing?

When people ask for your advice or “Like” the comments you make in social media groups, compliment your work, or ask you to speak. Maybe also when you have something that feels worth saying that you aren’t seeing in a given community or group.

 

Many freelancers are introverts. What would you recommend they do to develop their speaking abilities?

Practice with friends, refine with online/Zoom presentations, create outlines and speaking points, have a friend in the audience for making eye contact and feeling connected, and join a Toastmasters group.

 

Please define a public speaking persona.

Upbeat, accessible, engaging, friendly, informal.

——————

Whether you’re a writer, editor, proofreader, indexer, or other communications professional, you may have information worth sharing with colleagues (and maybe even clients). You’ve developed experience, knowledge, and a strong skill set in your editorial niche; on a certain topic, profession, or industry; and perhaps as a businessperson as well. It might be time to consider adding to that skill set by becoming a public speaker or presenter of conference speeches, workshops, or classes. This webinar will provide tips on why and how to develop a public speaking persona and service.

You can join in this conversation on July 18, at 7:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on refining your public speaking skills. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!

 

Ruth Thaler-Carter has been a full-time freelance writer, editor, proofreader, desktop publisher, and speaker for more than 30 years. She has been published locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally in, and does writing, editing, and proofreading for, publications, associations, nonprofits, websites, service firms, independent authors, and businesses. She sold her first freelance articles when she was still in high school. Often called the Queen of Networking, Ruth is active in about a dozen professional associations, serving as a newsletter editor, webmaster, publication author, speaker/presenter, blogger, program host or planner, and chapter leader. In 2006, Ruth launched the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer annual conference, now cohosted with NAIWE — to help aspiring and established freelancers find greater success. Ruth is also owner and editor-in-chief of the An American Editor blog and owner of the A Flair for Writing publishing business. Her honors include member of her high school alumni hall of fame, in part for her publishing work and networking services; Writers and Books Big Pencil Award for teaching adults and contributions to the literary community; EFfie awards for writing, editing and newsletters; an APEX award for feature writing; the Philip M. Stern Award of Washington (DC) Independent Writers for service to freelancers; and IABC/DC Communicator of the Year and Silver Quills for magazine writing and newsletters.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events, Professional Development

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  • Days to Celebrate in August
  • Member Benefit: Discount on Geoff Hart’s Effective Onscreen Editing
  • Days to Celebrate in July
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Latest Posts

Days to Celebrate in August

July 25, 2025

Member Benefit: Discount on Geoff Hart’s Effective Onscreen Editing

July 11, 2025

Days to Celebrate in July

June 27, 2025

NAIWE.org! The New NAIWE Website Is Live!

June 20, 2025

Member Benefit: Discount on Fictionary’s An Insider’s View of Story Editing Course

June 13, 2025

Book Review: Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper

June 9, 2025

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