National Association of Independent Writers & Editors
Member Benefit #8
The posts you share on your member website are eligible to be promoted on NAIWE’s social media pages. The NAIWE Member Activity Feed is scanned each week on Member Monday, and many post titles and links are posted on NAIWE’s social media to increase your readership. Member posts that are tagged with the #NAIWE hashtag can also be reposted on NAIWE’s social media pages for you.
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
We wanted to get to know Suzanne Sherman (NAIWE’s Memoir Coach Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.
How is writing a memoir different than writing a fiction work?
Memoir is interested in the power of the personal. Memoir is a genre known also by the name creative nonfiction. Memoir is nonfiction; it is not fiction. Memoir does, however, share some of narrative tools fiction uses, such as the inclusion of both scene and narrative, the use of character development, plot that drives the story, and narrative arc (the protagonist, or author’s, growth journey from start to finish). Memoir is not autobiography. Autobiography is a story OF a life. Memoir is a story FROM a life, usually one with relatable aspects readers can learn from. Memoir has a theme, usually a focused topic or time period, such as overcoming an addiction (Drinking: A Love Story by Carolyn Knapp), coming to terms with the death of a loved one (Wild by Cheryl Strayed), carrying a child with Down’s Syndrome while in graduate school at Harvard (Expecting Adam by Martha Beck). Writing memoir is different from writing fiction in part because authors are drawing on their experience and animating that core truth with believable characters in unfolding scenes that move the story from beginning to end.
Does an author need permission to write about those who may have caused harm to the author?
Memoirists are not required to receive verbal or written permission by anyone mentioned or even featured in a book. In this webinar, Methods for Managing Exposure of Self and Others in Memoir, I will discuss this important detail, sharing information supplied by an attorney who specializes in self-publishing. Authors can choose one of several options if they are concerned about revealing someone’s identity in their book.
Why do some authors of memoirs use pen names?
Using a pen name is one of the ways authors sometimes publish to avoid revealing their identity if they are concerned about that, for personal or professional reasons. There can be relief for some in knowing their identity isn’t known when their book is published. There can, however, be drawbacks with this too. In the webinar, I’ll discuss the pros and cons of using a pen name.
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Different from fiction, memoir can often lead a writer into some emotionally challenging territory. Writers often have to spend time exploring material that is essential for their book but is uncomfortable to dive into deeply to craft scenes and write an engaging narrative that includes what’s needed.
How do successful memoir authors do it? Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle), Caroline Knapp (Drinking: A Love Story), and Vince Granata (Everything Is Fine) are just a few writers who have published critically acclaimed memoirs with emotionally challenging material in recent years. Cheryl Strayed (Wild) and Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) wrote bestselling memoirs that showcased their vulnerabilities without shame.
Suzanne Sherman will give you helpful tips and tested methods for navigating the emotional territory that can come with writing memoir so you can successfully include what is essential if you want to write a memoir. She will address self-exposure and the exposure of others and show ways other authors work with it. Suzanne will provide information about relevant legalities and discuss the pros and cons of pen names.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to benefit your writing.
You can join in this conversation on November 14, at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on feeling vulnerable in writing your memoir. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!
Suzanne Sherman is an author, book and magazine editor, and writing and publishing coach and consultant. She specializes in memoir and nonfiction and offers a weekly memoir writing class on Zoom. Her latest book is Girlhood in America: Personal Stories 1910–2010.
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 1-7: Mystery Series Week.
October 1-7: National Newspaper Week.
October 2-6: 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 3: National Fruit at Work Day. Take a break today to enjoy a piece of seasonal fruit at work.
October 5: National Do Something Nice Day. Do something nice for one of your clients today!
October 11: National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day. Spend a day with a cuddly friend to make you smile. 🙂
October 8-14: National Work at Home Week. Reevaluate your home office for functionality and ergonomics.
October 15-21: National Business Women’s Week. Is there a woman in business who you have looked to as a mentor?
October 15-21: National Friends of Libraries Week. Use this week to support your local library.
October 28: National Make a Difference Day. Do something to make a difference in the life of someone else.
It is amazing that there are so many types of people in the publishing industry! While there are many people who love words, as to be expected, there are also many other people with a variety of other loves related to the written word.
When in graduate school, I took several classes on design and typography. I learned the mechanics of design, but I also learned that this was not a skill I innately have.
Typeface: a specific design of an alphabet.
Font: a complete alphabet of one size of one typeface.
Typestyle: a variety of styles for a specific typeface. The most common typestyle of a typeface is “roman.” Most typefaces are available in italic and bold as well, though some are available in a wide range of typestyles.
Type family: all of the styles and sizes of a given typeface.
Above are some of the mechanics I learned. Thanks to my graduate school classes, I can now spot good and bad design. As with many things in life, one either has the skill or one doesn’t. Mechanics only aid in the gift. Because of what I learned, I now have a greater respect for those who do have this skill.
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.
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!
As you brainstorm your new project, leave a comment below and we will help you with some ideas.
Member Benefit #7
NAIWE members receive alerts from people looking to hire freelancers, along with specifics about the job postings. Members can then apply for the jobs by contacting the person directly.
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
We wanted to get to know MJ Courchesne (NAIWE’s Copyright & Permissions Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.
How can one identify when content is AI generated?
This is still difficult to do. The best practices I have seen so far include running a manuscript (or content) through plagiarism software like ithenticate.com or other such tools. Other than that, a well-read human or editor is likely to catch non-sensical statements and grammatical errors that don’t make sense. I’m sure the proper technology will be developed to make this easier.
Are AI and authors, and AI and editors competing for the same jobs?
I would say not. From what I have learned, authors and editors are generally using AI for ideation and some initial work. With that said, at the moment AI is not wholly replacing anyone.
We hear about all the negative news around AI and the publishing industry. Is there any positive news to share?
Of course. Publishers are looking at ways to make sure that the author’s voice comes through, and that it is a human author. Importantly, the US Copyright Office has posted guidance that AI-generated materials cannot be copyrighted. As the human requirement is necessary for copyright, publishers are seeking ways to ensure they are not publishing wholly-AI generated materials. I do not see the industry becoming wholly AI very soon.
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Join us for this round-up of current issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and the world of creative content. We’ll review pending cases, as well as what the Copyright Office, publishers, creators, and some of the major associations representing creators and publishers have to say about generative AI. We’ll also explore some language you might see in contracts going forward and review some tips, tricks, and tools that may serve you as we move into a future where AI-generated content becomes more ubiquitous.
You can join in this conversation on September 26, at 7:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on artificial intelligence and author works. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Nonmembers can join for $30. Register today!
Mary Jo (“MJ”) Courchesne is the owner and principal consultant of Gryphon Publishing Consulting. A publishing veteran with more than 20 years of experience in trade, academic, and direct-response publishing, she has spent nearly two decades specializing in licensing, subsidiary rights, and permissions. MJ is a frequent and polished presenter on licensing and copyright, instructing future publishing professionals in the George Washington University’s Masters in Publishing program for the last 16 years. She currently serves on the Board of Experts for the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, serves on the Advocacy Committee for the Independent Book Publishers Association, and holds memberships with the Book Industry Study Group and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.
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!
September 4: 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 6: National Read a Book Day. Grab a book (a fun read or even one for professional development) and spend the day reading.
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 to help you improve your skills!
September 19: 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 s cup today while examining the importance of your words.
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!
As you finish your one nagging project, leave a comment below about your accomplishment and how it made you feel.
Author: Nancy Wright Beasley
Laibale Gillman was naturally brave. At the age of four, he rescued his older brother from a large, ferocious dog by distracting the snarling animal with a rake while Moshe — who was terrified of dogs — ran into the house. Because of this bravery, Laibale’s mother nicknamed him “the little lion.”
Laibale also had an innate mechanical ability. He used this ability to work on his motorcycle and to fix things for his mother and neighbors.
At 15 years old, Laibale raced motorcycles. In this opening scene, Laibale was determined to win the race, to beat the other boys who now attended Catholic school and teased him for being a Jew. When Joel, a friend participating in the race, crashed into Mr. Todras’s potato cart, Laibale’s quick reactions allowed him to avoid the accident, speed along, and win the race.
Laibale was a typical teenager living in Kaunas, Lithuania, when Nazi troops forced his family and thousands of other Jews into Kovno Ghetto, where they endured persistent threats of beatings, starvation, and death.
In the ghetto, Laibale’s skills came in handy. His ability to work on engines proved useful and allowed him to have some freedoms within Kovno Ghetto, as the Nazis found him to be a valuable asset. Laibale took advantage of the freedoms and also took additional risks over a two-year period of escaping the barbed-wire fence to return with food, medicine, and hope. Laibale, showing courage beyond his years and living up to his nickname, devised a plan that helped several of his family members escape to freedom — at a time when some 40,000 individuals (the vast majority of them Jews) were being executed within a few miles.
Without having read the acknowledgments, a reader would not know that this book was the thesis for the author’s MFA in children’s literature. The book is well-written, and the scenes are extremely vivid. The author uses few words to develop entire scenes and involve the reader as a participant in the story.
As a rare privilege, this book was adapted for a screenplay where the Nazi horrors came to life. This book — and the play — shares the risks Jews took to survive. The timeless messages are presented in a way that will grab the readers’ attention and keep them hooked until the end.
This book is a good educational read for young adults learning about the Holocaust, but it is also an excellent read for all readers as a great reminder of what occurred in 1941. The Little Lion emphasizes the importance of being brave and selfless in a time of German oppression. This book is sure to spark discussion among fellow readers.
The Little Lion: A Hero in the Holocaust is the remarkable story of a teen’s heroism during the horrors of the Holocaust.
