National Association of Independent Writers & Editors
Posts on your NAIWE blog may be promoted in The Edge: Success Strategies for People Who Work With Words, which has a subscriber list of over 6,400, as of January 2020. Both members and prospective clients subscribe to The Edge, so your blog posts promoted in the newsletter become one more way to introduce yourself and promote your books and services.
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We wanted to get to know Mark Allen (NAIWE’s AP Stylebook Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here is what he shared with us.
Does this edition have more changes than in past editions?
There are fewer changes this time around and not as many big changes as we’ve had in the past. The AP Stylebook editors want their usage advice to reflect what’s going on in the world, and sometimes that means changing long-standing quirks to reflect reality. Changing the way things have always been done is what causes an uproar each year on social media, as with accepting “over” for numerical differences in 2018.
For 2020, there are many significant changes that didn’t cause a stir on Twitter. Some of the changes come in the area of conscious language and dehumanizing terms: gender neutrality, older adults, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, disabilities and addiction, homelessness. I count 83 new entries and 69 updated entries for this edition.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic play any part in what was changed?
The thing AP Stylebook does better than other reference sources is keep up with the news of the day. The coronaviruses entry was added online on February 3 and expanded to 368 words for the print edition. The Stylebook has had usage advice on pandemic since 2007, and the editors saw no need to update it.
What change were you most surprised to see?
The most surprising change was not a new entry but a business decision to publish the book in physical form every two years instead of every year. That was surprising because physical books still tend to make more money than online subscriptions, but there are many reasons that the online edition is superior. Some other surprises came in updates to entries that had only recently being updated, proving if nothing else that the editors of the AP Stylebook are listening to feedback.
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Changes are plentiful if not dramatic in this year’s Associated Press Stylebook, published in May. The growing reference tome offers advice on gender-neutral language and language dealing with sexual assault. It cautions against the “senior citizen” label. And it says “mistress” is not a very useful term. AP Stylebook Expert Mark Allen will run down all the updates in the new edition and talk about moves away from the paper book and toward doing more online.
You can join in this conversation on June 29, at 7 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on the 2020 updates of the AP Stylebook. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Non-members can join for $30. Register today!
June 1: National Say Something Nice Day. Make the day pleasant for someone today by saying something nice.
June 2: National Leave the Office Early Day. This day is an incentive to many who often work more than 40 hours each week.
June 3. National Repeat Day. Take this opportunity to repeat something you needed or wanted to do again.
June 6: National Higher Education Day. Spend a moment educating or inspiring others who are interested in pursuing a similar career.
June 10: National Ballpoint Pen Day. Write a client note today with a ballpoint pen to commemorate the patent filing on June 10, 1943.
June 11: National Making Life Beautiful Day. Celebrate those who make life beautiful through their words.
June 13: National Random Acts of Light Day. Bring light to a colleague by sharing some encouraging words.
June 21: National Selfie Day. Take some selfies that show you are balancing work-life activities.
June 30: Social Media Day. Post on all of your social media accounts today, letting potential clients know you are available for hire.
A blog where you can reach out to readers and potential clients with business breakthroughs, new books published, speaking engagements, articles, tips, news, resources, and more! Every time you post on your NAIWE blog, NAIWE will re-post it on our social media accounts, expanding your reach even further! You can also look at the NAIWE Member Activity Feed to see what other members are doing with their member blogs.
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 is what she shared with us.
In what situations must permission be obtained?
If you do not own the copyright to a piece of intellectual property (whether text, photos, or art), in many cases you should obtain permission prior to incorporating it into your work. Although there are exceptions, it’s important to understand when you should seek permission.
Is there standard language or a template of a permission letter?
There are certain items that should be in every permission request including but not limited to the name of your publication, when it’s publishing, what format(s) your work will be published in, as well as language(s) and territory (territories) it will publish in.
In the writing industry, besides publishers, who else requires permissions?
Anyone wishing to re-use intellectual property that is not their original creation should consider whether they need permission before re-using, adapting, or putting the original IP into a new format.
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Learn the ins and outs of what publishers require when they ask you to “clear” permission for third-party materials you are incorporating into your work. What things do you need to have in a permission agreement, and how do you go about getting permission anyway? How long will this process take?
You can join in this conversation on May 27, at 3 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on handling permissions. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Non-members can join for $30. Register today!
May: National Get Caught Reading Month. Wherever you go, the campaign challenges you to get caught reading.
First Week in May: Small Business Week. Small businesses account for half of America’s workforce, and more new jobs come from small business than any other source.
May 1: National Mother Goose Day. This day honors Mother Goose, the imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes we loved as children and also as adults.
May 12: National Limerick Day. Celebrate the birthday of English artist, illustrator, author, and poet Edward Lear who wrote Book of Nonsense.
May 16: National Biographer’s Day. Commemorate the anniversary of the first meeting of Samuel Johnson and his biographer James Boswell in 1763 by honoring biographers.
May 30: National Creativity Day. Celebrate you and your creative pursuit!
May 31: National Speak in Complete Sentences Day. This day is dedicated to using proper sentence structure while speaking.
Each member receives a website on the NAIWE website. You may have read about how a strong presence on the web can build your writing or service career, and you may not have wanted to spend a lot of time and money creating a website from the ground up. As a member of NAIWE, a professionally-designed website will be available to you. Adding content to your new website is as easy as typing an email, and you will be provided simple how-to instructions to get you started. You can also look at the NAIWE Member Activity Feed to see what other members are doing with their member sites.
Your NAIWE website, with the memorable web address of www.YourName.naiwe.com, includes
Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.
We wanted to get to know Ruth Thaler-Carter (NAIWE’s Networking Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here is what she shared with us.
A common misconception of networking is to talk up ourselves, but this is not how it works. Instead, would you suggest take a 180 degree turn and spend your time learning about other people and their services?
Absolutely. Networking is a two-way process, and it starts with the other person. You want to be seen as someone who knows how to listen and learn from colleagues, and then as someone who can offer advice, resources, and other aspects of helping each other do our work better.
What are two synonyms you have for the word networking?
Interacting, two-way process
With social distancing in effect and other restrictions in place due to the COVID 19 pandemic, what changes will we see in the networking world?
Networking is likely to become more and more virtual, with meetings—both two-person and large-group—being held electronically, whether through something like Zoom or Skype (where you can see each other) or by teleconference. Some organizations won’t be able to hold large events such as annual conferences and might break those events into smaller pieces and offer sessions as webinars. Some organizations are going to lose a lot of money because of having to cancel their annual conferences, so networking will be more valuable but harder to do on a large-scale basis.
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Networking is more than a common buzzword; it’s an important key to success as an independent writer or editor. Learn about the best ways to make networking an effective, functional element of your independent business, as well as what not to do.
You can join in this conversation on April 23, at 7 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on effective networking. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Non-members can join for $30. Register today!
April: English Language Month. A month-long celebration of the uniqueness of the English language and all the learners working hard to master it.
April: National Poetry Month. Spend time this month writing, reading, and studying poetry.
April: National Volunteer Month. In the United States, volunteerism is instilled at a young age. Most organizations in small towns, rural counties, and the largest cities would not function without volunteers.
April: Records and Information Management Month. This event celebrates good record keeping and information management and emphasizes the importance of having organized records.
April: Stress Awareness Month. This month, we are all challenged to keep our stress levels low, and our peace levels high.
April 4: National School Librarian Day. School librarians spend long hours keeping the library organized, helping our children find the resources they need to keep learning, and are dedicated to creating an environment they can learn every day of the year. Set aside some time to honor school librarians.
April 4: National Hug a Newsperson Day. Say thank you and send a hug to your local newsperson–virtually, of course.
April 5-11: National Public Health Week. The week focuses on prevention and reducing unhealthy activities.
April 7: National No Housework Day. Freelancers working from home sometimes choose to be distracted by housework rather than work on a challenging project. On this day, it is not allowed, so find something else to distract you–or rather, sit down and work on that challenging project.
April 8: National All Is Ours Day. This is a day to appreciate everything we have, rather than dwelling on what we don’t have.
April 10: National Encourage a Young Writer Day. Do you know a young person who has a vivid imagination, maybe someone who likes to tell stories and reads a lot of books? Encourage them to pursue their goals and develop their writing skills.
April 14: National Reach as High as You Can Day. Review and plan your goals for the upcoming quarter or the rest of the year as you reach for your dreams or goals.
April 14: Look Up at the Sky Day. Look for inspirations and beauty by looking up at the sky.
April 15: National Rubber Eraser Day. Celebrate the invention of erasers by acknowledging that we all make mistakes.
April 16: National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. Let go of the stress by wearing your pajamas to work.
April 16: Get to Know Your Customers Day. Select a customer and get to know them a little better today.
April 16: National High Five Day. Spend a moment on social media today, and give a virtual high five to someone who has recently helped you out.
April 17: National Haiku Poetry Day. Try your hand at this creative form today by writing about what you see outside.
April 19-25: National Library Week. Visit your local library in person or online, and give your library card a workout.
April 19-25: National Volunteer Week. Provide support by offering your services to a local organization you feel passionate about.
April 19-25: Administrative Professionals Week. Celebrate the administrative professionals and secretaries who keep businesses going.
April 21: National Library Workers Day. Libraries do so much more than house the books we can borrow nearly any time of the day or night. Today, library workers are masters of research.
April 22: National Bookmobile Day. Honor the access to information and resources our nation’s bookmobiles make available to our communities and the professionals who work diligently to provide these services.
April 22: National Administrative Professionals Day. Even some freelancers have virtual assistants, so we didn’t want you to miss this day! Celebrate your VA and show how much you appreciate this person.
April 23: National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Take some time to mentor your sons and daughters and aspire their writing to new heights!
April 27: National Tell a Story Day. Share a story with fellow word lovers.
April 28: National Great Poetry Reading Day. Celebrate distinguished poetry and the notable poets who wrote them.
April 30: National Poem in Your Pocket Day. Memorize a poem or two to share with the people you meet throughout the day.
We wanted to get to know Kajli Prince (NAIWE’s Tax Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here is what he shared with us.
For those of us who are putting funds in traditional or Roth IRAs to fund our retirement, the ages 50, 55, 59 1/2, and 72 may have implications for our taxes. Please explain the implications as they relate to taxes for freelancers.
There are really only three relevant ages, with respect to individual retirement accounts, i.e., traditional and Roth IRAs: 50, 59 1/2, and 72. Further, these ages are relevant as pertains to contributions (limits) and distributions.
Individual Retirement Account
Contributions (for 2019 and 2020)
Under age 50 = $6,000
Age 50 and older = $6,000.00 + $1,000.00 catch-up
Note: For a SEP IRA (for self-employed persons) = 20% of net self-employment (SE) income after one-half SE tax deduction, up to $57,00.00. So basically, 20% of the same number the qualified business income deduction is calculated from.
Distributions (for 2019 and 2020)
Under age 59 1/2, distributions (withdrawals) are subject to an additional 10% tax. And if you participate in traditional IRA (not a Roth) and are 70 1/2 years old in 2019 you must take your first required minimum distribution (RMD) by April 1, 2020. If you reach age 70 1/2 in 2020 or later you must take your first RMD by April 1 of the year after you reach 72.
There is no particular significance to age 55. Although, it is a good age to consider your current tax rate and the type of IRA you are making contributions to.
For self-employed individuals, what is considered proof of income for tax purposes?
Documentation as proof of income can be very broad for self-employed individuals. For example, you can record the fact that you paid for goods or services on a napkin while doing a business transaction in a bar. At the end of the day, you just have to be able to show documentation for whatever income and expenses you are reporting on your tax return.
When preparing tax returns for freelancers, what deductions have you seen are the most overlooked?
I would say the home-office deduction. But I think a close second would be retirement tax shelters and credits. I will go into more detail during the webinar, and for now I will say self-employed individuals definitely benefit from some pretty sweet perks.
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For those of you who are putting funds in traditional or Roth IRAs to fund your retirement, the ages 50, 55, 59 1/2, and 72 have implications for your taxes. There are limitations when it comes to IRAs whether it is a Traditional or a Roth. The various limitations have to do with income, whether or not you participate in your employer’s retirement account, your filing status, and your age.
You can join in this conversation on March 27, at 7 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on identifying and managing difficult freelance clients. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Non-members can join for $30. Register today!