National Association of Independent Writers & Editors
Facebook Instagram Linkedin twitter

Search

SubscribeLogin

  • About
    • About NAIWE
    • Board of Experts
    • Amazon-Affiliate Book
    • FAQs
    • Advertising
  • Join Us
    • Join NAIWE
    • Benefits
    • Reasons to Join an Association
  • Training
  • Find a Professional
  • Blog
  • News & Events
    • The Edge
    • Conference
    • Podcasts
    • Summer Challenge
    • Words Matter
      • Words Matter Week
      • How to Participate
      • Media
  • Post a Job
  • Contact
  • Member Sites

Blog

Robert Moskowitz, NAIWE’s Professionalism Expert

June 14, 2019 Post a comment

We wanted to get to know Robert Moskowitz (NAIWE’s Professionalism Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here are some things he shared.

What is one thing that you learned about your craft the hard way, and what benefits have you received from it? Can these benefits be broadened to include professionalism?

The most important thing I learned the hard way (I learned most things the easy way) is not to sign a contract indemnifying a publisher for “claims” against me—such as plagiarism or copyright infringement. “Claims” need not be proven in a court of law, and publishers are happy to make these “claims” go away by settling—which settlements come out of my pocket via the indemnification clause. I now insist on eliminating the word “claims” or including language that claims must be proven in a court of competent jurisdiction. I lose some work with this stance, but I avoid getting badly burned a second time.

I believe it’s professional both to know about this wrinkle in contract language and to have the guts to insist on avoiding it, either by changing the contract or by refusing a dangerous contract. Part of professionalism, of course, is taking steps so you don’t get hurt and so you live to work another day.

What has been your most rewarding professionalism technique, and how was it rewarding? Self? Monetary? Clients?

My most rewarding professionalism technique has been working strategically and tactically to increase my pay. I do this by calculating how much I need to earn from my work, by seeking out high-priced jobs, by avoiding low-priced jobs, by ratcheting up my rates with established clients, and—perhaps most important—by delivering work that is worthy of the rates I seek.

This has been rewarding both psychically (I feel good about myself and my work) and monetarily. I have been able to support a family, send my kids to school, and generally live well.

What do you associate with professionalism?

Professionalism is the distinction that separates wannabees from actual professional writers. It allows me to call myself a writer and not have to qualify that description with excuses or explanations. It means I have worked hard to be among the best at my craft and have succeeded. I can walk into any room and feel confident I am among the best or I am one of the best wordsmiths in there. It means I can accept almost any writing challenge without fear of inadequacy. It means when the going gets tough, I can gather my wits and my skills to get going. It means I have fulfilled my potential and made full use of my gift for writing. My professionalism is a source of pride and satisfaction.

_____

You can join in this conversation on June 22, at 3 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a one-hour discussion on exercises to help you know yourself better, business lessons for the professional writer, opening the pipeline to your creativity, turning good ideas into finished material, and how to more fully trust your talent and your know-how.

Almost everyone can write. Heck, nearly every high school graduate can cobble together some words and call it writing. Some people can even earn a few bucks as a writer. But if you really want to pursue the writing life, you’ll find you can do it only if you succeed at becoming a professional. Many years ago, I had a dream of writing professionally. I even got a job as a writer. But it was just a job. Two years later, after too many job interviews in which pretty much every 9-to-5-er I met expressed massive regret at having to give up their dream of writing in order to earn a living, I found myself undergoing a three-month epiphany that helped me transform and commit to the writing life. This webinar is informed by that transformation, as well as by my decades of successful professional writing. It will help you determine just how much “fire in the belly” you have around becoming a professional writer and will help you make the adjustments and develop the attributes you need to get there. We will leave the writing itself for another time and emphasize the professionalism involved in a successful professional writing career.

The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! To register, send an email with your name and telephone number.

Robert Moskowitz is an award-winning independent professional writer who has written and sold millions of words in just about every format over five decades. He instinctively sees the big pictures, breaks each one down into coherent slices, meaningfully prioritizes and sequences those slices, and then executes the tasks inherent in each slice in very productive ways. Put more simply, Robert knows how to succeed as an independent writer, covering all the bases from soliciting assignments to delivering polished work, from pricing jobs to budgeting and managing personal finances, from organizing a conducive office environment to establishing and following sensible guidelines regarding life, work, and productivity. Having done all this, and having paid attention to how he did it, Robert is now in a position to pass along what he knows to others.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events

Days to Celebrate in June

June 7, 2019 Post a comment

June 1: National Say Something Nice Day. Make the day extra pleasant for your clients by sharing some nice words.

June 3: National Leave the Office Early Day. It may be celebrated on the first day of the week this year, but take a little time off to enjoy the rest of the day with a fun activity.

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 inspire others who are interesting 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 Make Life Beautiful Day. Share the beauty that you add to life by celebrating the relationships you have built or assistance you have offered another.

June 13: National Random Acts of Light Day. Bring light to a colleague by sharing some encouraging words.

June 21: National Selfie Day. Share a selfie on social media of you working on that next project.

June 30: Social Media Day. Post on all of your social media accounts today, letting potential clients know you are available for hire.

Categories: National Days

Jake Poinier, NAIWE’s Freelance Expert

May 10, 2019 Post a comment

We wanted to get to know Jake Poinier (NAIWE’s Freelance Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here are some things he shared.

What is one thing that you learned about your craft the hard way, and what benefits have you received from it?

My freelance business turns 20 in August, so I’ve learned plenty of things the hard way! I’d argue that the most important element of having a durable business is focusing on the personal relationships. (I assume that, if you’re in this business, you have a talent for writing and/or editing, so that in itself is rarely a measurable competitive advantage.) The hard-way lesson is that not all relationships are going to work out—which is why I like to quote Mad Men’s Don Draper: “The day you sign a client is the day you start losing them.” A lot of times, maybe even most of the time, it’s not your fault when a client disappears. You need to foster loyalty, but also recognize that diversifying your client base is your only insurance policy against inevitable client loss. The marketing angle for me has been to also diversify the types of work I do (print, web, audio/video, books, social media, etc.) and expand the industries I work in.

What has been your most rewarding marketing avenue, and how was it rewarding? Self? Monetary? Clients?

Far and away, cultivating referral business has been the most beneficial. There’s a tendency to think that referrals happen by luck, but I remember seeing a survey stat that only about 1/3 of customers in a service business will refer you without prompting. Sure, doing great work is paramount, but there’s a lot of business left on the table if you don’t actively let clients know you’re interested in having your name passed along, or ask for a testimonial. The rewards are obviously monetary (duh!), but the key is that good/great clients tend to refer good/great clients, so there’s also less work involved.

What do you associate with marketing?

I work on a lot of marketing strategy and content for my clients, which has informed my approach over the years. As an example, I’m currently partnering with a marketing/advertising agency with a unique niche and voice, which has made it an energizing relationship—they’re not afraid to be different and even a little bit wacky. It’s difficult to distinguish yourself purely based on writing/editing talent, but you can always market yourself based on your unique qualities, whether areas of specialty or what it’s like to work with you. If you don’t feel like you’re attracting the right clients, you need to reexamine your marketing angle.

_____

You can join in this conversation on May 14, at 7 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a one-hour discussion on finances, safety nets, and fees.

Part of the enjoyment of freelancing is working with great clients on interesting projects—but let’s face it, it’s a lot more fun when the compensation matches our efforts. In this webinar, Jake “Dr. Freelance” Poinier will discuss the big picture of freelance finances as well as specific steps to help your business become more profitable:

  • Shifting your business mindset
  • Pricing and estimating for better results
  • Creating your safety net

The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! To register, send an email with your name and telephone number.

Jake Poinier made the leap into freelance writing and editing in 1999 after a decade of positions in the publishing industry, giving him key insights from both sides of the desk. As the founder and owner of Boomvang Creative Group, he has worked with a diverse array of Fortune 500 and small businesses, consumer and trade magazines, and independent authors. Jake is committed to helping freelancers improve their businesses and shares his knowledge and experiences frequently as a speaker at industry conferences, through webinars, and on his blog.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events

Days to Celebrate in May

May 3, 2019 Post a comment

May: National Get Caught Reading Month. Wherever you go, the campaign challenges you to get caught reading.

First Week in May: Small businesses account for half of America’s workforce, and more new jobs come from small business than any other source.

May 12: National Limerick Day. Celebrates the birthday of English artist, illustrator, author, and poet Edward Lear who wrote Book of Nonsense.

May 16: National Biographer’s Day. Commemorates the anniversary of the first meeting of Samuel Johnson and his biographer James Boswell in 1763 and honors all biographers.

May 30: National Creativity Day. Celebrate you and your creative pursuit!

May 31: National Speak in Complete Sentences Day. Dedicated to using proper sentence structure while speaking.

Categories: National Days

In Spite of Barriers, Women Make the Best Leaders

April 19, 2019 Post a comment

Studies show the ideal leader today is ethical, honest, trustworthy, and fair regarding employee expectations. These traits earn the respect of followers and are closely aligned with women leaders.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women comprise 47% of the U.S. labor force, yet lag substantially behind men when it comes to representing leadership positions. The good news is even though the gender wage gap has declined in most professions, the number of women climbing the ladder to management ranks has increased. But in spite of these achievements, women still face leadership challenges in the workplace.

 

Leadership Barriers Women Face

The glass ceiling metaphor and other limited opportunity metaphors like glass door and glass cliff remain as popular today as they did 10 years ago. When things go wrong and the group fails, women leaders are likely to get blamed even if the failure was caused by events that took place before they came on board. Women report having fewer support networks at work, not getting needed information, and not being acknowledged for their efforts.

Women are also more likely to experience burn out and become disillusioned with their jobs and organizations and may end up quitting as a result. Cultural expectations also work against women who aspire to become leaders. Many never seriously consider becoming leaders because the process of socialization has taught them leadership professions are only open to males.

Negative stereotypes and discrimination can lower the self-confidence for some women and make them reluctant to take risks or strive for leadership positions. And since our culture highlights nurturing roles of women, many enter service professions such as teaching, nursing, clerical work, or roles that support the larger organization.

 

Changes on the Horizon

Fortunately, attitudes toward women in leadership are changing, especially among the younger generation. As more women succeed in management roles, stereotypes will continue to erode. When this happens, women will experience less prejudice and more opportunities.

As global environments become more competitive, management styles are shifting away from old leadership styles to more transformational styles that emphasize communication, teamwork, and responsiveness. These leadership styles will benefit women in today’s workforce.

 

Gail McShan-Elly is a writer and blogger. She is married and believes greatness is achieved by serving others.

Categories: Member Articles

Brian Schwartz, NAIWE’s Self-Publishing Expert

April 12, 2019 Post a comment

Webinar: Building a Content Promotion Strategy to Promote Your Message and Sell More Books!

We wanted to get to know Brian Schwartz (NAIWE’s Self-Publishing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here are some things he shared.

What is one thing that you learned about your craft the hard way, and what benefits have you received from it?

I’ve learned that consistency is key and to stay the course and continuously build relationships. The self-proclaimed gurus make their living on selling this as something that’s easy to do (if you just buy their courses). You might get lucky and your timing plays a large part. There isn’t a single book out there that can teach you everything you need to know, nor enough time to learn it all. It takes a team and you have to take some risks. It’s never too soon to start building your personal brand, and you need to keep turning over rocks.

What I’ve discovered is that things aren’t often what they seem. It’s good to better understand what you are up against.

Can these benefits be broadened to include marketing?

Absolutely. I’ll provide attendees with actionable steps as part of a long-term plan to help them reach more readers, and I’ll explain the benefits of approaching marketing like a marathon, not a sprint. Successful marketers work from a training plan that allows them to consistently and incrementally increase their mileage through increased visibility followed by sales.

Tangible results come from planting many seeds and thinking like a farmer, rather than a hunter. I find that authors who take the long view can do very well if they stick with it and give the seeds time to grow.

I’ll cover specific tools authors can use to manage the content aspect of their marketing plan and how to create a marketing dashboard to stay on track.

What has been your most rewarding marketing avenue, and how was it rewarding? Self? Monetary? Clients?

I appreciate the opportunity to share what I know with people who have a shared interest. I know of an author who is also an artist who sold her artwork (to the tune of over $30,000) to someone who discovered her through her books. This event also led her to get a deal to have her artwork featured in a Broadway play. I know another author who is being paid to blog for a company. Many authors’ books have led them to paid speaking gigs and workshops. For a non-fiction author, a good book can become their most effective marketing tool.

What do you associate with marketing?

Marketing is the act of generating awareness for your work to your target market (those who can benefit). It’s about leveraging and amplifying word of mouth for your mission, book, or business. It fuels a continued effort to refine and improve your work based on the feedback from your fans (readers, students, and colleagues). Another less common perspective of marketing is to view it as creating an opportunity to gain feedback from your users (readers) to guide you toward how to improve your product and tune your pitch.

_____
You can join in this conversation on April 25, at 7 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a one-hour discussion on creating a marketing toolkit.

Getting your book found is a matter of having the right content in the right place at the right time. The good news is that it’s less about driving traffic to your own site and more about being visible where your target audience already exists. It’s wise to choose a few platforms to master before you spread yourself too thin, but which ones produce the highest return-on-investment? Learn to create content that gets the clicks on high-traffic sites including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Medium, LinkedIn, YouTube, Quora, Flickr, Huffington Post, and more.

The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! To register, send an email with your name and telephone number.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events, Marketing

Days to Celebrate in April

April 5, 2019 Post a comment

April: English Language Month. A celebration of the uniqueness of the English language.

April: National Poetry Month. Celebrate the cadence and song of poetry.

April 7-13: National Library Week. Libraries provide us with books to read and valuable tools and resources.

April 10: National Encourage a Young Writer Day. Encourage a young person with a vivid imagination or one who likes to tell stories or read a lot to take the next step and put those tales on paper.

April 10: National Bookmobile Day. Honor the access to information and resources made available through bookmobiles.

April 11: National Support Teen Literature Day. This day showcases some award-winner authors and books to raise awareness that young adult literature is vibrant and growing.

April 17: National Haiku Poetry Day. This day encourages all to write in this Japanese form.

April 18: National Columnists’ Day. Columnists inspire a plethora of emotions that often result in action.

April 18: Get to Know Your Customers Day. Reach out to your customers and get to know more about them.

April 23: National Take a Chance Day. Break out of your comfort zone and try a new marketing technique!

April 25: National Poem in Your Pocket Day. Share the joy that poems bring by carrying one in your pocket and sharing it with others.

April 25: National Telephone Day. Call some former clients to see how you might be able to help them today.

April 25: National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Show a child what you do in your profession.

April 27: National Tell a Story Day. Share a story with another person, or listen to a story from someone from another generation.

April 28: National Great Poetry Reading Day. Take some time to read your favorite poetry.

Categories: National Days

Ruth Thaler-Carter, NAIWE’s Networking Expert

March 18, 2019 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 things she shared.

What is one thing that you learned about your craft the hard way, and what benefits have you received from it?

The importance of having a clearcut contract/agreement that’s as complete as possible, because that’s the only way to protect oneself against problems with a project or a difficult client. It would be nice if all business interactions could be conducted on a handshake, virtual or in person, but that sadly isn’t always possible. The benefits of using even an informal agreement via email include peace of mind, control over scope creep, and reasonable assurance of receiving payment as expected.

Can these benefits be broadened to include marketing?

Providing and working to contracts could be considered a facet of positioning an independent editorial business as a professional venture, which would contribute to marketing the business as one worth working with.

What has been your most rewarding marketing avenue, and how was it rewarding? Self? Monetary? Clients?

Doing good work that leads to being referred/recommended by current clients to new ones, even though that isn’t technically or formally marketing; at least, it isn’t a conscious marketing process. More in the way of actual marketing has been active participation and visibility in professional associations and online groups such as on Facebook, which has led to inquiries from prospective clients and recommendations/referrals from colleagues. The rewards have been new projects/clients/income for myself, as well as deep gratitude toward colleagues and clients who value my efforts, whether in terms of work or networking. Clients have benefited from receiving high-quality services; colleagues have benefited from advice and resources I aim to provide through various channels.

What do you associate with marketing?

Association membership and active participation, sharing resources, providing advice, announcing services and news, supporting colleagues and causes, doing public speaking/presenting webinars/teaching classes, hosting events, sending newsletters.

_____
You can join in this conversation on March 18, at 7 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a one-hour discussion of growing your business through networking.

We hear about networking all the time, but what is it and why is it valuable to independent writers and editors? Networking is simply interacting with colleagues to exchange information, resources, and support. Done right, it can create credibility, provide leads to new projects and clients, and bolster an independent business in many ways. Networking is a two-way process; it goes beyond joining a professional organization.

The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! To register, send an email with your name and telephone number.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events

Writing Challenge Recap

March 9, 2019 Post a comment

NAIWE is a professional association for writers, editors, and you! We exist to help members succeed, and our unique focus on creating multiple streams of income can make it happen.

NAIWE provides you with an online presence, assistance in using your website, and marketing support through our social media channels and our monthly newsletters.

NAIWE seeks to provide the place where you can come and receive a warm, personal touch as you develop your career.

All throughout your career, your membership in an association demonstrates commitment, credibility, and professionalism.

So no matter what kind of writing or editing you do, NAIWE is the professional association with you in the forefront!

View a list of our member benefits!

In honor of Words Matter Week, NAIWE is offering a discount for new and renewing members! New members who sign up for auto-renewal can use the code WordsMatter30 to receive $30 off their first year’s membership. Any member, new or renewing, can use code WordsMatter20 to receive $20 off a year’s membership.

Categories: Words Matter Week

Writing Challenge: Day 5

March 8, 2019 2 Comments

Writing Prompt: What word, said or unsaid, has or could change your life? How?

At NAIWE, the word that has had the most effect on us is “freelance.” We focus on benefitting our freelance members, offering them avenues to remain knowledgeable in the field and to increase their number of clients. The NAIWE goal is helping our members develop multiple streams of income, and we do this by promoting their products and services to people they might not have otherwise reached through our social media outlets and our newsletter, which reaches 6,000 publishing professionals every month.

Interested in participating in the NAIWE writing challenge? Each day we will post a question. Respond to the question on your blog or social media page (be sure to include #WordsMatterWeek in your response), and then link back to it in the comments of the corresponding article on the NAIWE blog. For each challenge you respond to, you will receive one entry (and a bonus entry for each response written on your NAIWE blog). At the end of the week, we will have a drawing, and one person will win a fabulous prize, along with a mention and link in the next newsletter.

Post in the comments below with a link to your response to today’s question.

Categories: Words Matter Week

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Member Benefit: Discount on Fictionary’s An Insider’s View of Story Editing Course
  • Book Review: Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides
  • Days to Celebrate in June
  • Book Review: Sinking Your Teeth into Proper Dental Care
  • Book Review: Words Left Unspoken

Categories

Links

  • Member Area
  • NAIWE Bookstore
  • NAIWE- The Association Site
  • Words Matter Week

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Latest Posts

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

June 13, 2025

Book Review: Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides

June 2, 2025

Days to Celebrate in June

May 30, 2025

Book Review: Sinking Your Teeth into Proper Dental Care

May 26, 2025

Book Review: Words Left Unspoken

May 12, 2025

Member Benefit: Discount on Fictionary’s StoryTeller Software

May 9, 2025

Contact Us

  • 804-476-4484
  • P.O. Box 412
    Montpelier, VA 23192-0412
Facebook Instagram Linkedin twitter

© NAIWE. All rights reserved. Designed by My House of Design.