“Words– so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become, in the hands of one who knows how to combine them!” (Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804-1864)

We believe that words matter. Do you?

We invite bloggers everywhere to  write on the idea that “words matter.” Once you post, please sign up in the Mr. Linky below and use the “Share” button to add the post to your favorite networks, so that others will be able to easily find the various posts. You’re welcome to leave a comment as well. Words matter!

Words Matter Week page

Join us March 2-6, 2009 for the second annual for Words Matter Week 2009 and learn from successful writers, editors, and publishers how you can make your business thrive! You’ll hear:

• Peter Bowerman: The Well-Fed Writer on Freelance Commercial Writing
• John Kremer: 1001 Ways to Market Your Books
• Linda Leigh Hargrove: The Road to Publication and the Importance of Words in Communication
• Ruth Thaler-Carter: How to Get Started in Editorial Freelancing
• Tim McMullen: Technology and the Freelance Worker
• Martha Brockenbrough: Things that Make Us [Sic] and Other Grammar Matters

Our goal for this week is to introduce you to NAIWE, to highlight the importance of words in communication, and to raise funds for First Book.

Guests who visit www.NAIWE.com and sign up for the e-zine, “The Edge: Success Strategies for People Who Work With Words,” will receive a free e-book and the ‘Words Matter 2009 Yearbook” with articles, essays, and handouts from our speakers and other experts in writing, editing, and publishing.

All registered guests will also be entered for prize drawings of books donated by our speakers (you need not be present to win). If you can’t attend, just register, and you will receive a link to download the teleseminars for later listening.

Please address inquiries to Janice Campbell, Director of NAIWE, at director at naiwe .com. Additional information is at http://naiwe.com/words-matter/week.php and at http://www.tinyurl.com/words-matter.

Credibility Tops Freelance Writer and Editor Wish List

Results from the January 2009 Survey of Writer and Editors

5 Ways to Boost Professional Credibility

A recent survey of over 300 freelance writers and editors discovered that while freelance workers join professional associations for benefits such as networking, professional development, access to industry news, and other support services, the desire to establish a significant level of professional credibility trumps all.

ASHLAND, VA, February 2009 – In an online survey of freelance writers and editors, conducted in January 2009, 86% of respondents rated “Credibility as a committed professional” as “Extremely Important” or “Important,” outranking everything from networking to skill-building.

The three-part survey, commissioned by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.NAIWE.com), provides an interesting overview of the priorities and concerns of freelance workers. One experienced writer wrote of the frustration of trying to stand apart from the crowd, noting “These days everyone is a “writer” — but I have 30 years of experience and I’m not a twenty-something blogger. I need to know how to react to this huge shift in our industry….”

Because credibility is tied to everything– getting work, setting rates, and presenting a freelance enterprise as a viable business, the surveyed writers and editors are right to value it highly. Factors that influence credibility often have less to do with the freelancer’s skill than the client’s perception. To build credibility, the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors offers five suggestions

Read more, and see the survey results on the news release page. The news release may, of course, be reprinted in your publication as long as the links are included.

It all depends on who made the error, and who’s paying for it, of course. But if you ever need a laugh, you may as well visit FunnyTypos.com. The blogger posts photos of oddly named products (a “Stupid Child” floor mop, anyone?) and abused apostrophes, among other things. Of course, one of the hazards of this sort of entertainment is that some of it can be rather offensive, but that simply proves the value of getting a good writer or editor in the first place!

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In an unrelated note, we welcome all the new e-zine subscribers who signed up after reading the article “Free Teleseminars for Writers: NAIWE Hosts ‘Words Matter Week‘” on Allena Tapia’s Freelance Writing blog on About.com. We’re glad to have you, and we hope you’ll enjoy the event and “The Edge.”

Daily Writing Tips has a good article on retronyms, which are terms that are generally created by adding a modifier to an existing object or concept to differentiate it from a newer standard. It’s an interesting evolutionary adaptation to the language. Here are just a couple of examples from the article:

diaper–> cloth diaper (”Cloth” was added because disposable diapers are now more common.)

mail–> snail mail (Mail could also be “e-mail.”)

Retronyms are an example of good evolution–additions or subtractions that make meaning more precise. Clarity should be a primary goal for writers and editors, so retronyms are just one more tool to sharpen prose. We all use retronyms, but knowing what they are called means we’ll probably start seeing them everywhere!

The Words Matter Week page is up, and we are adding speaker profiles regularly. The first two guests posted are John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers (2006), and Peter Bowerman, commercial freelance writer and author of The Well-Fed Writer and The Well-Fed Self-Publisher.

Each has great information for writers and editors, so you won’t want to miss these interviews. You can read more about each of them at http://www.naiwe.com/words-matter/week.php.

Be sure to add Words Matter Week to your calendar. If you’re already on the e-zine mailing list, you’ll be eligible for drawings for free books, and you’ll receive reminders for the teleseminars as well as links to special downloads. If you’re not already on the list, please add your name and e-mail in the column on the right. It’s going to be an interesting week!

The Renegade Writers have written a thought-provoking post on 6 Ways to Kick the Freelance Fear. What is it that holds so many writers and editors in Pepto-Bismol jobs? Usually it’s the fear of financial pain, or a simple lack of confidence in their ability to get a freelance business off the ground. These six tips from the Renegade Writers may be just the thing to get you moving!

My personal tip for dealing with the fear of financial pain or lack of confidence in your ability to support yourself as a freelancer is to start your business while you’re still employed (as long as doing so isn’t ruled out by your employment contract).

If you have the self-discipline to moonlight, and you establish a strong network of contacts and clients, you’ll feel much more confident about taking the freelance plunge. Needless to say, moonlighting must be done ethically, without violating employment agreements or poaching client lists. You can’t be successful in anything without a foundation of integrity.

Freelance writing and editing can be a wonderful way of life, as long as you remember that it’s a business. Take the time to learn about marketing, as well as about the craft of writing. Learn to use networking, just as you learn to use the possessive apostrophe. If you focus on maintaining a balance between the joy of practicing your craft and the demands of running a business, you can be successful as an independent writer or editor!

According to an opinion column by A. Barton Hinkle of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the world is “heading for an apostrophe catastrophe.” What is the tipping point? It seems to be a recent decision in Birmingham, England, which has “formally done away with the possessive apostrophe on street signs.”

Noting that the U.S. did away with apostrophes in place names long ago (aside from a few notable exceptions), Hinkle offers a look at the possible consequences of creeping grammar laxity.

What do you think?

Member of the Month Interview with Michelle Hill of Winning Proof

NEW! Click here to listen to this interview as a podcast!

Our February Member of the Month is Michelle Hill, a veteran “Word Polisher” and owner of Winning Proof. Her website and blog reveal  a deep interest in sports, and a warm, personal approach to editing. The client testimonials she shares on the website bear witness to her dedication and commitment to excellent customer service.

Q- Please share a little of your professional history with our readers.

I’ve been proofreading and copyediting for about 20 years now. I’ve done brochures, direct sales letters, teacher’s testing manuals, obituaries, e-newsletters, e-books, anywhere there’s bound to be typos and the need for word polishing. That’s who I am – I am a Word Polisher.

Q- How and when did you make this business a reality? 

July 2008 officially. The how is simple – godaddy.com for a domain name, my local city government for a home-based business license, and some business cards and brochures.

Q- What are the most important lessons you’ve learned thus far in your career? 

1. Don’t stay isolated – PLAN for a walk, lunch with a friend, make calls to uplifting friends who you can motivate and visa versa, join a networking group. It’s only a lonely journey by choice.

2. Know who to go to and who NOT to go to for emotional support. I recently wrote a short blog about this subject on my page of the NAIWE website.

3. Stay balanced in my work, play, and personal time. I love what I’m doing so I can get consumed in building my business to the exclusion of a social life or other functions.

Q- Are you working on any personal writing projects at this time? 

I’m always working on and perfecting my business plan. I’m also working on a little inspiration/devotion type booklet called “Bathroom Prayers.” It will be comprised of short, uplifting prose or a saying for the day, which can be read standing up or sitting down, whatever the occasion calls for.

Q- What are some of the teachers, authors, and books that have influenced your professional life in a positive way?

The best business book I’ve read is The E-Myth Re-Visited by Michael Gerber. Making A Living Without A Job by Barbara Winter, and Stop Wishing and Start Earning by Ed Gandia. I read these authors’ books repeatedly.

Q- As a seasoned professional, what advice would you offer an independent writer or editor who is just beginning a career?

Research and study the competition, join trade organizations for support, engage in social networking with the top three like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Q- What inspires you?

Motivational “for the soul” books like Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneurial Soul and Chicken Soup for the Writers Soul. The Right Words at the Right Time books by Marlo Thomas. A walk at Huntington Beach Pier; hearing and seeing the waves are highly inspirational to my soul. On a personal note, my two grandchildren inspire me because their youthful vibrancy presents fresh perspectives and energy and tender hearts. 

Q- What are your goals as a writer/editor?

I’d like to prove myself as an expert in the fitness field by writing White Papers and articles. I’d also like to write and self-publish short how-to e-books about staying motivated and inspired as a solopreneur writer.