According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “America’s Newest Profession: Bloggers for Hire,” by Mark Penn, 1.7 million of the nearly 20 million bloggers in America profit from their writing, and over 450,000 earn a full-time living through blogging.

Most bloggers who earn money through blogging earn hundreds, rather than thousands of dollars, but the professionals who “work at corporations, serve as highly paid blogging consultants or write for sites with substantial traffic” can make a substantial living through their writing. Independent bloggers make money through pay-per-click advertising such as Google AdSense, but as the article points out, this can lead to sensationalism in the pursuit of additional clicks.

Inevitably, the article wraps up with a consideration of the ethics in blogging, as well as the lack of regulation and unionization. Penn closes with the question, “But for how long can nearly 500,000 people who are gradually replacing whole swaths of journalists survive with no worker protections, no enforced ethics codes, limited standards, and, for most, no formal training?” I’m guessing that many successful freelance writers and editors could answer that one!

I didn’t know that The Elements of Style was celebrating a 50th anniversary until I came across an interesting pair of posts this week.

Strunk and White’s venerable style guide came under fire by Geoffrey K. Pullam of the The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Chronicle Review. In an article titled “50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice,” Pullam shares a curmudgeonly critique of the authors and their grammar and style suggestions.

Michael Leddy of Orange Crate Art offers a thoughtful point-by-point response in his April 14 post, and shares a few links to other writers who have joined the debate.

The whole argument is an interesting round in the larger debate about language and its evolution and use. If you decide to blog about it, please drop by to leave a link so that others can join the debate.

Publicity is the lifeblood of any author’s marketing campaign. A good book signing or speaking engagement can net an author new fans and a strong base of readers for future books. Book signings and speaking gigs often depend on the good will of a book store or organization, so it’s simple common sense for an author to cultivate a solid relationship with booksellers and others who sponsor author events.

Writer, bookseller, and blogger Kris Neri has posted a thought-provoking article on “Authors Behaving Badly.” It provides a detailed outline of what not to do if you get the opportunity to have a book signing. Achieving the lofty status of published author doesn’t negate the responsibility for behaving with basic courtesy and respect. The post would be funny if it weren’t true!

International Children’s Book Day 2009 poster, illustrated by Hani D. El-Masri.

Join us in a celebration of International Children’s Book Day, Thursday 2 April 2009! Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2 April, International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated all over the
world to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books.

The celebratory day is coordinated by the International Board on
Books for Young People (IBBY), a non-profit organisation dedicated to
bringing children and books together.  IBBY has members from over
70 countries, who work individually and together to promote and
support children’s literature and reading. Each year, a different
section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY),
has the opportunity to sponsor the worldwide event.  This year,
EBBY, the Egyptian section of IBBY, has chosen the theme for the
celebration – “I am the World” – and the International Children’s
Book Day poster for 2009 was illustrated by Egyptian artist and
former Disney animator, Hani D. El-Masri.

Ann Lazim, the President of IBBY UK, said: “International Children’s
Book Day symbolises the wonderful work achieved by IBBY all over
the world, in promoting international understanding through the
medium of children’s books and striving to give children everywhere,
access to books so they can develop a love of reading. We encourage
everyone, especially teachers and parents, to celebrate the joy and
value of children’s books this year on 2 April and make the day a
truly international celebration. All those interested can visit IBBY UK’s
website – www.ibby.org.uk – for reading ideas and resources.”

IBBY UK, the British section of IBBY, supports the organization’s
mission through a number of events and activities and is currently
working towards the international congress, “Crossing Boundaries:
Translations and Migrations”, which is to be held in London in 2012.

International Children’s Book Day 2009 Message

I am the World
by Egypt Section of IBBY

I am the world and the world is me
For through my book
I can be whatever I want to be.
Words and pictures, verse and prose
Take me to places both far and close.

In the land of Sultans and gold
A thousand stories unfold
Flying carpets, magic lamps
Genies and ghouls and Sindibads
Tell their secrets to Shehrezad.

With every word on every page
I travel through time and space.
And on the wings of fantasy
My spirit crosses land and sea.

The more I read, the more I know
That with my book
I’ll always be
In the best company.

For further information on International Children’s Book Day, visit http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=269

For April, we welcome Noelle Barrick as Member of the Month. She’s a talented writer and copyeditor whose articulate and humorous blog posts allow potential clients to hear her distinctive writing voice. Enjoy the interview! Click this link to listen via podcast.

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

NB: My professional history is a bit like a buffet–take a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and you’ve got a great career! I have a degree in English from Webster University in St. Louis. After I graduated, I worked at Graphic World Publishing Services in St. Louis, where I learned that I loved working with the editorial process. Because of family issues, it became important for me to move back to my home state of Kansas, so I resigned from Graphic World and started freelancing while I applied to grad school at the University of Kansas.

I worked off and on as a freelancer during grad school, primarily informally helping a friend or two with their seminar and conference papers. After I finished coursework, I looked for a part-time job so that I would have time to study for my comprehensive examination and write my thesis. I took a job as a part-time receptionist and that led to a full-time job as an administrative assistant; I spent most of this time writing client communications and editing communications written by other employees. After a little over a year at that company, it became clear to me that what I really wanted was run my own company. So I took the plunge, resigned from my job, and started marketing myself as a freelancing copyeditor and proofreader.

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

NB:Last August I started looking for freelance clients, and when I had three (yes, only three) solid leads, I resigned from my job and started working on making freelancing a full-time business. That’s about as real as it gets!

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned thus far in your career?

NB: Freelancing requires much more discipline than a typical office job. I have to be very strict with myself about managing my time. There’s no one who’s going to get on my back for not being at work by 8am, so I have to get on my own back. My first month or so of freelancing was very unproductive because I’d get up whenever I felt like it, putter around the house for a couple of hours, do an hour or two of work, and then decide that since it was a nice day, I’d better go out and weed the flower bed or mow the yard or just sit in the sun. Needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of paying work done that way–although the yard looked great!

So I finally decided to write up a “company policy manual” for myself, even though the company is just me. Putting a schedule down in writing gave me the focus that I needed to actually put that schedule into action instead of wondering where my time went. I set up rules for myself like you’d find in any company–when breaks are to be taken, how often to follow up with potential clients, when to work on my record-keeping, when to deal with non-work e-mails, and so on.

Of course the joy of working for myself is being able to adjust the schedule according to my own needs. For example, our local zoo charges a $2 admission on Wednesdays during the winter. The last Wednesday in February was a beautiful day, so I and my mom, who is semi-retired, decided to spend the afternoon at the zoo! I spent some time working on the following Saturday to make up for my afternoon out. The freedom to set your own schedule is, to me, the whole point of freelancing. But you do have to actually set a schedule and stick to it.

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

NB: Right now I’m working hard on finishing my Master’s thesis. It’s about the political implications of religiously motivated social justice activism. I’m also having fun keeping up with my blog. If you check it out, you’ll see in my first post that I consider myself more of an editor than a writer, so that’s enough of a challenge for me at the moment.

Q: What are some of the teachers, books, or authors who have influenced your professional life in a positive way?

NB: I haven’t heard from her for years, but I have to give credit to Suzanne at Graphic World. My cubical was next to hers, and she answered all my stupid newbie questions. One of my proudest moments was when I asked her to review a chapter I had edited, and she gave it back to me with only one error marked. (And from that day to this, I have never forgotten to treat “World War II” consistently!)

As for books, Amy Einsohn’s The Copyeditor’s Handbook was an invaluable resource when I was first starting out. Today, the book I pull off the shelf most frequently (other than Chicago and the dictionary) is Garner’s Modern American Usage. The breadth of information in that book is astounding; Bryan Garner is one of my heroes.

I am also thrilled to be on a listserv with many very intelligent freelancers who can offer up sound advice (and a Chicago cite to back it up) in a matter of minutes. Chief among them are Katharine Moore-O’Klopf, Ruth Thaler-Carter, Geoff Hart, and of course, Janice Campbell <g>.

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

NB: Well, I think I’m still “seasoning.” But at this point in my career, my best advice is, when marketing, make phone calls whenever possible rather than sending out blind e-mails. Often if you call the main number of a potential client and ask for the person who manages freelance editorial staff, you will get to someone who is at least sympathetic, even if they’re not hiring. You can keep that contact’s name on file and follow up every three months or so.

Of course, 90% of marketing seems to be luck. I got one of my best clients when I made a blind call to their office, and happened to hit the production editor on a day when she was swamped and had more manuscripts than freelancers. She thought I had dropped from heaven.

My other advice is to be persistent even with clients who’ve already hired you. If you haven’t heard from a client for a while, send a “just-checking-in” e-mail to remind them you’re available for work. Just last week I landed a project through one of these e-mails. The client answered my initial e-mail to let me know she didn’t have anything available, and 20 minutes later she e-mailed me again to offer me a project that had just come across her desk. I got the job because I was at the top of her mind.
Q: What inspires you?

NB: This is where I get a little sappy. I love knowing that I help books come into being. I love helping authors communicate their ideas effectively. I see myself as a partner in that process.

Q: How has your membership in NAIWE benefited you professionally?

NB: I am a new member and am still exploring all the benefits of NAIWE. Right off the bat, I am thrilled to be able to add content to a pre-designed website. I’ve already received positive feedback about my website, and I look forward to keeping my blog up to date. I’m also still exploring the Library, and it looks like it will be a great resource.