An American Editor

February 25, 2026

On the Basics: The current communication era, and its challenges

Filed under: Editorial Matters — An American Editor @ 10:57 am
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© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Owner

An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

A recent letter in a New York Times “Business” section advice column made me think of both the multiple, ever-increasing ways to communicate these days and the resulting impact on our lives and mental health. The letter-writer said they hated their phone and the fact of being constantly contactable and contacted for both work and personal matters.

In the next couple of days, a conversation with a cousin over Sunday bagels focused on how draining and upsetting it was to be constantly bombarded with information, especially unpleasant news, via her cellphone; she admitted her connection to it was approaching addiction. A series of late-evening text alerts from family members seemed to fit right into both the writer’s and the cousin’s dilemmas, no matter how adorable the photos of our newest addition. A recollection popped up of a visiting friend who seemed to be glued to his cellphone constantly, often with the volume on (and up) as he doom-scrolled throughout the day and evening.

All of this made me think of something I had started writing, about the many avenues for communication these days and how communication has changed over time. First there was face-to-face and letters, initially hand-carried and then relayed by postal delivery systems. Then phone calls on landlines, starting with operator assistance, then party lines, then individual lines, then answering machines and services, and faxing. Then cellphones. Along came email, which was sufficient for several years. Now, FB, LI, Instagram, BlueSky; Zoom and similar platforms; What’sApp, Facetime and their clones/versions; Slack and Discord; Whova, SpatialChat; cellphone messaging, online messaging, etc., etc., etc. Every time one arises, at least one more pops up that’s similar. And all the beeps, bongs, bings and rings can be maddening.

A recent virtual conference used both Whova and SpatialChat for participants to communicate with each other. In the middle of a SpatialChat meetup, a message window popped up saying there was a different chat on the same topic going on at the same time. It was confusing, disrupting and frustrating — why two conversations about the same thing occurring concurrently?

It’s good to be reachable more than one way (even if sometimes it feels like too much to keep track of). If you don’t know how someone is trying to reach you, you don’t use the same program/platform, or your computer or cellphone is off for a while, you might miss an important message.

The NY Times advice columnist suggested getting a separate work phone with a different number from the personal one, even if that meant sometimes carrying two phones. Not a bad suggestion — but it didn’t really solve the issue of being reachable, and reached, all the time.

I sympathize with the letter-writer and my cousin, and I realize that for some jobs and some family situations, it might not be possible to control that constant access. However, I do try, and encourage colleagues, clients, friends and family to do so as well.

Like almost everyone on Earth nowadays, I have a cellphone. It’s a smart phone — although I don’t use all of its smart functions. I use it for phone calls, taking photos, some texting (reluctantly), occasional maps or directions. Unlike almost everyone I know or know of, I don’t use it for email or Internet activity. It does somehow send said photos to my Google Drive, so I haven’t had to figure out how to download my own photos, and I finally figured out how to move photos sent to my phone to my computer.

When I’m out in the world beyond my home and garden, I don’t want to get email, especially client requests; the one client that often has work for me outside of regular business hours has the number of my cellphone and knows to call if I don’t respond to an email request right away. Most everyone else seems to recognize that I’ll respond to email soon, if not necessarily immediately. Of course, family and close friends do have that number and know they can use it for calls and texting.

I recognize the convenience of using “Dr. Google” to answer questions and look things up as they arise, but rarely need to know anything so urgently that it can’t wait until I get home. There have been times when it’s been convenient for someone riding with me to use their phone for such moments, but even those haven’t been urgent.

The only way to create some separation between ourselves and our phones is, as the ad says, “just do it.” We need time away from our phones. We need quiet, and escape, and disconnection so our brains and emotions can relax and recharge. It might mean not answering calls or texts enough times for the message to get through that we aren’t available at certain times; turning off the phones so we don’t see or hear the demands on our attention; even leaving phones behind — at home, in the car — to remove the temptation of being constantly connected and available.

That can create its own little issue, of course; family members might worry or even panic if we don’t respond to our phones for a couple to a few hours, so it might be smart to let them know about a planned disconnection ahead of time, similarly to an autoresponse message for when we aren’t answering email for some reason or a voicemail message along the lines of “I’m not available for the moment. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you shortly.”

My cousin said she inadvertently left her phone downstairs for a couple of hours without realizing it, causing her sister to leave several increasingly concerned messages. She enjoyed the unwitting respite of being disconnected for a while, but felt badly about upsetting her sister. I have a landline as well as the cellphone, so friends and family have a backup way to reach me if I don’t answer the cellphone or email and they’re worried that something might be wrong (of course, if I’m out shopping or walking and forgot to take my cellphone along, they might panic unnecessarily).

While we can set boundaries with family and clients about when we can be reached, we can’t always tell employers not to call, text or message us at their whim. Not all employers take advantage of the power balance for such things, and some positions genuinely require almost constant contact. If it’s starting to impinge on mental health and comfort, though, it might be time to talk about how to manage that process better.

Like many aspects of life and relationships, bringing the issue out into the open can be almost magical in its impact. People won’t change how they communicate, or attempt to communicate, with us if we don’t speak up and ask for help or a change. As long as a change or ease in access doesn’t affect, for instance, patient care in a medical setting of some sort, it could be possible to adjust how much we’re connected. Then it’s up to us to limit how much time we spend doing the overload to ourselves.

It might be possible to schedule online time — an hour each first thing in the morning, as part of a lunch break, after dinner, just before bedtime, rather than being “on” all the time. Those with children do that (I hope) with their kids’ phone and internet time; we need to do it for ourselves as well. As with any addiction, we have to admit there’s a problem before we can take action to fix it.

We don’t have to be Luddites and go back to the “good old days” before smartphones, the web, social media, etc., but we do need to make an effort to manage this aspect of our mental health and ability to enjoy life, despite all the ugliness around us. Being connected is a good thing; being overwhelmed with connection is not.

How do you exert control, if at all, over the constant flow of information and access that we all face these days?

 Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning provider of editorial and publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor; and co-editor-in-chief of the Editors Toronto BoldFace blog. She created the annual Communication CentralBe a Better Freelancer® conference for colleagues (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com.

February 16, 2026

Thinking Fiction: Burning down the house

Filed under: Editorial Matters — An American Editor @ 11:13 am
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© Carolyn Haley

© An American Editor.Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

Years ago, while I was drafting a novel, I plotted myself into a corner and asked my writing group for help. Our brainstorming brought no solution, so I described the story snag to my engineer husband. He replied without pause, “Burn the house down.”

What???

He didn’t mean it figuratively; i.e., advising me to scrap a hopeless project. He meant it literally: burning down the house as a plot solution.

I never would have thought of it. And I didn’t entertain the idea for a second, even though it was simple, logical, and dramatic. Instead, it would stop the story cold, because in reality, the aftermath of such a disaster cannot be ignored. I try to write plausible fiction, and in this manuscript’s case, a house fire would insert so much trouble and distraction into the story that it would force a different lead-up and follow-up, not to mention add many more pages.

Sure, I could put the event off-stage and do a time jump around it — but that would change the timeline, so I would have to recast the entire novel for the sake of an exciting midpoint development.

Besides, I’ve seen that off-stage trick before in other novels. Whether it works depends on genre and plot, plus the author’s style. Most times, it sticks out as a device used to up the stakes and test the character’s mettle, and is resolved by their commitment to rebuild. Meanwhile, the story goes on around it as if nothing happened.

Nope, not my style, and inappropriate for my plot and genre. I ultimately found another solution and finished the book as intended. Nonetheless, hubby had made an important point about drama that I still think about today.

Drama for drama’s sake

Advice I see often from fiction gurus is “Up the stakes! Up the stakes! Throw things at your character(s) to make them struggle, show their true selves!”

Well, yes — on one hand, that’s the essence of story: somebody overcoming something (or not). On the other hand, drama for drama’s sake skews a story, sometimes into absurdity.

Sticking with burning down the house: In some stories, this would be relevant and meaningful. For instance, in literary fiction, the experience of losing everything in a house fire could be traumatizing in a way that influences the character throughout their life. Thus, if the story was about the character’s internal or external troubles, that house fire would be appropriate and important.

In an adventure or suspense novel, having the house burn down — or being burned down by an antagonist — would suit the cruelty and danger inherent in the genre. In a crime novel, it might be part of an antagonist’s pattern or vengeance, which helps lead to their capture and the story’s resolution. In historical or military fiction, it might suit what was going on at the time in their environment, influencing the character’s response and subsequent travails.

However, in a romance, or relationship story, or light mystery, such as what I like to write? All that’s accomplished by injecting such dramatic complexity is interference — deflection — wasted pages of subplot. An event disproportionate to the scenario.

Eventually, I realized the core issue was one of amplitude. Think sine waves or patterns on an oscilloscope or seismometer. Certain types of stories have big spikes up and down, or lots of uneven jiggles; others have more-sinuous arcs, more-even tempos. These help set a narrative’s tone and reader expectations. Hence, something like a house fire — a big spike — feels wrong in a low-amplitude tale.

Themes and variations

I encountered a variant of this concept in a library book last week. The title, cover art, and back-cover blurb suggested a cozy bookish mystery, which I was seeking for a relaxing intellectual read. Instead I found a romantic comedy peopled by 30-year-olds who acted like 18-year-olds, on an eccentric treasure hunt full of implausible, escalating hazards (including a house burning down!) with no consequences that changed the “lark” quality of the narrative. Each chapter ended on a cliffhanger, impelling readers forward in breathless page-turner style. Everything felt spikey and jittery instead of the sinuous arc I anticipated.

Growing annoyed, I looked up the book on Amazon. While the listing used the same cover information as what I held in my hand, the title section was loaded — overloaded — with SEO terms that captured the book’s tropes and tone and flavor. If I had purchased it from that site, I would have understood exactly what I was getting. It led me to the author’s other works, which were numerous and similar, and taught me much about her readership and showed that she was writing what they wanted. The problem, then, was packaging. The freestanding volume I saw on the library’s New Books shelf didn’t include the necessary clues.

Meanwhile, on my desk, a client work-in-process swung the other way. I knew from our correspondence and his synopsis that he aspired to a saga-length, heroic mission around the world where good battled evil, involving many characters of different class and nationality. The events included danger and violence (but no house fire) and political corruption. Basic thriller and quest material.

His writing style, however, contained no amplitude. Rather, the text was overwritten and ultra-precise, like the most turgid academic tome. All the characters sounded the same in long pages of monologue and dialogue. Violence was presented at arm’s-length distance, summarized and sanitized. The whole thing felt more like a treatise than a novel. It will be nigh impossible to properly edit and package the book until the author decides who he wants to read it, and where in the marketplace it might belong.

And now there’s the newcomer: AI. Authors are experimenting with artificial intelligence from idea generation to editing, from cover design to blurb writing, often receiving the same encouragement they receive from humans to keep upping the stakes. It will be interesting to see what amplitude patterns arise over time from AI-generated or -assisted works, and if they differ in any significant way from human equivalents.

How dissonance can develop

These examples of story dissonance echo personal episodes in other spheres. Not only my spouse but many people I know think BIG and have vivid imaginations. I lack both qualities, and sometimes find them more trouble than help.

The other day, I was wishing aloud for a better way to water my garden, which lies uphill 100 feet from the house. Lugging watering cans that distance is getting toilsome for my aging body, as is the alternative of unspooling a long hose and then winding it back up again to allow mowing across that area.

I expressed this in front of spouse plus his like-minded friend. Within minutes, they had conceived and described a complex underground plumbing system that wouldn’t freeze in the winter and could be mowed and driven over the rest of the year. Building it would require heavy equipment and expensive materials, and rip the yard to pieces for months. I, meanwhile, had been thinking of simple solutions, such as a shove-in-the-ground pole system that would suspend the hose high enough it could be mowed under, then taken down in the fall. Or else just planting flags along the hose length so I could see it in the grass and either mow around it or have enough visual cues to remember to lift the blade deck when I crossed it.

Were all of us to write our own novels, you can guess whose would include burning houses, cliffhanger breaks, and complex strategies!

Similarly, I once attended a book fair as an author, rather than a consumer. While I was trying to figure out how many copies to bring, what little signs to make, what to wear, and whether I should offer a candy bowl or special deal, spouse and my best friend leaped into action and created three poster-sized, board-mounted versions of all my covers and a metal frame to hang them, and conjured up a table drape and display racks. I ended up with the best-looking booth at the fair! But it didn’t sell any books, which were my signature low-amplitude hybrid romances.

Balancing the equation

These and other experiences with amplitude disharmony have taught me important lessons as a writer, editor, reviewer, and contest judge. I now have something else to consider when a story feels “off” for no obvious reason. It’s hard enough to align plot, character, prose mechanics, and genre tropes successfully; fine-tuning the effect of their combinations adds yet another layer of challenge. But when all the elements come together right, every story can sing!

Carolyn Haley is an award-winning novelist who lives and breathes novels. Although specializing in fiction, she edits across the publishing spectrum — fiction and nonfiction, corporate and indie — and is the author of three novels and a nonfiction book. She has been editing professionally since 1997 and has had her own editorial services company, DocuMania, since 2005. She also has presented about editing fiction at Communication Central conferences. She can be reached at dcma@vermontel.net or through DocuMania.

February 11, 2026

On the Basics: Reviving a static business

Filed under: About Freelancing,Business of Editing,Editorial Matters,Marketing,On the Basics,Professional Editors — An American Editor @ 11:18 am
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© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Owner

An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

Remember the piña colada song (“Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes), where the guy says his relationship has gone stale so he runs a personal ad and his wife/girlfriend shows up, with both of them saying they never knew each other enjoyed things mentioned in his ad? I heard it on the radio today and somehow it made me think that a freelance communications business can be a lot like that. It isn’t quite parallel, but in both situations, good communication is the key. This still-new year is a great time to assess the health of a business (or in-house career) and think about how to rejuvenate one that’s not as lively as we’d like.

The piña colada couple apparently were taking each other for granted and didn’t think they needed to make any efforts to keep the spark alive in their relationship. Even with long-standing clients, we can’t afford (literally!) to take those connections for granted.

As one of my clients recently said (paraphrased) in an in-house newsletter, we all have to work harder than ever to stay close to our clients, anticipate what lies ahead for them, and aim to help them achieve their goals. That goes for any type of business, including editing/writing/proofreading, etc. It might not be how some of us see our work, but it’s a useful perspective.

Indications

Signs of a stalled or stale editing/communications business have two sides: what clients are or aren’t providing, and how we feel about our work.

If you haven’t gotten repeat assignments from clients you’ve worked with before, there could be several reasons. Their editing budget may have been cut back, your contact might have left, you might have made a couple of egregious errors. It could be awkward to do, but it probably can’t hurt to ask why you haven’t received anything from them in the new year. Granted, it’s still pretty early in this year, but some of these concerns could go back to some or even all of the previous one.

If the problem is how you feel about your work, that might be easier to resolve. Look for new clients, or new topics to edit (or write about). Take a break from editing (or writing, proofreading, etc.), if you can afford to do so, and do something new, different, and fun for a while — make some art, take a long hike, go on a short trip to somewhere fun, do some volunteer work, join and participate in a new organization or club. Even if brief, a total break from editing, or a new topic to work on, could reignite your passion for your work.

For both perspectives, the occasional message or gesture can work wonders. So can creating some new connections.

Don’t be like the piña colada couple and only take action when the situation becomes dire!

Steps to take

Start by asking a few trusted colleagues and clients what they like about your work, as well as your website and other promotional efforts: résumé, LinkedIn profile, promotional brochure if you use one, newsletter, proposals and RFP responses, etc. Ask them to tell you what’s working and what could be improved.

Think about asking current clients for feedback, or maybe just sending a brief “How are you doing?” message. It isn’t appropriate to share personal info with clients unless it affects being available for projects (and even then, the less detail, usually the better), but it can’t hurt to show an interest in them or notice when current events might — or clearly do — have an impact on their professional lives. Unlike the couple in the piña colada song, think about ways to learn about clients’ situations to build a stronger understanding of how our services can make their lives easier. Not communicating is rarely the ideal approach.

Be proactive

I used to say that the only feedback I needed was to be paid as agreed for a project and receive additional — ideally, regular — assignments from a given client. Nowadays, it’s smart to take things a little farther.

Assuming you’ve overcome or at least recognized a sense of inertia, an important step in reviving your business is to gather data by listing last year’s clients and projects, including amounts of income each one generated and which ones were repeats or regulars. A simple Word or Excel list will do the trick. Then list clients you haven’t heard from or received work from in the past couple of years. Next, start a list of clients or project types you’d like to work with this year. Finally, list the associations/professional organizations you belong to, including LinkedIn and Facebook groups, and wherever else you’re visible: your own website and/or blog, Instagram, blogs of colleagues and organizations, etc.

It can’t hurt to ask a non-returning client what you could do better or more to be able to work together again. To avoid that “piña colada moment” with current clients, think about what you could ask them that would be similar — is there a different process they might prefer, a new tool or application they’d like you to use, etc. Think also about information or news that you could tell them about yourself, such as winning an award, learning a new program/application, joining and contributing to a new organization, etc., that relates to your relationship and services.

Consider joining a new professional organization and one for a hobby you enjoy. Both will give you visibility among new colleagues who might recommend or hire you for projects, and could refresh your work and personal skills as well. Taking some training to learn a new skill or enhance a current one becomes something to inform clients — present, past, and prospective — about, along with the rest of the world. It also could be just what you need to pique the interest of any of those audiences.

Now, brace yourself for the process that many of us hate: marketing and promotions.

It isn’t too late in this new year to send thank-you notes to current and recent clients, and similar greetings to those you haven’t worked with for a while. Give your website a good going over to update, add information and catch any typos. Do a similar review of your LinkedIn and other social media profiles, and think about joining a new social media platform/community. If you have a blog, make sure you’re posting to it regularly (this is a classic “do as I say” suggestion, since I don’t post here as often as I should) and announcing new posts through your social media accounts. Comments on colleagues’ blogs. The more we engage with these platforms or outlets, the better our internet rankings.

Enter a contest. It probably costs money (tax deduction!), but winning an award is a great opportunity to revive interest in your services and business.

Let clients know that you’ll be out of pocket for a vacation or other break. As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, taking a break is not just good for our mental health; letting clients know we won’t be available for a while can lead to new work requests.

How are you keeping your publishing business alive and well?

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning provider of editorial and publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor; and co-editor-in-chief of the Editors Toronto BoldFace blog. She created the annualCommunication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference for colleagues (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.comor Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.

February 4, 2026

On the Basics: Ideas that work for getting clients

Filed under: About Freelancing,Business of Editing,Marketing,On the Basics — An American Editor @ 8:46 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Owner

An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

Finding clients is probably the biggest challenge for freelance editors and other communicators, closely followed by working together effectively (and comfortably) and getting paid. With a new year underway and still early, now is a good time consider that challenge and how we can meet it, especially because those other items will only matter if we achieve the first one.

I was focusing on that challenge recently after being asked to write something about it for one of my professional associations. Since that outlet isn’t available to everyone here, I thought it might be helpful to share these ideas at this one. (And by the way, many of these ideas can help with finding full-time in-house jobs as well.)

On the one hand, finding and getting clients isn’t rocket science, as the saying goes. It is an essential aspect of freelancing or consulting, though, even after getting established and well-known.

I’ve been writing, editing, proofreading, and speaking professionally for more years than I can count, and networking has been my best tool for finding, and being found by, clients. Keep in mind that there’s more to networking than simply joining an association; it’s a two-way process of both receiving and giving. Effective networking requires being more than what I call a checkbook member. It isn’t enough to pay dues; we have to be visibly active and involved, which can include participating in forums or email discussion lists, presenting webinars and conference sessions, organizing or hosting events, publishing blog posts and articles or booklets, answering questions (not just asking for answers), and generally demonstrating value as a colleague and consultant.

Speaking of blog posts, being a guest poster for a colleague’s blog is another good way to build visibility and show that such a colleague respects you.

The next-best source of new clients, as opposed to repeat assignments from existing ones, has been word of mouth and referrals from colleagues and other clients. It’s an honor to be recommended, one that I greatly appreciate and do my best to earn.

Having a website is a great way to be found and hired. Make time to review and update your site on a regular basis, and have an email address based on your website URL. A strong testimonial section is vital. A service-oriented website ensures that you can be seen among the competition, and ideally stand out from others offering similar services. A domain-based email address enhances visibility and reinforces your brand with every message.

LinkedIn remains an effective platform for engaging with colleagues and being seen by potential clients, although I didn’t find the so-called Premium (paid, and expensive) service to be very useful. Its Recommendation section is definitely worthwhile, as is having a detailed profile that highlights your background, experience, and services.  

It’s also a good idea to be proactive with past and current clients once you’ve done a project. Don’t assume that they’ll be in touch with new assignments or projects as a matter of course, no matter how great your work has been for them. Some might assume that you’re too busy to accept more work (hah!), others that you might not be interested in working with them again, and yet others might simply be so busy that you aren’t top of mind. Once you complete a project, let the client know you enjoyed working with them and, if at all possible, either suggest a new project or topic you’d like to do provide or just say that you look forward to a continuing relationship. Never assume!

Occasional “thinking of you” messages are also a good way to generate new projects. Don’t be a pest with more messages than someone might want to see, but if you think of something appropriate that you could provide or cover, say so. If you notice a news story or post about a client’s business, profession, or industry, share it. Let it be known that you’re alert to and informed about trends and issues affecting your clients, and interested in helping them respond.

One important tip or tool is to create a template for proposals aimed at generating new business so you can respond to opportunities promptly. Having a constantly updated résumé on hand is also a practical way to make it easier to respond to opportunities as they arise, whether posts on LinkedIn, messages from professional associations, or independent inspiration when you have a great idea for a story or project that’s begging to be accepted by a client.

Consider creating and publishing your own newsletter; you might even be able to profit from requiring subscriptions. If you do this, start slow — quarterly rather weekly or monthly; a couple pages rather than a lengthy opus. Be sure that content is both (low-key) promotional and helpful; in fact, providing useful information and resources could fulfill the promotional goal.

Enter contests! If you win an award, you’ve created a great promotional opportunity. Get the news out everywhere you have connections, thank the host organization, and be sure to notify anyone connected with the winning project or publication. Clients love the idea that they can receive attention for the work we do for them.

Having a table or booth at a trade show or meeting oriented to the kinds of projects you want to get can be a good way to get in front of prospective clients. Look for events hosted not just for communications colleagues but for people in the industries or professions where you have experience and knowledge. If such in-person participation is out of reach financially or inconvenient for any reason, consider running an ad in the event program or sponsoring a swag item.

Of course, one of the best ways to get new clients is to do great work for the ones we already have. That tends to lead to recommendations and referrals, making it as rewarding as the sense of accomplishment that goes with knowing that we’ve done our best work for our clients.

Here’s to a productive, profitable 2026 for all!

What has worked for you in finding and keeping clients?

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning provider of editorial and publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor; and co-editor-in-chief of the Editors Toronto BoldFace blog. She created the annual Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference for colleagues (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com or Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.

December 21, 2025

On the Basics: An editor’s bookshelf is back

Filed under: On Today's Bookshelf,To Be Read — Rich Adin @ 11:34 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Owner

An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

An American Editor founder Rich Adin would publish occasional posts about books of interest to colleagues in “On Today’s Bookshelf,” and I thought it would be worthwhile to restart that conversation. The book he acquired and added to his to-be-read pile since the last column was A Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates.

My first contribution to this column is The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin. I bought it for my own reading pleasure and am working on a review for the Editors Toronto blog. It’s a fascinating story with an unusual approach to biography; it’s also somewhat of a challenge, because I haven’t written a book review in longer than I can remember — and then it was about mystery fiction.

I also recently enjoyed reading The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at the New Yorker by Amy Reading (what a great last name), another biography of an editor. White was the only woman on the magazine’s staff for 36 years and “transformed the magazine into a literary powerhouse.” While the book is “intensely personal,” it’s from a different angle than that of The Editor: “… almost every source for this biography comes to us already interpreted by Katharine’s reading.” Her impact on the work of the writers she edited is fascinating, as is her interaction with those writers, and her own writing is well worth reading as well.

Books like these are inspiring on several levels.

What writing-, editing- or publishing-related books have colleagues here been reading lately, either fiction or nonfiction? Let us know in the comments!

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning writer, editor, proofreader and speaker; provider of publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; networker; the editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor; and co-editor-in-chief of the Editors Toronto BoldFace blog. She created the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also is developing Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing) to help independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com.

December 15, 2025

On the Basics: Yet more scams

Filed under: Editorial Matters — An American Editor @ 8:34 pm
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© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Owner

An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

Sorry to approach the end of the year with anything negative, but it’s time for another of my periodic warnings for colleagues about scams.

• This apparent scam is one that I find especially of concern because of how it reached me: I recently received a job posting through one of my professional associations that involved simply typing photo captions for a Canadian company. The fee seemed ridiculously high, even with proofing as I typed, but the email exchanges were reassuring. Because the project came through one of the associations I belong to, I thought it was safe to apply for and complete the assignment.

I was told that I’d be paid via direct deposit or PayPal; whichever I preferred. I opted for PayPal since I had a lingering sense that I might not want to provide my banking info. And sure enough, when I submitted my invoice, all of a sudden they wanted me to have a company freelancer’s ID, which included providing my date of birth, none of which was part of the original assignment/conversation. When I said that shouldn’t be needed for payment as promised, the situation went downhill fast. I’ve never been asked for my date of birth, other than as part of a W-9 tax form, if then.

Suffice to say, I still haven’t been paid. I’ve handed the matter off to my attorney but don’t expect success. Luckily, the project only took a couple hours and the “client” has been notified that they can’t use my version of the material until I’m paid (but who knows if they’ll honor that).

I’m assuming this might have been a version of the overpayment scam (https://americaneditor.wordpress.com/?s=Scams), but am not sure, since I haven’t received any payment. It seems like a lot of trouble to go to for project that was on such a small scale, even though the fee offered was substantial.

If colleagues receive (or have received) a similar pitch, probably from a Joan Logan, beware. If any of my membership associations receive a similar posting, please don’t accept it.

• Lately, I’ve been receiving a flood of email messages from supposed writers gushing over how wonderful my writing is and asking to respond with insights about my writing process, inspirations, etc. I have no idea what they really want or would do if I were to respond, but the fact that they’re so similar, as well as over the top, makes me toss the messages right into the junk folder.

• Along similar lines, I’ve been receiving messages lately from people — or maybe bots — also gushing about my writing work … with compliments about books I haven’t written. They offer to provide publicity or marketing services to get the books I haven’t written out to the world and a wider range of readers. Um, yeah, right. Not very convincing.

With any such contacts, don’t respond, even to say “Not interested,” “No, thank you,” “Remove from all lists” or “Bug off.” Responding only confirms that your eddress is live and opens you to more (and more and more and more) similar garbage. Mark the messages as junk and delete, delete, delete.

Here’s to a new year with fewer scams and spams (I know; highly unlikely). If we can’t stop the flood, let’s at least up our radar and skepticism levels, and relegate this stuff to its rightful place in our junk folders and spam blockers.

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning provider of editorial and publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor; and co-editor-in-chief of the Editors Toronto BoldFace blog. She created the annual Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference for colleagues (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair(www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com or Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.

On the Basics: Breaks and vacations for freelancers

Filed under: Editorial Matters — An American Editor @ 6:09 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Owner, An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

I recently presented a webinar about how freelancers can work breaks or vacations into their lives, for the Freelance Cohort of the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), and it seemed like a good topic to discuss here.

We all need the occasional break, whether a couple of hours, a day or two, a week, or more. This is especially important for freelancers, because we don’t have mandated vacation time or other types of official downtime. As part of setting boundaries and protecting our mental and physical health, it’s vital to schedule such downtime — and communicate effectively with clients about such respites.

The first step is to realize that we can, as freelancers, take time off. It can be hard to do, especially for more than a few hours or a day, yet it is not only possible but essential to mental and even physical wellbeing. The “all work and no play” saying might be time-worn but remains true; never taking a break is not healthy. It’s up to us, as our own bosses, to make sure we have that essential time to relax, recharge and renew. If we’ve proven our value to our clients and give them appropriate notice, they won’t abandon us because we give ourselves that benefit.

Vacations can even be good for a freelance business — several colleagues have said that as soon as they say they’ll be taking time off, clients suddenly have projects to do before they head out.

The next step is to figure out what you need. An hour a day (lunchtime?), a day a week, a day or two a month, a week/two weeks/a month at least once a year? Not everyone needs the same amount of downtime. The primary variables are deadlines and family. If you have a partner, they might have defined vacation benefits or options. If you have children, you might want or need to take time off during their spring break, summer vacation or December holiday break. Caring for parents or friends might require blocks of non-work time. If a health issue of your own crops up, you might need time for a hospital stay and recuperation.

Once you decide on what kind of break time you need or want, the big challenge is letting current and prospective clients know when you’ll be out of pocket. The classic freelancer’s fear is that “If I say I’m not available, my clients will go elsewhere.” That can happen, but, in my experience, it’s rare, and more likely to occur with a potential new client than ones you’ve worked with for a while who know you and appreciate what you bring to their projects.

Your timing for notifying clients about being unavailable can depend on the kinds of projects/clients you work with; I’d give regular clients a week of notice that I’ll be unavailable for a day, and two weeks for a longer absence.

You can put an “out of the office until …” message on your voice mail. If you belong to discussion lists, though, don’t use an autoresponder to indicate that you aren’t available by email; that response would be posted to every list message, which would annoy colleagues and listmates. Instead, unsubscribe or go on no-mail so the autoresponder only reacts to messages from individuals.

I wouldn’t announce breaks beforehand on Facebook and other online platforms; not to be cynical or fear-mongering, but you never know who/what might see those posts and be able to take advantage of your absence. Regale your online connections with highlights of your trip after you get back.

For short-term, day-to-day breaks, some colleagues post their “office hours” at their websites and let new clients know about those in initial conversations. That’s a great way to establish boundaries. If you have a set time to be unavailable, you can let new clients know as soon as the relationship begins. You can always say something like, “If you need me for something urgent, I’ll do my best to be available.”

If you do a lot of unscheduled, on-demand assignments, as I do, you can say you’ll be traveling or on vacation but checking email in case anything urgent comes up. For those clients who are used to you being available on call and send you projects at random, often with the expectation of or request for fast (even immediate) turnaround, you can provide a cellphone number and say that you’ll do your best to respond. My husband had to reserve vacation dates for the year every January, so I knew well ahead of time when I’d be away. I let my regular clients know that I would check email first thing every morning and after our dinner outings every evening, but wouldn’t be available during the day. I never lost a client over that.

For those longer breaks that you plan ahead of time, such as summer vacation or attending a conference, give clients a heads-up a couple of weeks beforehand.

If your projects are more long-term, you can plan a vacation — and your work — around those known deadlines. You and your clients can be prepared, maybe even by their sending you something earlier than usual so it can be done before you head for the beach or wherever. Consider finishing other projects ahead of deadline so you’re free to enjoy those trips.

However you structure your freelance business, don’t let fear of losing clients or any other concern keep you from building occasional short and long breaks into your (work)life. Your mental and physical health will benefit, along with the quality of your work, your family time, and even your clients’ appreciation of your availability.

Colleague input

Do you take short breaks or longer vacations? How do you handle notifying and keeping clients?

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning writer, editor, proofreader and speaker; provider of publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; networker; and the editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor. She created the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors(www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com or Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.

September 19, 2025

On the Basics: An editor’s origin story

Filed under: Editorial Matters — An American Editor @ 4:53 pm
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© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Owner, An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

Have you ever wondered how you ended up as an editor? I started thinking about that after seeing a recent post from Susannah Noel, president of the Editorial Arts Academy, in which she said, “It seems like everyone’s editing origin story is a little different. There are so many ways to get into the field, and each has its merits.” I found the topic especially relevant because I’m a writer, and so many people think, or assume, that you can’t do both writing and editing. I use the title “writer/editor,” but to myself, I’m first and foremost a writer. That’s where I started, both personally and professionally, and it’s still my primary identity in my mind.

It’s true that there are many paths to becoming an editor, from formal training through certificates or certification programs to hands-on in-house experience (increasingly rare these days), to self-appointment (“I notice typos in what I read, so I would be a great editor”), and more. My editing origin story begins with sixth-grade English class. My teacher gave me a solid grounding in all aspects of English that has lasted me for all the years since (thank you, Miss Thomas). I’ve often felt that my sixth-grade skills were stronger than those of many people who graduated from college.

Starting with writing

I didn’t plan to be an editor. I always wanted to be a writer, specifically a journalist, even though I wasn’t one of those kids who wrote stories and little books as I was growing up. I got turned down for the high school literary magazine, which was painful and a discouragement for applying for the school newspaper. Instead, I contacted the local community weekly and got a gig to write a column about high school activities. My first paying writing job — it was heady stuff, even at $15 per article (which some publications still pay now).

In high school, I had the very good luck of taking a class in “Critical Reading and Writing” with a teacher who has become legendary among alumni for her lasting impact on our ability to think and write clearly. She encouraged my writing work with incisive comments — and compliments. She gave me confidence in my skills, both the content of my writing work and the grammatical cleanliness of that work (thank you more than I can say, Miss Hart). I could have graduated after 11th grade, but I stayed in high school for my senior year —  to take AP English with her.

I chose Indiana University for college because of its journalism program. My first week or two in Journalism 101 were a revelation, and not a great one: I was bored. I discovered that I already knew a lot — not everything, but a lot — about journalistic writing, and I was self-aware enough to realize that if I was bored, I wouldn’t do well in class. I stuck it out for the semester, mostly thanks to writing editorials and opinion pieces for the school paper, and switched my major to comparative literature; something I knew I’d enjoy learning about, even if it didn’t offer a clear career path. I figured I could find writing work on my own.

An editing evolution

In college, I made money by typing papers for students and found myself fixing grammar, punctuation, usage, transition and other issues as I went along — but I didn’t realize that I was doing copyediting, or at least proofreading; it was just a natural reaction to seeing errors that I had learned about in that sixth-grade English class and those high school elective and AP English classes.

It was in my college work-study jobs and post-college in-house jobs that I recognized my editing side: I was often the only person who noticed and/or seemed to care about typos and clunky transitions or phrasing. I became the unofficial in-house editor and proofreader at my first “real” job — as a secretary at an Urban League program — and then as a staff reporter at a St. Louis weekly newspaper. Having those skills led to the magazine job that took me from St. Louis to DC, and then to a communications manager position with a trade association and chief of publications at a hospital. Eventually, I realized that I was as good at editing and proofreading as at writing, and I’ve combined them ever since in my freelance business. Editing feels as much like a calling as writing does.

Editing has been an education in itself. Thanks to my editing career, I’ve been able to work on projects in a wide variety of fields and topics, from kiteflying (really!) to the arts, collecting, education, communications, business, Porsche history, machine computing, freelancing, health and medicine, retirement planning, waterfronts … At least as much as my writing, my editing and proofreading work is a fascinating opportunity to learn about new topics and “pollinate” projects with insights from one to another.

It seems almost ironic to be able to have an editing career without formal training, but in-house experience had a huge impact and was an invaluable resource. I know how to use the AP and Chicago style guides, and have print editions of and online subscriptions for those, along with a print copy of APA. I’ve found LinkedIn and Facebook groups to turn to for anything I’m not sure of, and am active in associations like NAIWE, EFA, ACES: The Society for Editing, Editors Canada/Toronto, etc., for similar assistance if needed and ways to keep up with changes in language, usage and tools (as well as provide insights to colleagues; I believe in giving back as much as I receive).

The problem for today’s aspiring editors is that it’s increasingly hard to find in-house jobs working with experienced editors, and the proliferation of the digital world, especially tools like artificial intelligence and platforms that allow people to present themselves as editors regardless of experience or skill level, create a greater need for such training. I wouldn’t want to try editing as a career now without some formal proof of skill beyond being able to say that I provide editing services to clients A, B and C, or in fields D, E, F and more.

It’s worth mentioning that in another Facebook post, a colleague posted this warning in response to someone looking for an editor or proofreader: “Make sure that the person is a truly professional editor/proofreader, that they have undergone reputable training (some training is so much better than other training), does continuing professional development, is experienced, and preferably is a member of a professional editorial organization, eg IPEd, CIEP, ACES, EFA, EC.”

Giving back

As most of my colleagues know, I’m a big believer in networking, and it’s my major avenue for giving back in recognition of people who have been helpful to me over these many years. I’m active in several professional associations, making presentations and contributing to blogs, among other activities, to help colleagues understand what editors do and how to do it well. I also donate editing services to a couple of nonprofit organizations that I believe in, and I’ve even created a scholarship at my high school alma mater, in memory of the teachers mentioned above, to support students who are interested in professional communications work.

Colleagues’ views

My editor identity originated with those sixth-grade and high school classes, and is based on hands-on experience and learning from colleagues (especially people on the print shop side), rather than formal training — I’ve never taken an official editing class or earned any certificates or certifications for editing/proofreading. That isn’t anything I’m proud of as such, and I always encourage aspiring editors to get formal training or experience, but I am proud of my editing skills. I’m eternally grateful to those early English teachers and everyone I’ve worked with over the years who encouraged me to use those skills, whether colleagues I learned from or clients who have shown confidence in and appreciation for what I do.

What is your editor’s origin story? How did you get started, what attracted you to editing as a career, how do you prove your worth to prospective clients or employers (especially if you don’t have formal training or experience), — and how (other than being an An American Editor subscriber, of course) do you refine and improve your skills as you go along?

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning writer, editor, proofreader and speaker; provider of publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; networker; and the editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor. She created the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com or Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.

September 8, 2025

On the Basics: Settling into a new home through networking

Filed under: Editorial Matters — An American Editor @ 11:48 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

© Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

Owner, An American Editor

© An American Editor. Content may not be recirculated, republished or otherwise used without both the prior permission of the publisher and full credit to the author of a given post and the An American Editor blog, including a live link to the post being referenced. Thank you for respecting our rights to and ownership of our work.

Based on September 2025 webinar for NAIWE. Similar version posted to NAIWE blog.

Moving to a new place is both exciting and a little scary, especially if you don’t already know anyone there. Whether you move for personal or professional reasons, think of networking as a way to feel more connected to your new location and to keep your publishing career or independent business going. You can use the networking concept or process to find new colleagues, land new clients or projects, and meet new friends — not to mention retain connections with your previous location.

Having recently moved to the Albuquerque, NM, area, I know whereof I speak. And not only that: Over the years, I’ve gone from Rochester, NY, to St. Louis, DC, Baltimore, back to Rochester, back to St. Louis and now here. Every time, I’ve made new contacts, both personal and professional, and kept in touch with those in everywhere I’ve lived before.

Why bother? It’s simple: Networking is how you grow a career or business, and is especially important for freelancers.

It’s important to make the effort to connect — either socially or professionally, you can’t just sit back and wait for people to find, meet and hire you. But rein in your need for new contacts; be patient. Do make yourself make the first moves, but don’t be greedy for information, resources or connections. You often have to make those first moves, even if you’re an introvert. If you find it hard to engage, limit your initial networking efforts to small groups or one-on-one meetings; save the conferences and other large gatherings for when you feel more comfortable in those situations.

One valuable perspective: The online world these days can be ideal for the shy and introverted; you can attend events remotely and control your amount of interaction and visibility.

When to start the process

If you’re wondering when to begin network in a location, the answer is easy: ASAP — start looking for networking opportunities as soon as you know you’ll be relocating.

Before the move, or as soon after as possible, get business cards with your new contact information and stash a handful in bags, briefcases and pockets so you always remember to take them with you — not just to meetings, but also to social events and on errands.

The obvious networking starting point approach for professional reasons is to look for local or regional chapters of work-related associations you already belong to, and expand that to ones new to you. You can often join the local versions before you get to the new place. This approach can also work for organizations that don’t have local versions. Neither the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) nor ACES: The Association of Editing, for instance, has chapters — but they do have members all around (and outside) the country. The New Mexico chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) is moribund, but nearby members can be contacted through the EFA directory.

Once you’re there, send a message to an association’s email list or Facebook/LinkedIn group to let colleagues know you’ve arrived at your new place and would like to get together for coffee or a meal to get acquainted and learn about the local landscape for everything from favorite restaurants to possible work opportunities.

Whatever you belong to, be sure to update your contact information so you don’t lose touch with association resources — and members. Once you find and join a local chapter, show up at Zoom and in-person meetings. Hand out those business cards and ask about ways you can contribute to the group.

Use Google and other browsers to find local publications that might use your professional skills. Think outside the usual box as well, and look for other ways to find projects: Contact businesses, nonprofit organizations in causes you believe in, alumni groups, etc., and offer your services.

You can apply networking to social efforts by joining a neighborhood group or association, book club, church or temple, hobby group, high school (yes, high school!) or college alumni group, etc. Use Facebook, LinkedIn and things like MeetUp to find groups, both formal and informal, that speak to your interests. There’s even something I just noticed: jeopardybarleague.com, for places where people gather to play the “Jeopardy!” game. If you don’t see one in your new town, you can join a player list to find out when new venues are added.

Examples to consider

With the understanding that I’m the poster child for extroverts and am known for staying in touch with friends and colleagues everywhere I go, here are a couple of examples from my recent move to Albuquerque. I have a whole nest of family here — it’s why I made the move — but I didn’t know anyone on a professional level.

• My new condo community publishes a quarterly magazine. Guess who not only was asked to be co-editor, but was profiled in and wrote an article for the latest issue? Yup.

• Chatting with neighbors at one of our occasional community potlucks has yielded a connection to a neighbor’s daughter, who needs writers for an alumni magazine she manages, and a potential opportunity with another neighbor who wants help with polishing some writing by her late mom — and is willing to pay for that editing.

• My new place has a garden (my first ever!), and a high school classmate who has lived here for several years introduced me to a program for making it into a Backyard Refuge. Not only is that fun and good for the environment, it’s an opportunity to write, edit and/or proofread for the organization.

• One of my professional associations has a regional chapter here, and I’ll be attending a meeting later this month. It’s in Las Cruces rather than where I am in Albuquerque, but another high school friend lives in Las Cruces and belongs to this organization, so it has the double benefit of a chance to hang out with her while I’m there.

• My brother told me about a local writers’ group that a friend of his belongs to, and I’ve joined it. I’ve attended a couple of meetings via Zoom — and have had an offer to speak accepted for later this year.

Where to network

Local bookstores (even ones affiliated with national chains) can be a great source of networking opportunities. They usually host readings and book clubs, which are an excellent way to meet people who might need an editor or proofreader, as well as get feedback on your own writing projects.

Again on the social side, but with the potential to learn about freelance opportunities, you can use networking to find something like help with childcare if you have young children. In fact, business connections might be good sources of such information.

Another thought: Find a restaurant for Sunday brunch, a pool (swim or billiards!) or tennis club, a gym to join — somewhere to appear regularly. You’ll make new friends, and some of those connections could lead to editorial projects. I’ll never forget sitting at the pool of the Washington Hilton years ago, marking up a manuscript between dips, and chatting with an acquisitions editor at the hotel for a conference of academic publishers, who noticed what I was doing and started a conversation. We’ve been connected professionally ever since. Talk about a seren“dip”itous connection!

Maybe get a dog, if you don’t already have one. Taking your dog to a dog park or doggie daycare is a great way to make new friends through your shared interest who might also turn out to be colleagues or potential clients.

How to make those first connections

It can be challenging to attend an event in a new place for the first time. Not every organization introduces new members or visitors, or does ice-breaking activities to make attendees feel more comfortable.

There’s nothing wrong with being the one to offer to shake hands and exchange introductions. If that’s hard to do, create an opportunity for someone to come to you: Wear something that might spark a conversation, such as interesting or unusual jewelry, a pin from an alumni association or organization, a themed outfit — think of those newspaper-print shirts or dresses that journalists often wear to a conference. I have a couple of cat-themed outfits for meetings of the Cat Writers Association!

For a conference or local event with a speaker, prepare a question or two to ask the presenter (keep it short and relevant). Many organizations make their event schedules public ahead of time, or at least available on arrival, so you can see which sessions you want to attend and prepare questions or comments accordingly. That positions you as someone who’s engaged, attentive and worth meeting.

If you’re very shy and introverted, consider inviting a friend or neighbor to go to a meeting with you. That gives you someone to talk to, so you don’t feel alone, and who can be a kind of “wingman” in introducing you to attendees.

What not to do

There can be pitfalls to networking efforts in a new place (or online community/platform, email discussion list, etc.). Probably the most common is to make your first appearance be about looking for work and asking for referrals to colleagues’ clients. Do introduce yourself with brief details about the kind of work you do and where you moved from, but give it a few meetings before (if ever) asking for recommendations or referrals. Colleagues need to know who you are before they’ll consider recommending you for projects.

By the way, networking isn’t just for those of us who are independent writers, editors, whatever, but there’s a difference if you’ve relocated for an in-house job versus aiming to continue or start a freelance venture in your new place.

If you’ve landed in a new city for a “regular” job, you have a built-in network with co-workers in that new workplace, and the new employer might support memberships, or let you attend networking events on company time. Getting connected will take less effort than if you’re freelancing. For freelancers, making new networking contacts in a new place is on you. If you’re already freelancing and/or belong to a professional association, you should be able to keep those clients/projects no matter where you are.

It’s also important to stay in touch with your colleagues and friends in your previous location. That’s easy for me, again as the poster child for extroverts — I often say that once you’re in my network, you never escape. I stay in touch with friends (going back to childhood!), colleagues and clients in places I’ve lived before through email, Facebook/LinkedIn, memberships, even phone calls and — gasp — letters, postcards and birthday cards. Keeping those connections going can be a huge help as you adjust to the new place by reducing any feeling of being alone or isolated.

On either the social or the professional level, but especially the professional one, if there is no association chapter, book club or hobby group you can join, see if you can create one. National organizations usually have resources and processes to help members start or revive local outlets. Being the one who makes that effort positions you as a valued colleague, and even as a leader.

The bottom line

One key element to remember is that networking works best when it’s a two-way process — if you get results, be sure to serve in return. Try not to take unless you give.

Whether you move across town or across country, these are all effective ways to network and become better known among potential colleagues, colleagues, friends and family. Keep them in mind even if you don’t move anywhere new at all!

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning writer, editor, proofreader and speaker; provider of publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; networker; and the editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor. She created the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerly A Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com or Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.

September 2, 2025

On the Basics: Punctuation Day is every day for editorial professionals

Filed under: Editorial Matters — An American Editor @ 12:42 pm
Tags: , , , , , , ,

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

Owner, An American Editor

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National Punctuation Day® may not affect my writing, because I treat every day as National Punctuation Day, but I’m all for it anyhow. It’s coming up on September 24 (https://nationaltoday.com/national-punctuation-day/), so this might be a good time to think about what it means and how to celebrate when it rolls around.

While I’m confident — sometimes even arrogant! — about my punctuation skills, I consciously think about punctuation in everything I write, edit or proofread. I love using the right punctuation marks in the right ways to make my, and my clients’, writing as clear as possible to readers at any level.

That said, establishing and celebrating a National Punctuation Day is an exciting opportunity in many ways. It’s a chance for writers, editors [as a journalist, I only use the serial comma in my own writing or in editing/proofreading for a newspaper client if an item in a series is a compound] and proofreaders to stop and reflect about which punctuation marks give us the most, if any, trouble and to refresh our understanding of what to use where. It’s dangerous to assume that we know everything there is to know about punctuation (or any other aspect of writing and editing), and it can be energizing — and humbling — to realize there may be something new to learn.

National Punctuation Day is also a great way to remind writers, editors, proofreaders and publishers to educate potential readers not just about which marks to use where, but why we care about correct punctuation. It’s a moment to have fun with our obsession, as others may see it, with those so-called pesky apostrophes, colons, semicolons and other mysteries of mark-up.

I might not need National Punctuation Day to make my punctuation skills better, although I do believe in being a lifelong learner, so I keep my eyes peeled for any changes I should know about and use. It’s still a great way to spread the word about the importance of using punctuation correctly and consistently to serve our readers and our works.

How will you celebrate National Punctuation Day? Other than this post, I might re-read Ellen Jovin’s Rebel with a Clause!

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning writer, editor, proofreader and speaker; provider of publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide; networker; and the editor-in-chief and owner ofAn American Editor. She created the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns Publishing with Flair (www.publishingwithflair.com; formerlyA Flair for Writing), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com or Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.

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