Anything? Really?
Yes, really! I've written articles (and produced newsletters, and edited and proofread material) about almost everything from A to Z:
apartment living and management, arboriculture (tree care), architecture, associations, business, communications, decorative arts, diversity, education, eldercare, homebuying, human resources, landscaping, local theater, networking, technology - and much more ...
for:
associations, not-for-profit organizations, businesses, publications and websites ...
at the:
local, regional, national and international levels ...
Details: samples of my work.
2008 presentations coming up
I love doing speeches and presentations! Here's what's coming up in the next few months. If there are topics you would like to have me present for your organization, just let me know at Ruth@writerruth.com or 585-248-8464.
Professional development
In addition to organizing this year's "Build Your Communications Business" conference, Sept. 26-27, 2008, I'm doing several presentations for Communication Central in Rochester in the upcoming months. Details of the conference and those programs are at:
www.communication-central.com
I'm presenting new classes for Writers and Books on "Basics of Proofreading and Editing," "Getting Started as a Freelance Writer" and "Websites for Writers" in the fall. For details and online registration, go to:
http://www.wab.org
Highlights of 2008 presentations
Freelancers and newsletters - I had the opportunity to offer prospective clients some tips on using freelancers for newsletter work as part of a panel at this year's spring Publications Management Conference of the Society of National Association Publications (SNAP) in Washington, DC, on June 11. The same session will be part of SNAP's Chicago conference in November. Details:
Newsletters, Freelance Getting Started - in DC!
The first-ever DC seminars of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) - my sessions on "Opportunities in Newsletters" on the afternoon of May 2 and "Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing" on the afternoon of May 3, along with a May 2 morning session by Bevi Chagnon on "InDesign for Editors" - were a great success! We had about a dozen participants in each of the three sessions, which I found quite gratifying for a first-time effort. Not only did most of our participants relay glowing reviews of the programs, but we also garnered a volunteer to launch a DC-region chapter of the EFA.
Something for employers
My session on "Finding, Hiring and Working with Freelance/ Contract Writers and Editors" at this year's Society for Technical Communication (STC)-Rochester spectrum conference, on March 28 in Rochester, went very well. It was fun to offer something from the perspective of the employer! The nicest part of this experience was being told that I was asked back (I did two sessions for spectrum last year) because I'm a "power presenter"!
Proofreading and editing basics
My "Basics of Proofreading and Editing" class at Rochester's Writers and Books in April was a great opportunity to finetune and update my thoughts on this topic. Participants included a woman wanting advice on editing her mother's diaries as a memoir and a newly minted graduate librarian thinking about doing freelance fact-checking, among others.
Highlights of 2007 Presentations
The 2007 Communication Central "Build Your Communications Business" conference, at which I was one of the opening panel presenters, was a fantastic event! We brought several nationally known speakers to Rochester for the first time, from Montreal, DC, Seneca Falls and Poughkeepsie, along with several speakers from the Rochester area, to present sessions on everything from using Acrobat and doing onscreen editing to organizing, marketing and promoting your business to dealing with stress. New this year were two - count 'em! - pre-conference workshops on Sept. 28, with the conference on Sept. 29. Details are at www.communication-central.com. We're already working on the 2008 conference; details at Communication Central's website.
My classes for Writers and Books (Rochester, NY) on "Getting Started in Freelancing" and "Basics of Proofreading and Editing" in January, February and June went so well that I was asked to do them again in the fall as well, as in the new year.
In June in DC and November in Chicago, I offered a presentation from the other side of the freelance fence, "Finding and Working Well with Freelancers," at the pre-conference workshop of the spring and fall national publications management conferences of the Society for National Association Publications (SNAP). Both the DC and Chicago sesssions garnered a roomful of participants and were great opportunities to share tips with colleagues and prospective clients.
There was also a good turnout for my "Getting Started in Freelancing" program at the National Writers Union/DC Local in Washington, DC, on June 14.
My "Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing" workshop for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) in March in NYC was a hit, and forms the basis of a booklet of the same title that the EFA expects topublish sometime in 2008.
My first-ever presentations at spectrum, the annual conference of the Society for Technical Communication-Rochester, on March 23 - "Newsletters are Not Technical Manuals! Tips for Newsletter Success"
and
"Sink or Swim: How to Take the Plunge into Freelancing" - went very well and gave me a chance to retune these topics for a new audience.
I'm available for other presentations by request, and there's always my freelancing booklet, newly updated and expanded in 2006. I'm working on a newsletter booklet, too.
What's the Scoop?
Looking for my writing samples and project news? Recent samples are available in my online portfolio. Other writing and publication samples are gradually coming online. Please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail to request specific types of samples.
Need tips on effective press releases? Here's an article I wrote for Magnificent Publications' Editorial Advantage electronic newsletter, based on one of my handouts for my Communications Day seminar.
For tips on writing for newsletters for nonprofits, read this interview with me by the owner of Writing911.
Thinking about organizing a meeting or conference? I wrote about conference planning after the 2006 Communication Central conference in this AdHub article.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter ...
I write feature and news articles, profiles, press releases, annual reports, advertorials, and other business and marketing material. I provide onsite conference coverage; manage all aspects of newsletter and annual report design and production for businesses and nonprofit organizations; and provide proofreading, copy editing, and critiques for books, publications and organizational marketing collateral.
I also share my expertise with colleagues by presenting seminars and workshops, and participate actively in several professional associations.
I'm a strong believer in networking and an active member of the associations and lists whose logos are below, among others.
