"I can write about anything!"™

 

 

 

The value of working with professionals

"Why hire me?" - an experienced, professional writer, editor, proofreader, desktop publisher and presenter - for your writing, editing and publications projects? The answer is simple: You need a writer, proofreader, editor or desktop publisher whose topnotch skills and reliability will make you and your publication or organization look good - professional, interesting, accurate, error-free, and worth reading and supporting. That may cost a little more than using a newcomer to the field - but the investment will be worth it.

Plenty of people claim to be professional writers, editors and other kinds of communications professionals. Lots of would-be communicators will work for low rates to get started, or out of desperation. Working with them may save you money in the short run, but may not provide the quality work you need - and could cost you more in the long run.

Here's what clients have had to say about my contributions to their projects and publications. I hope you'll feel the same way about what I produce for you!

About writing by Ruth:

"The article is terrific - (Ruth) did a great job, in my opinion. Congratulations on pulling us up a few notches!"

"SPLENDID! I love your writing style. Thanks so much."

"Loved your last release. Yep - nice clean and logical release. Usually I have to rewrite parts or my supervisor asks, 'who the heck is writing these' - not a peep out of him for this one and he didn't change anything, either!"

"You did an excellent job on your article about EFA members’
activities as volunteers. You avoided the sense of repetitiousness or choppiness that can afflict a roundup piece by writing with variety and making good use of quotations. You also avoided the sentimentality that often mars articles in this genre. Yet you never seemed to be reaching for effect. Very well done! Thanks."

"Thank you very much for being a solid rock. You are dependable, professional, conscientious and trustworthy. Rare traits in workers these days - whether on staff or consultants. I really value your help."

“(Your) article is great ... (a) terrific contribution to the magazine.”

“Great job on the profile. The writing in the introduction was superb! The reader can tell that you had a lot of fun doing this interview!”

“Great story! It has a lot of information and it emphasizes the international and HR angles. Good job!”

“(Ruth is) ... an excellent writer (with) sound judgment, sensitivity to public reactions; thorough; fast, productive; outstanding at handling complicated material; excels at simplifying issues without clouding them.”

"... I applaud your writing on this topic ..."

... editing and proofreading by Ruth:
"... the lead litigation partner of our (RFP) response ... commented that never has he had a proofreader review and provide such thorough and consistent edits."

"Your edits made a world of difference with this publication. The subject matter is a hard read by itself but with the edits it's easier to read."

"Just a quick note to say it was great to work with you on the newsletter -- however briefly. You caught so many things that might have been missed had you not looked it over and all of your suggestions were right-on."

"Very good...a light yet necessary hand."

"I've now had a chance to sit down and read my piece, and wanted to thank you for the fine editing job that you did. I really appreciate that you kept my voice and did only a
light edit."

... newsletters by Ruth:
"You should have heard the ohs, ahs, eows, wows, fantastics and other assorted appreciative sounds ... as we were handed our newsletters. It looks really new, bright, shiny, and exciting - and the articles are really timely and well written and caught my interest. This is a fabulous newsletter! The design is freshened up, the writing is crisp, there are more pictures, the stories are interesting, and the subject matter certainly is urgent!"

"This is to let you know how nicely designed recent issues (of our association newsletter) look, and how I really look forward to receiving it now. It's become very readable since you've been working on it, both in its appearance and content. Thanks so much for your time and effort!"

"In my opinion, you're doing a magnificent job with the (association) newsletter. I find myself devouring it, word for word! Thank you for doing this."

“... a significant accomplishment ... an attractive, informative and professional publication ... one of the finest in the country.”

“This is a remarkable newsletter, full of informative material ...”; “Your newsletter is ... delivering information that caregivers need.”

... presentations by Ruth:
“thanks for a great class. You make newsletters and freelancing sound so good, I want to jump right in."

"Thank you for your excellent, expert teaching."

"Participants gave you ‘fives’ across the board, the highest mark.”

“... a veritable star! an outstanding session ... entertaining, enlightening, thought-provoking; information invaluable;
readers will benefit on continuing basis.”

“Concise, practical, lots of specifics”;“Knowledgeable”; “Organized”; “I learned a lot.”

“Ruth is a jewel!”

And here's another take on the process.

I’ve quietly tried to educate clients to the important concept of using professionals for communications projects over the years, but have tried to save a few dollars myself on occasion - not in what I give clients, but in things for myself. Here are a couple examples of taking - and reversing - such shortcuts.

Bringing in a professional designer

When I started working on the 2007 “Build Your Communications Business” conference I’ve organized with tech writer/editor Kat Nagel, I created a brochure and other materials myself. I did fine with our website (www.communication-central.com), thanks to templates available from HostMySite.com and tips from Kat.

I don’t mind admitting that I “designed” the first promotional brochure, but thatit never really felt quite right. I’m very good at layout and desktop production, and have created several attractive, readable newsletters and fliers for clients as well as improved the look of other publications, but I’m not a professional graphic designer, and I was too close to the project to be objective about it.

Enter Bruce Younger, a long-time friend and very talented graphic designer. While helping me trouble-shoot some computer stuff, he looked at the brochure, and offered to revamp it. Bruce’s version is dramatically better. The fonts are strong and work well together; there’s a beautiful piece of original graphic art that literally says “take your business to new heights,” and - as you can see at top left - the overall impact is professional, exciting and inviting.

The Bruce-brochure generated a much better response than my initial effort. Please feel free to download a copy for yourself!

Working with a professional photographer

Like most people, I’m pretty self-conscious about how I look in photos. When I launched my website, I trolled through recent pictures for one where I looked friendly, approachable and recognizable, yet reasonably professional. I got positive responses to my selection, but I was never sure that it presented me in the most professional way. I considered a couple other informal shots in the past few months, but none seemed notably better or more appropriate; the best ones usually had a lot of glare from my ever-present glasses, or someone’s hand on my shoulder, or the strap of my bag showing. There’s always something!

In the process of organizing and promoting the “Build Your Communications Business” conference, I started thinking that I might need a more formal photo. The “tipping point” was when graphic designer Bruce Younger glanced at my website as we were discussing revamping the conference brochure, and said bluntly, “You need a better photo.”

I tried one session with a colleague who is a pretty good amateur photographer, and has a lovely garden that seemed like a perfect setting. Unfortunately, we couldn’t overcome glasses-glare, and my expression looked kind of anxious as well.

A few days later, I was in the studio of professional photographer Garry Geer of Geer Photography (www.geerphoto.com). The sitting was a lot less nerve-wracking that I expected - in fact, it was almost fun. He was funny and pleasant, so I was able to relax. And a couple days after that, I had about 50 shots to choose from for my new official photo!

While I was more concerned about looking professional than cute, I still wanted to relay my bubbly personality. I think colleagues and clients will agree that my investment in a professional photographer was worthwhile.

If you decide to have a professional photo taken, here are a couple tips.
• Take along a couple changes of shirt/top, jacket and – for guys – tie. A modest scoop neck is the best style for women's tops.
• Allow plenty of time, so you can relax – don’t schedule a formal portrait sitting for your lunch hour.
• Ask for references and look at photographers’ websites, where you can get a sense of styles and approaches.