"I can write (and talk) about anything!"™

 

 

Upcoming presentations

Basics of Editing and Proofreading
April 5, 2013
Hilton at the Ballpark, St. Louis, MO
During American Copy Editors Society – ACES – conference

A nuts-and-bolts session on the essentials needed to be an editor or proofreader; differences between editing and proofreading; , marks and symbols, essential style manuals, using Microsoft Word as an editing tool, working in Acrobat/PDFs, and interacting effectively with clients and colleagues, helpful organizational resources, etc. Open to all – you can attend just the day of this session without registering for the whole conference.

For full details and to register, click here.

Freelancing 101: Launching Your Communications Business
April 6, 2013, 2–5 p.m.
Sheet Metal Apprentice Training Hall, St. Louis, MO

Find out how to jump-start your dream of living the freelance lifestyle with tips on setting up and organizing a freelancing business, finding assignments, networking, using resources, figuring out rates and getting paid, combating isolation, and more. Energize your business with practical, upbeat insights into the joys and challenges of editorial freelancing. Even seasoned freelancers will garner new insights and useful suggestions.

Thaler-Carter, a full-time freelancer since 1984, has been published locally, regionally and nationally by newspapers, magazines, newsletters, businesses, associations and not-for-profits. She also does editing, proofreading and website work for a similar variety of clients. She is the author/publisher of "Get Paid to Write! Getting Started as a Freelance Writer" and author of "Freelancing 101: Launching Your Editorial Business" for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA).

A share of proceeds will go the Minority Journalism Workshop of the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists (GSLABJ).

To sign up, click here for a registration form.

Launching Your Editorial Business
May 16, 2013; 6–9 p.m.
Sumner School, Washington, DC
For the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)

You need more than writing or editing skills and a computer to be a successful freelancer. You also need business sense, knowledge of the market, a firm grasp of the tricks of the trade and more.

Successful freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter will share tips garnered from my 25-plus years of experience in this tough but highly rewarding arena, working from her booklet for the EFA, Freelancing 101: Launching Your Editorial Business. The session will cover tips for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, graphic artists, website designers and more.

Discount for taking two or all three sessions. To sign up, click here.

Basics of Editing and Proofreading
May 17, 2013; 1–4 p.m.
Sumner School, Washington, DC
For the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)

Learn the essentials of proofreading and editing, including necessary skills and characteristics, marks and symbols, essential style manuals, using Microsoft Word as an editing tool, working in Acrobat/PDFs, and interacting effectively with clients and colleagues, as well as helpful organizational resources.

Presenter Ruth E. Thaler-Carter brings more than 25 years of experience as a freelance writer, editor and proofreader to this essential nuts ‘n’ bolts class. Registration information to come.

Discount for taking two or all three sessions. To sign up, click here.

Websites that Work for Freelancers
May 17, 2013; 6–9 p.m.
Sumner School, Washington, DC
For the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)

No matter what kind of freelancing you do, you have to have a presence on the World Wide Web, and that means having our own websites. Find out the basics of creating a website: getting a domain name and hosting service, and designing an effective, attractive website that will help attract readers and publishers to your work.

Freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter maintains her own website, manages content for several others and has created some sites herself. She will provide tips on why writers should have websites and how to get them started, show you how to find and use templates and basic design techniques, and provide examples of writers’ good and bad sites to use as inspiration. Note: This is a general class, not a high-tech offering. Registration information to come.

Discount for taking two or all three sessions. To sign up, click here.

Classes at Writers and Books in Rochester

Basics of Proofreading and Editing
Spring 2013 – date TBA; 7-9 p.m.
Writers and Books, 740 University Ave., Rochester, NY
Learn the essentials of proofreading and editing, including necessary skills and characteristics, marks and symbols, essential style manuals, using Microsoft Word as an editing tool,working in Acrobat/PDFs, and interacting effectively with clients and colleagues, as well as helpful organizational resources. I bring more than 25 years of experience as a freelance writer, editor and proofreader to this essential nuts ‘n’ bolts class. Registration info is here.

Getting Started as a Freelance Writer
Spring 2013 – date TBA; 7–9 p.m.
Writers and Books, 740 University Ave., Rochester, NY
You need more than writing skills and a computer to be a successful freelancer. You also need business sense, knowledge of the market and a firm grasp of the tricks of the trade. I'll share tips garnered from my 25-plus years of experience in this tough but highly rewarding arena, working from my booklet, Get Paid to Write! Getting Started as a Freelance Writer. The main focus will be on freelance writing, but the session will cover freelance editing, proofreading and other editorial areas as well, if participants are interested. Date to be announced.

Develop Your Writing Portfolio
Spring 2013 – date TBA; 7-9 p.m.
Writers and Books, 740 University Ave., Rochester, NY
In the past, a writer's portfolio was a notebook or binder holding copies of published works, called clips (for "clippings," as in articles clipped out of the newspaper or magazine where they were published), that you toted along to in-person interviews. In today's electronic age, freelance writers often need - or want - to present their work to prospective clients, agents, editors or publishers whom they cannot visit in person. You need a "portfolio" that is more flexible than faxing or mailing a couple of published articles, and that you can share with prospective clients around the country and around the world. This one-session class will look at ways to develop your portfolio that create opportunities to share your work, both published and in-progress.

Writers and their Websites
Summer 2013 – date TBA; 7-9 p.m.
Writers and Books, 740 University Ave., Rochester, NY
Writers today have to get noticed on the World Wide Web, and that means having our own websites. Find out the basics of creating a website: getting a domain name and hosting service, and designing an effective, attractive website that will help attract readers and publishers to your work.

Freelance writer/editorRuth E. Thaler-Cartermaintains her own website, manages content for several others and has created some sites herself. She will provide tips on why writers should have websites and how to get them started, show you how to find and use templates and basic design techniques, and provide examples of writers’ good and bad sites to use as inspiration. Note: This is a general class, not a high-tech offering.

Why attend?

You can learn from my experience as a long-time, successful freelance writer, editor and desktop publisher, published locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally, in a wide range of publications, on a highly diverse variety of topics. These seminars are a way for me to “give back” to the professional organizations that have helped me advance and to colleagues who have been supportive of my career.

Here’s what colleagues have to say:

• "I've been to Ruth's seminar, and it's a not-to-miss event."

• "I had been freelancing successfully for 7 years when I attended her seminar, and I still learned things from [Ruth]! … it was my good fortune to learn much by [attending]. It takes quite a lot to get me into the city from the West Virginia countryside, and [this] was definitely 'time well spent.'”

• "I have attended your seminars in the past and found them to be quite useful."

• "... You have much to offer, and your insights are rare and valuable."

• "Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is adept not only at the craft of writing, but also at the business of freelancing. An active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, she is always among the first to share her expertise with fellow freelancers in need of help or support. I have found her advice to be invaluable ... I'm not new to editing, but I am new to freelancing as my serious, fulltime occupation, and [her] advice has been invaluable."

• "I would definitely go to a seminar like Ruth's. She's a veteran freelancer so hers would be a good one, if you can make it."

• "Now I see why Ruth is so successful! She looks for opportunities wherever they may be!"

I have made versions of my freelancing presentation to the American Copy Editors Society, National Press Club, National Writers Union/DC Local, Editorial Freelancers Association, Society for Technical Communication, Washington Independent Writers, Society for Professional Journalists, Maryland Writers Association, Women in Communications, International Association of Business Communicators and other organizations, with highly positive evaluations and several repeat presentations.

For more information about upcoming seminars, just follow the links to the topic descriptions. If your organization would like to host a similar program, please let me know by phone (585-248-8464) or send an e-mail message to ruth@writerruth.com.

Seminar Topics

"Writer Ruth" can write - and talk - about anything!
Recent seminar topics include:

Latest programs

2012 speeches

• sessions on freelancing and websites at Communication Central in October in Baltimore

• class on websites for writers at Writers and Books

• NYC workshops for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) on freelancing, basics of editing & proofreading, and websites for freelancers

• launching an independent tech writing/editing business (co-presenter with colleague Judith Shenouda) at the National Tech Summit of the Society for Technical Communication on May 23 near Chicago and two workshops for Communication Central later that day at Creative Co-working in Evanston

2011 speeches

• three-course combo for Editorial Freelancers Association on websites for freelancers, basics of editing & proofreading, and freelancing

• sessions at Communication Central conference

• classes on websites for writers, portfolios, editing & proofreading basics, and freelancing for Writers and Books

2010 speeches

• three workshops in DC in April by request from the DC chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), on editing and proofreading basics, getting started in freelancing, and websites for freelance businesses.

• presentation on "Expand Your Writing Territory" at the Cat Writers Association (CWA) conference in White Plains in November.

• session on "The Freelance Option for Copy Editors" at the 2010 conference of the American Copy Editors Society (ACES) in Philadelphia, which received complimentary coverage at the ACES site and in its newsletter.

2009 presentations

• presentation on freelancing at the national conference of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in Indianapolis in August 2009 (www.spj.org).

• workshops for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) — on freelancing in Seattle in October and on websites for colleagues and getting started in freelancing in May in DC and June in NYC, which yielded several gratifying expressions of appreciation for the information I provided.

• sessions on "Finding, Hiring and Working Well with Freelancers" and "Getting Started as a Freelance Tech Communicator" at the 2009 Society for Technical Communication (STC) national Tech Comm Summit, in Atlanta in May – very flattering to have my first-ever proposals accepted for the prestigious national event.

• presentations on freelancing and on websites for freelancers at the Region 3 conference of the 2009 Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in Philadelphia.

• speech about "Getting Started as a Freelance Tech Communicator" for the 50th annual spectrum conference of the Rochester, NY, chapter of the Society for Technical Communication in April – my third year of presentating at spectrum; being included in the chapter's special event this year was a real honor.

2008 programs

• panelist on newsletters at the 2008 Society of National Association Publications (SNAP) spring management conference in Washington, DC (to purchase a copy of the PowerPoint slides and handout, contact me at Ruth@writerruth.com).

• presenter of the first-ever Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) DC seminars, on "Opportunities in Newsletters" and "Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing," in May, and organizer of a session featuring colleague Bevi Chagnon on "InDesign for Editors."

• speech on "Finding, Hiring and Working with Freelance/ Contract Writers and Editors" at the 2008 Society for Technical Communication (STC)-Rochester spectrum conference, on March 28 – I was told that I was asked back after presenting two sessions for spectrum last year because I'm a "power presenter"!

• class on "Basics of Proofreading and Editing" at Rochester's Writers and Books in April.

2007 presentations

• presenter in opening session of 2007 Communication Central "Build Your Communications Business" conference in Rochester and lead organizer of the entire conference.

• classes for Writers and Books (Rochester, NY) on "Getting Started in Freelancing" and "Basics of Proofreading and Editing" in January, February and June.

• session on"Finding and Working Well with Freelancers" at the 2007 Society for National Association Publications (SNAP) preconference program in June andat SNAP's Chicago conferenece in November.

• presentation on"Getting Started in Freelancing" program at the National Writers Union/DC Local in Washington, DC, in June.

• "Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing" workshop for the Editorial Freelancers Association in March, which led to writing a booklet on the same topic that the EFA published in 2008.

• first-ever presentations at spectrum, the annual conference of the Society for Technical Communication-Rochester, in March – "Newsletters are Not Technical Manuals! Tips for Newsletter Success" and "Sink or Swim: How to Take the Plunge into Freelancing." Those sessions resulted in being invited back in 2008 to talk about "Finding and Working with Freelance Writers and Editors," with colleague Kat Nagel to add insights on using freelancers as onsite contractors.

2006 presentations

• session on "Get Your Business Going" at "Build Your Communications Business," September 29-October 1 in Rochester, NY, in addition to organizing the event itself, with the assistance of colleague Kat Nagel ( www.communication-central.com).

• session on "Getting Started as a Freelance Writer" session in April at the DC Local of the National Writers Union (NWU).

• presentation on "Newsletters that Work" at B'nai B'rith in DC in April.

• first-ever workshop for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), on "Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing," my educational program, in March in NYC – a new twist on my popular "Getting Started as a Freelance Writer" program, focusing on building a business in various kinds of editorial work, above and beyond writing. Participants came from as far away as Boston and DC, as well as NYC and Connecticut – very flattering!

2005 presentations

• coordinated the first Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) national conference in 10 years, in October in New York City, and presenter of a conference session on "Entering New Markets" (for a copy of main points, contact me at Ruth@writerruth.com).

Detailed coverage of the 2005 EFA National Conference is available in my portfolio.