About Communication Central

Communication Central began in 2006 as a partnership between Ruth E. Thaler-Carter and Katherine (Kat) Nagel, and offered its annual “Be a Better Freelancer”® conference for current and aspiring freelance writers, editors, proofreaders and other editorial/publishing professionals from 2006–2021. For many years, the Communication Central conference was the only such event for freelancers in the publishing/editorial world, and it often still is.

The conference focus is on launching and enhancing an editorial or communications business, for sole proprietors or owners with employees. Whether you need to jumpstart your marketing efforts, find (more and better-paying) clients, manage tools of the trade such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat, enhance your networking resources, expand your social media efforts, or buy new equipment, Communication Central programs can help you on your journey to a more-successful editorial business and career.

Communication Central also offers writing, editing, proofreading, and related services to clients, as well as half- and all-day workshops upon request.

The first five Communication Central conferences were held in Rochester, NY; the sixth and seventh were in Baltimore, MD; and the conference returned to Rochester in 2013 for several years. In 2019, Communication Central began a partnership with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors for our first Be a Better Freelancer® conference in St. Louis. The 2020 Be a Better Freelancer® conference was planned for Baltimore, but had to be revamped as an online event due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2021 conference was virtual again to ensure the safety of all participants. We are considering holding an in-person conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2027.

Communication Central's logo and current website were designed by Victoria Brzustowicz of www.VictoriaBCreative.com. The previous website was designed by Glenn Court of www.formandsubstance.com.

Communication Central owner and Be a Better Freelancer® conference host Ruth E. Thaler-Carter has been giving presentations and helping organize and run events for colleagues for many years. Versions of her “Getting Started as a Freelancer” program and other presentation topics have been a hit with more than a dozen writers’, editors’ and communicators’ organizations, including NAIWE, Editorial Freelancers Association, Society of Professional Journalists, TechWrite STL/AMWA Mid-America; ACES: The Society for Editors, Association for Women in Communications, American Independent Writers, Maryland Writers Association, National Writers Union, Society for Technical Communication, Cat Writers’ Association, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), and more. Her “Communications Day” program for the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations led to three years of programs for the Pratt Free Library system in Baltimore. Her newsletter seminar was a popular, income-generating program for the Society of National Association Publications (SNAP) for several years in both Chicago and Washington, DC.

Ruth has served on conference committees for SNAP/AM&P in Washington, DC; the EFA in NYC; IABC for events in Chicago, Kansas City, London, New Orleans, New York City, and DC; the Association of Independent Information Professionals; the Cat Writers’ Association; and the Society of Professional Journalists/Freelance Community, among other organizations. For more information, visit www.writerruth.com.