About Ruth E. Thaler-Carter ...

If you need writing, editing, proofreading, press releases, presentations and more for your publications, association, business, organization, website, book, etc., I can do that for you!

I write feature and news articles, profiles, press releases, annual reports, advertorials, and business and marketing material for magazines, newspapers, newsletters, websites, etc.;

manage all aspects of newsletter and annual report content, design and production for businesses, associations and nonprofit organizations; and

provide proofreading, copy editing and critiques for magazines, books, newsletters, marketing collateral and organizations;

and present webinars/seminars and workshops on freelancing, editing and proofreading, networking, websites, nonprofit development, and more.

Professional activities

Current and recent projects include:

• write feature, news, event coverage and profile articles for the MetroWire Media commercial real estate newsletter and website; Brighton News newsletter; feature articles for various magazines; freelancing posts for the An American Editor blog; posts for association blogs;

• write, edit and lay out/desktop–produce newsletters for the Decorative Arts Society, Brighton Schools Alumni Association, Unique Resources home improvement company and more;

• edit and proofread for a law firm with offices around the U.S., a PR firm in the legal field; Glass Line and Washington Gardener magazines; self-publishing authors; a public policy institute about retirement; the ACM queue newsletter, among others;

• provide media relations and website updates to the Decorative Arts Society, Brighton Schools Alumni Association, Communication Central and National Association of Black Journalists-St. Louis;

• organize annual conferences and other programs for Communication Central, a professional-development business; and

• present workshops, in-person speeches and seminars, and webinars about newsletters, websites, editing and proofreading, freelancing, marketing, grammar, networking, and nonprofit management for national, regional and local membership and trade associations; and other organizations.

Contact me today to discuss what I can offer your organization or publication!

Background and education

Born and raised in Rochester, NY; went from city grade school to Brighton Central School District, graduating from Brighton High School.

Studied comparative literature at Indiana University-Bloomington and French/general studies at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). BA from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. One year as Ford Fellow in University of Missouri-Columbia’s graduate program in journalism.

Started writing for pay and launched a literary magazine in high school; freelanced on the side from 1974-1985 while holding full-time communications positions with:

Urban League of St. Louis (community organizer)

St. Louis Argus newspaper (staff reporter)

Washington University’s Record newsletter (editor)

R&D Mexico magazine (assistant editor)

American National Metric Council (communications manager)

(Washington) DC General Hospital (chief of publications)

Full-time freelance writer, editor and proofreader since 1984.

Awards:

• Named to the Brighton Schools Alumni Association/Brighton High School Alumni Hall of Fame for professional communications career, networking services to colleagues, support of and connecting family and friends

• Named one of Brighton Connections magazine’s "Inspiring Women of our Community"

• Received Big Pencil Award from Writers & Books for being "A teacher of adults who has inspired the creation and appreciation of literature" and has "contributed significantly in the advancement, creation, and understanding of literature in the Rochester (NY) community."

• Earned writing and editing awards from APEX, Editor's Forum and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)

• Received Philip M. Stern Award for outstanding service to other freelancers from Washington Independent Writers

• Named Communicator of the Year for contributions to IABC/DC

Firm believer in the value of networking (often called the queen of networking!):
Secretary, Cat Writers Association
2024 director of communications and newsletter editor, St. Louis Publishers Association
Networking member, National Association of Independent Writers and Editors/Board of Experts
Resources chair, Society of Professional Journalists/Freelance Community board
Adviser, International Association of Business Communicators-St. Louis chapter
Freelancers’ cohort co-chair, American Society of Business Publication Editors
2024 national conference speaker coordinator and presenter, National Federation of Press Women
Newsletter editor, webmaster and Alumni Hall of Fame member, Brighton Schools Alumni Association

For my insights into the value of connecting through professional memberships, see my recent post to the IABC-St. Louis blog: https://iabcstl.org/blog/23.