Communication Central

02/21/2025

Hoping to organize a 2025 "Be a Better Freelancer"® conference, probably mid to late fall. Will announce here.

08/12/2022

Good morning! I'm still trying to decide whether to hold an in-person Be a Better Freelancer® conference this fall after a challenging couple of months of health issues and a (not complaining) heavy workload.

In the meantime, please be aware that Communication Central's only human connection is with me. I'm not sure what FB means by telling me that someone has "checked in" here, especially a name I don't recognize and can't find anywhere, but anyone who claims to be part of Communication Central other than as a participant in one of our events should be ignored.

05/14/2022

The writers among us might like this: "... We looked at the floor, across the library, at the books ... I found it peaceful. I understood why [she] said she liked going there. All those books. If there was that much worth writing about, there had to be something worthwhile in the world." (cross-posted)

02/12/2022

I'm assessing St. Louis hotels for this year's Be a Better Freelancer® conference. My first choice has great rates for the meeting space and refreshments/meals, but guest room rates are higher than I think many of you would find acceptable. I'll keep you posted!

01/07/2022

Good morning and happy new year - here's hoping it will be safe, healthy and profitable for colleagues!
The 2022 Communication Central/NAIWE/AAE "Be a Better Freelancer"® conference will be held in St. Louis this fall, rather than on the East Coast as we originally planned. There are several other conferences in that region this year for writers, editors, proofreaders and other editorial professionals, whether in-house or freelance, so the Midwest seems like a better opportunity for more colleagues to attend ours. Watch this space for info about dates, venue, topics and speakers!

12/12/2021

(cross-posted)
Heads up: The latest version of the apraxia writing scam is circulating, from someone claiming to be affiliated with Robert Half - that's a new twist. If you get an inquiry from anyone claiming to need an article written for a workshop or conference presentation because they have "a speech distorting condition called Apraxia," no matter who they claim to be and how much (they pretend) they'll pay, just delete, delete, delete.
(Details: https://americaneditor.wordpress.com/2020/12/07/the-apraxia-overpayment-scam-continues/,
https://americaneditor.wordpress.com/2020/08/21/on-the-basics-yet-another-scam-warning/,
https://americaneditor.wordpress.com/2020/09/09/on-the-basics-yet-another-scam-warning-2/.)

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Owner An American Editor Sigh … the creeps of the world just keep on trying. If only they’d apply all that energy, effort and — yes — occasional creativity to …

12/11/2021

I'm delighted to let colleagues know that there's a new An American Editor post from Geoff Hart, about creating effective outlines: https://americaneditor.wordpress.com/2021/12/11/creating-truly-effective-outlines/.

By Geoff Hart, Contributing Author Previously published at NAIWE website (www.naiwe.com) as Hart, G. 2021. Creating truly effective outlines. Editor’s note: This is a revised and expanded version o…

10/11/2021

Whew - an amazing two-and-a-half info-packed conference days are done and dusted! Thank you to our wonderful speakers and delightful participants. Here's to next year in person!

10/09/2021

Nice to know!

10/09/2021

Another excellent 2021 Be a Better Freelancer® session this morning - practical tips on valuing/pricing our work from "Dr. Freelance" Jake Poinier and about the writer's journey from Nicole Evelina. Time for a snack before this afternoon's session about websites with Kathie York, along with more great insights from Dick Margulis and Laura Briggs. Hoping the gods of technology will make it possible to use a video with lifestyle guru Pat Nogar.

10/08/2021

Woo-hoo: Day 1 of the 2021 Be a Better Freelancer® conference from Communication Central, NAIWE and the An American Editor blog has been great! Such a treat to have the presence and knowledge of wonderful colleagues Dick Margulis, Laura Briggs, Bennie Currie and Bradley J. Rayford. Onward to more excellent advice and resources tomorrow.
You can still register for tomorrow's full day of presentations and Sunday morning's session. Just go to www.naiwe.com/conference. Speaker, topic and schedule info is at www.communication-central.com.

Whether you’re new to freelancing or are already established and looking for ways to enhance your marketing efforts, techniques to find (more and better-paying) clients, help with tools of the trade such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat, networking resources, tips on making the most of social me...

10/05/2021

Three more days, three more days until this year's Be a Better Freelancer® conference! Be there or be square: www.communication-central.com!

Be a Better Freelancer Conference Gain unexpected solutions for your everyday workday. Meet colleagues who can answer your questions. Attend professional