Guest: NAIWE's Executive Director April Michelle Davis From thoughts of starting a business all the way to hanging your sign “open for business!” As you prepare to become a professional freelancer, there are many things to consider such as the type of business and the protection it will offer to business tax preparations and correctly estimating quarterly payments to accurate record keeping and project status.

Guest: NAIWE’s Executive Director April Michelle Davis It takes more than good writing skills, a sharp eye for typos, a love of reading, the ability to alphabetize, a cellphone camera, etc., to be a successful writer, editor, proofreader, indexer, graphic artist, or any other freelancer. Succeeding means taking seriously the concept of being in business. You can be brilliant at what you do and still fail if you don’t

Guest: Conference Speaker Bennie Currie For colleagues already established or approaching retirement age, it’s vital to have a strong financial plan and retirement options in mind before they are needed. Find out how to build a more-secure future for yourself and your freelance business in this practical session.

Guest: Conference Speaker Bradley Rayford, Jr. Using visual tools to enhance a business is becoming more important. Learn how to create videos and podcasts that will go beyond the traditional ways to promote your freelance business — and may increase your profits by adding to the services you provide to clients. This webinar will encourage freelancers who are doing audio to expand to also do video!

NAIWE's Conference Speaker Carolyn HaleyMore and more authors are publishing their own novels these days, whether solo or through a service. Most of them want—and need—editors just as much as their traditionally published peers, but there’s no formal infrastructure to support them, making indie publishing a free-for-all for both authors and editors. This session will address your questions about being an independent

NAIWE's Conference Speaker Dick MargulisOpportunities for an editor to break into traditional book publishing are vanishing, but they continue to expand rapidly in self-publishing. Independent publishing is now an established and accepted part of the publishing industry. In this session, you will learn how to help your independent author–publisher clients produce the high-quality books they want. Learn how you can wo

Guest: Conference Speaker Dick Margulis Independent authors often expect freelance communications professionals to design and lay out their books. Get the basics of using InDesign to provide effective, attractive, readable typography, and layout through a software demonstration where you will leave prepared to work on projects created in InDesign.

NAIWE's Conference Speaker Dick Margulis Self-publishing authors have become one of the biggest, and often best, potential clients for freelancers, especially editors, proofreaders, indexers, illustrators, photographers, and book designers. Working with these clients often means shepherding them through the publishing process. In this webinar, discover how to manage this potentially profitable side of freelancing.

Guest: Conference Speaker Jake Poinier No matter how long a freelancer has been in business, setting or negotiating rates is a constant challenge. Get the lowdown on this elemental aspect of freelancing to keep from undervaluing your business, skills, and experience!

NAIWE's Conference Speaker Katherine Pickett With the continuing surge in self-publishing, more and more editors find themselves working with self-publishing authors, and many of them have no idea how the publishing process works. Although many editors have worked with writers for a long time, the needs of self-publishers are different, and anticipating those needs is key to good results.

Guest: NAIWE’s Business of Writing Expert Laura Pennington Briggs Making a good living as a freelancer is a challenge, especially nowadays. Discover what today’s six-figure freelancers have in common and learn how to search, negotiate, and maximize your revenue and profits as you build a successful business as a freelancer.

Guest: NAIWE’s Business of Writing Expert Laura Pennington Briggs It isn’t enough to launch your freelance business and do good work; you also have to let the world know that you exist, what you offer, and how to find you — and keep those messages going. That often means having a strong presence on LinkedIn, which is retaining its position as the lead platform for business networking, visibility, and connections.

Guest: Conference Speaker Nicole Evelina Learn how to know if your book idea is likely to appeal to traditional publishers and whether your self-published book is likely to reach readers. Topics will include gatekeepers in traditional publishing, genre trends, perennial bestselling topics, the importance of platform, and how to find an idea that not only appeals to you but fills a gap in the marketplace.

NAIWE's Conference Speaker Ruth Thaler-Carter After your freelance business has been up and running for a while, it’s time to think about how to make it more successful. Should you offer additional services? Look for new sources of clients? Get more training? Become more visible? Learn about ways to “grow” your business from Ruth Thaler-Carter, who has expanded her freelance business from writing only to providing...

Guest: Conference Speaker Ruth Thaler-Carter As the public becomes more aware of the value of including diverse voices in all types of editorial work, freelancers can respond by helping their clients ensure that projects are both inclusive and sensitive. These tips will strengthen any freelancer’s business by providing ways to make their and their clients’ work diverse, inclusive, equitable, and sensitive.

Guest: Conference Speaker Ruth Thaler-Carter No matter what kind of freelance, consulting, entrepreneurial or other business you’d like to have (or enhance), achieving success will involve many of the same techniques and processes. Find out what you need to know and do to get your business off to a strong start and keep it rolling.

NAIWE's Conference Speaker Ruth Thaler-Carter If you’re thinking about launching a freelance communications business, there’s a lot to do before making your plans known to the world and in your first few months of business. Get the basics of structuring and announcing your freelance writing, editing, proofreading, indexing, website, book production, graphics, or other publishing-related business from a freelancer...

Guest: Conference Speakers Ruth Thaler-Carter and Kathie York Every freelancer needs a website to be found, vetted, and hired, but you need a site that’s easy to use and makes the most of your skills and experience while building credibility and brand. Learn why and how to create (or improve) a site, content and design essentials, and examples, and discover why websites aren’t just about bots and search engines.