We enjoyed a great celebration of Words Matter Week in 2009, and look forward to an even bigger event in 2010. Watch this site for news!
Meanwhile, you’re welcome to browse through the 2009 event archive, and learn more about it.
Important Links
Join us for an exciting week of teleseminars, book giveaways, and a charity challenge for First Book. Best of all, it’s all free! Register in the right column to be eligible for drawings, then scroll down to read more…
Bloggers: We invite you to write a post on the idea that “words matter,” then visit the NAIWE NewsWire blog, where we’ve posted a Mr. Linky to help readers find all the related posts. We look forward to reading your thoughts!
We are lining up interesting speakers to talk about issues that are important to writers and editors (and readers, too). Here’s a peek at who we have so far:
John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books
John Kremer is an expert on book publishing and marketing. Besides being the owner of a publishing company (Open Horizons in Taos, New Mexico), he is the editor of the “Book Marketing Tip of the Week” newsletter. 
As a book promotion expert, John is the author of a number of books on publishing and marketing, including 1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers (6th Edition), The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook, High Impact Marketing on a Low Impact Budget, and Celebrate Today. He has also designed the Do-It-Yourself Book Publicity Kit, Book Publishing Reports on CD-Rom, and Book Marketing Mini-Book series.
Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-Fed Writer and The Well-Fed Self-Publisher
Peter Bowerman, a veteran commercial freelancer and business coach, is the author of the award-winning Book-of-the-Month Club selection, 
The Well-Fed Writer, and its companion volume, TWFW: Back For Seconds (both self-published; www.wellfedwriter.com). His books have become how-to “standards” on starting a lucrative commercial freelancing business – writing for businesses and for rates of $50-125+ an hour. He chronicled his self-publishing success (52,000 copies of his first two books in print and a full-time living for six-plus years) in his third book, the award-winning 2007 release, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living. www.wellfedsp.com.
Drawing: Peter has graciously donated a signed and slipcased set of both WFW titles (a.k.a. The Well-Fed Spread) as well as a copy of The Well-Fed Self-Publisher. Just add your name and e-mail to the e-zine list to be eligible for the drawings.
Linda Leigh Hargrove, Novelist: The Path to Publication
Linda Leigh Hargrove is a native of the Blacklands of North Carolina, a farm-rich portion of the northeastern corner of the state. Linda uses her southern roots as a springboard for many of her writings. She enjoys writing essays and fiction that include the personality of the state she loves.
Never one to let words like ‘underprivileged black girl’ define her, young Linda read constantly. That is, when she wasn’t exploring the backwoods of Creswell, North Carolina with her two older sisters, lots of cousins, and a’ plenty other animals. Creswell, dubbed a quaint farming village in the lower Dismal swamp, made her into a lover of words and color. One of many creative Leigh women, Linda also knits, crochets, and paints.
After graduating from North Carolina State University with a Masters in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, she worked for over four years as an environmental engineer for the State of North Carolina. That position gave her the chance to experience the character, humor, and bigness of the nation, but especially that of her favorite state.
Her fiction blends suspense, humor, and faith into compelling stories about race and class in America. Her published writings include two novels: The Making of Isaac Hunt (June 2007) and Loving Cee Cee Johnson (September 2008). In her spare time, she is a operates a Web and print design company. Linda currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and three sons. She blogs at 17seeds.com and UrbanFaith.com about her three favorite topics—biblical racial reconciliation, adoption, and fiction.
Tim McMullen: Top Technology Tips for Writers and Editors
Tim McMullen is the co-founder and managing partner of UltimIT Solutions, the company that offers a significant discount on technical support to NAIWE members. UltimIT Solutions operates an entirely U.S. based computer helpline. Computer technicians diagnose and resolve common hardware, software, and other related computer problems. The scope of service includes the computer hardware, antivirus, e-mail, operating systems, internet browsers, and Microsoft Office products. They also support issues with printers, iPods, digital cameras, digital phones, as well as many other consumer products.
Mr. McMullen has over 21 years experience in corporate planning, finance, product management, data analysis, consulting, customer service, sales, marketing, and product training. Most recently, Tim has spent the past 3+ years operating technology call centers. At their peak, one call center housed 18 analysts that supported over 300,000 customers. Previously, Tim has held positions in start-up and Fortune 150 companies which include Sabre, AirTran Airways, Mesaba Airlines, and Radixx International.
Tim is active in his community and is the treasurer of his daughters Brownie troop. He is a previous vice president and previous treasurer of his homeowners association. In his spare time, Tim enjoys playing golf, swimming and reading. Tim resides in Orlando, Florida with his wife, two daughters and five pets.
Ruth Thaler-Carter: Getting Started in Editorial Freelancing
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter has been editing and proofreading, as well as writing, professionally for more than 25 years. Her editing projects include books, magazines, newsletters and manuscripts for national, regional and local clients, and she has won awards for her newsletter editing from Editors Forum. She teaches a class on editing and proofreading for Writers and Books in her hometown of Rochester, NY, and presents workshops on getting started in editorial freelancing for a variety of professional organizations. Thaler-Carter is national newsletter editor for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and active in a number of other professional associations. She has written a booklet on getting started in editorial freelancing that will be published by the EFA sometime this spring.
Martha Brockenbrough of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG)![Martha Brockenbrough, author of Things that Make Us [Sic]](http://naiwe.com/images/martha-brockenborough.jpg)
Martha majored in English and Classics at Stanford, where she was editor in chief of the Stanford Daily. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, editor of MSN.com, and yes, a high school teacher. Martha is also the media expert for readergirlz.com, a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy and community service for teen girls. She writes the Mom & Pop Culture column for MSN. And as a columnist for the online encyclopedia MSN Encarta, she discovered she’s not the only one who cares about grammar and language.
She formed the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) in 2004, and now there are almost 13,000 members worldwide. She also founded National Grammar Day, which the United States celebrated for the first time on March 4, 2008. (The date doubles as an imperative—March forth on March 4—get it?)
![Things that Make Us [Sic] by Martha Brockenborough](http://naiwe.com/images/smallcover.jpg)
As soon as the note-worthy National Grammar Day (March 4) is past, we’ll be speaking with Martha Brockenbrough, author of the delightfully named Things That Make Us [Sic]. We’ll discuss SPOGG, National Grammar Day festivities, Things That Make Us [Sic], and other word-centered matters. There may be people who think grammarians are dull, but this lively session will dispel that myth. Don’t miss it!!
Susan Sheppard of Words Right: March Member of the Month for NAIWE
We’ll finish up Words Matter Week with a podcast of the interview with our March 2009 Member of the Month, copyeditor Susan Sheppard. More details to follow!
Please
register for the e-zine mailing list (enter your name and e-mail in the right column) as we’ll send out links to where you can listen to the calls and download the Words Matter 2009 Yearbook. That way, you won’t miss anything!
What is First Book?
First Book is a charity that provides new books to children in need. This highly-rated group has provided more than 60 million books to kids who may otherwise not own any books. As writers and editors, each of us has a vested interest in insuring that all children learn to love reading. Please join the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors team today, and give a child a new book!
What is National Words Matter Week?
National Words Matter Week is an annual, national observance sponsored by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors to highlight the value of words in communication. It takes place during the first full week in March.
How Can You Participate?
- Join us at the Words Matter Week event page at Facebook and become a fan
- Share an invitation with all the writers and editors you know
- Listen to the free teleseminars
- Donate to the cause of literacy with a gift to First Book
- Enjoy!
The winner of the $20 Amazon gift certificate was randomly chosen from a hat by NAIWE’s official feline representative, Olivia. Large fuzzy paws necessitated a couple of tries to extract only one name, but she finally settled on Sharon O’Brien Huey of the Sharontology blog, who will receive the gift certificate via e-mail.
