I wanted to share with you today some things I learned at our International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) meeting last week from our guest speaker Carol Daniel of KMOX radio here in St. Louis.
The seven Cs of communication is a list of principles for written and spoken communications to ensure that they are effective. The seven Cs are
- clear
- correct
- complete
- concrete
- concise
- considered
- courteous
Other notes:
- Does your message/story matter?
- Does it move people?
- Does it break through?
- Does it carry any weight at all?
- Your target is shell shocked from everything that has been going on.
- Say what needs to be said.
- We are all powerful as individuals and should speak truth. Once we do, it is out there and our job is done. It is up to the receiver to do with it what they will. But we have spoken the truth and that is very important.
Nicole Evelina is a USA Today bestselling author and biographer who writes historical fiction, nonfiction, and women’s fiction. Her six books have won more than 40 awards, including four Book of the Year designations. Nicole was named Missouri’s Top Independent Author by Library Journal and Biblioboard as the winner of the Missouri Indie Author Project in 2018, and she has been awarded the North Street Book Prize and the Sarton Women’s Book Award. One of her novels, Madame Presidentess, was optioned for film.
Reporters typically connect with a source once, get what they need, and go on their way to write a story. Sometimes you have to revise a story based on your editor’s suggestions. What happens when you don’t just need to edit, but have to ask a source for additional information? Maybe you realize you didn’t have everything you needed once you start writing the story, or your editor comes back with more questions during the revision process. Either way, returning to a source for more information can be tricky.
Kristen Fischer is a copywriter and journalist living at the Jersey Shore. She worked as a reporter and copyeditor for Gannett before launching her full-time freelance business in 2005. Her work has been published in Parents, New Jersey Monthly, Prevention, Woman’s Day, SheKnows, and Healthline.
One of the most frustrating parts of being a freelance journalist aside from the actual writing is finding editors to pitch your work to. I’ve grappled with this for years, and I think I always will. Why? Editors frequently leave their posts. Not every editor informs you they are leaving, or who their replacement will be. You’re often left in the dust. This is kind of how the business rolls.
One could argue that film, the precise blend of dialogue, visuals, special effects, and music, is the ultimate form of communication. As a screenwriter (doing my small part to create films), appropriately understanding and applying the English language plays a huge role: especially when it comes to expressing character thought with accurate and realistic dialogue. As society turns to technology for everyday needs, the English language will continue to adapt and eventually become the ultimate universal language. As a professional screenwriter, I hope to blend the English language with technology and convey heart-felt stories to diverse audiences, worldwide.
Ashley Henyan is a digital marketing consultant, a freelance writer, and the executive director for the American Red Cross of Lowcountry South Carolina. Previously, she held leadership roles in digital communications and media relations with the Red Cross (the 2017 Harris Poll Non-profit Brand of the Year). Ashley has-developed curriculum and trained hundreds of staff and volunteers across the United States in courses like Leveraging Your Story on LinkedIn and Social Media Story Telling. She has been invited to discuss social media marketing and brand visibility on various podcasts and with local and national associations. Ashley has played an integral part in award-winning social media campaigns including honorable mention recognition with the PR Daily Content Marketing Awards and numerous Silver Telly Awards for Branded Content. She holds a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in English and creative writing with a concentration in screenwriting from Southern New Hampshire University. Ashley’s work as a ghostwriter has appeared in national and international publications including Yahoo News, China Global Television Network, and The CEO Magazine.
Not since the advent of the internet — or perhaps the printing press — have writers experienced as much turmoil as they have in recent years. The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 has spawned myriad “writing platforms” that purport to write copy in the blink of an eye. As this new technology has entered the market, Google has rolled out update after update, which has caused many websites that hired writers to craft search engine–optimized copy to slow their hiring or reduce writing quotas. The result is a shrinking freelance market at a time when writers need more and better-paying gigs just to keep pace with inflation.
Now comes the hard part: finding a profitable micro niche. How do you find a micro niche to specialize in?
Jeanne Grunert is the president and founder of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency. She is an award-winning writer and direct marketing expert with over 30 years of writing, marketing, and business experience. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education, Teachers College Columbia University, The College Board, and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in writing and an M.S. in direct and digital marketing (awarded with distinction) from New York University, as well as certifications in social media marketing, content marketing, and adult education. Originally from the New York City area, Jeanne currently resides with her husband, John, and many pets on a 17-acre farm in rural Virginia. When not leading marketing teams through her work at Seven Oaks Consulting, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and writing mystery novels.
A funny thing happened on the way to editing a large manuscript for a friend and book publisher . . . A case of first impressions — not good ones — ended the editing effort before the end of the first chapter . . . section . . . it was hard to tell. The submission had come from someone who was not a writer but the publisher was anxious to acquire the subject matter for publication. This meant, for me, a book doctoring job more than an edit, but it was proposed as a straight edit, sight unseen, and thus the rate to do the edit was less than half the lowest going rate, largely as a favor to the publisher, who happens to be otherwise quite visionary and aggressive in what he chooses to publish. But the manuscript was in bad shape on arrival and impossible to follow. Even after being informed of the problems, the publisher wanted me to take a shot at a fix. When it takes months to plow through one “chapter” of the book of undefined scope, it is not an editing gig. This book forced me to wear two hats: developmental and copy editor — in basic terms — a book doctor with a patient on life support.
Each of us has our own unique story. Our memories can evoke a wide range of emotions. They can bring a smile and remind us of a time when we were particularly happy. Other memories can bring tears, especially when they are memories of a broken heart.
Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen)
You hear about the amazing memoir everyone’s reading, that book at the top of the New York Times best-seller list for months, but you don’t really want to read it. Best-selling memoirs can throw you off track with your own writing
Suzanne Sherman is an author, book and magazine editor, and writing and publishing coach and consultant. She specializes in memoir and nonfiction and offers a weekly memoir writing class on Zoom. Her latest book is Girlhood in America: Personal Stories 1910-2010.
The author sits down to write their memoir, relying on journals written over a period of years, copious notes, vision boards, and an outline. They open a blank document, ready to begin, pulling from their memory as they write their opening scene. But suddenly they make a daunting realization, one that stops them mid-sentence. July 6 was a Tuesday, right? Or was it a Thursday? And was Grandma Jean the one who knocked the cake over or was it Aunt Susan? Writing comes to a standstill as the author grapples with these questions, unable to proceed due to a fear of sharing anything but the truth.
Jennia Herold D’Lima is a full-blown logophile. She joined her high school’s newspaper in ninth grade, winning statewide awards for her writing, and expanded her journalism skills by continuing to write and edit throughout her high school years and as a college freshman. While earning her BA in psychology (and minoring in cultural anthropology with a focus on precolonial Mesoamerica) and her MA in applied developmental psychology, her writing and editing naturally skewed toward all things academic. Writing for and publishing in peer-reviewed journals, editing papers for classmates, and writing parenting resource guides honed her research skills. Jennia joined multiple professor-led research groups and completed four internships throughout her academic career. After graduating with a master’s, she worked at a national nonprofit in Washington, DC, and as an assistant researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. Jennia gradually transitioned to full-time editing. She enjoys traveling, volunteering, and taking creative photos of books and book-related items in those rare moments when she is not reading or editing.
It’s a murder mystery fantasy romance with a Christian theme perfect for all ages in the general and Christian markets.
Karin Beery is a published author and editor with experience in traditional and self-publishing, freelance editing, and editing for publishers. She is an active member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, as well as a PEN Institute instructor. Her specialty is substantive fiction editing with an emphasis in romance and women’s fiction.