Tag: Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

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Capitalizing on Conferences

head shot of authorBy Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

[The 2016 STC Summit, May 15–18, is only days away. If you can’t be in Anaheim, you can still participate live with the virtual track option of ten selected sessions on May 16 and 17, but preregistration is required before May 11. In this article, Ruth looks at how freelancers can market themselves at conferences—even if they can’t attend.]

Now that colleagues have learned from Geoff Hart and others how to survive a large conference, and how to network, I’d like to look at how to capitalize on attending such events, whether in person or otherwise. (Yes, you can have a conference presence without actually being there!)

Conferences are expensive, time-consuming, and potentially exhausting, so why attend? Because not only are they opportunities to learn or enhance skills, they are potential goldmines of new clients and referrals from colleagues.  Continue reading “Capitalizing on Conferences”

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How to Start Freelancing and Find Work

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, www.writerruth.com head shot of author

[Editor’s Note: Ruth Thaler-Carter will be one of three panelists in a special webinar on “First-Year Questions,” cohosted by STC and a partner organization, the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), to be held on Thursday, January 21, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST. The webinar is free and open only to STC and AIIP members. Register here.

Ruth will also present an STC webinar, “Basics of Editing and Proofreading,” on Wednesday, February 10, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST.]

Starting out in freelancing and finding work go hand in hand. Here are some of the ways that I find freelance writing, editing, proofreading, and other projects. Continue reading “How to Start Freelancing and Find Work”

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When Is the Right Time to Launch a Freelance Tech Communications Business?

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, www.writerruth.com
head shot of author

Moving from the apparent security of a full-time job—I say “apparent” because there really is no such thing as job security any more—to the risks and rewards of freelancing can be exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. For many colleagues, the hardest part of freelancing is simply making the decision to go for it on a full-time basis. You may have done, or thought about doing, some freelance tech communications work on the side, but knowing when to make freelancing your full-time lifestyle can be tricky. Continue reading “When Is the Right Time to Launch a Freelance Tech Communications Business?”