The 2007 "Build Your Communications Business" Conference
We had a great time at the second annual "Build Your Communications Business" conference, held on September 28 & 29, 2007, in Rochester, NY, with two pre-conference workshops on Sept. 28 – one on Acrobat Pro 8 and one on information design – and a full day of conference programming on Sept. 29, featuring continental breakfast, an opening panel, two concurrent morning sessions, a networking luncheon, two sets of two concurrent afternoon sessions each, and a closing reception. There was a Business Development track and a Practical Skills track for each concurrent session timeframe. Topics included launching a business, marketing and promoting that business, onscreen editing techniques, writing for the Web, coping with work-related stress, and more. Popular Rochester-based presenters were joined by prestigious speakers from DC, Montreal, Seneca Falls and Poughkeepsie, representing the software powerhouse Adobe, maker of Acrobat, and a variety of communications businesses.
Lori DeFurio of Adobe has pre-conference workshop morning participants enthralled with Acrobat Pro 8 capabilities.
In the afternoon pre-conference workshop, Geoff Hart explains what it takes to design documents that people will use as you intended.
At the opening session, Victoria Posner outlines key business details of value to new and existing communications businesses.
Merry Bruns weighs ways to make Web content more effective.
Rich Adin explains how to make an editorial business a well-paying proposition.
Jill Marie shows off a lunch entree both elegant and delicious - the food was a big hit at this event!
Great giveaways!
Among the giveaways at this year's "Build Your Communications Business" conference were a signed copy of the new book by Word guru Hilary Powers, Making Word Work for You: An Editor's Intro to the Tool of the Trade, just published by the Editorial Freelancers Association (www.the-efa.org); a free subscription to Byline magazine from publisher Robbi Hess; a copy of Acrobat Pro8 courtesy of Adobe's Lori DeFurio; and custom chocolates and a variety of other promotional items from presenter Rich Adin, as inspiration for marketing a business. Packets included recent issues of the Editorial Eye newsletter and of Byline and the brand-new FPO magazines.
Handouts included these samples of promotional materials - a folder, bookmarks, business card and brochure - from tech business owner and editor Judy Shenouda:
Speakers
The 2007 conference featured business owner/marketing pro Rich Adin (www.Freelance-Editorial-Services.com) • Web-writing trainer Merry Bruns (www.sciencesitescom.com) • Lori DeFurio of Adobe • Tech writer and editor Geoff Hart (www.geoff-hart.com) • Business owner/editor Judy Shenouda (www.easescommunication.com) • Business coach Victoria Posner (www.bizplanrx.com) • and Communication Central co-owners Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) and Kat Nagel (www.masterworkconsulting.com). A special thank you to Victoria Posner, who provided nametags and tent cards for the event.
Adin • Bruns • DeFurio • Hart • Shenouda
About our speakers
Rich Adin has earned a mid-six-figure income from his copyediting services every year for the past 20 years. He started Freelance Editorial Services (FES; www.freelance-editorial-services.com) in 1984 as a part-time business to provide copy editing and desktop publishing services to publishers and has devoted full time to FES since 1991. In 2007, Adin formed wordsnSync Ltd to develop and market editorial enhancement services for freelancers, authors and publishers.
Merry Bruns of Washington, DC, is a renowned online content strategist, Web editor and Web-writing trainer who focuses on communicating Web content to readers clearly and effectively. As principal of ScienceSites Communications (www.sciencesites.com), she has been producing and editing websites since 1994 for business, government, educational and science organization clients.
Lori DeFurio (www.adobe.com) has worked with Adobe Acrobat software for more than 11 years at Adobe, first as a systems engineer involved with the sales team and then as the Acrobat/PDF technical evangelist. Now, she works closely with the Acrobat User Community, writing a blog at blogs. adobe.com/loridefurio and a column at www.acrobatusers.com, and traveling around the world to help people get the most out of Adobe Acrobat.
Geoff Hart (http://www.geoff-hart.com) of Montreal, Canada, is author of the new e-book, Effective onscreen editing: new tools for an old profession, and has been a fulltime independent consultant since 2004, providing developmental and substantive editing, with a specialization in the sciences. He has worked extensively with authors for whom English is a second language, as well as with government and corporate clients.
Kat Nagel is a tech writer/editor, computer coach, and the owner of MasterWork Consulting Services, a technical communications company that offers writing, editing, web development and computer coaching services (www.masterworkconsulting.com). She has worked with PayChex, Kodak, Xerox and other major players in technology. She is also co-owner of Communication Central (www.communication-central.com).
Victoria Posner, owner of BizPlan Rx (www.bizplanrx.com), runs business planning and financial management workshops for entrepreneurs; is a frequent speaker at Small Business Administration, Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, etc., events; and writes about small business. She has worked for Chase Manhattan Bank in commercial lending; designed training for the Treasury Department; and served on non-profit, small-business loan funds.
Before starting Shenouda Associates Inc. (www.easescommunication.com) in 1986, Judy Shenouda taught English and Language Arts at the secondary, post-secondary and college levels; provided academic support and career services at the college level; and worked as a freelance writer. She is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) and active in Toastmasters.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com), co-owner of Communication Central (www.communication-central.com), is an award-winning freelance writer and editor whose motto is "I can write about anything!"™; speaker on starting and managing a freelance writing/editing business, as well as other topics; author/publisher of a booklet on “Get Paid to Write! Getting Started as a Freelance Writer”; and author of “Getting Started as an Editorial Freelancer,” to be published this year by the Editorial Freelancers Association.
For a PDF of speaker bios, click here. For greater detail about these stellar presenters and their businesses, go to their individual websites, noted above.
Conference sessions (in alphabetical order)
A Practical Agenda for Dealing with Work-related Stress
Handling stress can be a real challenge for freelancers and business owners, especially when trying to balance the demands of your own business with those of family commitments. Get practical tips on reducing that stress and achieving that balance.
Business Strategies to Make a 6-Figure Income as an Editor
Get to the heart of the matter: the practical aspects of making more money as a communicator. Find out why it’s worth learning to use macros in editing; why the average editor makes more money than the best editor; what your service is really worth in today’s marketplace and ways to combat that reality; and why equipment and software matter.
Designing Documents that People Really Read and Use (pre-conference workshop; available separately)
Learn all about: how readers read, and the implications for writing; how viewers view, and the implications for graphics; the “art” and science of combining words and graphics; how to create effective visual designs; and how to confirm that those designs meet the needs of your audience.
Essence of Effective Editing
Transferring editing skills into the onscreen environment is often challenging. Ease your transition from paper and pick up proven tips and tricks to maximize productivity and effectiveness. This session is based on the new e-book, Effective onscreen editing, based on 20 years of experience as an editor and mentoring other editors.
Getting Over the Fear of Getting Business and Making Money
Learn the ins and outs of marketing, and how to overcome the fear of marketing. Open your eyes to essentials for marketing in today’s global market — the website, the domain and e-mail; what it takes to run a business as a business; and how to compete against off-shoring through smart marketing practices and collaboration.
Getting Started and Keeping Going - Do You Have What It Takes?
Learn about the personal characteristics essential for success, vital aspects of planning and setting up your business, finding markets and clients, financing basics, and more. Even those already in business will learn about ways to be more targeted, effective and profitable.
Making the Most of Acrobat Pro8 (pre-conference workshop; available separately)
The Acrobat software program from Adobe is one of the most valuable and increasingly widely used tools for editors and proofreaders, as well as graphic artists, tech writers and editors, secretaries and assistants - anyone responsible for producing and disseminating documents. Find out what Acrobat has to offer and how to make the most of it from Adobe “Evangelist” Lori DeFurio. There may be a drawing for a free copy of Acrobat Pro*!
Promoting Your Business
How do prospective clients and customers know you’re available for work? It takes more than a press release or website. Find out how to generate publicity about your business with creative peripherals – clever, practical and effective promotional items that can create, rev up and enhance an image, marketing efforts and branding for your business.
Writing (& Editing) for the Web
Writing for the World Wide Web is a specialized skill. Learn what it takes to write for websites and other kinds of Web-based communications – your own and those of your clients. Learn how – and why – to take content from print to Web, move to a Content Management Service, develop a new architecture, or make content scannable and readable.
Our 2006 conference
The first "Build Your Communications Business" conference, held September 29-October 1, 2006, in Rochester, NY, was a great success!
The 2006 conference featured presentations from Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-fed Writer, The Well-fed Writer: Back for Seconds and his newest, The Well-fed Self-Publisher; Hilary Powers, popular Microsoft Word® guru; business-development/marketing advisor Mary Anne Shew; tech writer/editor Kat Nagel; and freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter.