I take my professional development as a freelance writer very seriously. Writing is my profession, and I owe it to myself and my clients to be as well-educated and informed as possible.
I learned about style guides in school, and have familiarized myself with and utilized Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook, as well as individual style guides required by some of my employers. In fact, these three style guides live on the bookcase next to my computer for easy reference.
As marketing and writing trends evolve to accommodate the new world of the Internet, I continue to keep myself educated about these trends and the potential inherent in the Web. I own (and recommend) The New Rules of Marketing and PR for people who are unfamiliar with the ways that the Web is constantly changing the face of marketing.
Much of my writing is Web writing, so I've taken certificate programs and courses about SEO and online marketing. I also write marketing and Web content constantly, which gives me an opportunity to utilize and develop these skills. Finally, both for my own edification and as research for articles I've written for clients, I continually research trends and the current rules of SEO, since SEO practices change regularly as search engine analytics change.
Everything I learn as I write for various clients gives me a better base from which to begin new projects. Currently, I regularly write content in the following industries:
Because I regularly write content in these industries, I am constantly researching and developing my knowledge base about these subjects. I also write about other subjects, or specific subsets of these subjects, and find it easy to apply my research skills to quickly and thoroughly learn about a topic so that I can write authoritative and informative articles and reports.
Finally, I'm a member of Grub Street, a Boston-based writing organization. Grub Street holds classes, seminars and conferences on a regular basis. I attend the annual conference to keep on top of industry trends, and have attended several classes and workshops to refine my writing skills.