Opportunities in Writing for the Educational Market — by Christy Mihaly

Many of our readers who are writers have asked GROG to post more information about educational writing, or work for hire (WFH).  And no wonder: Getting paid to write? Knowing that your editor wants your manuscript and will get it published it on schedule? Not having to worry about promotion or marketing? What's not to like? 

In today's post, I'm passing along some choice tidbits from the world of Work for Hire: news of two upcoming events, and words of wisdom from a bevy of WFH veterans.

Opportunity Knocks! If you're interested in writing for the educational market, check out two excellent opportunities—a conference and a workshop—happening next month. I attended one of these in 2014, and the other last year, and I highly recommend both. Though they're quite different, both offer high quality instruction and a chance to make great connections. At both, I've met wonderful folks, learned tons about the market, and made contacts that led to book contracts.

In chronological order:

June 10-12: The 21st Century Children's Nonfiction Conference, now in its fourth year, is a three-day event offering a huge selection of workshops and panels on children's nonfiction.  It will be held this year at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. Topics range from new nonfiction formats and specialized niches to audiobooks and video markets. Workshops cover educational innovations, magazines, science standards, incorporating greater diversity, the publishing process, and how to find work. Co-chairs Sally Isaacs and Lionel Bender have recruited forty-plus faculty members, including established editors and agents, best-selling authors, book packagers, educators, librarians, and marketing gurus. There are opportunities for paid consultations on manuscripts and proposals; there's plenty of time to schmooze with other serious nonfiction writing professionals; and the atmosphere is exhilarating. Fellow GROGger Todd Burleson and I attended in 2014 and blogged about it here. 

June 19-23: The Highlights Foundation workshop, Writing for the Educational Market, is a five-day program taught by two seasoned educational writers, Jan Fields and Paula Morrow. Held at the idyllic facilities of the Highlights Foundation, it covers fiction and poetry as well as nonfiction. In this intimate setting, a select group of writers learns about the practicalities of working for hire (creating and sending out writing samples, juggling multiple assignments, evaluating contracts), the craft of educational writing (with writing exercises and individual critiques), and the details of WFH niches including writing leveled readers and test passages. This year, visits with special guest editors are scheduled. The invaluable personalized attention at this workshop includes an expert review of participants' resumes. And the price of admission includes optional morning yoga! Last summer, I gained a better understanding of the educational market, some great ideas for getting work, and a circle of excellent WFH friends and colleagues.

So if you can find room in your schedule and your budget, consider signing up, and prepare to learn from the masters.

Not convinced yet? Wait, I have more. I asked a group of WFH writers to answer two questions for GROG readers. Here are their generous replies:

 Q: What do you love about Work for Hire? 
The writers I surveyed agreed on several themes:

 
• Variety: Many writers enjoy switching back and forth between WFH and "passion writing." And there's lots of variety within the WFH work. Observes writer Jen Swanson: "I get to write about really cool technical topics in STEM. I get to work with a bunch of different editors  who have their own formats and structures, which I think makes me a better writer."

• Money: The money is less than we'd make collecting royalties on a best-seller, yes. But the pay is reliable and can be steady once we're receiving regular assignments. So if you want to make a living as a writer, WFH has great appeal.
• Clarity: With WFH, the writer knows precisely what the editors want. "What I like is that it's clear-cut," says writer and mentor Laura Purdie Salas. As she describes it, with work for hire, "many of the decisions are already made, and my job is to solve the puzzle of doing the best writing I can do that meets the criteria already set."
• Publication: With trade books, you write and submit, wait, get rejected, submit, wait, revise, wait (you get the picture). This process may eventually result in publication, but it often seems to take forever. Many of us can't stand the waiting and rejection. With WFH projects, when you submit a manuscript, you know that although you may need to revise, you'll see that book in print before your toddler hits high school.

• Educating kids: People who write for the educational market love knowing that their work is read by students and appreciated by teachers and librarians.

• Educating ourselves:  Many WFH writers cited the joy of learning about new subjects, including, as Joanne Gise Mattern says, topics "I would never investigate on my own." Author Lisa Amstutz adds, "I love research, especially when I come across interesting tidbits that I know kids will love."

Q: What are your top tips for writers new to Work for Hire?
I'll just let these experienced writers speak for themselves: 

Study catalogs and get to know other people who work in this niche. 

—Laura Purdie Salas 

Put together a great WFH package. Make sure you mention what topics you'd like to write about in your cover letter.  Your writing samples should reflect the age and topics you wish to write about. Most importantly, they need to "sparkle and shine", meaning they should be your best, most energetic, descriptive writing. The writing samples are what will land you the job!—Jennifer Swanson 

Identify potential markets and approach them as they request on their website.  —Jane Heitman Healy 

 My best advice for breaking in is to carefully study your target market and tailor your writing samples to their style. Your samples should reflect the age level and genre of the writing you want to do (e.g.,nonfiction picture books, middle grade fiction, etc.) 

—Lisa Amstutz

 My top tips would be to research and investigate new markets and network, network, network with other writers and editors! Word of mouth is an amazing tool to finding new jobs.
—Joanne Gise Mattern 

And on that note, about-to-be published writer Annette Whipple shared this inspirational tale about getting her WFH start at the 21^st Century Children’s Nonfiction Conference: 

As an unpublished writer, I was thankful to make a contact through the 21st Century Children's Nonfiction Conference. I sent her my resume and writing samples. A couple months later she asked if I wanted to write a book about insects. I only knew the general topic, word count, due date, and payment. But I said "yes," and the editor explained the specific topic and more detailed requirements for the book. I researched and wrote it in less than two months. Insects as Producers will be out in August. 

Congratulations, Annette!

For Further Reading: 

Writing for the Education Market provides an excellent community forum and job board. 

Evelyn Christensen generously compiles and updates an online list of Educational Markets for Children's Writers. 

At Mentors for Rent, Laura Purdie Salas and Lisa Bullard offer many resources including a how-to book for writers, Writing for the Educational Market.

And here are past GROG pieces introducing the basics of the educational market, and sharing more WFH stories: 

• Tina Cho's 2014 informative posts about writing for the educational market, parts one and two; plus her review of Nancy I. Sanders' instructional book, here, and her interview with Ev Christensen, here.

• Kathy Halsey's February 2016 interview with Lisa Amstutz.

• My 2015 interview with Jen Swanson about her book Brain Games.

• Patty Toht's interview with moi, about my WFH experience with the NGK Junior Ranger Activity Book.

• Finally, if you write articles and other short pieces, these GROG posts cover magazine writing (parts one and two) and other possibilities for writing for money.

Kids' Nonfiction and Work-for-Hire ~ by Patricia Toht

On February 9, the world welcomed this book:

The Junior Ranger Activity Book
is available here and here.

It's a book of facts, games, puzzles and fun about the U.S. National Parks -- terrific for traveling families. And a GROGger is one of its authors!

Congratulations to...

Who better to co-write a book about the great outdoors than an author who is so at home there?

I had a chance to speak with Christy about her experiences writing the book:

Congratulations on the JUNIOR RANGER ACTIVITY BOOK, Christy!

Thanks, Patty. I was so pleased to see this book in print after months of working on various electronic and pdf versions of the manuscript. It's available online at the National Geographic website, as well as local booksellers and online sellers.

How did you come to write it? Do you have an agent who arranged it? Did you write a proposal to National Geographic Kids?

I wrote the book under contract with a book packager. There's no author credit given, but I felt fortunate to be part of the team.

How did it happen? I attended a Highlights Foundation nonfiction writing workshop in 2013, and there I learned about the option of working with a book packager. Basically, publishers contract with packagers to produce books they want -- mostly specific nonfiction titles. The packagers find the writers. Lionel Bender, founder of Bender Richardson White (a book packager), presented at the workshop. I was really impressed with his description of the work he does, and it sounded like an excellent option for getting my work published. I sent my resume to him (in England!), and nearly two years after the workshop, he asked if I would be interested in this project.

National Geographic Kids originated the concept for the book, and they asked Bender Richardson White to hire the writers.

So, NGK + BRW = a sweet writing job for CM!



Can you give our readers an insight into work-for-hire?

With work-for-hire, a writer is hired to perform a specific task for a set fee. With a book, the publisher sets the subject, length, word count, etc. Writers can work directly for the publisher or a packager, and contracts vary. My contract specified my hourly rate, deadlines, and deliverables for writing outlines, reports and text. In most arrangements, a writer is paid a fee upfront, rather than receiving royalties.

How did you go about researching the book?

Well, sad to say, I didn't get a travel budget! My research was through books and online sources. National Geographic also has a vast amount of information about national parks, and I utilized that.


What was your favorite part of working on the book?

I loved learning about the history of the parks, and so many odd animal facts! It was a great deal of fun seeing the book come to life as the photographs were collected and the text was incorporated into the books design. I also really enjoyed coming up with quiz questions, and the wrong answers for the multiple choice questions.

Christy's dog, Cheddar, is very supportive!

What draws you to writing about nonfiction?

I like all kinds of writing, but I particularly enjoy turning factual material into fun, interesting stories that appeal to kids. If even one child reads something I wrote and learns from it, how cool is that??

What advice do you have for aspiring authors of kids' nonfiction?

•  If you're interested in doing work-for-hire, check out the educational market. Laura Purdie Salas offers a very helpful book about this market, along with other resources. You can find all of her books for writers here.

• Regardless of what you want to write, I'll share the same advice I've heard more than once:

Know your market -- read, read, READ!

Hone your craft -- write, write, WRITE!

Find a critique group, preferably one with 

other writers in your genre -- revise, revise, REVISE!

Go to conferences -- network, network, NETWORK!

• Enhance your credentials as a subject matter expert through further education in your field, volunteer work, and publishing short pieces in your specialized area.

• Attend conferences that focus on nonfiction, like the 21st Century Children's Nonfiction Conference. For insights into the conference, see this GROG post.

• Check out other GROG posts about nonfiction and educational markets by Tina Cho, Sherri Jones River's interview of Miranda Paul, and an interview with Nancy I. Sanders.

Christy with Marc and Abby

Thank you for all of the terrific information, Christy. I can't wait for your Spring, 2017 rhyming picture book! And good luck with your middle grade nonfiction proposal that is making the rounds. 

For more about Christy Mihaly, check out her website here, 
*especially the section for Educational Publishers, where Christy presents her credentials for writing nonfiction.*

The 2014 21st Century Children's Nonfiction Conference (by Todd Burleson and Christy Mihaly)

 

As I write these words, close to one hundred people are making their way back to Wisconsin, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey the U.K. and many more locations.  My mind is still spinning with the new connections, opportunities and possibilities that I was introduced to at the second annual 21st Century Children's Nonfiction Conference in New Paltz, NY. 

 

The Glass Atrium at SUNY New Paltz by Todd Burleson

The conference is the brain child of Lionel Bender and Sally Isaacs. Their mission statement perfectly framed this conference.

 I learned about the conference through the the WOW Nonfiction Writing Group on Facebook.  I had no concept of what to expect, but came with an open mind and an eager heart.  I was curious about the many new ways that nonfiction material is being published: apps, games, e-books, enhanced e-books, etc.  I was also eager to have the chance to meet fellow GROGger Christy Mihaly in the flesh.  We teamed up to reflect a bit on the conference.

 

By Christy Mihaly

 

From the beginning, the workshops were different from any I had experienced at other conferences.  I first attended a three hour intensive workshop from three phenomenal authors, Julie Hedlund, Steve Swinburne and  Carolyn Yoder. Listening to each of these individuals speak about their work was a terrific way to begin the conference.  Julie shared her journey through the myriad of publishing paths.  Steve showed how the NF Picture Book market has continued to evolve and Carolyn helped us see that NF is alive and well.  

 

By Christy Mihaly

The second annual 21st Century Children's Non Fiction Conference truly did bring all parties together.  There were individuals at this conference from Pearson and Capstone (large educational publishing companies) to small start-up app developers like The Green Door Labs.  What made this conference unique to me was that every one of these people was accessible.  I had dozens of opportunities to speak with any one of them.  The relaxed 'down time,' spread throughout the day over iced tea breaks or delicious lunch or dinners, allowed a new author like myself to talk with these industry leaders.   

By Christy Mihaly

I spoke with Lionel and Sally about the conference.  They shared a bit more insight about their philosophy and goals of bringing all those in the industry together in one place.  "None of us has all the answers," Lionel said.  This was even seen in the structure of the sessions.  Almost all of the session were led by pairs of presenters.  This allowed participants to see a variety of perspectives and fostered an opportunity for the presenters to play off one another too.

By Christy Mihaly

While always hoping to expand the conference, Lionel and Sally spoke passionately about the need for it to remain intimate and relaxed.  

The Atrium at Night by Todd Burleson

What struck me most about the conference was the range of attendees.  I met people who did all manner of jobs associated with nonfiction writing.  There were people here who wrote for the educational testing markets.  I had dinner with someone who is a photo researcher.  There were archivists, fact checkers, photographers, illustrators, marketers, indexers (someone who actually creates indexes for NF work) and so many more.   SCBWI conferences are fantastic, but, the majority of those conferences are focused on fiction.  This conference truly responds to the needs of nonfiction creators.

 

The Atrium by Todd Burleson

As a newer writer, I admit, I 'saw' publishing a picture book as my 'end game.'  Even though I had outstanding advice and guidance from Christy on this here blog, it wasn't until I sat down with Lou Warnycia to review one of my manuscripts, that I even thought about possibly writing for a magazine.  Lou enjoyed my manuscript (which was structured for a NF picture book) and suggested that I think about crafting it into a magazine piece.  I honestly didn't know you could do that.  In my mind, I thought once a story was published in a magazine, it could not be 'used' in another form.  Shows how 'new' I am right?  In fact, the 'story' I would write for Cobblestone or Cricket would be totally different from what I might submit to a publisher to be made into a picture book.  In fact, Lou shared a fantastic story with me about an author who had done exactly that.  To say I left my manuscript consultation with Lou on cloud nine is an understatement.  I was thrilled!

And so, as my colleagues slowly trickle back into their homes, I remain here at New Paltz for one more night.  I'm still trying to put all the pieces into the appropriate places in my mind.  One thing is for sure, I hope to come back next year! 

Hi, it's Christy here, back at home sitting on my front porch with hubby, dog, and laptop, catching up and trying to update my contacts files!  

I second Todd's remarks about the great content and connections at 21CCNC.  In a very full weekend, I learned about opportunities I hadn't realized were out there -- writing for tests, writing for hire, the educational market, magazines I hadn't known about, new online publications -- and they all need writers. I particularly loved having a chance to look over the many books, in many new formats, from the educational publishers. 

I caught up with NF writer buddies (Hi Sue Heavenrich!), made new friends from the NF-for-kids world -- and what a treat to actually meet FaceBook writer colleague and fellow GROGger, Todd Burleson. The campus setting was nostalgic and appropriate -- it felt like a great place to learn!  As with all conferences, it was both exhausting and inspiring.  And now, it's time for me to go incorporate a few pointers and critique suggestions into my pending manuscripts.  Hope to see some of you next year in New Paltz!