Work-for-Hire: The Joys and Challenges from One Writer’s Perspective

Meet Kara Laughlin, Children’s Nonfiction Author

By Julie Phend

Kara Laughlin with her books  Photo by Jim Ferry

Kids love fact-filled books they can read themselves! While these books are a huge piece of a young child’s reading experience, their authors often go unsung because the publisher has contracted them as work-for-hire.

Meet Kara Laughlin, who has been writing books for children on a work-for-hire basis for the past ten years. Kara is the author of over fifty nonfiction children’s books, including Sparkle and Shine! Trendy Earrings, Necklaces, and Hair Accessories for All Occasions, a series called In the Deep Blue Sea (as Juniata Rogers), and Guitars and Recorders.  

I asked Kara to share the joys and challenges of her work and give us some advice on how to get started in this field.

GROG: How would you define contract writing?
KARA: Contract writing, or work-for-hire (WFH) is when a publisher hires an author to do a specific job for a flat fee, which pays for the work and all rights. For me, contract writing has meant the publisher tells me about a project they’ve designed. Sometimes they give me sample texts to emulate. Other times, they specify what they’re looking for in a contract or spec sheet. All of my work has been in nonfiction, but there are WFH opportunities for fiction writers as well.

GROG: How did you get your start?

KARA: In 2009, an online friend needed to turn down a book contract from a publisher who wanted someone to write about craft for children. I had a craft business, so I got in touch. I didn’t get the job. A year later I got an email from an editor at Capstone Publishing, offering me the opportunity to write craft books for them. They’d saved my name all that time!

GROG: What topics and age groups have you written about? How many books have you published?

KARA: I’ve written for all ages from tween to kindergarten on a broad range of topics: animals, weather, sports, crafts, and most recently, a set of phonics books. I have 52 books currently published, plus two coming out this fall, and a contract for six more. When I started, my husband joked that someday I’d be the author of 100 books. I laughed. Now it looks like it could happen.

PROS AND CONS

GROG: What are the particular challenges of WFH/contract writing?

KARA: It can be a lot of work—and if an editor wants changes, you have to make them. You work under tight deadlines, which you absolutely must meet, and you have to write according to the brief, so there’s not much room for creative flights.

It’s also important to write to the specified reading level, and it can be difficult and time consuming to distill down complicated information using one- and two-syllable words. But that’s a challenge I find satisfying. 

You have no control over the final product. A couple of my craft books arrived with completely new projects swapped in, and there was nothing I could do about it. 

On a personal level, I sometimes let contract work get in the way of my own creative work. And I get the impression that, in some circles, this kind of writing "doesn't count." It's not a high status or glamorous gig. 

GROG: What are some of the joys/satisfactions?

KARA: There are so many!

It's thrilling when I find the perfect way to explain a difficult concept in five one-syllable words. It can lead to moments of poetry. That's what this writing reminds me of most--formal poetry. You have all these constraints, but they force you to find creative solutions. And that's so satisfying!

I also love learning about new things. Sometimes, I annoy my family with trivia from my research. I wrote a series on sea creatures, which led to some pretty interesting dinners as I talked about all the brutal and disgusting ways invertebrates hunt for and eat their prey.  

But I think the real reason my heart leaps up when I see a new contract is that this work feels important. There was a moment when I realized, “Some first-grader is going to pick this book up, and it might be the first time s/he learns about this topic.” That feels like a profound, meaningful way to spend my writing time.

The best surprise is when a child excitedly says, “I read your book! I got it from the library!”

GROG: How can a writer break into the WFH market?

KARA: Many school/library publishers are open to working with new writers. Check their websites for how to apply. Usually, they want a resume, cover letter and writing sample. The sample doesn’t have to be published, but it should be appropriate to the age you want to write for, and in a subject you are qualified to write about.

I GOT THE CONTRACT—NOW WHAT?

GROG: Talk about what to do when the contract comes.

KARA: The first thing to do is to sign the contract and send it back to the editor. Often your contract will pay you 50% on signing and 50% on completion. If so, you should send an invoice right away.

Then, get those due dates on your calendar!

 If you have more than one title to deliver, find out if your editor prefers them spread out or all at once. If you’re contributing to a series with other authors, make sure you understand the voice they want and any structure/content issues that must be consistent. Be sure you know what age group you’re writing for.

GROG: What steps do you take to complete the assignment? 

KARA: After signing the contract and invoicing the publisher, I make a work schedule. Deadlines for this kind of work are tight. Typically, I have about three months, even for a six- or twelve-book project. I put in the due date and work backwards, making my last title “due” a week or two before the deadline. I add dates for rough draft completion, research completion, and writing the back matter.

Next, I research the subject and take notes. Usually, I learn about three times as much as I'll need, but I want to really understand the topic.

Then I write a rough draft in my own words. It’s typically twice as long as it needs to be and at a reading level far above the intended readership.

Finally, I pare it down and simplify the language, editing and re-editing until I’m satisfied.

GROG: What advice would you give writers to succeed in this business?

KARA: Be thorough in your research, and be a perfectionist when it comes to saying exactly what’s true. You can’t sacrifice the truth to your reading level or your word count. Be pleasant and on time. Publishers need to know that you can take feedback, that you’re meticulous about research, and you can write to deadline.

GROG: How can a contract writer build a business?

Photo by Lori Munro

KARA: It’s very possible to do school visits with these books. Nonfiction is huge in schools right now, and teachers appreciate having published authors come in and reaffirm what they’ve been telling their kids: choose your sources well, edit and re-edit, know how to tell truth from fiction. Because there is no royalty agreement, I charge for school and library visits. 




Getting more work from publishers is just a matter of delivering an excellent manuscript on time and putting yourself out there.

GROG: I asked Kara to recommend some resources for people getting started. Here are a few of her favorites:

ATOS analyzer at Renaissance Learning for checking your reading level: http://www1.renaissance.com/Products/Accelerated-Reader/ATOS/ATOS-Analyzer-for-Text?_ga=1.208381202.1847700047.1462218617

Hemmingway online for real-time approximate reading level. http://hemingwayapp.com/

Rebecca Langston George has a wonderful article on considering work-for-hire: http://mandywallace.com/work-for-hire/

This list of work-for-hire publishers by Evelyn Christensen. http://www.evelynchristensen.com/markets.html She also has a great list of resources here: http://www.evelynchristensen.com/markettips.html

Thank you, Kara, for sharing your work with us!

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.

Interested in Writing Nonfiction? Lisa Amstutz on Process & the Gardening Guides series by Kathy Halsey

        I first met Ohio writer Lisa Amstutz via SCBWI and the WOW Retreat. We were driving buddies from Columbus to the Georgia mountains, so we bonded. She was my navigator and today she'll navigate us us through how to write nonfiction that sells. Check out her web page and new Gardening Guide series, too! 

How did you get the idea for your newest series, Gardening Guides series: Creative Gardening, IndoorGardening, Enchanted Gardening, and Edible Gardening?

Like many of my books, these were assigned by the publisher (Capstone Press). They know I am particularly interested in science and agriculture-related topics, so it was a good fit. I was excited to write these books because part of my mission as a writer is to help connect kids with nature. What better way to do that than by planting a garden?!

You are quite a prolific writer with 40+ titles to your credit. How did you get started in this aspect of NF and how do you generate new projects?

I first learned about writing for the educational market at an SCBWI workshop, and then took a course on it with Laura Purdie Salas. She now offers the same material in an e-book. Basically, I sent a resume, cover letter, and writing samples to a number of educational market publishers, and eventually, one of them called me. I continue to send out packets now and then, and get in touch with editors when work gets slow to see if there is any way I can be of assistance. I occasionally propose new series as well. 

     On your website it says you live on a hobby farm. Does that feed into your writing process or ideas?

We live on six acres in rural Ohio, and raise a variety of livestock, bees, a garden, and fruit trees. It’s not a commercial operation; just something we enjoy doing as a family. As a writer, I have a tendency to live too much in my head, so feeding chickens or picking green beans for supper helps keep me grounded. The critters have inspired a few stories, too, one of which was published in Ladybug last spring.

Do you have a daily process or writing activity to keep you motivated?

I write every day because it’s my job, and the deadlines definitely keep me motivated. I fit it in around homeschooling and whatever else is going on with our family. Even though much of my writing is work for hire, I try to take at least 15 minutes at the end of the day to work on one of my own stories so I feel like I’m making progress toward those goals.

    Share a few of your favorite writing craft books. 

Three books that have been particularly helpful for me on the craft of writing nonfiction picture books are Anatomy of Nonfiction by Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas, Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul, and Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career by Nancy I. Sanders.

For general writing inspiration, I love Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Take Joy by Jane Yolen, and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I reread the latter about once a year.

How you organize your research? Give us a few of your go-to-sites for digging up facts.

For very short books, I just dump it all in a Word file. For longer projects, I use Scrivener to organize my research.  Along with a Google search, I look up the topic on Wikipedia to get a quick overview and find links to more reliable sources. I also look at the references listed in other children’s books. Websites from encyclopedias, museums, government agencies, and universities are usually considered reliable by my publishers. I also look for articles in scientific journals and recent scholarly books. I order these through the local college library if they’re not available through the public library.

     If a writer does not have a science/math background, how would they approach this type of writing?

First of all, there is lots of nonfiction that is not STEM-related if you prefer to stay away from those topics. But I think anyone can write about science and math if you’re willing to research and learn about them, just like anything else. I’ve written books on lots of things I didn’t previously know anything about, including Ancient Egypt and shipwrecks!

     Agent story: is it important to have one when doing work for hire? How did you get your agent?

You do not need an agent to do work for hire, and I don’t think agents are typically involved with this market. It’s a different sort of publishing model.

I really got serious about finding an agent in 2014, and worked on preparing several stories with that goal in mind. Around the same time, my agent, Vicki Selvaggio, was in the process of starting her new career with The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. We had known each other for years through Northern Ohio SCBWI, and I knew I would love working with her. So I submitted a story to her and was ecstatic when she offered to represent me last summer. She is handling my submissions to trade publishers.

     Back to gardening: favorite flower, edible plant and  how does one enchant a garden?

My favorite flowers are crocuses, because I’m so happy to see something colorful in early spring. In the Indoor Gardening book, there are instructions for forcing bulbs indoors to get even earlier blossoms! Favorite edible plant: I love, love, love fresh heirloom tomatoes. They have completely ruined me for any other sort.

How to enchant a garden? Use your imagination! Take time to look at your garden through a child’s eyes…the magic is already there. Build tiny houses for fairies, make a gnome home, or plant bee balm to attract hummingbirds. There are lots more ideas in the book. J

Any other books in the publishing pipeline? What are you working on now? 

I wrote 17 books last year, and 10 of them came out last month. The rest will be out later this year. These include a series of bug books as well as books on nanotechnology, cryobiology, and endangered animals.  I am currently working on six new titles for 2017. You can check out what’s new on my website at www.LisaAmstutz.com, or sign up for my monthly email newsletter for book news, seasonal nature notes, and writing tips.

If you’ve hung in there this far, thanks so much for reading, and thanks to Kathy for inviting me to the GROG – it’s been a pleasure!