Writing Jobs By Email

Keeping the money flowing in as a freelance writer is a lot of work. A big part of my job is sending out queries and applying for work throughout the week. It is a lot easier to enjoy the ride if job hunting is efficient.

One thing I do is have job listings come straight into my email box. Many job listing sites offer a subscription option. Three places I subscribe to are:

Freelance Writing Jobs
Free daily job listing gathered from around the web and sorted.

Freelance Writing Morning Coffee Newsletter
Weekly job listing sent every Tuesday.

Writers Weekly Newsletter
Includes a market listing once a week.

Good luck this week!

Best,

Writer's Digest University

Writer's Digest University offers courses for writers. I have taken two of their Children's Writing courses. Yes, they are expensive compared to some other online options. However, the courses I took were helpful and well done.

They have some new workshops starting September 20th - tomorrow. 

I hesitate to spend a lot of cash on anything! On the other hand, spending a couple hundred bucks to learn a writing skill that will increase my writer income is worth it.

Best,

Writing Ideas for the Freelance Writer

Where do your writing ideas come from?

I have days where interesting ideas burst out of my brain like Old Faithful. I keep packs of sticky notes in my purse and a little notebook in my car for those times.

Unfortunately, ideas for articles, proposals, stories, and blog posts aren't always so effusive. Too often, I sit down at the computer and nothing comes out of my brain except random, unrelated lists of things I need to do to keep my family fed and my house clean.

Marjorie Holmes, author of Writing Articles From the Heart, has many practical things to say about the magic of getting ideas. First, she is a big believer in sitting down every day and writing. Make daily writing a habit, she says often in her book. I agree. Once I sit down, focus, and clear my mind of everything I was thinking about before I sat down, ideas come.

I am a collector of ideas. Sometimes I take advantage of old ideas. Weekly article ideas are kept on a bulletin board in my office. I keep drafts of blog post ideas online, and visit them whenever I sit down and nothing new comes to mind.

A very effective way to get ideas is to skim education publisher catalogs and magazines. By looking at what others have done, I find holes, or ideas for things that haven't been created yet.

Certain places places seem to be conducive to idea-sprouting; driving my car on the interstate, walking the dog, standing in the shower, and other places where writing down fleeting ideas is nearly impossible. I try to write these ideas down as soon as it is safe.

Coming up with writing ideas is like deadheading flowers. Each summer my perennial garden reminds me how important it is to take time to snip off dead blossoms. When I take time to do that with regularity, my front yard shows off in full bloom all summer long.

It's the same with writing ideas. If I sit down with piles of ideas, and put old ideas that aren't blooming into folders, leave queries already sent alone, pay attention to new jobs and ideas, and look though old work for the seeds of new ideas, my freelance career keeps blooming.

Where do you get ideas? Your family, television, books, work, the web? Are you the kind of creative person who has ideas bubbling up with regularity? Or, do you go through periods, like me, where ideas just don't seem to come? What do you do when you need an idea and it doesn't seem to come?

Best,

Write Hi-Lo Readers

Hi-Lo readers are books written for older readers, with high interest and low reading levels. Many older students struggle to read grade-level text, but don't want to read books written for children in the primary grades. The publishing industry has created a product for tweens, teens, and adults who need reading instruction and practice on the elementary level, but don't want to use primary grade materials.

If you are interested in writing for this very specialized market, start by researching publishers such as:
High Noon Books
Hip Books
Keystone Books - Capstone
Orca Book Publishers
Townsend Press - Bluford Series

Visit your library, and look at their collection of Hi-Lo Readers. If you find a style you like, such as a mystery series or graphic novel series, contact the publisher for the author submissions guidelines.

Some companies, like High Noon Books and Capstone, offer work on assignment. My first published books for beginning readers were assigned by a school and library publisher. Writers are typically offered a work-for-hire contract at a set fee without royalties. The publisher owns all rights to the story.

If you are interested in work-for-hire writing jobs, send the publisher a resume describing your writing experience, a cover letter describing your how you can use your experience to benefit them, and a writing sample similar to the Hi-Lo Readers they publish. You may be asked to write curriculum materials to accompany the story.

Check out Evelyn B. Christensen’s author blog. You'll find an excellent list of publishers, including Hi-Lo publishing companies.

If you like writing for teens and adults, this may be a good market for you. Be sure to post writing tips and names of Hi-Lo Reader publishing companies you know about.

Cheers,

Writing Assessment Items and Passages

The testing industry is a big business you may want to look into for freelance writing income. Publishers hire writers to create test items and passages, often on a short-term contract basis.  

Some companies prepare test preparation materials. These are practice tests and teaching materials to help students from kindergarten through graduate school prepare for tests. Others produce the actual tests we are familiar with, from annual elementary grade state assessment tests, to graduate level professional exams. Depending on your background, writing ability, and degrees, you can probably tap into some part of this freelance market.

Continental Press, like many other publishers, creates test preparation materials based on state and national learning standards. Since each state has unique standards, they need many versions of their test-prep workbooks for each grade level. That's a lot of work for freelance writers. I was hired to write 3rd grade reading test preparation materials for one particular state. Now that the Common Core is being initiated across the United States, there is work for freelance writers to revise test-preparation materials to match the new standards.

Other companies, like ACT, hire item and passage writers for the actual tests. ACT asks you to fill out a questionnaire about your background, teaching experience, and areas of specialization.

If you are hired to work as an item writer, you will be given passages and asked to create test items to go along with them according to specifications. Most editors provide clear guidelines about how many of each type of test question to write. Some editors provide a template for the test items, and others give samples of the style they use. Sometimes writers are asked to write original passages and test-items to match. My experience has been varied, including a job as a "finder", where I was paid to find published poems the company could use for testing materials.

Here are some companies that hire teachers and writers for item and passage writing work:

Measured Progress
Kaplan,Inc.
Educational Testing Service
Data Recognition Corporation
CTB/McGraw-Hill
ACT
Quarasan

There are many other sources for jobs writing test items and passages, including local school districts, and state level departments of education. Let me know if you've been hired recently to write test passages, test items, or test-prep materials. I'd love to add the company name to this list!


Best,

Writing for the Children's Christian Education Market

Writing for the Christian Education market is creative, fun, and good spiritual exercise. There are opportunities to write for adults, teens, tweens, and children.  The Christian Writer's Market Guide - 2012 gives an excellent overview of the many opportunities Christian writers have to tap into the education market.

My focus has been on the Pre-K - 6 children's market:

• Full length activity workbooks
• Contributing writer for denominational curriculum
• Contributing writer for VBS and Sunday School curriculum

The writer submission process is similar to any other market. If you want freelance positions on a work-for-hire basis (writing for a set fee on assignment) you send a resume, writing samples, and a cover letter describing your experience and desire to work on particular projects. Many publisher websites include submissions guidelines. If that page isn't available, I either call the company and ask for the name and address of the editorial staff member who accepts applications from freelance writers, or send my packet to Editorial Submissions. It is important to be familiar with the types of products the company publishes so you can describe exactly what services you can provide. For example, I have experience writing lesson plans, as well as volunteering for Vacation Bible School. Because of that, I have been hired to create lessons and activities for VBS programs based on my experiences. Many companies require a trial writing assignment to judge whether I am able to write according to their editorial style.

Contributing writers for denominational curriculum need to be familiar with the beliefs and curriculum of a particular religious denomination. I have written Sunday School curriculum for two denominations. Both were organizations I was familiar with and had participated in as a member. Many Christian publishers will either require you to be a member of the denomination, or assure them that you agree with their beliefs. It definitely helped my chances with one company when the editor found out I had taught Sunday School for many years using the curriculum I would be writing for.

There are a variety of opportunities to write for the Christian Education market. One way to find potential publishers is to look at the curriculum your church uses, and write to the publisher asking whether they hire freelance writers. Editors like to hire people who attend churches using their curriculum. You can also write devotions for study groups and curriculum for homeschool publishers.

Here are some companies that hire writers to create workbooks with coloring pages and activities such as crossword puzzles and word searches, teacher resource Sunday School workbooks, Sunday School curriculum, VBS curriculum, and products sold in Christian bookstores and online:

Carson-Dellosa Christian Publishing
Rainbow Publishers
Cokesbury Publishing
Gospel Light Publishing
Christian Ed Warehouse
Concordia Publishing House
Living the Good News
Abingdon Press
David C Cook
Creative Teaching Press
Group Publishing
The Pilgrim Press
Standard Publishing
Warner Press
Wood Lake Books

 If you are serious about writing for the Christian Education market, check your local library or Amazon.com for the The Christian Writer's Market Guide - 2012. Take time to look through the publisher listings to see if any of them seem like a good fit. I spend a lot of time looking at a publisher's website and catalog listings before contacting the editorial staff about a proposal or request for work-for-hire freelance jobs. Talk to the Christian Education director or your pastor, and find out which curriculum they purchase, and find out why.

Be sure to let me know if you have a publisher to add to the list!

Best,

Correlation Jobs

The most obvious things are often right in front of my nose. I guess I don't focus on them because I'm distracted by so many other things going on in the world around me. (having four kids at home will do that...!)

Correlating for the education market was a completely obvious employment option I never focused on. Never even considered it, until I read a helpful article on Writing for the Education Market blog back in 2008.

I've worked as an educator for more than 16 years, and much of the curriculum work I do as an educator requires thinking about the state and national standards, and working with teachers to make sure students are presented with excellent, relevant instruction. Two big questions schools ask before purchasing curriculum are:

• Is it research-based?
• Does it align with the standards?

A good place to see just how much state and national standards affect the publishing world are company websites. For example, I have written two teacher resource books for Carson-Dellosa. They have a correlations search page, as do most other large educational publishers. These publishers pay someone to find connections between their products and the state and national standards. Much of this work is done by companies that specialize in correlation work, and they often hire remote freelancers to do the work.

If you are looking for a new source of income, and have education-related experience, ask your editors if this might be an option for you. You can also apply for freelance work with the correlation specialty companies. I am currently training with Academic Benchmarks.

Here are some other companies I'm familiar with:
Six Things
Red Rover
Quarasan Group
Waterloo Education

Do you have any experience as a paid correlator? Have any tips or suggestions to share?

Best,
HSJ

Freelance Jobs

I call myself a WAHM freelance writer, but I have created multiple streams of income from different places to keep the money flowing in. Most are small streams! But, with four children at home, it all counts. Since my main goal is to find ways to make money as a writer, I have to be creative, organized, and thoughtful about how I spend my working hours. Some sources of income don't bring in as much cash as others, but they are convenient jobs that allow me to work at home and online.

Freelance writers typically have a wide range of personal experiences, education, and training that allows them to branch out into different income-producing opportunities. For example, I worked as an educator for 16+ years, and have a M.S. in Reading, so I make extra income using my teaching background.

I made a list of my freelance jobs. Please share how you make income to supplement your slow writing weeks.

Adjunct Instructor
I currently teach two classes at my local college. Community colleges hire professionals to teach one or two classes each quarter. Some states prefer hiring instructors with an advanced degree in their field. Colleges often prefer hiring instructors with a degree in teaching adult education and experience with adult learners. However, the requirements vary across the country. Most community college systems have an online application. Be sure to fill that out, then personally contact the department head and send them your resume. That worked for me when I was hired to teach adult basic education at a community college.

Correlating State and National Standards to Written Work
These are home-based, online jobs. Correlating is sometimes called "alignment", because the work involves aligning curriculum, activities, and other content to state and national standards. Some of the companies that hire freelancers to do alignment work are:
Six Things
Red Rover
Quarasan Group
Waterloo Education

I am currently training for a position with Academic Benchmarks. 

Tutoring
This summer I will tutor about a dozen children and teens in my home. Since I have training and experience as a literacy specialist and special education teacher, tutoring out of my home is a great option during the summer months when parents want to make sure their children don't lose the skills they gained during the school year. Pay ranges from about $25/hour to $75/hour, depending on the going rate in your area, and your own personal training and skills. My students came via word-of-mouth. I also have a website, and made business cards and flyers to promote my tutoring business.

Substitute Teacher
I haven't done this for many years. However, substitute teaching can be a great source of extra income. It is typically a very flexible, temporary job. The requirements for substitute teachers can vary greatly from state-to-state. Some require a high school degree, while others require full teaching certification in the subject area. The average pay varies, and ranges from $80/day to $200/day, depending on the assignment.

Affiliate site income
As an amazon affiliate associate you can earn money by recommending products from Amazon.com on your own websites and blogs. If readers click on your affiliate link and make a purchase, you earn a percentage of the sale. I have never made more than $10.00 a month on my various sites, so I convert the income to an Amazon.com credit that is used by my family. Like I said above, it all adds up!

Selling Books on Amazon.com
My family happens to have a lot of books lying around that we don't need or use anymore. I am considering whether or not to start selling them on Amazon.com. My concern is that the financial return won't be worth the effort. Anyone have experience with this that they want to share?

I love my life. It's great to work at home, and have flexibility at a time when my kids needs my time and attention. Patching together different jobs to make a living is a sweet challenge.

What do you think?

Best,

Free image from ShabbyBlogs.com

Chicken Soup Deadlines

Chicken Soup for the Soul stories are inspirational and heart-warming. The first story I submitted to the series was published in a collection of adoption stories. After submitting my story, I heard it was to be published almost a year later.  The payment came as promised, and I was given one complimentary author book copy.

Read the Guidelines for Submissions, and check out the upcoming possible book topics. Two topics with June 30th, 2012 deadlines that you may be interested in are Inspiration for Writers and Parenthood. It's not too late! I'm working on those stories right now.

Have you ever had a story published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series? What was your experience?

Best,

Kindness of Writers

Authors tell stories about critique groups and writer friends who go above and beyond to help other writers. The internet is full of kind authors who share their knowledge, training, and wisdom with other writers - for free. Here are some of my favorites author websites. I have visited their sites, and learned from the articles and tips. Please let me know of others, and I will add their names!

Dottie Enderle
Experienced writer shares her thoughts about being a writer

Evelyn B. Christensen
Extensive market list for education writers

Fiona Bayrock
Articles for writers

Harold Underdown
Website packed full of excellent resources for writers

Molly Blaisdell
Work-for-hire resources

Nancy Kelly Allen
Writing tips

Nathan Bransford
Articles for writers

Patrice Sherman
Shares some of her favorite links for writers

Samantha Clark
Motivation for writers

Suzanne Purvis
Thoughts and inspiration for writers

Verla Kay
Children's writer's and illustrator's chat board

Verla Kay
Tips for writers and illustrators

Enjoy!

Best,