Ready to turn your writing into your career?
There’s a big difference between getting paid for your writing and making a living from it. In this book, award-winning children’s author Laura Purdie Salas shares insights and habits gained over 20+ years of writing (and related speaking and teaching) for kids. Her successes and failures are laid bare, in detail, to help guide you in building your own writing career. (This is NOT a book about self-publishing nor online marketing. It's about making a living as an author--primarily through traditional publishing and writing-related speaking.)
About the Book
There’s a big difference between getting paid for your writing and making a living from it. In this book, award-winning children’s author Laura Purdie Salas shares insights and habits gained over 20+ years of writing (and related speaking and teaching) for kids. Her successes and failures are laid bare, in detail.
You will learn:
• What kind of mindset adjustments must I make to build a career?
• Besides my book sales, what related writing and speaking can I do to earn money?
• What habits do many successful working writers have in common?
• How do I keep my writing business organized?
• What’s the difference between networking and promotion, and do I really have to do either one of them?
• What conferences should I go to?
• How do I negotiate better contracts?
• How do I find some kind of balance between life and work?
• Why do I always have to handle the family appointments?
• How can I avoid professional humiliation or deal with it when it does happen?
And lots more.
With honesty, tough love, and humor, Salas spreads out the business side of writing for a living. You’ll gain a realistic view of how to approach and achieve a livable income as a writer. (And you’ll know whether this field is for you, or whether you want to stick with your day job and write on the side for pure love!)
NOTE: About 80% of the information in this book applies to writers for adults and also other creatives. But since Salas is a children’s writer, the examples come from the children’s publishing world, and some information, like school visits, is particular to children’s writers.
Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 125 books for children, including Meet My Family!, If You Were the Moon, the Can Be series, and BookSpeak! Recognition for her books includes starred reviews, the Minnesota Book Award, NCTE Notable Books, Bank Street Best Books, Riverby Award for Nature Books, Scholastic Book Club editions, foreign editions, and more.
Salas has taught writers through classes, conferences, and online for many years.
Here is the Table of Contents for this 354-page book. A more detailed, extended Table of Contents is also included in the book.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Table of Contents
Expanded Table of Contents
SECTION ONE: Mindset
- I Know What I Want
- I Am a Writer
- I Am Patient
- I Am Confident
- I Continue to Improve
- I Deserve to Be Paid
- I Am Flexible
SECTION TWO: Income Streams
- I Just Want to Write!
- 3 Basic Categories of Income
- Stream + Stream + Stream = River!
- Finding Work
- Handy Skills and Traits
- Trade Books
- Nonfiction Books for the Educational Market
- Assessment Passages
- Other Freelance Writing
- School Visits and Other Events for Kids
- Speaking to Educators
- Teaching or Critiquing Writers
- Editing
- Copyediting
- Monetizing Other Skills
- Choose Your Income Stream
SECTION THREE: Preparing for Your Career
- Money
- Basic Career Elements
- Tools
- Core Truths
SECTION FOUR: 16 Habits for Success
- Habit 1: Write a Lot and Meet People
- Habit 2: Write Through Chaos
- Habit 3: Stay Focused
- Habit 4: Specialize
- Habit 5: But Diversify!
- Habit 6: Set Goals
- Habit 7: Revisit Goals
- Habit 8: Spend Money
- Habit 9: Drum Up Business
- Habit 10: Keep Up with the Industry
- Habit 11: Do Nothing
- Habit 12: Learn Just in Time
- Habit 13: Batch Process
- Habit 14: Back Up Work!
- Habit 15: Waste Nothing
- Habit 16: Go on Retreats
SECTION FIVE: Organizing Your Business
- Ongoing Organizational Tools
- Annual Organizational Tools
- Monthly Organizational Tools
- Weekly Organizational Tools
- Your System
SECTION SIX: Networking and Promotion
- Networking vs. Promotion
- What’s a Platform?
- Social Media
- Networking
- Promotion
SECTION SEVEN: Business Skills
- The Basics
- Strengthen Your Business Weaknesses
- Interpersonal Skills
- Getting Published Is a Business Skill
- Skills for Steering Your Business
SECTION EIGHT: Tips on…
- Working with Agents
- Choosing Conferences and Classes
- Not-Writing Conferences
- Dealing with Success and Failure
- Public Speaking
- Delayed Revision
- Writing for Websites
- Writer’s Block
- Writing for Just You
- Being the Lobster
- People Giving You Ideas
- Picture Book Series
- Deciding Whether to Self-Publish
- Résumés
- Author Photos
- Family Support
- Workaholic Habits
- The Down Side of Efficiency
- Health Insurance
- Letting Go
- Saying No
- Handling Humiliation
- Bursts of Speed
- Dealing with Art Fiascos
- Self-Care Habits
- Making Decisions
- The Circle of Inspiration
SECTION NINE: Now What?
Appendix A: Sample Business Plan
Appendix B: A Week in the Life
Glossary
About the Author
Preview
Endorsements
“Making a Living is a practical guide focused on the Children's Literature business, but it is useful for any self-employed human being trying to make a living through creative work of any kind. Reading it affirmed many things I've learned over the years and gave me new ideas to try. It is a good resource to own and refer to over and over as the political climate, business climate, and one's personal life changes.”
"I think most writers would love to sit down with a mentor over a cup of tea. Laura Purdie Salas’s personal tone in Making a Living Writing Books for Kids makes reading it feel like a conversation with her. It is FULL of information for every children’s writer, and it's thorough. Not only does Laura share the details of how she makes a living writing for children, she guides the reader to do the same through personal experiences, tips, and next steps to take. Even as an experienced writer, I found nuggets (and heaps) of wisdom in every section. I appreciate how there is enough information in this book that Laura could have prepared a writing conference on the content…instead she makes this comprehensive book affordable and accessible for all of us."
"If you want to make a living writing for children, or if you already do but want to up your game, don’t pass on this book. It’s the most thorough and informative book you’ll find on this subject."
“Reading this book is like having a nice long chat with an experienced author--and learning from her years of experience!”
“Salas is an organizational, motivational whiz. Packed with specific, down-to-earth advice that will help both newbie and experienced writers set and reach career goals.”
Order Now
Other Laura's Books in "Children's Writer Insider Guide"
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