Writing for the Educational Market: A 4-Week Online Course

Faculty: Sandra Athans, Mike Downs, Paula Morrow

Confirmed guests: Rona Shirdan, Marlena Zapf (MZapf@sixredmarbles.com); Brian Montanaro (bmontana@daemen.edu), Rowen MacCarald (cmm255@gmail.com),  Katie Kawa (katherinek@rosenpub.com), Jan Fields (we have email)

OVERVIEW:

Multi-Week Online Course

Get the tools you need to open up the all opportunities that the ed market has to offer!

Join Educational Market professionals Sandra Athans, Mike Downs, Paula Morrow, and special guests to learn strategies to start submitting to today’s educational market.

• Live sessions (with closed captioning) Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7pm – 8:30pm Eastern
• One-to-one consultations during select sessions (Either Thursday, October 19 or Tuesday, October 24, depending on your grouping)
• Weekly Writing assignments
• 30 participants max

FEEDBACK EXPECTED:

• Informal feedback in the Virtual Classroom from faculty and peers. The virtual classroom will be used as a discussion space to build community and ask questions related to the weekly assignment.
• A one-to-one consultation with your faculty to discuss your questions and review your writing samples. (Your consultation will take place either October 19 or 24, depending on your grouping.)

WHY THIS WORKSHOP?

Discover opportunities in the Ed Market for children’s book writers with this 4-week online program, hosted by professionals who both write and edit stories for the educational market.

Key topics include:

• Educational vs. Trade Markets
• Researching publishers
• Preparing your submission packets, résumés, and query letters
• Types of manuscripts: fiction, nonfiction, poetry
• and more!

You’ll engage in faculty lectures, and Q&A sessions, explore resources, and complete writing exercises. You’ll also meet with special guests who will discuss the landscape of today’s Educational Market.

The workshop will build to a 1:1 consultation, where you’ll ask individual questions about your journey into the educational market, and share materials that you’ve crafted throughout the program.

The virtual classroom will be used as a discussion space to build community and ask questions related to the weekly assignment.

IT’S A GREAT FIT IF:

• You are a writer who wants to work in the educational market. Educational publishing companies need you!
• You’re an educator with experience in sharing books from the Educational Market with your students. We’ll show you how you can play to your strengths when writing for this market.
• You like the structure of weekly lectures and writing exercises. All sessions take place via Zoom, with community building within the virtual classroom.

DETAILED AGENDA:

Prior to the course, you will receive a link to our virtual classroom where you can introduce yourself to fellow writers and engage in Highlights Foundation related resources (including our Community Standards).

Week One

LIVE Session 1: Tuesday, October 3, 7-8:30pm Eastern

• Welcome and Introductions
• Course Overview (including the Canvas classroom)
• General Session: Write for the Educational Market Today
• Q & A

LIVE Session 2: Thursday, October 5, 7 – 8:30pm Eastern

• Ed Market Writers Panel & Their Picks in Publishers with Rowen MacClaran, Brian Montanaro, & Rona Shirdan (7pm – 8pm)
• Overview of Week One writing exercise: Researching Publishers (8-8:30pm)

In the Virtual Classroom:

• Introductions
• Discussion board: List Questions and/or reflections of the writing exercise
• Resources: Action Plan, Educational Market Publishers

Week Two

LIVE Session 3: Tuesday, October 10, 7-8:30pm Eastern

• Small group discussions: Researching Publishers Assignment
• General Session: Intro to Your Ed Market Resumé & Getting to the Gist of Your Query Letter
• Interactive Q & A

LIVE Session 4: Thursday, October 12, 7 – 8:30pm Eastern

• Profiles of the Educational Market with Marlena Zapf, Six Red Marbles; Katie Kawa, Cavendish Square & KidHaven Publishing (7 – 7:30pm; 7:45 – 8:15pm)
• Overview of Week Two writing exercise: Résumé Writing & Query Gist (8:15-8:30pm)

In the Virtual Classroom:

• Resource listing: Educational Market Research
• Discussion board: List Questions and/or reflections of the writing exercise
• Resources: Sample Résumés & Queries

Week Three

LIVE Session 5: Tuesday, October 17, 7-8:30pm Eastern

• Small group discussions: Résumés & Queries Assignments
• General Session: Intro to Writing Samples – Fiction, Nonfiction, Educational, Poetry, & Other
• Overview of Week Three writing exercise: Writing Samples
• Preparing for your consultation (What group am I in?)

LIVE Session 6: Thursday, October 19, 7 – 8:30pm* Eastern

• Beyond the Ed Market, Writing Series & Adding Humor with Jan Fields (7 – 7:40pm)
• Consultations for half the group: Individual 1:1 consultations with faculty (Sandra, Paula, Mike, & Rona) for individual questions about your journey into the educational market, and to share materials that you’ve crafted throughout the program. (*You will be scheduled for a 15 minute consultation during this time. The remainder of the session you can stay and write, or leave the Zoom session.)

In the Virtual Classroom:

• Consultation schedule
• Discussion board: List Questions and/or reflections of the writing exercise
• Resources: Sample Writing Pieces

Week Four

LIVE Session 7: Tuesday, October 24, 7-8:30pm* Eastern

• Peer-to-Peer Small group discussions: Writing Samples (Please note that faculty will be in 1:1 sessions during this discussion time.)
• Consultations for half the group: Individual 1:1 consultations with faculty (Sandra, Paula, Mike, & Rona) for individual questions about your journey into the educational market, and to share materials that you’ve crafted throughout the program. (*You will be scheduled for a 15 minute consultation during this time. The remainder of the session you can stay and write, or leave the Zoom session.)

LIVE Session 8: Thursday, October 26, 7 – 8:30pm Eastern

• General session: Landing & Writing Your First Assignment
• Final Q & A, and closing comments from faculty

In the Virtual Classroom:

• Consultations Schedule (Part 2)
• Link to evaluations

A note about workshop agendas and how they change and evolve.

COMMITMENT REQUIRED FOR THE BEST EXPERIENCE:

This multi-week course is best if you attend or watch all lectures. We recommend setting aside time to do the writing exercises. The small group discussions work best when you have completed the weekly writing exercises. We strongly recommend taking advantage of the 1:1 consultation to ask your questions, and share your work. (Note: If your schedule does not allow you to attend the live sessions and you would still like to register, that’s OK! You’ll have access to the recordings with closed captioning. They’re posted the day after the session, and they’ll be available through November 30, 2023.)

The Highlights Foundation strives for a safe and inclusive environment. You will have access to our Community Standards prior to the workshop where we ask for your respectful engagement with fellow creatives, including our faculty and staff.

Trying to figure out how this course fits into your schedule? Read some ideas about planning for the right level of commitment.

HOW IT IMPACTS KIDS:

The Educational Market puts books into kids hands all around the world. Your stories can connect with kids and enrich their learning experience at school and home.

Why do we mention this? Learn about the Highlights Foundation mission.

RELATED RESOURCES:

Paula Morrow: Thinking for Three
Jan Fields: Putting the Fun In
Jan Fields: Choose Your Own Writing Adventure
Breaking Into the Educational Market
Paula Morrow: Energize Your Articles With Interviews
Paula Morrow: Those Pesky Specs! Writing for the Educational Market