One of the recent posts said to email me for contact information. An unexpected bonus of all those emails was that many of you took the time to tell me how much you liked my blog and whether you'd found work in these leads. I really appreciated that. In the spirit of community, I'd like to ask you to post a comment here to say whether you've found work through this blog. I know that some have and some haven't. You don't have to give details, but I thought it would be encouraging to others to see some success. If you've applied and haven't heard back from anyone, you should probably post that comment, too. It brings balance to the force...
Have you found work through this blog?
Laura
27 comments:
Laura:
I haven't yet found work through this blog, but I think it's a great resource. I've applied for several things I've found on here and that alone makes it worth it to me.
Keep up the good work!
Hi Laura,
I've found work through your blog - I wish I'd found it sooner, when I was just getting started in this line of work and searching for jobs. Thanks!
I have found your blog to be incredibly helpful! I have had success in finding two freelance opportunities through this site. I am eternally grateful for all the hard work that you do because it has made my life so much easier! I am a teacher who is currently taking the next year or two off to care for my infant daughter. I've wanted to stay connected to the education market while I'm out of the classroom, and this has been an invaluable resource. THANK YOU!
-Vanessa Genova DeSantis
Laura:
I too have found work through your blog and am grateful for all the work you do. This is my fourth year as a freelance math writer. Up until this year I had made a good salary and was able to support myself solely on my writing (I am single). This year has been awful and I am struggling, close to giving up the profession. Your blog has helped me realize there is work out there (many of it is lousy pay but there is indeed work) I am going to give it another 6 months. Thanks again!
First, I want to thank you for providing these listings.
I sympathize with blogger number 4. Apparently writing more than 100 kids nonfiction books isn't enough to get work in these tough times. It's a classic buyer's market. Though it would be nice if employers would learn the use of their Reply button. It's frustrating to spend time working up a cover letter and then be ignored.
Laura,
I am grateful for your blog because
I have found leads more easily than ever before due to it. I have applied to a multitude of your postings. However, the field of educational writing is a tough marketplace, and thus quite a few of these leads turn out to be poor paying or even "if it gets published, we'll pay you." So far I haven't been offered a job that's worth doing . . . but I feel confident that I will eventually. So your blog is definitely a major help to those of us in this field.
BTW blogger #4 is right, this seems to be a challenging year for educational writers--perhaps due to the recession?
I do appreciate this bog. I check it out several times a week. I have not gotten any jobs from your postings, but I have saved hours of time searching because you have already done that. I do feel like many other posters--years of working as a freelancer and this year being the toughest yet. But the full-time positions are even rarer. Thanks for sharing what you find during your searches.
I did get a brief job from one of the postings! Thank you!
But I also applied for a few (maybe 3 or 4) that I never heard back from.
You also do list a number of what I call the "nutter jobs" that one should stay far away from.
Hi, Laura -- thanks again for doing what you do. I don't apply to many of the jobs you post here, but I did get work on a really great project recently through a post you made about a development house that was hiring freelancers. I check the site every day and am very grateful for it.
Have a wonderful week!
Hi Laura! I've found work through your blog, and have also enjoyed the benefit of being pointed in the right direction toward resources I was never aware of. I so appreciate what you do here. Thank you so much!!!
Laura -
I check your list every day. I have applied for several, been asked to submit proposals for one, and have yet to hear back on others.
From experience I know that in some cases, you don't hear back for months, and then they want you to produce the manuscript by the previous Friday!
Thank you for what you do.
Your blog is truly originial and helpful for freelancers. Deb Ng's site is great, but I prefer your site over hers these dates because of its focus. I have found jobs and leads from your site - either way, a great reference.
Andy
I have gotten several nibbles from this blog. It's definitely a niche market and this is one of the few blogs that caters to education. Thanks!
Great blog! I've contacted several companies based on your leads, and several others that are listed in the sidebar on your site. A couple have sounded interested, and may be the source of future work. In this tough year, a great source of leads is a wonderful help. Thank you!
Hi Laura,
I think your blog is great. I've told other people who write for kids and they like it too. I haven't yet found any work from it, but have applied for several positions. I also find your links to be very helpful. There are very few sites on the web specifically for educational writing, so you are providing a genuine service.
Yours,
Pat
Hi, Laura
I check your blog every day and I haven't yet received work. It's nice to know there is a blog that services teachers who want to bridge freelance writing and educaton and thus, there is a great need for your blog.
Unfortunately, finding worse is scarce and even more so, even part time work. I like the leads you find and it's nice to know everything is under one roof.
Thanks so much,
Dorit
Hi, Laura -
I'm a math teacher, and I just started looking for some contract writing work over the summer about a month ago. I found your blog almost immediately and has pretty much been my primary resource in looking for work. I just got offered a contract yesterday that is pretty close to my dream scenario - and I never would have found it without this blog! Thanks so much!
Sarah
Hello Laura,
I want to thank you for your wonderful web site!!! As a Special Education Language Arts Teacher I have created over 25 years worth of imaginative and fun lesson plans. I am still in the classroom enjoying every challenging minute! Through your web site I have discovered many educational publishers, writing advice and story ideas. I am a member of the SCBWI and have submitted my work to several children's book publishers with no luck. After joining several writer's groups and enrolling in several writer's classes I realized that my niche is writing for the education market. Teaching seems to be a 24/7 type of job...you can't stop thinking like a teacher, even when you are not in the classroom!
I have had many articles published in children's and teacher's magazines and am currently working on a math/literature text book with accompanying teacher's guide. I am also preparing to submit a language arts activity book to one of the educational magazines that had purchased over 10 of my articles with illustrations. I have also completed an application for an SAT scorer position and received almost an immediate response about my application. There is a real need for up-to-date educational writers that can follow core curriculum standards and at the same time make learning fun for the students.
Your web site is a VERY VALUABLE TOOL for all educational writers!!!
I just found your blog (again) so haven't applied to more than one or two postings. It looks like you're listing great resources, whether work comes directly from these links or not, it's good to have a place to jump off from in researching the market. Thanks!
Also, it looks like your blog could eventually bring education writers together...
I too have found this blog to be a great resource.
I am another mom staying home with an infant. I found your blog just when you were starting it--and just when I was starting to look for work--when I did a search for test item writing jobs. It showed me lots of other possiblities beyond the testing world, which I hadn't considered much before.
I used to check in here everyday, but now that I've got three gigs going, I don't always get to it. Two of them were posted here, both related to ESL.
One of the most helpful things you mentioned was the writing for hire group. I have appreciated learning from seasoned writers about different aspects of freelancing. And it may be the closest thing I've got to a professional community at the moment.
Thank you.
I looked through the blog and didn't find the "writing for hire" group that AMD mentioned??
Otter,
It's a Yahoo Group called WritingForHire. You can find it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Writingforhire/
Laura
Thanks!
This is a very helpful blog--thanks for your hard work, Laura! I have yet to find work, but I agree with the other posters that the blog is an excellent resource.
Jessica Lee Anderson
Just a quick update and thank you...I've just received an assignment thanks to your leads!
I've applied for a handful of things and was asked to make a quote on one of them. Nothing ever came of it, however. Laura, I do appreciate what you do, and even though I'm having trouble lining up work, it's nice to see the posts and know it's out there.
I agree this is a great resource, but I have applied for several jobs and NEVER heard anything back. I have excellent credentials, so it is discouraging to just be ignored. But I still keep coming back here and looking! :-)
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