Fiction v. Non-Fiction

My first love is telling a story. I was, after all, a film major in college. Currently, however, my most successful writing has been in the non-fiction arena. On the request of my crit group, I thought I’d blog a little about my non-fiction experience.

I’m currently working on my fourth work-for-hire project for Capstone Press, the leading publisher of preK-12 children’s books for libraries and classrooms. They are fabulous to work for; all my editors have been warm, encouraging, and helpful. I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve done for them.

If you're flexible, work-for-hire can be rewarding. It's been a great learning experience for me. You don’t have the same level of freedom as you would with writing an idea that sprang from your own brain. However, there can be flexibility within the guidelines. Upon submission of the first draft, the editor communicates what she feels is missing and/or in the wrong direction – and a second draft is born. Sometimes there is a consultant involved, and after that person weighs in on the text, a third draft may be warranted. After the final version is submitted, your part is done!

My initial communication with Capstone was through resume and writing sample. I submitted via their published guidelines on their website. I didn't get first assignment immediately – but I was very excited when I got the first call! I had expressed an interest in history in my cover letter, so my first assignment was a history project. That project hasn't been released yet, but hopefully next spring. Since then, I've done something on astrology - and now I'm finishing up two simultaneous astronomy projects.

Stay tuned for my next post – The Ins and Outs of Research: from Footnoting to Final Draft.