By Amy Houts
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I love writing nonfiction on assignment, but I also love writing freelance. What about you? Have you ever considered writing nonfiction on assignment? That’s when a publisher assigns you a topic. They supply all the specifics about the project including a deadline, contract, and payment amount called a “flat fee” (no royalties, no matter how many copies of the book sell). It’s a fun challenge!
Of my 100+ books, the majority were written on assignment for educational or Christian publishers. About half are nonfiction. Most recently, I wrote four holiday books for Amicus (a division of The Creative Company) for their “Curious About” series: Presidents Day, Easter, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.
You might like writing freelance better, or maybe you’d like to do both like I do. Following is a comparison of writing nonfiction on assignment vs. writing nonfiction freelance to help you decide.
Writing Nonfiction on Assignment
The publisher chooses the topic. I’ve found every topic I’ve researched interesting, but I’ve enjoyed some more than others. Publishers often ask your preferences. You can list you enjoy writing about science, social studies, or math in your cover letter or on your application.
Detailed guidelines: Editors send detailed information: topic, word count, content, grade level, and more. Sometimes it’s pages long with an outline, style guide, etc. I refer to these documents again and again.
Limited time to research and write: Deadlines are usually short, depending on the grade level and word length. For early grades, I’ve typically had one to four weeks to research and write a book. For older grades, I’ve had as long as three to four months to research and write. Keeping a detailed bibliography is a must. Often editors want primary sources where you talk to experts along with articles from reliable websites as well as books on your subject. Both following the guidelines and having a deadline are stressful. Imposter syndrome can’t last long! You have work to do.
Work with a talented team of editors: I’ve enjoyed working with editors who give me insight, support, and answer my questions. Getting constructive feedback is both helpful and a little daunting. Often one or more revisions are needed or expected. A few editors have become my dear friends.
Payment and publication is guaranteed: You will earn the amount listed in your contract and your book will be published! Often, the terms are 30-60 days after revisions when the final manuscript is submitted. Of course, you need to complete the assignment, which might include not only a manuscript, but discussion questions, a bibliography, sidebars, and a glossary.
No promotion needed: There’s no need to promote a book when you don’t earn royalties. The publisher does not expect you to be involved in promotion on the same level as a freelance book. They take care of advertising and sales. I post about all my books, both those I’ve written on assignment and those I’ve freelanced, on social media. I’ve purchased author copies and sold books at school visits, but there isn’t a push to promote. It still takes creativity, inspiration, energy, and determination to write a book on assignment. It helps build credits and show you are a professional. As always, it feels great to hold a book you’ve written in your hands.
Writing Nonfiction Freelance
You choose the topic: You might have a special interest or know what you want to write about. There are many topics from which to choose. You must decide on one and narrow it down. Then you need to research to make sure there aren’t other books on your topic or with your particular angle.
Create your own guidelines or outline. Know where you are going, what structure you want to use (or try several), and what you want to teach. It helps with nonfiction to have an outline. With fiction, I’m a pantser, writing without a plan or detailed outline, but with nonfiction, I become a plotter. Remember, with nonfiction, you don’t need to write the whole book to start submitting your proposal. You need two completed, polished chapters, a detailed outline, and query email.
Research as long as you want, to your heart’s content: As a former librarian, I love research! Getting lost in the many ways (primary sources, internet, books, articles, and more) to find out about something is fun, motivating, and satisfying. This can be an advantage or disadvantage. Sometimes I’m enjoying the research so much, I don’t want to stop to actually start writing. Or sometimes I go down the rabbit hole spending way too much time doing off-topic reading.
Work on your own: You might enjoy working on your own if you have a strong vision for your project. You don’t have a team to tell you if you’re on the right track or anyone to answer your questions. Your critique group can give feedback. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have an editor interested, they might request an R&R, “revise and resubmit.” You will probably just have one chance to revise, not the back and forth communication like you would have with an editorial publishing team.
Payment and publication are not guaranteed: An editor might love your topic, sample chapters, and outline and reward you with a contract. Then you will need to complete your book. Or, an editor might be interested and promise a contract, but they change their mind. (That’s happened to me more than once.) Or, you might spend many hours working, and no one is interested! What do you do then? I was so passionate about a local “ladies band” who participated in a 1913 voting rights parade in Washington, D.C., I decided to self-publish it.
Promotion: Authors are expected to promote their books in a big way—much more so than when my first picture book was published in the 1990s. Of course, you want your book to sell. It’s not just the royalties, it’s your message, your information, your mission. There’s so much you can do! In-person readings, school visits, speaking engagements, blog tours, webinars, and social media posts. I’ve developed activity packets and sold books at vendor shows. Most of this will happen just before and after your book releases. But it doesn’t end. I’m still promoting my Earth Day book, God’s Earth is Something to Fight For, even though it was released in the fall of 2023.
If you want to try writing on assignment, how do you break in? Submit your resume and cover letter to the educational publishers such as those listed in the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators) resource THE BOOK. Meet editors of educational publishers at conferences. And/or network with other writers to recommend you. Writing Nonfiction on Assignment vs. Writing Freelance? There’s no clear winner or loser. I still submit my freelance work, but also have success writing nonfiction on assignment. It’s the best of both worlds!
Amy Houts is the author of 100+ books for children. She writes for general market, educational, and faith-based publishers. Amy retold 60 fairytales, folktales, and classic stories on assignment for the series, Compass Children’s Classics. Her 10 nonfiction science early readers were published by Highlights. Amy’s faith-based books include bath books, Noah’s Ark and The Creation (Sunbeam/Bushel & Peck Books), God’s Earth is Something to Fight For (Sunbeam/Bushel & Peck Books), and God’s Protection Covers Me (Beaming Books). To find out more, see: https://amyhouts.com and Linktr.ee/amyhouts.
