Showing posts with label nonfiction writing. Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2026

Writing for the School Library Market

By Sue Bradford Edwards

Nonfiction writers create many types of work. I’ve written activities for preschoolers and how-to articles for my fellow writers. Still other writers create lesson plans, picture book biographies, and encyclopedias. Each type of nonfiction writing requires a different skill set.

My current focus is writing for the school library market. Maybe this is something that would be a good fit for you.

Diverse Interests

First things first, it is a huge help if you have a wide range of interests. My first book for this market was about the ancient Maya. I’ve also written about puggles, Ariana Grande, cancel culture, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

When my editors contact me with the newest list of subjects, I have an easy time making one or more selections. That’s because I’m interested in so many things. I'm interested in history and anthropology, biological sciences and current events. Textile history fascinates me. I knit, crochet, weave, and embroider. I am about to sign up for a programming class.

My interests and educational background have helped me explain evolution, what a drainage system is, how fracking works, and how a vaccine gives you immunity. If your interests are widespread, this field might be a good match for you.

Keen on Research

You also must love research to take on these types of books. Periodically, an editor will suggest a resource they want me to use, but I generally find all research materials on my own.

The types of sources I use vary by topic. When I wrote about The Who, most of my sources were published books. I pulled in books from university libraries throughout my area and also made a trip to Half Price books.

Researching Food in Space, I combed through a variety of NASA materials. I dug through NASA’s online archives. I read government reports. I sought out industry interviews with food scientists.

During the COVID pandemic, I wrote a book on the topic. This meant that right up until publication I was using medical sources and statistical data to update the text. If you are someone who loves to look things up, this type of writing might be for you.

Fast Drafting

Can you write over a thousand words a day? From the time I am assigned a book until I have to turn in the full manuscript can be anywhere from six weeks to three months. Often, I only have six weeks. Many of the books are 15,000 words long. This means I can’t wait for my muse to pay me a visit.

After my outline and sample chapter are approved, I get to work on the full draft. At that point, I may only have three weeks to write the full book. When I know where I am going with a chapter, I can usually write 1600 to 1800 words comfortably in one day. I don’t do this every day, but I can do it for about a week. After I revise the manuscript and take it to the right reading level, I hand it off to my editor. Are you also a fast writer?

A Willing Team Member

Although you will write on your own, you are also part of a team. Because these books appear in series, I am one of several authors.

Sometimes I've had amazing ideas for book sections, but I've had to cut those ideas from my finished book. Why? Because the idea fit better in someone else’s title in the series. Sometimes your book will be the one that has to make way. Other times your description of a process will be mined for use in other books in the same series. That’s what happened when I explained the process of evolution.

Writing for the school library market, you often work with content experts and multiple editors on each book. This means that you must reconcile the comments and concerns of several different people. Finding a solution may be tricky, but I love watching my books take shape and knowing that in less than 18 months many of my books will be in the hands of teachers, librarians, and students throughout the United States. It’s a great field if you are interested.

Sue Bradford Edwards is a nonfiction author who lives in the St. Louis area. She has written over 80 books for the school library market. When she called her mother to say she wanted to write for children, she could actually hear her mother shrug over the phone. “It’s about time you figured it out.” When her family travels, they look for historic sites and natural wonders. Absolutely nothing beats an alpine desert.

Subscribe to Sue's newsletter here for a free copy of her book, What to do When Your Book Is Banned.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

GROSS AND GRIPPING: The Power of Strange Stories in NF Kidlit

Welcome to NF Fest 2025! The Nonfiction Ninjas are excited to host another February (plus a few extra days) of celebrating the creating of nonfiction for children. Our guest bloggers will be generously sharing insights and strategies they’ve learned that helped them succeed. We hope you find these encouraging and beneficial wherever you are on your nonfiction journey.

Check here daily to read each new post. (Feel free also to check our NF Fest blog archives consisting of five years of February posts. Check the right-hand column.) Share your thoughts in the comments section and on our NF Fest Facebook page. Thank you for celebrating nonfiction with us!

Like all good nonfiction, NF Fest 2025 opens with a BANG! with a post from our very own Stephanie Bearce with...

GROSS AND GRIPPING:

The Power of Strange Stories in NF Kidlit

by Stephanie Bearce

What do leeches, lice, mold, and poop have in common? They’re all gross, no doubt, but they’re also fantastic introductions to science experiments and surprising facts! As a nonfiction author writing for kids, I’ve found that the weirder or grosser the hook, the faster I can pull in readers—especially the ones who don’t usually pick up a book. Strange facts capture their curiosity and lead them to dive deeper into history and science without even realizing they’re learning.

Take leeches, for instance. These little bloodsuckers have been used in medicine for centuries, and they still are today! In modern surgery, they help promote blood flow, but tell kids that George Washington’s doctors accidentally bled him to death using leeches, and their eyes widen in shock. Suddenly, they’re not only fascinated by the history of medicine but eager to understand how medical practices have evolved over time.

And what about brain surgery? Yes, ancient cultures practiced it—successfully! Imagine performing surgery on someone’s skull without modern tools or anesthesia, and the patient lives to tell the tale. That’s the power of trepanation, the ancient practice of drilling into the skull to relieve pressure. It’s a gruesome but gripping entry point to explore ancient medicine, and once kids are hooked, they’re ready to dive deeper into how we’ve built on these early practices.

But let’s not forget how the world’s messiest lab accident led to one of the greatest medical discoveries of all time. In 1928, scientist Alexander Fleming returned to his cluttered, moldy lab after vacation to find mold growing on his petri dishes. Instead of cleaning up, he investigated—and realized that the mold was killing harmful bacteria. That mold became penicillin, a breakthrough that revolutionized medicine. This kind of unexpected, quirky discovery shows kids that science isn’t just about perfect experiments; sometimes, it’s about making unexpected connections that lead to something amazing.

And it's not just gross or quirky medical facts that hook readers. Some of my favorite strange stories come from history, like the tale of Frances Glessner Lee, a millionaire heiress who spent her time building murder dioramas. Yes, you heard that right—miniature, dollhouse-sized crime scenes! Lee’s Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death were used to train detectives in crime scene investigation. This eerie but fascinating story pulls kids into the world of forensic science, where they can learn how detectives piece together clues to solve real-life mysteries.

Weird facts aren’t just fun for kids—they’re gold for authors too! If you want to grab young readers’ attention, think about how you can use the strange, the gross, or the bizarre to pull them into your story. What weird fact have you stumbled upon lately? Keep a file of strange tidbits that spark your curiosity, whether it’s an unusual historical event, a quirky science discovery, or a bizarre cultural practice. These nuggets could be the seeds for your next great nonfiction book or even a fun twist in a fictional tale.

There are countless places to find these quirky facts. Podcasts about history, science, and mysteries are rich sources of weird and wonderful stories. News articles often feature strange discoveries or oddities that are ripe for exploration. Documentaries, museum exhibits, and even social media can offer up fascinating details that most people overlook. When something odd catches your attention, don’t dismiss it—investigate! Ask yourself how you can turn that fact into a story idea that will captivate young readers.

By using the unusual to liven up your writing, you’re not just adding entertainment value—you’re creating books that kids will want to read. And the weirder the fact, the more likely it is to hook them into learning something new. So, the next time you’re brainstorming a story or lesson, don’t be afraid to go for the strange. The grossest, quirkiest details might just be the key to selling books that keep kids coming back for more.

About the Author:

Stephanie Bearce is an award-winning author of over 40 traditionally published books, including The Secret of Moonrise Manor (2025) and its sequel, The Curse of the Lost Cave (2026). She is the author of several nonfiction series, including The Top-Secret Files of History, Twisted True Tales from Science, and Awesome Disgusting History. Her books have been honored with the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and featured on the National Science Teachers Notable Book List.

As a certified life and author coach, Stephanie co-hosts the Way-Word Writers podcast, where she shares insights on writing, publishing, and personal growth. She is also a member of the Nonfiction Ninjas and founder of NF Fest, bringing her expertise and enthusiasm to the nonfiction writing community.

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

SEARCHING FOR YOUR STRENGHS

By Sarah Glenn Fortson

Recently, I’ve come across articles on the importance of knowing your strengths as a writer. We humans tend to focus on shortcomings. When we read a critique of a work-in-progress, we most likely come away thinking of the “needs improvement” suggestions.

Trust me, it’s important to hear shortcomings. For example, my first few drafts of my book, GRANNY SMITH WAS NOT AN APPLE had talking bees in the orchard. At a conference, the presenter who critiqued my work said, “If this is a true story, get rid of the darn talking bees.” Except she didn’t say “darn.” Although a bit harsh, I am forever grateful that she pointed it out.

But in this post I want to take a hard look at the Granny Smith story in search of what I did well.

On the first page you’ll find imagery in the form of apple related words. “Listen carefully. Do you hear a crunching sound? Peel back England’s fog. You see Maria Ann Smith. A woman raised tough to the core.”

In several places throughout the story, I employ alliteration. “She will plow or pick or prune. She will shear or shuck or shell.” Before the families voyage to Australia, neighbors warn her of “seasickness, shipwrecks, and seafaring pirates.”

I’m proud of the sidebars throughout the book and the research I put into them. I was especially excited to find the actual ship manifest that listed the Smith family as passengers.

Lyrical language also stands out in my mind as something I did well. “…husband and son are climbing a ladder to place the beam to give the roof its pitch. Maria is mixing the mud to make the mortar to hold the walls in place.”

“She’s clearing the land to plow the rows, to plant the seedlings, to grow the apple trees.”

And at the end, I refer back to portions of the language used at the beginning in order to tie the story together in a neat little bow. “Listen carefully. Do you hear a crunching sound? Peel back the branches and you will see a gray-haired lady walking between rows of trees heavy with green apples. The crunching sound is Granny Smith--biting into one of the green apples that will soon be named in her honor.”

Now, dear reader, I challenge you. Take out your most recent work-in-progress and search for your strengths. Make a list of every aspect of your writing that gives you that sense of pride. Don’t be shy. Is there room to expand any element, or is what you have already enough?

Good luck. I bet you find more than you expect.

About the Author:

GRANNY SMITH WAS NOT AN APPLE is Sarah Glenn Fortson’s second book published by Peter Pauper Press. It was illustrated by Kris Aro McLeod and edited by Mara Conlon. Sarah’s debut is titled THIS COWGIRL AIN’T KIDDIN’ ABOUT THE POTTY, illustrated by Russ Cox. Sarah has a degree in journalism and a Masters in Education. She currently lives in Georgia. Learn more about Sarah at www.sarahglennfortson.com

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

It's CONTEST TIME!!!!

Are you ready for the first EVER Nonfiction Ninja Writing contest?

We sure are!

The Ninjas are excited to read your stories! We know our readers are the smartest, most creative writers on the internet. Reading these entries is going to be fun!

And even more fun will be working with our mentees.

Six talented writers will win a three-month mentorship with a Nonfiction Ninja. You can use those three months any way you want. Perfecting manuscripts for submission or career consulting. We will be at your disposal. Our goal is to help writers move forward in their careers.

One grand prize winner will move to the head of the submission line with Storm Literary Agent Lisa Amstutz.

All winners will receive a written critique of their manuscript.