Jan Fields discovered writing for the education market nearly two decades ago and has loved the challenge and joy of bringing lively books, stories and articles to children. She particularly enjoys writing for children who think they don’t enjoy reading and helping them discover joy in the process. Through this rich market she’s written about everything from fences made of bees to mysterious cryptids and beyond. Whether she’s tackling nonfiction or fiction, her writing process leans heavily on her true talent: asking endless questions and digging until she finds the answer. Along with her children’s writing, Jan writes mystery novels for adults and endless essays about the writing life for The Institute of Children’s Literature. Visit her online at www.janfields.com.
More about Jan:
“It was a terrific workshop, and both Jan and Paula were so helpful. Paula helped me rework my resume, and after the course, I was hired to write a book by Red Line. If writing educational material is your goal, this is the workshop for you.”
“Jan and Paula are wonderful speakers, teachers, mentors, and fun to hang out with. I absolutely loved my time with them. I could not have asked for better speakers.”
“I have been following Jan and Paula’s advice. Many of the other participants had been honing their writing careers for years in the industry before coming to the workshop. I came to the workshop for a career pivot from instructional design to freelance writing. While this has been slower than anticipated, my year has been productive. I began submitting my packets in late July. By March, I have been assigned to a project with A Pass Education. I’ve heard from editors and joined writing groups.”
“At the workshop, I learned a great deal starting with the difference between publishers and packagers. There were also two interesting guest speakers, but Jan and Paula were fantastic. They each worked with me personally on strengthening my resume and samples. They gave encouraging advice and extensive lists on where to send my material. They were full of information on publishing trends, writing possibilities, pitfalls to avoid, and so much more. In the three years since, I have published a five book fiction series for High Noon, four nonfiction books for 12 Story Library, and I have two additional nonfiction books awaiting publication. That’s 11 books in three years. I am extremely glad I took the workshop and very grateful to the two of them for opening this market to me.”
“Jan Fields and Paula Morrow gave exactly the knowledge required to enter the educational market. Paula’s experience provided a great editorial background. Jan’s insider knowledge and insight, along with her wonderfully dry wit and engaging delivery, provided the step-by-step guidance needed to become a success. Since the workshop (7 months ago) I have written 6 educational books, three for Rourke Educational, two for ABDO (Redline Editorial) and one for North Star Editions (Red Line Editorial). I only queried three publishers and have been writing for two of them. I haven’t queried any more because (this will be unbelievable, but a true part of educational publishing), I don’t need more work!”
