write-for-hire

I Wrote a Whole Book This Summer!

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on September 1st, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

See that title up there? I think I'll shout it again: 

I wrote a whole book this summer! 

The second book in my write-for-hire contract is turned in to my editor and the client. I'll have at least one round of revisions, but for the next few weeks...it's out of my hands! 

I've been feeling triumphant since sending in my draft. In fact, this whole project has me feeling triumphant. I wrote most of book one while recovering from a detached retina in the spring. I wrote all of book two over my daughter's summer vacation, only some of which she spent in camp. (If I get to work on book three, I'm crossing my fingers for smoother sailing in the fall/winter?!) Working as a contractor, rather than as the sole creator, has been a new experience for me, but overall I've enjoyed it—and I can't wait for you to get to read the finished product in 2024. 

So what's next? 

I'm...not sure. 

Maybe that book three I mentioned, above. Or maybe (hopefully!) the second book in the Science & Strange series, currently being considered on proposal. Maybe a proposal for more Class Critters. Or maybe I finally get back to the standalone middle-grade I've been working on for years and for which I have possibly, finally, figured out the final missing puzzle piece. 

Or all of the above? 

I wrote about battling the blahs a few weeks ago—about the inevitable letdown at the end of a contract and the uncertainty of what's on the horizon. As I look forward now, I'm trying to focus on the positives. Like all of those potential stories, waiting to be told!

Maybe, one answer to "what's next?" is, what would bring me the most joy? What will get me excited each day, as I sit down at my computer with my coffee? Can I prioritize those things? That doesn't mean I'm not wearing my business hat. I definitely need to have a conversation with my literary agent to strategize my next moves. But...how can I look at my career in a way that focuses on creativity and inspiration and—I'll say it again—joy? 

Publishing books can be an anxious, uncertain thing. There are so many variables that affect whether what you write will reach readers. I've had enough letdowns in the eight-plus years that I've been a published author to know that I can't count on success. So, when I find myself enjoying writing something—looking forward to working on it—reading over it later feeling satisfied and fulfilled—that matters. 

I've enjoyed this write-for-hire gig. The original idea and main character sketch might not have come from my own imagination, but I've made them my own. I like spending time in this world. At the same time, there are other characters and worlds I'm eager to get back to. Series and sequels and drafts and ideas. 

I wrote a whole book this summer, and that's a huge accomplishment. 

I like the book I wrote this summer—also huge. 

I'm enjoying writing these days. I'm enjoying it a lot. 

That's the biggest win of all. 

~Kathryn 

What I'm: 

Reading: I snagged Kate Clayborn's Georgie, All Along from a box of free books a neighbor set out on their stoop—and I loved it! It's a romance about a woman who returns to her Virginia hometown, adrift after her assistant job in L.A. ends. When Georgie finds a scrapbook she and her best friend made in eighth grade, sharing their hopes and dreams (and perfect prom dates) for high school and beyond, she realizes that that was the last time she felt sure of herself and her future. Maybe looking back can help her find a path forward. (In the process, she meets the black-sheep, loner older brother of her high school crush...and sparks fly.) 

Watching: "Only Murders in the Building" keeps getting better. I can't recommend this show highly enough. 

Loving: During the last week of summer vacation, we squeezed in a few more adventures around the city. One day, I took the kiddo (joined by a friend and her two boys) to the Intrepid, a military museum housed on a decommissioned aircraft carrier docked in the Hudson River. Here she is exploring the flight deck, where they have tons of vintage jets and helicopters on display! 

Setting Goals, Seeking Accountability

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on July 28th, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

"How are you writing so fast?!" a friend DMed me on Instagram yesterday, in response to one of my daily word count updates. 

I wrote back with a quick explanation: my four-weeks-of-camp timeline, my 10-page chapter-by-chapter outline, my rule that I have to finish my chapter each day before I do anything else (including shower). But really, I wanted to say, "Thank you." 

Every message I get, whether congratulating me for getting my daily words on the page or asking how I'm doing it, keeps me going. That's one of the reasons I've been sharing my word count tracker online for the past three weeks (and will continue to do so next week). At this point, if I miss a day, I think people will notice. 

I have a professional deadline for this project: August 30th. But I've written in my newsletter before about the difference between the "zero-draft," i.e. the very first thing I write, and the "first draft" that I send to my editor or agent. I don't want my publishing team to read the earliest set of words that I basically splat onto my screen. Thus, I have to bake in some time for revisions. This year, the timing happened to work out perfectly: I have this four-week stretch of summer camp to hammer out words, and then three and a half weeks (only one of which is a camp week) before the actual deadline, to polish everything up. 

Perfect timing notwithstanding, I would consider this fast-drafting. I don't usually push myself to get down approximately 2,000 words a day, every single (week)day. When I was writing the Class Critters books, I didn't have to; those books are shorter, and the challenge was to get each chapter to do its job in the fewest possible words (around 500-700). When I was writing my longer YA novels, meanwhile, the deadlines weren't this tight. Plus, I drafted my debut long before working with a publisher. In a nutshell, this particular drafting situation—35,000-40,000 words in under eight weeks—is new to me. 

And...I don't hate it. 

I am someone who thrives under (reasonable) pressure. If I don't have an external deadline, I often give myself one. I like making plans and sticking to them. So, this idea of writing a chapter a day for twenty days naturally appealed to me. I knew what I had to accomplish from the get-go, and I am making it happen.

Why share online each day? Accountability. Like I said earlier, if I miss a day at this point, there are people in my life who would notice. I've put my intentions out into the world. Now, I have to follow through. 

But every book is different, just as every season of life is different. What's working for me this summer might not work at another time of year. I might have more on my plate. Or another book might not lend itself to the kind of outlining that has facilitated my drafting process this time. And of course, with my coauthored projects, I have to factor in another person's schedule and preferences. 

I'm trying to enjoy this productive flow I'm in. I've written 28,607 words in 14 days (as of yesterday), and I have six chapters to go (one today and five next week). Then my schedule changes again: I'll be working while also running "mommy camp" for a week and a half, followed by traveling with my daughter and doing a school visit in my hometown.   

When the stars align, as they did with this twenty chapters in twenty days marathon I'm in now—and when the writing flows, as it has been—this work is so satisfying. But it's also satisfying to find time to do a small, meaningful revision in an otherwise busy day. It's satisfying to add 2,000 words to a growing document, and it's satisfying to delete a scene that isn't serving any purpose, or to replace that long scene with a single, perfect sentence. 

I enjoy what I do, and I'm happy to have the time to do it.

I'm thankful for summer camp. 

And as I enter the home stretch of getting this zero-draft written, please hold me accountable. ;) 

~Kathryn 

What I'm: 

Reading: I just reread Emily Henry's Beach Read, and, serendipitously, her newest book, Happy Place, just landed in my library queue. So, that is what I will be happily reading this weekend. Happy Place is a second-chance romance about a couple that broke up five months ago after an eight-year relationship, only to be thrust back together by their friends at an intimate cottage gathering on the Maine coast.  

Watching: So much "Star Trek." The second season of "Strange New Worlds" is really fun! And with the way streaming services work these days, we have to watch everything of interest to us to on Paramount+ before canceling it again, which means rewatching some of the "Trek" movies... 

Loving: My daughter's summer camp is science-themed, and it has really captured her imagination. I love that she enjoys the experiments, but also gets into the pretending aspect of it—for instance, the week they learned about detective science, she was basically a sleuth 24/7. Her big imagination is one of my favorite things about this age! 

(Here's a new Little Free Library near her camp. Isn't this the cutest?)

My Mini Summer Writing Bootcamp

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on July 14th, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

If you follow me on any of my social platforms, you probably know that I am drafting a new book this summer. It's the second book in my write-for-hire contract, the sequel to the first. (I know you're curious about this project—I really, really hope to be able to share more details soon!) Because I'm working with a relatively tight deadline, and because my kiddo is in summer camp for four straight weeks, I've decided to turn the work of drafting into a mini bootcamp for myself. 

I have never attempted NaNoWriMo. (That's National Novel Writing Month, for those who aren't familiar—each November, millions of writers attempt to complete a novel, or at least 50,000 words of one, in a month.) I haven't abstained from NaNoWriMo because I'm opposed to the idea. Not at all! I've just never found myself ready to write 50,000 new words when November rolls around. I'm either deep in revisions on something, or drafting something shorter (like the Critters books). Maybe one day I will give it a shot! 

But this summer, I'm attempting something close. This new book needs to be between 35-40,000 words. My daughter is in camp for four weeks. By her last day of camp, I want to have a complete zero-draft. (Then, I will have about three weeks to polish up that draft before my August deadline.) 

So, how does one write an entire book in a month? 

The same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. 

My outline for this book has 20 chapters. My kiddo has 20 days of camp. That equals a chapter a day. How long must each chapter be? 35,000 / 20 = 1,750. I've set myself a goal of writing at least 1,500 words a day, knowing that most chapters will be closer to 2,000. (In the first four days, my word count total was 7,988, so I am slightly ahead of schedule overall. Woohoo!) 

Now, maybe you're someone who looks at this strategy and shudders. Maybe the idea of breaking a book down into bite-sized chunks doesn't mesh with your writing vibe at all. I have to say, I've written books where this strategy wouldn't have worked at all. Books where I was finding my way as I wrote, or focusing for an hour on a single paragraph because I couldn't move on until it was just right. But for this particular project, having a daily goal and a clear finish line within view has been invaluable. 

I have a deadline and a plan. I enjoy a sense of accomplishment each morning, as I cross off "write a chapter" from my to-do list. I can see my document growing, thanks to the handy-dandy progress bar in Scrivener. I feel confident, and sometimes confidence is the best feeling you can experience when you're working on something completely new. (Also, for me, it's my first time writing a true sequel; the Critters books were each about a different character. So the confidence-boost of getting words on the page is balancing out my uncertainty about crafting a sequel that's as compelling as the first book!) 

I wouldn't be able to work like this without my incredibly detailed outline. When I sit down each morning, I have the chapter's synopsis ready to guide me forward. And yes, things do change from outline to draft. But I have a road map. If I follow it, I'll get to my destination. 

Today is the end of Week One. After today's writing session, I should have approximately one-fourth of a book. That's definitely something! 

And with each day that passes, my momentum grows. I'm more in the story. More invested in the characters. Hopefully, by the time I get to "The End" and circle back to page one to start revising, I'll be so in the zone that I'll know exactly what I need to do. 

There's a quote writers often share: "I hate writing, but I love having written."

To be honest, I love both. Not all the time, but certainly right now. I'm enjoying the process, and I'm looking forward to the outcome of having a finished draft to revise. It may feel a bit like bootcamp, but it also feels like home. 

Are you pushing yourself to work on anything big this summer? 

~Kathryn 

What I'm: 

Reading: I'm currently crossing off the "historical novel set before the 20th century" box on my BookBub Reading Challenge grid! The most recent Newbery Award winner, Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson, is about two children who escape from a plantation and find a new home in a free Black community hidden deep in a swamp. Freewater is home to other formerly enslaved people as well as a group of children who were born there—children who have never known enslavement. This book is lyrically written and lovingly depicts—from many different points of view—a part of history I haven't read about before in children's literature, the free Black (also known as maroon) communities in the south in the 1800s.  

Watching: My husband and I finished "Picard" season 3 this week. I grew up watching "Star Trek: The Next Generation" with my dad, and it was a pleasure to spend more time with the crew of the Enterprise-D in this new series. (If you're a Trekkie, it's on Paramount+!) 

Loving: I took this photo of my kiddo last week, and I still think it may be one of the best pictures I've ever captured. It looks like she's surrounded by magic. 

How I Learned to Love a Good Outline

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on June 2nd, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

Earlier this week, I had a call with the team for the write-for-hire book series I'm working on this year. On our agenda: brainstorm ideas for the second book. 

I'm happy to say I came to that meeting with loads of ideas—and left with even more. Now I'm in the process of writing a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline, which I will send to the client, my editor, and my agent by the end of next week. It's fun to be back at the idea phase. Right now, the book is filled with possibility. I'm dreaming up new characters, new interactions, new twists. I'm thinking about how to take concepts I introduced in book one to the next level, how to fulfill promises I made and raise the stakes. I'm also going back through book one and trying to find all of the seeds I planted. (For example, I referenced an upcoming school fall festival that now has to actually happen.) 

Before the last few years, I was not a big outliner. For some projects, I still probably won't be. But in certain contexts—like writing-for-hire—I have found it to be so, so helpful. Once this detailed outline is approved, I'll paste each chapter's synopsis into my Scrivener document's notes section. Then, every day when I sit down to write the zero-draft, I will know exactly what I need to do. Of course, things can diverge from the outline. With book one, I added two chapters when I realized I was missing a few story beats, and I rearranged a bunch of other plot elements that weren't in quite the right order. But in terms of getting words on the blank page, it's tremendously useful to have a plan. 

MarcyKate and I also worked with an outline in order to write The Thirteenth Circle, though what we started with was a lot less detailed than what I'm doing now. In the case of a coauthored book, having an outline up front allowed us each to work separately without accidentally steering the train off the track. We had mile markers we had to reach. Landmarks on the horizon. That said, there was plenty of room to play—and to surprise each other with unexpected twists and cliffhangers. 

Writers like to talk about being either plotters or pantsers (i.e. writing by the seat of one's pants). I've always considered myself somewhere in the middle of that spectrum: a "plantser." I generally like to write toward signposts, but not to have so much planned out up front that it takes away the joy of discovering new ideas and characters as I go along. Knowing a few key scenes that have to be in the story also helps me avoid writer's block: if I'm stuck at a certain point, I can jump ahead to the next big moment I am certain of, and then work backward to fill in the gap.

This write-for-hire series is the most heavily I've ever outlined before beginning to write. But every manuscript is different, and writing a book as a contractor is different from having complete creative control over my own vision. I don't necessarily have time to noodle around in discovery mode until I find the perfect plot point. I have to figure out as much as I can in advance, get the go-ahead from the other members of the team, and trust that my instincts as a writer will get me the rest of the way. 

I've been seriously writing fiction for over a dozen years now, and one of the ways I keep myself sharp and fresh is by trying new things. Sometimes, that means writing in a new genre or for a new age group. Other times, it means changing up my process. Writing-for-hire has been a big change of process—in a good way. I've added new skills to my toolbox. I'm continuing to learn and to grow. It's also valuable to try something and discover it's not for me! Everything is a step forward, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. 

So back to my chapter-by-chapter outline. My outline for book one ended up being about ten pages, 1.5 spaced. (I prefer 1.5 over single or double. *insert shrugging emoji here*) I'm aiming for about the same length for book two, both because I found that level of detail to be useful to me in drafting book one and because I want to give my client and my editor a similar amount of plot to consider this time around. The more they're on board from the start, the less I'll have to rewrite down the line. 

It's all a process. A journey. 

And it's due next week, so it's time for me to sign off here and get back to it! 

~Kathryn 

What I'm: 

Reading: Two amazing sci-fi-ish middle-grade novels: Tae Keller's Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, about an alien-loving girl who disappears and the girl who may have bullied her into running away, and Lee Bacon's The Last Human, about a future when robots have eradicated humans...or so they all think, until a friendly bot meets a 12-year-old girl who has somehow survived. As I gear up for the January release of The Thirteenth Circle, I want to read more middle-grade sci-fi. Any recommendations for me? 

Watching: We started "American Born Chinese" on Disney+ and it's great so far! Based on a graphic novel that was a finalist for the National Book Award, this series is a mash-up of Chinese mythology and realistic teen drama, and it's so fun. 

Enjoying: Long neighborhood walks in the springtime sunshine. 

Loving: It's officially beach season! People don't think of NYC as having good beaches, but there are a few, and we made our first trip out to soak up some sun over Memorial Day Weekend. Here's my excited mermaid girl striking a pose. 

Notes from Deep Inside a Book Revision

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on April 28th, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

I've been submerged in book revisions. Or, as my husband who works in tech calls it, I've been "heads-down." 

This is for the first book on my write-for-hire contract, and I knew from the start that the turnaround times would be quick. I submitted my first draft on March 27th, and my editor was hoping to have the manuscript completely finalized by the end of April! I received her notes, along with the client's, a little over a week ago, and dove right in. 

What kind of edits are we talking about? One secondary plotline is being removed (and possibly saved for a future book). Another plotline is being enhanced slightly to take its place. A few characters' details (age, interests, backstory) are changing. I'm strengthening and sharpening the friendship dynamics in the story. None of this is overwhelming—but as I said, the timeline is tight. 

I've never completed a book under contract, from writing early sample chapters to polishing the final manuscript, this fast. In fact, in my experience, months can pass between sending in a draft and receiving notes from the editor. Also, I'm used to a process that has three revisions: the first draft gets global, structural notes, the second draft is more about refining arcs and characters, and the third draft is where line editing happens. Perhaps because we spent so much time up front on the synopsis and character sketches, this time, most of that draft-one work was done before I wrote the actual draft. The edits I'm working on now feel like second-draft edits, with a bit of line editing thrown in. 

There are pros and cons to working this way. On the plus side, I am deep in the headspace of this book. Because I'd just turned in my first draft, when I received my edits, I was able to jump straight back in. It can take longer to find your way into the story after a lengthier break. But at the same time, those breaks between drafts can enable you to see what's in front of you with clearer eyes. You're almost like a fresh reader. What's not working—and what is—comes into focus. 

The other interesting thing about these edits is that I am working as a contractor: the creative vision is not mine alone. There are a few choices being made that I would not have chosen. This DOES NOT mean I think they are bad choices! They're just not the way my instinct would naturally guide me. Every writer—every creator—is different, and this write-for-hire process involves being open to others' opinions and preferences. There is a lot of me in this project, but it's not entirely mine. 

I'm heading to the New England Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators annual conference this weekend. I'll be presenting two professional workshops, along with two friends: a session on successful school visits with Janae Marks and a session on co-writing a book with my Thirteenth Circle coauthor, MarcyKate Connolly. When I'm not presenting, I'm planning to attend other workshops...but I'll also be spending time in my hotel room, heads-down in book revisions. My goal is to get the manuscript back in my editor's hands by Monday or Tuesday. 

Then, in another few weeks, I'll probably start working on book two! 

Tight deadlines can be difficult, but most of the time, I'd rather be writing than waiting. (This is why you'll often find me playing around with new ideas in between drafts of books that are further along...) Give me something to work on, a way to make forward progress, and I am a happy writer. 

(Though I will be glad to come up for air next week!) 

~Kathryn 

What I'm: 

Reading: the third Thursday Murder Club book, The Bullet That Missed. I love this series about a set of octogenarian crime-solvers living in a British retirement community. What are your favorite cozy mysteries? 

Listening to: My kiddo's new favorite song is Katy Perry's "Roar." She asks to listen to it over...and over...and over. I think it may have taken up permanent residence in my head. Luckily, it's pretty cute when she sings along at the top of her lungs...

Loving: Spring weather. Here's my girl in one of her new spring dresses, showing off her arabesque. Look at those straight knees, that pointed toe! 

What Am I Hoping to Cultivate in 2023?

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on January 13th, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

Last week, I shared that my word of the year for 2023 is Cultivate. This week, I wanted to talk a little about what, exactly, I hope to cultivate in my professional life! What seeds did I plant that I'm ready to nurture? What's on tap for me in 2023? 

I have one book release this year: the paperback of Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! on April 11th. I learned a lot last year, as I released two books in a little over a four-month period. (Technically, I had four book releases in 2022: the paperback of Tally Tuttle, the hardcover and paperback of David Dixon, and the hardcover of Madison Morris!) I am hoping to make the most of this upcoming paperback release, so stay tuned for giveaways, readalouds, collaborations, and more in the next month or two. 

The Thirteenth Circle is moving steadily through the production process. MarcyKate and I are waiting on copyedits, as well as a final cover design and a release date. (As far as I know, this book is still slated for winter 2024.) Meanwhile, we've been working on sample chapters for a proposed Book Two in the Science & Strange series! The Thirteenth Circle is about a crop circle phenomenon. Who wants to guess what paranormal thing our intrepid seventh-grade researchers are going to investigate next? 

I am also embarking on a new writing project this year. I mentioned several months ago that I was auditioning for a write-for-hire gig...and I got it! This week, I submitted a 10-page outline/synopsis as well as character briefs for all of the main players. Once I get approval from my editor and the client, it's time to start drafting in earnest. I will tell you more about this project once I know what I am allowed to disclose (remember, sometimes ghostwriters are allowed to take credit, whereas other times they stay fully behind the scenes). Suffice it to say, I am so excited that I took the chance on this audition last fall and am embarking on this new adventure! I think it will be a lot of fun. 

I did my first few in-person Class Critters school visits in 2022. I not only refined my presentation each time, making it more engaging and more effective (and becoming more comfortable in front of a crowd of kids), but also learned some tricks about reaching out to schools to pitch myself and my books. I am currently in talks with a couple different schools about in-person visits in the spring, which I am so excited about! But also, I am really pushing forward with booking virtual visits. I already have 10 virtual school visits scheduled on and around World Read Aloud Day (February 1st), plus another few virtual visits coming up in March. Speaking of which, if you want me to read/speak to your elementary school students, either virtually or in person, please don't hesitate to reach out! I would love to make something happen. Learn more about my school visits HERE. 

In other professional news, this week I led my first professional writing seminar for the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, and it went really well! (You may recall me writing about imposter syndrome as I was crafting the presentation...) The facilitators and the attendees seemed very pleased with the information that I and my Class Critters editor, Erica Finkel, shared. And there were approximately 85 registrants, which blew away my expectations for how many people would attend! While this workshop technically happened in 2023, I'm counting it as a seed planted last year, because that's when I laid all the groundwork. Now, I know that I can lead a successful seminar. I do have valuable insight to pass along to other writers. I am not an imposter! So what else can I pursue in this realm? What other opportunities can I seek out? More workshops and seminars? More podcasts? Guest blog posts? 

All of the above is...a lot. I am going to be busy, busy, busy. But I hope to be busy doing what I love—or else doing things that are necessary to support projects I love—and that takes the some of the existential stress out of it. Writing is my job, and I work hard at it, but it's also my passion. I hope that above all, I can continue cultivating enjoyment in my work. 

What word is guiding you this year? 

~Kathryn 

What I'm: 

Reading: I've got a long library hold list at the moment, including several holiday-themed romances that didn't hit my account before the holidays, but I've also just started a new middle-grade fantasy novel! (Remember how I said I was going to read more middle-grade this year, in preparation for my own middle-grade debut in 2024?) Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit by Jesse Q. Sutanto is about a boy who must team up with his brother's fox spirit after his brother passes away. Together, the two—who have never gotten along—must uncover why the brother died. I'm only a few chapters in, but I'm enjoying it so far! 

Watching: "Willow" just finished its first (only?) season, and it definitely got better as it went along. "Abbott Elementary" is back from winter break, and as fun as ever. Oh, and my husband and I watched "Matilda: the Musical" on Netflix a few days ago, and it was absolutely wonderful! 

Eating: Have you ever made a Mississippi Roast? I cooked a version of this in the crock pot a few days ago, and it was divine. (Spoiler alert: there's a lot of butter...)  

Loving: I checked my PO Box this week to find a packet of letters and artwork from a group of 1st and 2nd graders I Zoomed with in December! Here are a few of my favorite pictures. Getting fan art from kids is the absolute best.  

Let's Talk About "Writing for Hire"

This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on October 21st, 2022. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.

This week, for the first time in a very, very long time, I started writing something completely new. I opened a blank Scrivener document. I wrote "1" at the top of the first page. And then I stared at the blank screen.

And stared. And stared.

Starting a new book from scratch is a bit daunting. It's hard to know exactly where to begin—and in many cases, writers begin at the wrong spot entirely and end up cutting the first few pages or even chapters down the line. I've heard this referred to as "clearing your throat," a.k.a. getting some stuff out of your system and out of your way before reaching the nitty-gritty of the story. Some level of throat-clearing is necessary, of course. Chances are, you aren't going to write the perfect first line on Day One, so you might as well write forward. It's better to get words on the page than to be paralyzed from the start.

If I were working on something that's entirely for me, this early-drafting phase would be like messing around. Playing in the sandbox. Seeing what feels right.

But, as it turns out, this new thing I'm starting is not entirely for me. It's an audition for a write-for-hire project, a sample chapter that will help the editor and the creator of the project decide whether I'm the right writer to make their vision a reality. So, strangely, a lot more is riding on this first chapter than if I were starting a book of my own. Even if it were to change entirely in edits, it has to be solid enough now to land me the job!

I've auditioned for a write-for-hire gig before, and I've also done some freelance ghostwriting. The previous WFH tryout was back in 2018, and it was for a chapter book series about animals that had various jobs. I wrote a sample about Chef Cheetah and his search for his missing mozzarella. (I think I can talk about this now because, as far as I know, this series never actually became a thing? At least, not in the way it was described to me at the time...) After I'd turned in my sample, I found out that at least one other children's book author in my immediate network had also auditioned for the job. Neither of us got it...and, as I said, I don't know if the series ever saw the light of day.

But! My agent loved what I'd written. She suggested I try my hand at an original chapter book idea. I was into that suggestion—and what resulted was Tally Tuttle Turns into a Turtle. So, while that particular WFH audition was a bust, it did ultimately send my career in a new direction!

On the ghostwriting front, I spent 2019-2021 working with an adult science-fiction writer who self-published a series on Amazon. Some ghostwriting jobs involve writing books from scratch, but in this case, he wrote first-drafts that I then edited and enhanced, in some instances almost doubling the word count. I worked on seven books with him, over three years, and each time he trusted me to fill in more story and characterization. (The first book was already published when I got my hands on it; it hadn't been selling well and he wanted someone to beef it up. By book seven, he was sending me slim chapters one or two at a time, as he wrote them, and I fleshed them out into a full story arc!)

With the ghostwriting gig, my name is not attached to the work. I was hired in a strictly behind-the-scenes role. And that's fine! These books are this guy's thing, and I don't need credit! I was paid for my time and effort.

With writing-for-hire, there are a number of ways in which the writer can be acknowledged and/or credited (or not). You might be working with a celebrity author, and that's whose name will be on the cover. (Yours won't.) Or you might be published under a pseudonym. Or you might be listed as a "with"—i.e. BIG NAME AUTHOR, with Kathryn Holmes. Or you might get to be the actual author, on the cover and title page! Contracts (and fees) will vary.

What matters with writing-for-hire is that the concept and outline/story are someone else's intellectual property. Someone else—a celebrity, a book packager, the publisher—has an idea that they are hiring you to execute. You might have some freedom within that template, but the book is not your baby. Someone else has the final say on what gets sent to print.

A lot of authors do write-for-hire work in addition to publishing their own books, and a lot of books are published each year that you might not know are IP projects! (IP = intellectual property, for those paying attention.) It's not just Star Wars and Marvel novelizations—some books that have original concepts fall into this category, simply because the publisher or a book packager had an idea that they hired a writer to write.

So back to my sample chapter! I can't say what it's for, other than that the client is a nonfiction writer who wants to branch into fiction. I don't know if I'll get the contract, and if I do, whether I'll be able to speak about it publicly. But I wanted to write about it here because WFH is an increasingly large part of the publishing game—and a great way for authors to earn some extra money in between solo deals.

That said, I really do want this—the subject matter and ethos of the project are a great fit for me—so please cross your fingers the client likes what I've done!

Until next week...

~Kathryn

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is running its BookStop promotion until December 5th! I've got pages up for all three Class Critters books. You can check them out here:

Chances are, if you're a regular reader of this newsletter, you have already bought a book or two...but if you're so inclined, you could share these BookStop links with your friends and family! You can also leave a comment in the Guest Book on each page, to tell anyone who browses the BookStop how great the Class Critters kids are.

We're launching into holiday gift-giving season, and BOOKS are one of the best gifts any kid can receive!

What I'm:

Reading: As promised last week, I'm reading the third American Royals book, Rivals. (To be honest, I've been too busy to do a ton of reading this week, so I'm not very far into it! But that has nothing to do with the quality of the book.)

Watching: "Floor is Lava" inexplicably has a third season on Netflix. Even more inexplicably...my husband and I have already blazed through it. ;)

Dancing to: Who remembers Ray LaMontagne's peak in the 2000s? My dance teacher brought another blast from the past (i.e. my mid-20s...) into class this week by setting choreography to "Duet," sung by Rachel Yamagata and LaMontagne. I definitely felt some feelings to this song circa 2008...

Loving: It finally feels like fall!