To earn money as a writer it helps if one can pivot from one genre to another—and then another.

I’ve been writing for newspapers since I was 17 years old. Since then I’ve worked as a reporter/photographer on two daily newspapers and have written freelance stories for a large regional daily, for United Press International wire service as well as a host of trade and general interest magazines. I’ve done extensive curriculum writing and my lesson plans have been published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Iowa and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Dept. of Education. Most have been paid assignments, some have not, but all have kept me polishing and improving my writing skills.

I taught high school English on an Indian reservation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for 15 years. Many of my students struggled with reading and writing. This spurred me to earn my master’s degree in reading instruction. But one central issue remained. My students wanted to read a story about them, one that reflected their daily lives and the unique issues they faced. This led me to write Cady and the Bear Necklace. I typed out a rough draft and polished subsequent drafts at Highlights Foundation writing workshops where I had received scholarships and also benefited from writer’s residences at Wild Acres Center in North Carolina. I learned of both of these opportunities from FundsforWriters.

The published version of Cady is probably my eighth draft. Anyone who has made the leap from journalism to fiction can attest to a steep learning curve. A narrative arc? I’m used to the inverted pyramid. Ending each chapter with a cliffhanger? Again, something new. And the freedom to write and describe characters and places subjectively didn’t seem like freedom when one is accustomed to writing with just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.

After years of polishing and revising, I sent out almost 70 queries. Each query was tailored to the individual agent’s interest. What books were successful and enjoyed a similar target market to Cady? What was my author’s platform? How did I plan to market the book? The query process is challenging and seemingly endless. Imagine laying bricks to make a fence and the fence just keeps getting longer and longer with the end never in sight. That’s the query process.

Through the recommendation of an editor at UW-Madison, I contacted HenschelHAUS Publishing in Milwaukee, an indie publisher. We arranged a telephone interview. I emailed my manuscript. The next day I received a reply, “We’ll take it and anything else you’ve got.”

Cady and the Bear Necklace has won the following awards:

The Historical Society of Michigan State History Award 2020 (Books: Children & Youth)
Midwest Book Award Winner
Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist
New Mexico-Arizona Book Award Winner (Multicultural)
SCBWI Members for Members Scholarship (Michigan)
Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Review

After retiring from teaching I wrote freelance stories for two magazines until they both folded due to advertising losses caused by the pandemic. Time to pivot again. A local business owner contacted me and asked if I would do freelance work for him. Business writing is yet another genre to conquer but having done grant writing during my teaching years I accepted those assignments gratefully. It’s been challenging but has helped replace the income lost from magazine writing.

We write because it’s who we are. But times change and we need an ability to switch genres but we keep writing because we are writers.

Contact your local chambers of commerce, area staffing agencies and professional organizations such as Kiwanis, Rotary, Elks, etc. for leads on assignments. Printing companies can steer you to businesses looking for writers to prepare copy for newsletters, etc.

A writer’s tools remain the same despite the genre or audience. They include a command of the language, proper grammar, and the ability to construct a beginning, a middle and an end. Make sure your hook is clear. Using these tools competently will lead to both reader appreciation and an increased income for you.

Links:
https://www.uschamber.com
https://mymanpowerjob.com
https://www.rotary.org

BIO: Ann Dallman has lifelong roots in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Her first middle grade novel, Cady and the Bear Necklace, was published by HenschelHAUS Books of Milwaukee. She started out as a newspaper reporter/photographer and returned to journalism after retiring from teaching. www.anndallman.com