I always wanted to be a teacher or a writer writing the great American novel or seeing my byline in magazines seemed like a dream job to me. But, because I also wanted stability, I became a teacher. And I loved it.

Unfortunately, like 45 percent of teachers, I left the job. In my case, my three disabled children’s health issues pulled me home. Ironically, that is when I became a writer.

I started as a freelancer, but my deadlines too often conflicted with my children’s health issues. It was simply too hard for me to concentrate on a plotline while sitting next to my desperately ill child in the hospital.

Then I found Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT), and, like so many other educators, I found a non-typical way to be a writer.

TPT is an online market where teachers and former teachers create materials for the education market. Materials can be for teachers, parents, or students in any subject from preschool to adult education and college. Writers retain their copyright and earn between 60-80 percent of the retail price of each item sold. In exchange, teacher-authors, as they’re called, get the marketing of TPT and access to a worldwide audience in the hundreds of millions.

Additionally, there are competitors to TPT springing up regularly such as Amazon’s EdSurge, the UK’s Times Educational Supplement, and the brand new ClassFlow and most do not require exclusivity, so a writer may join several markets.

With over 1,850,000 teacher-authors and counting, TPT writers must present a professional, unique product to stand out from the crowd. With over $30,000,000 of sales going to its authors, TPT and other online teachers’ marketplaces can be a lucrative gig. To succeed, it is helpful to:

Write what you know. 

I’ve both taught and mothered special needs students. That’s my niche. I’ve further narrowed my products to teens transitioning into adult life. My niche helps me stand out from the crowd and has earned me a loyal following around the world. I have crowds at every workshop or conference and a long line of requests for new titles waiting in my inbox.

Stay abreast. 

Make sure you keep abreast of the latest trends in education and follow national standards and state guidelines whenever possible. By doing so you’ll always have your buyers’ backs and be a reliable resource for return buyers.

Edit. Edit. Edit. 

You don’t have the luxury of editors checking your work, so you have to be scrupulous in your editing. Some authors use partners or create critique groups. However you do it, make sure your final product is professional.

Offer value. 

Being your own boss means kicking your work up a notch. Whether you’ve written a play to illustrate the westward movement, or a biography for early readers, or a lesson on using poetry in science, you need to be sure that teachers can take your work and run with it knowing that the products are professional and error-free.

Admittedly, I originally felt like writing curricula wasn’t “real writing.” I wanted that byline, that profound essay, that great American novel. Plus, during my first year with TPT, I made $257, which didn’t seem like much. But, now I make a very comfortable five figures and have sold over 100,000 books. Literally, millions of students all over the world have read my words.

Because of the flexibility of time and assignments that TPT allows, I’ve also written articles for scores of magazines nationally. I’ve had a dozen stories appear in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. And, yes, I’ve written the great American novel…about a special needs’ teen.

I may have become a writer by default, and I may not earn most of my bread-and-butter through traditional publications, but each year when I figure my taxes, I get a thrill when I fill in my occupation as “Author.”

Bio: Helping teens with special needs transition into adulthood is Susan Traugh’s mission as evidenced by her successful series, Daily Living Skills. Her passion is showing the resiliency and courage of this population in stories and articles published nationwide and in her award-winning YA novel, The Edge of Brilliance. Find her at www.susantraugh.com, Transition2Life on Facebook or www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Susan-Traugh.