How to Build a Writing Career Without Social Media: Megan J. Conner on Educational Publishing
This post was adapted from Writing Off Social: The Podcast, Episode 83. You can listen in here!
If you’ve ever wished you could just write the words, sell the words, and never have to market the words—this post is for you.
Mary K. and Sandy recently sat down with Megan J. Conner, a homeschool mom, swim coach, business owner, author, editor, and writing consultant who has contributed to over 75 published works. And here’s the kicker: she’s built this impressive career without relying on a massive social media following.
The Surprising World of Educational Publishing
When most of us think about children’s books, we picture the brightly colored picture books at Barnes & Noble or the “I Can Read” series displayed at the front of the children’s section. But there’s an entire world of children’s literature that most parents and writers never see—the educational publishing market.
“Educational publishing is specifically books that are written for and purchased by traditionally school districts and individual schools,” Megan explains. “The works that we create within the educational market, you traditionally will not see in Barnes & Noble.”
Think of it this way: while trade market books are sold to individual consumers (parents, grandparents, book lovers), educational market books are sold directly to schools and used as learning tools in classrooms across the country.
Tricking Kids Into Eating Their Vegetables
One of Megan’s most delightful projects is her François the Dashing Croaker* series—books that teach science concepts while kids think they’re just reading a fun story about a theatrical French frog.
“A kid would pick them up, having no idea they’re going to learn something while they read the book,” Megan says with obvious delight.
The first book teaches the life cycle of frogs through Francois’s life story. “For frogs, all the world’s a stage. They just think that they’re the greatest species and they’re bringing songs to the world by all the croaking they do at night,” she explains. The story follows Francois from egg to tadpole to froglet to adult frog—teaching metamorphosis without feeling like a textbook.
The second book, The Frogfather*, tackles frog adaptations through a playful nod to classic gangster films. The third, Tour de Pond, explores pond ecosystems as Francois and his assistant take readers on a tour of where “the rich and famous live.”
“It’s kind of like tricking kids into eating their vegetables,” Megan laughs.
Understanding Work for Hire
Most of Megan’s educational publishing work falls under “work for hire” contracts—a term many writers may not be familiar with. Here’s how it works:
Work for hire means you:
- Are contracted as a freelance writer for a specific project
- Receive a set fee (not royalties based on sales)
- Hand over all rights to the work once completed
- Still receive author credit in most cases
“You basically sell it to them,” Megan explains. “So in whatever work-for-hire contract you engage in, you’re going to hand over the work.”
This might sound like a dealbreaker for some writers, but Megan offers a different perspective: “If you can be a little bit loose about it and not be overly bothered by it, at the end of the day, you are getting paid to write, and it gets your name out there.”
She’s honest about the downsides, too: “Once you give them the work, it belongs to them so they can do whatever they want with it. So they can actually go in and rewrite your work, and you don’t get to say anything about it.”
For Megan, it’s become “just another exercise in learning to let go.”
The Beautiful Truth: Quality Over Platform
Here’s the part that will make platform-weary writers breathe a sigh of relief:
“What is really wonderful and rewarding about this avenue of pursuing a writing career is that your quality of writing and your work as an author is what you get rewarded for,” Megan shares.
She continues: “When negotiating one of these work-for-hire contracts, I’ve never had anyone ask, ‘How many followers do you have? How many subscribers do you have?’ I’ve never had anyone ask that.”
In a publishing landscape that often feels obsessed with author platforms and social media metrics, this is revolutionary news.
Beyond Educational Publishing: Other Income Streams
Megan’s work extends far beyond educational readers. She’s also earned income through:
Technical Writing: Creating manuals, medical journals, and business documents. “If you go on something, one of those websites like FlexJobs, Upwork, Indeed, all of those are gonna have listings for technical writers.”
Grant Writing: “People are always looking for grant writers. That’s a great way to earn some income on the side.”
Article Writing: “Find a publication that you like or a magazine that you subscribe to, and more than likely there’s gonna be an opportunity for guest submissions.”
Devotionals: Megan regularly writes devotionals for a large contributor of daily devotionals in the Christian market.
As Sandy beautifully pointed out during their conversation: “Wherever there are words, there’s a writer who was paid to write those words.”
Getting Started in Educational Publishing
If you’re intrigued by the possibility of writing for the educational market, Megan offers some concrete first steps:
1. Read the material you want to write. “Unless you’re somebody who is currently raising young kids right now and you’re reading a lot of those ‘I Can Read’ books then I would start with just picking up those readers and understanding what they do and how to do it.”
2. Understand the specific skill sets required. Educational publishing isn’t the same as writing traditional children’s picture books. You need to understand phonemic awareness, grade-level vocabulary, and leveling systems. “At the end of the day, you’re teaching children to read,” Megan explains.
3. Network at conferences. “My number one, hands down, number one recommendation is to go to a Highlights workshop or retreat.” Megan landed contracts with both Highlights and Benchmark Education from attending conferences.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Once you land a contract, ask for clarification when needed. “These are such niche markets, and they have very specific guidelines, so it’s better to ask upfront.”
A Word of Encouragement
Megan understands the struggle of being a writer in the modern age. She’s walked the challenging road of traditional publishing herself and navigated the demands for platform building, while wearing multiple hats as a homeschool mom and business owner.
Her final encouragement is worth holding onto:
“If God called you to be a writer, be a writer. And if you need someone to cheer you on, send me a message, or send me an email, and I will cheer you on and continue to encourage you, keep going. God is in it, and God has called you to it, and we need to trust him with the results and just be faithfully continuing to show up every day and do what he’s called us to do.”
She also offers this perspective shift on work for hire: “I love the idea of approaching work for hire as a form of service. God gave you this gift to write, and there are a lot of people who need your help.”
The Possibilities Are Endless
Whether you’re feeling weary from the demands of platform building, frustrated with traditional publishing, or simply curious about alternative ways to earn income from your writing, the educational publishing market offers real possibilities.
You can write the words, sell the words, and skip the exhausting work of marketing the words on social media. Your quality and skill matter more than your follower count. And somewhere out there, students are learning to read, understand science, or explore history through words that writers like Megan have carefully crafted.
The opportunities truly are endless—you just have to know where to look.
This post was reformatted from our original transcript by Claude and edited for accuracy by Mary K.
