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Go to the main page describing the e-book
Writing College Textbook Supplements.

BONUS! Free copy of my new e-book Maximum Productivity for Freelance Writers when you purchase Writing College Textbook Supplements

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Download the Detailed Table of Contents and first two chapters for free

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View the over 200 college textbook supplements John has written.

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Visit the Writing College Textbook Supplements Blog

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About John Soares

John Soares, author of Writing College Textbook Supplements

John Soares left college teaching in 1994 to engage in the lucrative career of supplement writing. Since then he has written over 200 supplements for college textbooks. His major clients have included Pearson (Prentice Hall, Benjamin Cummings, Allyn & Bacon), Cengage (Wadsworth, Houghton Mifflin, Brooks-Cole), HarperCollins, and McGraw-Hill.

John taught American government, international relations, and politics of developing nations at Butte College and Shasta College from 1990 to 1994. His professional work for college textbook publishers includes creating test banks, instructor’s manuals, student study guides, student companion sites, lecture outlines, educational booklets, PowerPoint ™ presentations, Internet exercises, article exercises, transparencies, video scripts, portions of textbooks, copyediting, proofreading, copywriting for publisher websites, and much more.

John is also a prolific outdoors writer. He's written two hiking guides covering trails in Northern California, in addition to writing over 100 newspaper and magazine articles.

John holds a B. S. degree in biochemistry from the University of California at Davis (highest honors) and he earned a M. A. degree in political science from UC Davis. He has also taken coursework in history, geography, and earth sciences.

John lives near Mount Shasta in northern California.

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"Dear John,  Thank You!  Your book opened my eyes to a whole new revenue stream for me as a college instructor.  Simple, direct and extremley clear, I learned everything you promised on your website PLUS more.  I feel inspired and empowered after reading the book.  I know that what I gained will help my teaching style and allow me to write suppliments in my field which will address what students, instructors and editors want.  I have a whole new way to make more money thanks to you.  I recommend this book to any college instructor who wants to grow and offer their gifts to a wider audience."

--Joy von Skepsgardh
Business Instructor
College of the Siskiyous, California

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TIP #1

What to send to editors:

  1. résumé
  2. list of skills and accommplishments
  3. written samples--test questions, lecture outlines, in-class exercises

Details in Chapter 3, Getting the Assignment

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TIP #2

Match an Editor's Communication Style

Some editors like to make personal connections with the people they work with; it makes them more comfortable.

For several years my best source of income was an editor that I got to know quite well. Whenever there was a new project we would discuss it on the phone, but before we actually got down to business we would get caught up on each other’s lives. So be ready to talk about anything but business if this is what the editor wants.

Other editors are all business. They want to quickly and efficiently deal with the issue so they can move on to the other items on their to-do lists. Recognize these people and give them exactly what they want: focused discussion on the project.

From Chapter 3, Getting the Assignment

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"Writing College Textbook Supplements offers a seasoned insider's perspective on the step-by-step process to achieving success as a supplements writer. You will feel as if Soares is your personal mentor with his comprehensive yet easy-to-read guide to marketing your services and to creating high quality supplements."

-- Valerie Smith, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Department of Communication
California State University, East Bay

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TIP #3

Getting More Work

Here's how to win more assignments from an editor:

  1. Be reliable
  2. Do a great job
  3. Ask for more work on a regular basis
  4. Understand the cycles of the textbook publishing industry

See Chapter 7, Getting More Work

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TIP #4

Important aspects of good multiple-choice questions:

  1. Make the incorrect answers sound as plausible as possible.

  2. Avoid using absolute words—always, never, all, none—in an option. This is a clue to test-smart students that this option is likely not correct.

  3. Have only one correct or obviously best answer.

  4. Be especially careful with numbers and percentages as options. If you are not careful, more than one option will be correct.

  5. Place answer options in logical order from smallest to largest, earliest to latest, etc. This makes the question as clear as possible.

Find 12 more tips in Chapter 10, Creating Test Banks

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Go to the main page describing the e-book
Writing College Textbook Supplements.

Go to the main page describing the e-book
Writing College Textbook Supplements.

Introduction…13
How I Started Writing Textbook Supplements
The Progress of My Career
How I Wrote This Book
How This Book Will Help You Make Money
The Motto

Part I: Thriving as a Supplements Writer

1.  The Benefits of Writing Textbook Supplements…15
Help Your Career
     Increase Chances of Getting a Better Job
     Increase Chances of Getting Tenure or Promotion
     Other Writing Opportunities
     Get a Job with a Textbook Publisher
What Affects How Much You Make
Make Good Money
     Sample Rates of Pay
     The Most I Made in One Year
     Be Aware of Publishing Cycles
     When to Transition to Full-Time

2.   Students, Instructors, Editors, Publishers …19
What Students Want
What Instructors Want
What Editors Want
     Who Editors Are
     Characteristics of Editors
     Types of Editorial Positions
What Publishers Want
An Overview of the Textbook Publishing Industry

3.    Getting the Assignment…23
Choosing Your Subject Area(s)
Preparing Your Résumé
Preparing a List of Skills and Accomplishments
Preparing Sample Materials
Finding Editors
     How to Get Names: Book Representatives
     How to Get Names: the Internet
     How to Get Names: Other Supplement Writers
Contacting Editors
     E-Mail versus the Phone
     When to Call or E-Mail
     Remember What Editors Want
     Have a Script and Practice It
     Match the Editor’s Communication Style
     What to Say
     First Contact by E-Mail
Getting Multiple Projects
Getting Your First Job
Consider Making a No-Risk Offer
If You Have Never Taught a College Class

4.   Negotiating Payment…32
First Estimate How Long It Will Take to Do the Project
Get Paid by the Project, Not by the Hour
How to Get Paid Well
The Pay Range
What to Do if the Pay is Low
     Be Willing to Say No
     Reduce the Scope of the Work
     Do Several Projects for the Same Book
     Ask If This Project Will Lead to Better-Paying Projects
     Consider Doing It for the Career Experience
Payment Schedules
     Half up Front, Half on Completion
     Payment upon Fractional Completion
     Payment upon Completion of Entire Project
     Typical Payment Time
Work-for-Hire
Royalty Payments

 5.   Negotiating Contracts…39
This Chapter Is Not Legal Advice!
The Contract in General
Important Clauses, with Important Advice
     Services
     Payments
     Term
     Rights
     Warranties
     Indemnification/Damages/Remedies
     Subcontracting
     Confidentiality
     Non-Compete
     Revisions
     Termination
Contract Signing
Contracts Are Important, But…
Important Note
Suggested Reading

6.  How to Make Editors Happy…45
Follow Guidelines
Be Clear on What Existing Materials You Can Use
Meet or Beat Deadlines
Permissions Issues
Creating Camera-Ready Copy
Read Your Contract
Be Easy to Work With

7.    Getting More Work…48
Be Reliable
Do a Great Job
Ask for More Work on a Regular Basis
Be Aware of Publishing Schedules
Maintain Good Relationships with Editors
     Find Common Interests
     Provide Useful Information
     Follow the Publisher in the News
Be Aware that Editors Change Jobs Frequently
                   
8.    Getting the Work Done…53
The Right Attitude
The Right Writing Work Place
The Right Writing Equipment and Tools
The Right Writing Techniques
     Recommended Books
     Important Writing Tips
     Other Suggestions
The Right Working Methods
     Follow Guidelines
     Know What Existing Material You Can Use
     Learn to Speed Read
     Write in Set Blocks of Time
     Take Breaks
     Do One A-head at a Time
     Develop Routines
     Single Handling
     Use Computer Shortcuts
     Set Deadlines
The Right Health Practices

9.    Accounting Details…60
Keeping Track of Payments
Expenses and Taxes
     Typical Expenses for Writers
     Other Potential Deductions
     1099s
     Estimated Taxes
     Get Professional Advice
Requesting Payment
     Typical Payment Times
     What to Do If Your Check is Late

Part II: Creating Specific Projects

10.   Creating Test Banks…64
Test Banks Are Important
Keep the Students in Mind
Choice of Language
Only Test What Is in The Relevant Chapter
Get Guidelines from Your Editor
     Manuscript Characteristics
     Using Software
     Question Difficulty Levels
     Correlating with Learning Objectives
     Correlating with Chapter Sections
     Correlating with Page Numbers
Resources for Writing Test Questions
Before You Begin: Make a Template
Writing Multiple-Choice Questions
     Definitions of Question Parts
     Important Guidelines for Multiple-Choice Questions
     “None of These”
     “All of These”
     Two or More Correct Answers
     It’s Not Easy!
Writing True-False Questions
     Important Guidelines for True-False Questions
Writing Short-Answer Questions
     Important Guidelines for Short-Answer Questions
Writing Essay Questions
     Important Guidelines for Essay Questions
     Sample Answers for Essay Questions
Writing Completion/Fill-In-The-Blank Questions
     Important Guidelines for Completion/Fill-In-The-Blank Questions
Writing Matching Questions
     Important Guidelines for Matching Questions
Actually Writing the Questions
     Read the Chapter
     Determine the Frequency for Each Question Type
     Know the Chapter Material
     Know the Key Learning Objectives
     Work From A-Head to A-Head
     Getting Even Coverage of the Chapter Material
Submit Your First Chapter to Your Editor
Thoroughly Edit Your Work!
Updating Existing Test Banks

11.   Creating Instructor's Manuals…76
Different Names for the Instructor’s Manual
Purpose of the Instructor’s Manual
Components of an Instructor’s Manual
     Chapter Overview
     Chapter Outline
     Learning Objectives
     Lecture Outline
     Supplement Correlation
     Teaching Suggestions
     Resource Suggestions
     Answers to Textbook Questions
     Test Questions
Resource Guides
Annotated Instructor’s Edition

12.   Creating Student Study Guides and Companion Websites…80
The Purposes of the Study Guide
Creating a Great Study Guide
     Match the Textbook
     Prepare Students to Do Well on the Test
     Get Samples from Your Editor
     Suggested Websites
Typical Study Guide Contents
     Chapter Outline
     Learning Objectives
     Chapter Summary
     Key Terms
     Sample Test
     Answer Key
     Suggested Websites
     Suggested Readings
     Suggested Films
Companion Websites
     Sample Test
     Suggested Websites
     Internet Exercises
     Article Exercises
     Flash Cards/Definitions
     Simulations
Borrow What You Can from Other Supplements
     Previous Edition of the Study Guide
     Other Study Guides in the Same Subject Area
     Chapter Outline
     Learning Objectives
     Suggested Websites
     Suggested Reading
     Suggested Films
     Internet Exercises

13.   Creating Visual Materials…89
PowerPoint ™ Presentations
     Creating Great PowerPoint ™ Presentations
Transparencies
     Typical Transparency Projects for Freelancers
Videos
     Writing Video Guides
     Writing Video Script Narration
Animations
Image Collections

14.   Other Projects…93
Writing Booklets
Writing Lab Manuals
Writing Part of a Textbook
Compiling Student Readers
Resource Guides
Copyediting
Proofreading
Reviewing
Creating Supplements for Your Own Courses

Appendix One: College Textbook Publishers…99
Appendix Two: Recommended Books…101
Appendix Three: Recommended Websites…103
Appendix Four: Recommended Products…105
About John Soares…106John Soares Websites…107

Go to the main page describing the e-book
Writing College Textbook Supplements.