How to Write for the Homeschool Market

In 2008, experts estimate that over 1.5 million students were successfully homeschooled in the USA. That represents a lot of readers! The homeschool community is a vibrant, growing market which offers limitless opportunity for writers. Learn how to break in - from an author who was homeschooled all the way from kinder through 12th grade.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Market research
• Listening ear
• Relevant stories
• Hard work

1. Understand your market. The homeschool community is disproportionately a conservative Christian group. Most homeschool families place a huge emphasis upon hard work, traditional morality, and rigorous academics. Large families (5 children or more) are common.

2. Take time to familiarize yourself with homeschool publications. There are literally thousands of homeschool magazines, blogs, journals, and other publications. Read as many as you can find and build a feeling for how homeschoolers think and feel.

3. Find a homeschool group. Just about every city has a group of homeschoolers who gather on a regular basis. They go on field trips, share special events such as spelling bees, and trade expertise. Listen and learn. Ask questions. Most homeschool groups are happy to have visitors. To find a homeschool group in your area, Google your town and "homeschool group."

4. Learn what homeschoolers are passionate about. Remember that these parent/teachers march to the beat of a different drummer. For example, recently the Legislature of Wisconsin passed a bill mandating special tax breaks for homeschoolers. Great news, right? In 11 hours, angry parents flooded the Governor's office with so many calls that he vetoed the bill - a bill he had supported. Why? In years past, homeschool parents risked everything to win their right to educate without government interference. Most resist any intrusion or special attention from local, state, or federal authorities.

5. Decide your target market. There are publications for parents, for students, for families, for city dwellers or urban homesteaders . . . just about anything you can think of. Choose whether you want to write fiction or nonfiction. Many smaller publications will consider both.

6. Start writing! Choose fresh topics. Homeschoolers are always hungry for arts and crafts, science experiments, how-to's and recipes, child-rearing tips and teaching methods, news and curriculum ideas, human-interest stories and field trip ideas, and many other topics.

7. Start with smaller publications. Begin with smaller blogs and regional publications before you go for the big ones like "At Home with Learning" and "The Old Schoolhouse."

8. Consider writing longer works for homeschoolers. Many homeschool children will devour well-written novels! But fiction for homeschoolers must match their worldview. For a good example, try the Atrium Mysteries Series, written by a man who was homeschooled. (See the link below.)

Tips & Warnings

• Respect your young readers - homeschoolers place a huge emphasis upon writing and reading excellence at an early age.
• Respect parents' expertise! Homeschool are smart, educated people.

Resources

• Get a real person to review your writing. FREE membership. Article Doctor

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on 11/9/2009 5* We need more positive publicity. The more our numbers grow, the better!