Teaching Others to Write. . . Online

Teaching Others to Write. . . Online If you’ve been published for any length of time, you realize thousands upon thousands of writers still struggle to get published or to decide what they want to write. Some still need to learn the basics while others seek to be steered in the right direction. With enough experience and knowledge under your belt, you might be able to help them and, in turn, increase your writing profits. You don’t need to be a New York Times bestseller or have numerous awards to your credit to teach; however, you do need strong writing skills, proof that you’ve mastered an area of writing, and the ability to convey the knowledge you have learned to others. Choosing the topic to teach involves research as you look into writing courses already available. You don’t want to offer a course too similar or too generic, and what you do offer should be a component of writing with which you’re extremely familiar. For instance, if you’ve gotten rave reviews on your villainous characters, you could possibly teach a course for other aspiring suspense/thriller writers. Teaching writing courses involves designing the course, which includes writing all of the lessons and the assignments, and setting the price, although some sites do have input on the fee. You will also review the students’ assignments and offer feedback for improvement. Some teachers offer an assessment test or a review wrap-up at the end of the course but neither are required. It is helpful to think creatively when you’re designing your course, though, because you must be a magnet, convincing writers why they should take your course. I just completed teaching a romance writing course for Wow! Women On Writing, and I have a different class, about how to strengthen your fiction, that will start on September 16th. The site takes 20 percent commission, but I factor that in when I set the price of my classes. I have been teaching for Women On Writing since 2016, and the extra income is well worth the small bit of time it takes to review student assignments. Sites like Women On Writing and Savvy Authors are always scouting for high-quality teachers, and once you pass their application process, you set the times you want to teach around your schedule. Plus, the material belongs to you, and you can use it as often as you’d like, whether it’s four times a year or only once. Â  CreativeLive is also open to new instructors, but these are recorded classes, which might be another interesting path to take. There is a short learning curve to teaching an online class, and it’s always beneficial to take one yourself before becoming the teacher. Become accustomed to the flow of the class to determine what you like and don’t like about particular ways of teaching. You’ll find your own way to present your information to students. You might also want to take this free course so you can learn to teach online. Once you’ve been teaching for a while, you could even try your hand at places like Udemy and Skillshare which offer video-based courses and a chance for you to earn even more money, though the learning curve at these sites has a bit of a wider arc. Finally, as a bonus, once you’re tired of a written course or don’t have the desire to teach it anymore, you can turn the classes into articles to sell. Most will need basic restructuring before you submit them for possible publication.