My New Job!

Some of you may know that for the last 6 months or so I have been dabbling with some free-lance writing. I have written some speeches, a few newletters, some articles and blog entries, and little things like that. It has been fun for me, and the pay isn't too shabby for such a flexible, stay-at-home gig. I was averaging about $20 an hour, but wasn't finding a whole lot of work- maybe 5 hours a week. That changed about 8 weeks ago.

After reading my resume and perusing my portfolio, Audra Spencer offered me a trial-based stint as a columnist and reviewer for a literature-education website. The job consisted of reading one of a list of approved books, writing a brief synopsis of the book along with a review, and then 30 days worth of ideas for teachers to use for lesson plans should they choose to use the reviewed book as part of their classroom curriculum. I was given a month to submit my first piece for critique, and was told that my future with the company would be based on my performance. They liked my first piece on The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, and gave me another probationary book. They liked that one even more, and my position was cemented. I am a real life reviewer for a private literature-education company, and could not be happier about it. I even got a raise this last month for being so thorough and efficient. My supervisor said that my work was always well-written and has needed the least amount of editing of any other writer they have had- Wahoo! I guess that English degree did come in handy for something besides annoying my grammitcally challenged family after all!

The job is a lot of fun for someone like me. Basically, I get paid to write book reports! How cool is that?! The list changes depending on which books are needed for review. I have had some really fun and familiar ones, (Othello- Shakespeare, The Faerie Queene- Edmund Spenser), and a lot of new ones (With the Old Breed- E.B. Sledge, 3 Wild Swans of China- Jung Chung, On Death and Dying- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, That Hideous Strength- C.S. Lewis, etc.). I have truly enjoyed every single one, and it gives me a chance to work on my speed reading.

After reading the book I write a quick bulleted synopsis of the major events and themes in the book. I then write my review- which usually entails what I thought of the book, what audience it would be appropriate for, what lessons can be gleaned from the characters and themes that are presented, and any humorous quips to spice it on up. I then create 30 rough outlines of daily lessons that a teacher can use in the classroom. The great thing about these lessons are that they are really just outlines that fit in with the themes of the book- so it isn't too extensive, and I have reviewed enough books with re-curring themes, that a lot of these outlines can be re-used for different books.

I get paid a flat rate for each project, so I can make as much or as little as I want per month. This flexibility has been GREAT for me- especially with playing taxi to Ross for these last 12 weeks (he is driving himself again! Yay!). I just sit down whenever I have a minute or two and write what I have time for. I have been averaging about 10 hours per project- sometimes less when the book is familiar (Harry Potter should be a breeze!). At $270 a pop, I come out in the end with $27/hr. which may not be the best paying job- but it certainly rocks for someone like me who would be reading and writing without pay anyway!

I have no strict deadlines, other than the fact that I have to complete the project within a month of claiming the book- not a problem for someone who gets them done in 10 hours- I am awesome! I usually sneak in an hour or two of work during the day while the girls are napping or playing, which is GREAT because then I feel productive, stimulated and fulfilled with the intellectual work, but I also carry NO guilt over ignoring the girls because I can work around their schedule, and I can make some extra debt-smashing cash WITHOUT inviting other snotty kids into my home (something we may or may not have considered until I remembered that most other people's kids bug me!)

Right now I am working on the daily lessons for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (yes, Heather- I FINALLY read them!), after which I will read Harry Potter- The Prisoner of Azkaban. I love my job!