nova mama Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (I hope this is OK here. It didn't seem to fit on the General Board?) If you have written and sell a curriculum, how have you gotten the word out? Word of mouth among your local HS community, and HS friends? Or do people just see it in your forum siggy and it flies off the shelves? :D You probably should not mention the name of it so we don't break the advertising rule. Also: Did you write it for your children to use, or after they moved on to the next level? Did you spend a lot of time doing market research, or did you just put it out there because you knew it was so fabulous? Were you able to write it entirely on your own, or did you get assistance? What else do you want to tell a thinking-about-it curriculum writer?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I'm a little different, because I write curriculum for a specific company-and in my case, what happened was that I was regularly posting additional activities and supplements for the curriculum on discussion boards, someone in power saw it, and they offered me a job revising old curriculum units and writing new ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Roller Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (I hope this is OK here. It didn't seem to fit on the General Board?) If you have written and sell a curriculum, how have you gotten the word out? Word of mouth among your local HS community, and HS friends? Or do people just see it in your forum siggy and it flies off the shelves? :D You probably should not mention the name of it so we don't break the advertising rule. Also: Did you write it for your children to use, or after they moved on to the next level? Did you spend a lot of time doing market research, or did you just put it out there because you knew it was so fabulous? Were you able to write it entirely on your own, or did you get assistance? What else do you want to tell a thinking-about-it curriculum writer?!? :bigear: I think I might be moving in this direction, although I will be writing for my children. Maybe after it gets used and tweaked, I will think about making it available to others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Several of the curriculums that I'm familiar with started out as materials offered on a very active blog. A good quantity was available for free. Then at some point, the author started to put together units that were available as ebooks. One author now also has material carried with Rainbow Resource. I'm much more likely to fork over money for something when I've already test driven products from the author. One consideration you might think about is how you will receive payment and then how you will deliver the product. There is a curriculum that I'd love to have, but I don't do Paypal and there doesn't seem to be another option. For product delivery, will it be print on demand, will you have copies printed and bound or will you do an eproduct. (And how will you keep the ebook from being forwarded from the buyer to bunches of other people.) Good luck. New product development is one of the coolest things about homeschooling. I can't count the number of totally new product lines developed since we started homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova mama Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 Several of the curriculums that I'm familiar with started out as materials offered on a very active blog. A good quantity was available for free. Then at some point, the author started to put together units that were available as ebooks. One author now also has material carried with Rainbow Resource. I'm much more likely to fork over money for something when I've already test driven products from the author. One consideration you might think about is how you will receive payment and then how you will deliver the product. There is a curriculum that I'd love to have, but I don't do Paypal and there doesn't seem to be another option. For product delivery, will it be print on demand, will you have copies printed and bound or will you do an eproduct. (And how will you keep the ebook from being forwarded from the buyer to bunches of other people.) Good luck. New product development is one of the coolest things about homeschooling. I can't count the number of totally new product lines developed since we started homeschooling. This is extremely helpful. Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova mama Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 I'm a little different, because I write curriculum for a specific company-and in my case, what happened was that I was regularly posting additional activities and supplements for the curriculum on discussion boards, someone in power saw it, and they offered me a job revising old curriculum units and writing new ones. I love hearing stories like this--when someone "finds" you doing what enjoy and wants to pay for it! :D Thanks for sharing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachmejoy Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I wrote my curriculum after doing preschool and kinder with my ds and felt very strongly that I was supposed to write something I wished I'd had for him. I wrote it to do with my dd someday and shared it with some others. Someone amazing saw it and decided that it needed to be on the market. They did the internet work for me because she felt so strongly about it, but I have to say that it's really hard to "market" it. I'm terrible at it and I'm just glad it's there to help others. My real goal was to create something affordable and easy to use. It's definately NOT a big money maker! :001_smile: It really depends on what your goal is and what you are willing to spend putting into it. The hardest part is not taking anything from anyone else! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 What are you interested in writing? :) It is a big help to connect with and network with other writers. Marketing is 9/10ths of a successful curriculum. You need to be prepared to either learn how to, or outsource website creation, social networking, e-book creation, simple graphics skills etc. It is a LOT of work up front, and pays off slowly over the long-run. Definitely not a get rich quick proposition! We started by writing titles for our own children, and I'll often make copywork for my daughter that I later convert into levels and penmanship styles that she doesn't use so that others can use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova mama Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 Marketing is 9/10ths of a successful curriculum. That is NOT what I wanted to hear. :001_smile: But EXACTLY what I needed to hear! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Well I wanna know what you are working on!!!! I have bought some curriculum off Lulu. But now I can buy from their website. So people do move up :-) Good luck in whatever you are working on. If you need local testers let me know! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbaby Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I wrote my curriculum after doing preschool and kinder with my ds and felt very strongly that I was supposed to write something I wished I'd had for him. I wrote it to do with my dd someday and shared it with some others. Someone amazing saw it and decided that it needed to be on the market. They did the internet work for me because she felt so strongly about it, but I have to say that it's really hard to "market" it. I'm terrible at it and I'm just glad it's there to help others. My real goal was to create something affordable and easy to use. It's definately NOT a big money maker! :001_smile: It really depends on what your goal is and what you are willing to spend putting into it. The hardest part is not taking anything from anyone else! Good luck! Well, you just did a good job of marketing it to me:). This is exactly what I have been looking for! Off to purchase...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HootyTooty Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 thank you so much for starting this. I've been researching how to do this and I forgot I could have asked the hive their thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimber Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Hi, I write curriculum because I love to do it. I have always loved all things education, and once I started homeschooling my kids, ideas of what I wanted for them to use started coming to me. I couldn't help but start putting things together. However, I don't have books flying off the shelves. That takes money that I don't have and time that I don't have. So for now, I write material for my kids to use, some of which I haven't published yet, when I have the chance. I have 4 kids--12.5, 11, 7.5, and 5.5. And they're all doing work. And I must sit with the younger two for their lessons, and I'm involved with the work of the older two as they need me, which is all the time. So that leaves me very little time to actually put resources together. But I love doing it, and I do it for the pleasure. Initially, I gave away a bunch of e-books for free. But I was just trying to be nice and help folks out with resources. As for how my books are sold now, mostly people stumble across my website--I assume because I very rarely advertise. I just don't have the time to advertise and construct new material. Kimberly Btw, I do have my website in my signature. But I do that in an effort of full disclosure. I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to quietly advertise my wares when I post here. If anyone knows that I should do different, please let me know. I appreciate these boards very much and don't want to break the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Well, you just did a good job of marketing it to me:). This is exactly what I have been looking for! Off to purchase...... Which one did you get if you don't mind me asking? I'm now looking at it for my 3yo. (thanks to you!) and i'm wondering if I should get the one for K3-K5 since he'll be 4yo. in Sept. or just get Animal Play. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbaby Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Which one did you get if you don't mind me asking? I'm now looking at it for my 3yo. (thanks to you!) and i'm wondering if I should get the one for K3-K5 since he'll be 4yo. in Sept. or just get Animal Play. Thanks I bought Fruit for the Tender Heart for my 3 year old (she will be 4 in April). I already downloaded it and it looks great:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choirfarm Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 What are you interested in writing? :) It is a big help to connect with and network with other writers. Marketing is 9/10ths of a successful curriculum. You need to be prepared to either learn how to, or outsource website creation, social networking, e-book creation, simple graphics skills etc. . See, that is what I would HATE doing. I have a Texas history curriculum I created but I have absolutely no time or interest in doing all of the work to actually sell it, keep up with edits and such, much less all of the website work that I can't do... Chritine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova mama Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 Well, you just did a good job of marketing it to me:). This is exactly what I have been looking for! Off to purchase...... :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova mama Posted February 26, 2011 Author Share Posted February 26, 2011 Well I wanna know what you are working on!!!! Absolutely Tess!! I'll catch you up while the kiddos are classifying shells. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 (edited) See, that is what I would HATE doing. I have a Texas history curriculum I created but I have absolutely no time or interest in doing all of the work to actually sell it, keep up with edits and such, much less all of the website work that I can't do... I've written a multi-year science curriculum and have a lot of other bits-and-pieces around because I love curriculum development and have an academic and professional background in that. I also have a background in web/e-commerce development. I decided to table it. I talked with several curriculum developers and folks who have small homeschool businesses, and I soon knew that it was not for me. I don't have the time to deal with the business end of it without neglecting homeschooling and my family, and I did the math and it just didn't make financial sense. I can teach locally and do just as well if not better financially for a predictable investment of time and minimal family impact. Everyone is different of course, but keeping a homeschooling business viable in this economy is very difficult. There family-run homeschool vendors out there who are quietly liquidating while they pursue other employment. If you have the time and don't care too much about the money, it is a different matter entirely. I need something that will provide extra $ for a reasonable amount of time. Edited February 26, 2011 by GVA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I've written a multi-year science curriculum and have a lot of other bits-and-pieces around because I love curriculum development and have an academic and professional background in that. I also have a background in web/e-commerce development. I decided to table it. I talked with several curriculum developers and folks who have small homeschool businesses, and I soon knew that it was not for me. I don't have the time to deal with the business end of it without neglecting homeschooling and my family, and I did the math and it just didn't make financial sense. I can teach locally and do just as well if not better financially for a predictable investment of time and minimal family impact. Everyone is different of course, but keeping a homeschooling business viable in this economy is very difficult. There family-run homeschool vendors out there who are quietly liquidating while they pursue other employment. If you have the time and don't care too much about the money, it is a different matter entirely. I need something that will provide extra $ for a reasonable amount of time. You could always share it on a blog wih all of us! ;) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Did you write it for your children to use, or after they moved on to the next level? I am currently writing a curriculum for my kids to use in the fall. Did you spend a lot of time doing market research, or did you just put it out there because you knew it was so fabulous? I'm not sure if it really counts as market research, but the product I'm working on is the result of not finding what I was looking for. Were you able to write it entirely on your own, or did you get assistance? So far, I'm on my own. It's a history curriculum, & as dh was a history major, I'd expected to get his help & input, but I think he prefers cheering from the sidelines. :lol: Really though, I'm not sure what assistance one would get with writing a curriculum...? What else do you want to tell a thinking-about-it curriculum writer?!? I spend my Friday nights sitting alone in front of textbooks & a computer. I spend my Saturdays doing the same. I keep a book & a notebook in my purse in case I have a spare moment or the kids actually *play* at the park. I have books from 20th c history & ancient history all mixed together by my desk, because I'm teaching one & writing the other, & I try to sneak in a p from one while the kids are reading the other. My house is a mess. I'm boring to talk to, unless you're interested in ancient Egypt during the same 6wks I'm studying it, the geography of Africa while I'm studying that, etc. I'm pretending to play a history game w/ my family right now while writing articles for the website I'm hoping to launch next month. I listen to music to drown out the kids & let them make oatmeal themselves & feel kind of schizophrenic reading about problem-based learning while Billy Joel sings about Fields of Barley (or was that someone else?) & the littles scream about the Dollhouse Mama & the bigs ask if they can put M&Ms in their oatmeal. I feel guilty when I sleep, wash dishes, or shower, but then I look at what I'm doing & wonder if I'm just an overgrown kid playing school. :lol: The research is *expensive* if your library doesn't have the books you need. But I'm :bigear: because I don't actually know anything yet. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova mama Posted February 27, 2011 Author Share Posted February 27, 2011 I spend my Friday nights sitting alone in front of textbooks & a computer. I spend my Saturdays doing the same. I keep a book & a notebook in my purse in case I have a spare moment or the kids actually *play* at the park. I have books from 20th c history & ancient history all mixed together by my desk, because I'm teaching one & writing the other, & I try to sneak in a p from one while the kids are reading the other. My house is a mess. I'm boring to talk to, unless you're interested in ancient Egypt during the same 6wks I'm studying it, the geography of Africa while I'm studying that, etc. I'm pretending to play a history game w/ my family right now while writing articles for the website I'm hoping to launch next month. I listen to music to drown out the kids & let them make oatmeal themselves & feel kind of schizophrenic reading about problem-based learning while Billy Joel sings about Fields of Barley (or was that someone else?) & the littles scream about the Dollhouse Mama & the bigs ask if they can put M&Ms in their oatmeal. I feel guilty when I sleep, wash dishes, or shower, but then I look at what I'm doing & wonder if I'm just an overgrown kid playing school. :lol: The research is *expensive* if your library doesn't have the books you need. But I'm :bigear: because I don't actually know anything yet. :lol: Half of that sounds like me (including, my kids make their own oatmeal and my house is a mess!) and I haven't even started writing yet. :lol: Thanks for sharing and best wishes!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachmejoy Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Well, you just did a good job of marketing it to me:). This is exactly what I have been looking for! Off to purchase...... :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccouch Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 See, that is what I would HATE doing. I have a Texas history curriculum I created but I have absolutely no time or interest in doing all of the work to actually sell it, keep up with edits and such, much less all of the website work that I can't do... Chritine I'm SO interested in this! I've not seen much in the way of TX History curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 See, that is what I would HATE doing. I have a Texas history curriculum I created but I have absolutely no time or interest in doing all of the work to actually sell it, keep up with edits and such, much less all of the website work that I can't do... Chritine What grade is your Texas History aimed at? I cannot find one that I like! Please share! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I've written a multi-year science curriculum and have a lot of other bits-and-pieces around because I love curriculum development and have an academic and professional background in that. I also have a background in web/e-commerce development. I decided to table it. I talked with several curriculum developers and folks who have small homeschool businesses, and I soon knew that it was not for me. I don't have the time to deal with the business end of it without neglecting homeschooling and my family, and I did the math and it just didn't make financial sense. I can teach locally and do just as well if not better financially for a predictable investment of time and minimal family impact. Everyone is different of course, but keeping a homeschooling business viable in this economy is very difficult. There family-run homeschool vendors out there who are quietly liquidating while they pursue other employment. If you have the time and don't care too much about the money, it is a different matter entirely. I need something that will provide extra $ for a reasonable amount of time. It is tough for sure. We used to own a brick and mortar homeschool curriculum bookstore. It was too much on our family. We had to homeschool at the store, we are in a town that is too small and too broke to support a store like ours and advertising was too expensive. We closed the store and do online sales only now. I love the idea of the bookstore, but to make it truly huge and successful we would need a better location and a lot more money to invest. I do get to buy quite a bit at wholesale, which makes me happy, but I can't get everything I want through our distributor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonibee Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I spend my Friday nights sitting alone in front of textbooks & a computer. I spend my Saturdays doing the same. I keep a book & a notebook in my purse in case I have a spare moment or the kids actually *play* at the park. I have books from 20th c history & ancient history all mixed together by my desk, because I'm teaching one & writing the other, & I try to sneak in a p from one while the kids are reading the other. My house is a mess. I'm boring to talk to, unless you're interested in ancient Egypt during the same 6wks I'm studying it, the geography of Africa while I'm studying that, etc. I'm pretending to play a history game w/ my family right now while writing articles for the website I'm hoping to launch next month. I listen to music to drown out the kids & let them make oatmeal themselves & feel kind of schizophrenic reading about problem-based learning while Billy Joel sings about Fields of Barley (or was that someone else?) & the littles scream about the Dollhouse Mama & the bigs ask if they can put M&Ms in their oatmeal. I feel guilty when I sleep, wash dishes, or shower, but then I look at what I'm doing & wonder if I'm just an overgrown kid playing school. :lol: The research is *expensive* if your library doesn't have the books you need. But I'm :bigear: because I don't actually know anything yet. :lol: Oh my goodness! This is so funny! This is so ME and I've been homeschooling for over 15 years. I haven't a thing to sell, but I put my heart into what I do -- I often wonder who I'm doing it for -- this doesn't speak of neglecting our kids, does it? I mean . . . it's for THEM, right? Oh, too funny. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachmejoy Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 -- I often wonder who I'm doing it for -- this doesn't speak of neglecting our kids, does it? I mean . . . it's for THEM, right? Oh, too funny. :tongue_smilie: I've thought this EXACT thing! LOL! I think I spend more time planning than actually teaching sometimes! :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.