Job Discussion Forums

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

That comment is only meant to address your statement

MotherF · Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:13 pm Post subject:

Most people who write TEFL books have PhD's in Applied Linguistics or Second Language Acquistion.

Here are some interviews with TEFL book authors.

NinaNina · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Oaxaca

I write for a living, but writing a book demands much more time, research, and speculation than I can afford, considering I would not know how the book would be received.

If you want to start small, consider pitching and writing articles on your niche interests, based on your experience. Assemble a small amount of print and online clips and you have a portfolio to which you can refer when you want to pitch for higher-paying gigs. If you write enough articles on your chosen theme, then you have the makings of an eventual book. Possible sites that might interest you include Freelance Writing Gigs (which posts leads daily) and Media Bistro, especially the community forums.

Another possible direction, if you are interested, is writing EFL, ESL, or English curriculum. I have loved my educational writing gigs.

Best of luck, saludos, Serena
Have You Seen the Dog Lately? blog
http://haveyouseen.blogspot.com/

Dragonlady

gregd75 · Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:34 am Post subject:

At the recent MEXTESOL conference I met with the author of a great mystery 'whodunit' novel. He was talking about the case for narrow reading in the classroom i.e. the idea that we native speakers pick up a book by an author. If we like the book we go out and buy more books from the same author.

Why not do the same with our students? I thought that was a very interesting idea. Anyway, please find the link below to this guys work.

http://www.abax.net/catalogue/fiction-in-action-whodunit-creative-commons-edition.html

The great thing is that he's not demanding that you pay. If you like the book (and I think it's great), then pay. If not, don't.

So, will he become rich from this? Probably not. Will he get a huge amount of satisfaction from the knowledge that he's helping teachers with no money and very few resources to teach EFL students? Most definitely.

Let's hope more writers are as willing to be equally forward thinking.

Professor · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 449 Location: Mexico City

gregd75 · Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:46 am Post subject:

And yet another well used observation comes to mind.

TEACHING IS A VOCATION

NinaNina · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Oaxaca

"And yet another well used observation comes to mind.

TEACHING IS A VOCATION"

A very good point, Greg. May I point out that writing is a vocation as well and, as such, merits writers getting paid for their work rather than our being "forward-thinking" and offering our work for free?

Saludos,
Serena
Have You Seen the Dog Lately? blog

gregd75 · Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:14 am Post subject:

Hey! I completely agree with you.

The thing I like about this book is that you pay what you want to pay for it.

Theres a button online for people to make payments. I think this is forward thinking because people get to see the work and then recommend it (as I have done)- people pay what they think is fair for the book and the author gets recommendations as a result.

Not free but pay what you think is fair.

Good idea, eh?

NinaNina · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Oaxaca

Well, sure, it worked for Radiohead. But I'm not a rich alterna-band, nor a hobbyist writer, so I guess the analogy would be more akin to saying what if a teacher said students could pay however much they wanted--even nothing--for however long they wanted, just in the hopes those would recommend the teacher to other students who could then also pay nothing? It won't put tortillas on the table!

gregd75 · Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:48 am Post subject:

well- lets hope it does for this guy and by doing so, it encourages him to write more materials this way.

I also hope you have continued success with your writing too!

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:50 am Post subject:

gregd75 · Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:58 am Post subject:

I'm just trying to offer a different aspect concerning writing and publishing.

We can all see that asking people to pay what they think is a fair price for a book is a risk. Its a gamble. BUT its not simply a book for Mexico- its a book for EFL students throughout the world, cutting out the printers and the distributors.

Of course its 'OH SO TRUE' that this won't necessarily put tortillas on the table, but it will help students learn and thus will help this author raise his profile and thus help them put tortillas on the table. Someone moving into the field of publishing for the first time- writing their first book isn't necessarily going to earn enough for the tortillas, either- right??

Let's try being positive here.

Professor · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 449 Location: Mexico City

Dragonlady · Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:04 am Post subject:

post deleted and my apologies to gregd75