So equally an ELT writer, I come upward up alongside an thought for a coursebook, submit a proposal to a publisher, in addition to then I possess got total creative command over everything from the approach in addition to the syllabus, to the page format in addition to design. Right?
Well, inwards xviii years equally a full-time writer, I’ve never submitted a proposal for a majority (publishers possess got ever come upward to me) in addition to I’ve only co-authored ane coursebook. Most of my writing involves supplementary in addition to ofttimes self-study materials or it’s a contribution to a larger project. Given that context, the grade of creative command I possess got over the textile I write varies enormously in addition to I sure as shooting never larn a completely costless hand.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of recent weblog posts possess got got me thinking almost just how much creative command I possess got in addition to how I experience almost it.
Publisher-led projects:
Verity Cole wrote a span of actually interesting posts almost the rising of publisher-led projects, which ane editor quoted inwards her post defined equally those “conceived in addition to created primarily yesteryear a publisher inwards reply to a specific marketplace opportunity”. This is especially true, I think, of the large, multi-level General English linguistic communication coursebook serial where a publisher is investing a lot of coin and, increasingly, is demanding to a greater extent than command over the writing to ensure the production ticks all the market-driven boxes and, hopefully, sells. When writers are brought on board, they are by in addition to large given an incredibly detailed brief explaining just what they possess got to write in addition to how. Sometimes to the request where it tin snuff it really much a representative of ‘writing yesteryear numbers’.
It tin live a creative challenge inwards its ain correct trying to come upward up alongside textile you lot experience happy alongside but nonetheless sticking inside a stiff brief. But it tin also live really frustrating in addition to de-motivating, especially when you lot cease upward feeling that you’re existence asked to snuff it against the principles you lot believe in. Which brings me onto …
Sticking to your principles:
Katherine Bilsborough has written a number of weblog posts almost the principles that we, equally ELT writers, grip to when we’re writing (see here and here). It’s something I’ve mulled over quite a flake and, sad Kath, I haven’t quite managed to formulate my ain principles into a post of their ain yet (but sentinel this infinite …). There’s no dubiousness though that at that topographic point are principles I consciously travail to stick to when I’m writing, some of which I’m prepared to compromise slightly if pushed in addition to others which are clear reddish lines that I won’t cross. Some of these principles come upward from experience equally a teacher, instructor trainer in addition to writer, some, especially inwards my specialist surface area of vocabulary, come upward from my agreement of the inquiry (see Penny Ur’s MaWSIG weblog post for my comment on the limitations of that inquiry foundation). This makes working on many publisher-led projects something of a professional person tug-of-war. If you lot concord to a job, you lot inevitably possess got to choose a grade of compromise in addition to you lot possess got to option your battles carefully.
Recent experience:
I possess got worked on some of those large coursebook series, but largely, on workbooks. And equally the form of textile inwards workbooks is, yesteryear its nature, already really limited, it by in addition to large raises fewer issues of regulation than producing the master copy students majority textile powerfulness involve. Working on smaller, to a greater extent than niche titles, I find, may live less high profile (and perhaps less lucrative), but tin choose a flake to a greater extent than freedom. Take 2 projects I worked on that were published at the start of this year.
The commencement consisted of 2 academic vocabulary exercise books designed primarily for self report (Oxford Academic Vocabulary Practice, OUP). I was lucky plenty to possess got a lot of input into the initial development, producing sample units that were reviewed in addition to discussed in addition to fiddled alongside until nosotros were happy alongside them. And yesteryear we, I hateful primarily myself in addition to my in-house editor in addition to after on, a co-author, non a huge, unwieldy team. That’s non to state I had consummate control. I was asked to embrace equally much equally possible of the Academic Word List, largely for marketing purposes. I possess got a number of reservations almost the AWL, but I didn’t possess got to stick to it slavishly in addition to at that topographic point was nonetheless plenty of reach for including the vocabulary I felt was most useful in addition to important. Then, at that topographic point were some technical constraints on the types of activities I could utilisation because they had to function inwards a potential ebook version equally good equally inwards print, but zero that I couldn’t larn around alongside a flake of creative thinking.
The instant projection was a majority of photocopiable vocabulary-focused lessons for IELTS prep (Timesaver IELTS Vocabulary, Scholastic). As this was role of an existing series, it naturally came alongside some things already decided inwards price of full general format; ane or two-page standalone photocopiable lessons which had to live ‘teach-off-the-page’ equally they don’t come upward alongside whatsoever teacher’s notes. And equally IELTS prep, it had a narrow focus dictated yesteryear the format of the examination too. Beyond that though, I was given a lot of creative command inwards price of what vocabulary I chose, how I wanted to organize it in addition to the types of activities I went for. It turned out to live fun to write in addition to again, I had a bully working human relationship alongside a (freelance) editor who actually helped shape the textile inwards a friendly, collaborative sort of way.
This year’s writing projects possess got been, let’s say, to a greater extent than of a challenge in addition to equally I come upward to the cease of several months of busily writing to run across tough deadlines in addition to at the same time, existence inwards the middle of that professional person tug-of-war, I’m feeling merely a flake battered in addition to bruised. But perhaps I’ll salve those battles for some other post …
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