About John

I’ve been a freelance writer since 1990, and I’ve made nearly all my income from writing since I left college teaching in 1994.

I’ve specialized in one niche: writing supplements and ancillaries for college textbooks. Since 1992 I’ve completed over 200 such projects (lecture outlines, instructor’s manuals, study guides, test questions, and the like). Most of the work has been for large textbook publishers such as Cengage, Pearson Education, and McGraw-Hill, and it has been in many diverse subjects: political science, history, geography, geology, oceanography, environmental science, biology, and business.

I’ve also done related work for Beacon PMG Publishing and other companies, and also for nonprofit organizations. I love this writing niche: it allows me to reinforce what I know and keep learning, and get paid well to do it, typically $50 to $100 per hour.

I’ve had a secondary niche in the outdoor writing field since 1992. I’ve authored over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including pieces for Sunset and VIA. In addition, I’ve written three hiking guides for The Mountaineers Books (Seattle). These two are still in print and available in many bookstores and outdoors stores in the western United States:

100 Classic Hikes in Northern California, third edition, 2008

75 Hikes in California’s Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park Regions, revised edition, 2006

I have a B. S. degree in biochemistry from the University of California at Davis (highest honors) and I earned a M. A. degree in political science from UC Davis. I’ve also taken coursework in history, geography, and earth sciences. Beyond that, I’m a life-long learner with a strong interest in personal development and enjoying being alive.

Find out more about my education and publications by visiting this page on my Writing College Textbook Supplements blog.

I live in a rural area of far northern California near Mount Shasta. I hike as often as I can, and I do tai chi nearly every day.

John Soares relaxing in a tributary of the upper Sacramento River near Mount Shasta in northern California.