I am happy to announce two exciting new online courses I’m offering this fall: Book Proposals that Sizzle—and Sell and Write Your Life Stories. Here are the details:
Book Proposals that Sizzle—and Sell
The most brilliant, dazzling, and original book in the world will not sell if you don’t have a proposal that stands out.
Your book proposal is the first thing an editor or agent will read—and it must be compelling and unique or it will be the only thing she reads before moving onto to someone else’s book.
In this tough publishing market, your book proposal is your most essential marketing tool.
This six-week online course will show you everything you need to create a proposal that will make editors take notice. At the end of this course, you will know:
Week 1: The purposes of a nonfiction book proposal and its essential parts.
Week 2: How to write a sharp, focused synopsis of your book.
Week 3: How to present yourself as an expert—even if you haven’t published before.
Week 4: What to do to convince publishers you’ll promote your book with everything you’ve got.
Week 5: How to submit your proposal to agents and editors.
Week 6: Answers to any question you might have about your own book proposal.
This course comes with a FREE evaluation of your book proposal (up to10 pages).
Structure of the course
- One emailed lesson per week (six lessons total).
- 24-hours access to online discussion.
- Continual online interaction with instructor.
- Evaluation of your completed book proposal
Lessons will be sent out by email on Mondays, October 6 – November 10
Online discussion will continue until November 16
This course is for people who have clear, focused ideas for a nonfiction book or have books completed or in progress. It is not appropriate for fiction writers or those who do not yet have an idea for a nonfiction book.
Do you long to explore your life on the page? Would you like to share what you’ve learned in life with others? Would you like to write a biography of someone you know or a history of your family?
Writing the true stories of your life is enlightening and exciting. For aspiring and emerging authors, creative nonfiction is a booming market. If you aren’t looking to publish your work, writing your life stories is a wonderful way to explore your personal journey or share your experiences with friends and family.
This course will focus on personal essays—short works that tell the story of particular events or experiences in your life.
In this course, you will learn how to:
Week 1: Spark Your Creativity: Use memories, experiences, emotions, and relationships to generate (literally) hundreds of ideas for memoirs and personal essays.
Week 2: Create Power: Supercharge your writing by identifying compelling conflicts and building tension.
Week 3: Journey from Memory to Art. Give your personal story depth and radiance by weaving together memory and imagination.
Week 4: Bear Witness for the People in Your Life: Make relationships come alive on the page.
Week 5: Shoot a “Movie”: Build vivid passages that “breathe” through dialogue, detail, and action.
Week 6: Be Truthful, Fair, and Respectful: Establish your personal standards for what you do and do not write about, what you say about other people, and how to negotiate the fine line between truth-telling and respect for others.
This course includes a FREE manuscript evaluation (up to 10 pages).
Structure of the course
- One emailed lesson per week (six lessons total).
- 24-hours access to online discussion.
- Continual online interaction with instructor.
- Evaluation of a personal essay or selection from a memoir.
Lessons will be sent out by email on Mondays, October 6 – November 10
Online discussion will continue until November 16
Reserve your place in Write Your Life Stories now.
Any questions? Leave a comment or email jill@writingthewhirlwind.net.
I am looking forward to this class very much and hope to finally fulfill a longtime dream I have one obstacle to writing that I believe you should know about. I have Multiple Sclerosis, for the most part is irrelevant to this class. What is relevant is that I have lesions on my optic nerve and my eyesight is quite bad. I just have to take extra time to read and write, but I eventually get there. I will do all I can to meet all the deadline and understand the repercussions if I don’t, but I am still very excited about the course as it is so important to me to write something I can leave for my Grandsons, who are now 4 and 6, so they will know who their Grandma really was.
Thank you for reading this. I am determined not to let this issue be a problem for me in this class and write the pieces that I have tried, failed in, and am willing to try again.
Do not worry, Denise! There are no deadlines and no repercussions! This class is all about you, where you are as a person and a writer. You will absolutely NOT be a problem for this class–you will be an asset. It’s my privilege to be working with you!