Summer is winding down (can you hear my screams of joy?) and fall is almost here. For me, fall is tied to back-to-school, not to the calendar. Well, my daughters head back to school August 8, and shortly after that, I'm back in the classroom. The online classroom, that is.
I'm going to be co-teaching a class in two parts (online, September-November) called Matchmaking Your Manuscript: Finding the Right Publisher for Your Children's Book Project.
I co-teach both parts of this class with Lisa Bullard, a Minneapolis writer and teacher who also has extensive experience in the publishing industry. Each part of the class lasts three weeks (you can take either or both). During these six weeks, we guide writers through the process of creating a submissions plan for their children's book manuscript. It's for writers who have written, revised, polished, and then thought..."Now what do I do with it? How do I know who to submit it to?"
These aren't writing courses. They're about pinpointing the most appropriate publishers for your particular project, and creating a cover letter, query letter, or proposal (depending on what your project is and who you're submitting it to) that will wow those publishers.
I'm very methodical about publisher research because I don't find it easy. I can't remember which editor is where and what her personal tastes are. Lisa has a marketing and publishing background and brings an amazing amount of insight into thinking like a marketer. We share our experiences and methods, and students get plenty of personal feedback from both Lisa and me. I think it's going to be another terrific session.
In this economy, it can be scary to dedicate hard-earned cash to classes. But I think the tight publishing market only makes it MORE necessary to do your research and get your manuscript into just the right hands. Lists are shrinking, staffs are shrinking, and editors are more overworked than ever. Children's writers have to be more knowledgeable about the marketplace and more savvy about their submissions. Studying markets and coming up with elevator pitches may not be what you envisioned when you dreamed of becoming a children's writer. But if you want to help that dream become reality, you need to study the marketplace carefully and craft an impressive submission packet. That's what this class can help with.
Here's a student comment from our first time offering this course, last year.
“I have been changed by this course. Before, I would work and work and my eyes would go buggy reading catalogues and books and Amazon listings and Googled pages, but I wouldn’t get any wiser! The articles and the homework were both helpful to me, and I got the feeling they were useful to a wide range of writers. The comments and critiques really put the finger on things. I thought they showed great specificity, clear perception, and the ability to start with the writer’s intention. And the interplay of comments, from you two and the class, showed how effective networking is! I have a lot more confidence and optimism and knowledge of how to use my efforts wisely. I would highly recommend this course to anybody ready to take on the challenge. This was a great experience, and I think a career-changing one. And I loved all the chat.” –Julie
If you have any questions about these classes and how they work, please feel free to ask! Thanks.
I know summer's only half over, but it's time for me to be looking ahead to fall writing classes. In addition to Writing Children's Nonfiction for the Educational Market (online class in August), I'm going to be co-teaching a class in two parts (online, September-November) called Matchmaking Your Manuscript: Finding the Right Publisher for Your Children's Book Project.
I co-teach both parts of this class with Lisa Bullard, a Minneapolis writer and teacher who also has extensive experience in the publishing industry. Each part of the class lasts three weeks. During these six weeks, we guide writers through the process of creating a submissions plan for their children's book manuscript. It's for writers who have written, revised, polished, and then thought..."Now what do I do with it? How do I know who to submit it to?"
This is not a writing course. You will learn, instead, how to pinpoint the most appropriate publishers for your particular project, and you'll also work on a cover letter, query letter, or proposal (depending on what your project is and who you're submitting it to).
I'm very methodical about publisher research because I don't find it easy. I can't remember which editor is where and what her personal tastes are. Lisa has a marketing and publishing background and brings an amazing amount of insight into thinking like a marketer. We share our experiences and methods, and students get plenty of personal feedback from both Lisa and me. I think it's going to be another terrific session.
In this economy, it can be scary to dedicate hard-earned cash to classes. But I think the tight publishing market only makes it MORE necessary to do your research and get your manuscript into just the right hands. Lists are shrinking, staffs are shrinking, and editors are more overworked than ever. Children's writers have to be more knowledgeable about the marketplace and more savvy about their submissions. Studying markets and coming up with elevator pitches may not be what you envisioned when you dreamed of becoming a children's writer. But if you want to help that dream become reality, you need to study the marketplace carefully and craft an impressive submission packet. That's what this class can help with.
Here's a student comment from our first time offering this course, last year.
“I have been changed by this course. Before, I would work and work and my eyes would go buggy reading catalogues and books and Amazon listings and Googoled pages, but I wouldn’t get any wiser! The articles and the homework were both helpful to me, and I got the feeling they were useful to a wide range of writers. The comments and critiques really put the finger on things. I thought they showed great specificity, clear perception, and the ability to start with the writer’s intention. And the interplay of comments, from you two and the class, showed how effective networking is! I have a lot more confidence and optimism and knowledge of how to use my efforts wisely. I would highly recommend this course to anybody ready to take on the challenge. This was a great experience, and I think a career-changing one. And I loved all the chat.” –Julie
If you have any questions about these classes and how they work, please feel free to ask! Thanks.
I'm excited to announce a new online class, and this time I'm co-teaching. Lisa Bullard is a Minneapolis writer and teacher who also has extensive experience in the publishing industry. We have decided to join forces to offer a three-week online course that will guide writers through the process of creating a submissions plan for their children's book manuscript. It's for writers who have written, revised, polished, and then thought..."Now what do I do with it? How do I know who to submit it to?"
This is not a writing course. You will learn, instead, how to pinpoint the most appropriate publishers for your particular project, and you'll also work on a cover letter, query letter, or proposal (depending on what your project is and who you're submitting it to).
I've really loved teaching online courses this year, and I'm looking forward to taking it a notch further and collaborating. I'm methodical about publisher research because I don't find it easy. Lisa has a marketing and publishing background and brings all sorts of good inside info to the table. All students will get plenty of personal feedback from both Lisa and me, and I think it's going to be terrific.
For more info, check out this page on my site. From there, you can get to course details, bios of Lisa and me, previous student feedback, and registration. Thanks! Let us know if you have any questions about the course.
