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What Do Literary Agents Do (and Do You Need One)?
Conventional wisdom tells authors that they need a literary agent if they're to stand a chance at securing a book deal. However, haggling with editors is not all that agents do — and in some …
Taught by Alysoun Owen and Lucy Juckes
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Growing Your Influence as a Non-Fiction Author
To stand the best (or any) chance of success, a non-fiction author needs to build what's called a platform: an ability to reach readers and sell to them. They need to have a base of …
Taught by Stacy Ennis
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The Mechanics of Writing Dialogue
One of the biggest tell-tale signs of non-professional writing is the way in which dialogue is represented on the page. Readers are used to seeing spoken words formatted in a certain way. Failure to adhere …
Taught by Tracy Gold
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How to Write an Irresistible Romance
Romance is one of the most popular genres out there, and with good reason! Whether it's a story of star-crossed lovers or enemies-to-sweethearts, romantic fiction is compulsively readable and adored by countless fans. So why …
Taught by Kate Studer
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How to Write YA That Sells
Have you ever wanted to write a YA novel — and actually sell it to a publisher when you're done? From tracking trends to targeting the right audience, the process of writing sales-worthy YA can …
Taught by Blair Thornburgh
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How to Use Testing as a Self-Published Author
With the success of your book (and your writing career) on the line, why should you leave anything to chance? Could your title be more appealing to readers? Does your cover work for your market? …
Taught by Kim Kohatsu
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Story Editing for Authors
Want to learn how to perform your own story edit? You've come to the right place. Go scene-by-scene and evaluate each story element to learn how to improve your whole story and make everything flow …
Taught by Kristina Stanley
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Kobo Hacks for Optimizing Sales
Want to tap into over a quarter of a century's worth of knowledge on Kobo? You've come to the right place. Whilst they might seem simpler than producing a hard-cover book, eBooks come with their …
Taught by Mark Leslie Lefebvre
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How to Write for Middle-Grade Readers
Good news: There’s never been a better time to write Middle Grade. With the YA market as saturated as it is, editors aren’t acquiring as much of it as they used to. This has been …
Taught by Judy Goldschmidt
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Understanding Point of View
Point of view (or POV) is one of those tricky, technical elements in writing that can be a challenge for many writers. Together with voice, point of view helps establish the narration for your writing, and …
Taught by Gabriela Pereira
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How to Write a Query Letter That Agents Can't Resist
For most new authors, signing with a literary agent is their first step into the world of publishing. But to stand out from the thousands of other authors seeking representation, you first need to capture …
Taught by Rachel Stout
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How to Self-Publish a Photography Book
So, what’s the big deal about photography books anyway? And why should we care about them? Well, if you haven’t noticed, a significant portion of the planet is walking around with cameras in hand, and …
Taught by Blurb
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How to Market Your Children's Book
Getting a self-published children's books into the hands of your readers comes with a unique set of challenges. Common approaches to book marketing will often fall short as you attempt to appeal to your target …
Taught by Eevi Jones
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Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites
Finishing even a single draft of a book is a huge accomplishment. But now you must see your manuscript through multiple revisions and drafts. No one writes the perfect book in one shot. You must open …
Taught by Revise & Resub
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How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro
The ability to self-edit is a skill that needs to be in every author's tool belt.But why should you self-edit? Just send your manuscript to a freelance editor instead! Well, it’s a foolish use of …
Taught by Lisa Lepki
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How to Publish Your Picture Book
So, you have a picture book in your hands? Fantastic. But now you're probably coming up against the most important question of all: how are you going to publish it?Going from a picture book writer to a …
Taught by Kim Fleming
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How to Plot a Novel Using the 3-Act Story Structure
Behind every good story is a solid structure. That's a fact.So why, then, do so many writers shy away from using story structure when they're plotting their stories? Having a good structure in place is one …
Taught by Kristen Kieffer
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How to Create the Ultimate Book Marketing Plan
What if you could KNOW your book will be a success before you launch it? Most authors spend 80% of their time writing a book, but only 20% preparing to market their book. Yet, it’s the …
Taught by Rob Eagar
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Novel Revision: Understanding the Craft
The first draft of a novel is just that — the first stage of a process. It's where you get all your ideas out onto the page. After you're done, the real craft of writing …
Taught by Gotham Writers Workshop
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Pricing Books for an International Audience
Using just a few platforms like Google Play, Amazon, and Kobo, you can reach more countries than you can name. But being present in a market does not guarantee sales. You will need to make …
Taught by Zsofia Macho
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Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love
What separates flat, forgettable characters from the marvelous fictional creations who you remember years after you've closed the book? And more importantly, how can you make sure the characters you write fall on the right side …
Taught by Hannah Sandoval
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Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character
Dialogue can make or break your book. At its best, it can transform your story into a gripping tale populated with interesting, layered characters; when dialogue is bad, it can be downright unreadable.This course will …
Taught by Bridget McNulty
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Children’s Books 101: Writing for the Right Age Group
So you want to write for children? That’s great. But before you take another step, answer this question: who exactly are these children you’re writing for?Four-year-olds and fourteen-year-olds like different kinds of story — that …
Taught by Anna Bowles
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How to Set up and Grow Your Author Mailing List
The mailing list is a central element of every author’s marketing strategy. It's the one main tool you’ll use to build a long-lasting relationship with your readers, turning them into repeat buyers and unconditional fans. …
Taught by Ricardo Fayet
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