Celebrate Books All May with a Deep Dive into Writing & Publishing!

Every May at GrubStreet, we pause our usual programming to celebrate one thing: the book.

Manuscript Month is a space to learn how books are imagined, made, and shared, to celebrate the books that have enriched our lives, and to help usher more books into the world in the year ahead. Whether you’re drafting, revising, querying, or simply curious about how books come to life, Manuscript Month is your invitation to take the next step on your writing or publishing journey.

Kick-Off Event:

Where does truth end and fiction begin? We’re opening Manuscript Month with Fiction and Nonfiction Walk Into a Bar, a literary party and lively craft conversation featuring bestselling author Alexander Chee (How to Write an Autobiographical Novel) and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hernán Díaz (Trust). Get ready to explore the space between what's true and what's invented on the page with two writers who've made careers of blurring the line and are ready to share how and why it works.

Tickets are 21+ and include a free drink, and the party continues at The Rockwell after the conversation.

Brand New Reading Groups:

Slow down and read deeply with us over 4 weeks. Our reading groups center the close study of a single book for writers and readers interested in craft, structure, and artistic choices: 

• The Fraud by Zadie Smith with Blair Hurley, starts May 3
• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid with SJ Sindu, starts May 6
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed with Kayla Degala-Paraíso, starts May 7

Sessions on Writing, Revising, and Editing Books:

Advanced Topics: Novel and Fiction

• Novel Plotting Essentials for the Ponderous Writer with Steve Almond, May 5
• Advanced Revision Strategies (That Actually Work) with Jonathan Escoffery, May 11

Advanced Topics: Memoir and Nonfiction

• Voice as Platform: Supporting Your Book with Essays and Op-Eds with Ethan Gilsdorf, May 6
• Your Life as a Book: Turning the Personal Into Compelling Narrative with Jane Roper, May 14

Advanced Craft and General Topics

• The Strategic Artist: Project Management Tips to Sustain Your Writing Life with Meghan Lamb, May 2

The Marketplace: Publication and Querying

• Publishing 101: An Overview for the Aspiring Author with Rachel Carter, May 4
• Pitch Perfect: Write a Query Letter That Gets Noticed with Jackie Cangro, May 7
• The Indie Route: How Small Presses Can Kickstart Your Career with Neema Avashia, May 13
• No Money, No Problem: Publicity and Marketing For Writers On a Budget with Dariel Suarez, May 20
• Networking Strategies For the Introverted Writer with Samantha Shanley, May 26
• From Writer to Author: Preparing Yourself for Publication with Jemimah Wei, May 27
• An Editor's-Eye Look at Book Submissions with Christine Pride, May 28

4-Week Workshops:

• Style Matters: Priming Your Prose for Publication with SJ Sindu, starts May 5
• Finding Your Book-Length Story: Memoir & Nonfiction with Dorian Fox, starts May 5
• Love Me Back: Getting Your Romance Novel Ready for the Market with Thien-Kim Lam, starts May 7
• Mapping Your Entire Novel in Four Weeks with Blair Hurley, starts May 7
• Novel Writing Group: Project Immersion with Karissa Chen, starts May 7
• MG/YA Manuscript Toolkit For Publication Success with Kate Fussner, starts May 7