Act Like A Writer, Think Like An Editor: Getting Your Manuscript Ready

So you want to write a book and get published. In this two-part course, author and fifteen-year publishing insider Christine Pride explores practical and critical questions that every writer who has a dream of being published must consider: What are agents and editors really looking for? How do I know if I have a marketable idea? How do I know if my book is any good? It’s so competitive out there, so how can I increase my chances of getting an agent? Is it all just hopeless? (Spoiler alert: no!)

This course, designed to be an expert guide for every step in the process, will focus on idea development, elements of craft, and the editorial process. We will explore what makes projects exciting and marketable to agents and editors. We will discuss how to evaluate and improve your work, as well as the critical components to a successful book. And finally, we will discuss the three Ps: how to polish, package, and pitch your projects.

The session will be interactive—come prepared to discuss your ideas and books, whatever stage you’re at in the process. We will have exercises and prompts to help you think about ways to improve/refine your book based on an editor’s eye, identify the audience for your project, and hone how you think and talk about your project (the ever important “sell”). By the end of this first session, you’ll be able to think critically about the merits of your story, its audience, and how to reach and entice that audience: In other words, you’ll be thinking like an editor!

Make sure to check out part two of this series, Act Like A Writer, Think Like An Editor: The Road to Publication, which meets later in the day!

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