Resources for Writers
>>>Interested in writing a book — fiction or non? Check out my new site, Be Your Own Book Doctor! There, you’ll find all kinds of information about writing and publishing your book.
Book Proposal Boot Camp
Write your book proposal in a weekend! — June 15th and 16th, 2013!
My popular book proposal class usually takes place over the course of six weeks. But I’m offering a new approach – Book Proposal Boot Camp! This is a virtual class – everything takes place via email and online – that will take place over just one weekend.
If you’re like me, sometimes you just want to put your head down and get the work done. That’s what Book Proposal Boot Camp is for. We’ll cover all the same material that we cover in my regular book proposal class but we’ll do it in a very compressed amount of time:
• refine your book idea to make sure it’s salable
• hook an editor with your book description
• develop an irresistible outline
• create the kind of platform agents and editors want to see
• develop promotion and marketing ideas for your book
• size up the competition and make your book different – and better
I’ll be dedicating the entire weekend to providing feedback and support, and you’ll be dedicating the entire weekend to getting your project done. Sound like a good deal?
Then set aside the weekend of June 15 and 16th, 2013. I’ll send along all the information you need to get started on Friday, June 14 so that you can get a jump on the work in the evening (if you wish).
Since this is the first time I’ve offered Book Proposal Boot Camp, I’m offering an introductory price – just $199!
Book Proposal Boot Camp – $199
Book Proposal Boot Camp – FLX price – $149
Getting Past the Slush Pile:
Writing an Attention-Getting Query and Synopsis for Your Novel
New e-course! Starts June 17, 2013!
You’ve finished your novel. It’s as perfect as you can make it. Now it’s time to find an agent or a publisher. To do that, you need a query letter and a synopsis. If the very thought is enough to make you archive your novel for about six months, you’ve come to the right place.
In her four-week Getting Past the Slush Pile e-course, Jennifer Lawler – a novelist who is also a former fiction acquisitions editor and a former literary agent – will show you the ins and outs of writing a query and a synopsis that will help your novel get out of the slush pile and into the hands of a someone who can help you make your dreams of publication come true.
Every Monday, you’ll get a lesson covering that week’s assignment and you’ll email your assignment back to Jennifer at your convenience.
In Week #1, we’ll cover the basics of how fiction acquisitions and book publishing works, and why you need to have a solid query and synopsis even though your manuscript is already written. This background will help you create the right type of query and synopsis for your project. You’ll be asked to investigate your genre and develop an understanding of where your book fits in the market.
In Week #2, we’ll get into the specifics of writing the query, and you’ll receive feedback from the instructor on ways to make your query shine.
In Week #3, we’ll delve into the difficulties of the synopsis – what it needs to do and how it needs to do it. You’ll receive feedback from the instructor on ways to polish your synopsis. You’ll develop two synopses: a one-to-two page brief synopsis and a five-to-seven page fuller synopsis so that you’ll be ready to supply whatever is requested by an editor or agent.
In Week #4, you’ll create a submissions plan to keep you on track to find the agent or publisher your book needs. You’ll research your options and come up with a plan that’ll help you deal with rejections instead of letting them set you back.
This is the first time Jennifer has offered this class, so she is giving a special introductory discount – just $199!
Getting Past the Slush Pile - $199
Getting Past the Slush Pile – FLX price – $149
Write Your Book Proposal E-Course – Starts September 9, 2013
For many writers and experts who’d like to write a nonfiction book, putting together the book proposal is the most intimidating – yet most important – part of the process. Veteran book author Jennifer Lawler’s six-week e-course will walk you through every step of the way, from idea to finished proposal. This class is offered just two times per year, in March and September.
You’ll learn how to:
- identify a salable book idea
- hook an editor with your book description
- develop an irresistible outline
- create the kind of platform agents and editors want to see
- develop promotion and marketing ideas for your book
- size up the competition and make your book different – and better
Each Monday, Jennifer will e-mail you that week’s lesson with an assignment. You can do the assignment whenever you have time. Once you’ve worked through the assignment, the information is yours forever. You’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned to any book proposal you write.
Jennifer will respond to e-mail questions on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will critique each part of your proposal as you write it. By the end of the session, you’ll have finished your book proposal.
Jennifer is the author or co-author of more than 25 published nonfiction books. She has written for small presses (Wish Publishing), medium-size publishing companies (McGraw-Hill) and huge media conglomerates (Penguin Putnam). She has written everything from how-to to reference to self-help. Currently, she works as a book development editor for Adams Media, Inc., a nonfiction book publisher, and was formerly a literary agent for Studio B Productions. She knows what book publishers look for in a proposal.
She’s helped many writers break into publishing, and her e-course can help you do the same.
A testimonial from a recent student:
“If you’re serious about writing your book, then take this class first!
Jennifer offers straight-shooting feedback and thoroughly understands book proposals. She breaks the process into do-able pieces and pushes you to excel. Jennifer knows just what agents are looking for. I found an agent ready to accept my book just 1 week after completing this class. You can buy a ‘how-to’ book off the shelf and muddle through a book proposal, or you can take Jennifer Lawler’s class and get direct, personal feedback on your project. It can’t be beaten. Jennifer knows what she’s talking about. She knows the formula that works and helps take your book ideas to a salable level.”
— Heather Shumaker
To register for the class using PayPal, click on the appropriate Buy Now button below.
To pay by check or for more information, contact Jennifer at jennifer@jenniferlawler.com
| For FLX members: $349 | Non-Members: $379 |