Book Proposal Course!

Hang out with me, asynchronously, May 28-June 7

For well over a decade (!) I’ve offered courses online. I adore teaching them. Back in the day I focused on helping academics freelance and “write for the public”; these days, I focus on helping people—lots of academics but also lots of non-acs, alt-acs, and plain old writer-people— write non-fiction book proposals (this is entirely separate from my day job, fyi: the impulse stems more from my earlier career as a teacher, and also my experience as an author).

My next course starts May 28. It lasts for two weeks (twelve days to be precise), and is entirely asynchronous. Every day I post a “lesson” and, in the first week, assign an exercise geared at helping you focus your proposal. In the second week we have Q&As with editors and agents, discussions of agents and presses and the like, and more optional “assignments”.

A byproduct of the courses is often community, during the course itself, as participants read and comment on their drafts, and, often, afterwards, as they create writing groups that extend past the life of the course.

The only thing I do not like about these courses is marketing, or letting people know about them. I would certainly offer these more often if I were willing to do more marketing. If you feel like helping me spread the word, I’d be grateful.

If you might be interested in taking the course, check it out. There’s more information here. I offer reduced rates for those for whom the fee is an obstacle to enrolling ( email me at anne.trubek@gmail.com), and I’m happy to work with your higher ed institution if you want to use research funds (which many past participants have done).

And now, to balance self-promotion with a few shout-outs:

• Last week I was the guest editor/publisher at Ball State’s IN PRINT Festival of First Books. I had a blast, and am grateful for the organizers, as well as the authors who were featured, who were all generous and funny and smart.
  

• On the plane, before I left my Kindle in the pocket in front of me (for the fifth or sixth time), I started JAMES, of course. What struck me was how simple and clear is the conceit, and of course how hilarious is Everett’s prose, always. This one will be assigned in classrooms for decades to come. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the best American novelist alive today, hands down. (And I must now mention this forthcoming Belt tie-in to James).

Finally, I have so many thoughts about Author’s Equity (I think it is smart, actually!) and other publishing news and scandals, but I’ve been slammed, slammed, slammed (royalty season + end of fiscal year + moving all Belt’s worldly goods from one physical and digital place to another). But as I kept not publishing publishing-related newsletters, I was also not letting you all know about this upcoming course. So now I have! I hope I get to work with some of you in a few weeks: it’s so much fun.