Courses
From First Draft to Publishing: the traditional fiction author’s roadmap.
Eight courses in order, a market lab and a capstone. Twelve to sixteen weeks, with writing and revision between sessions. For novelists seeking traditional publication, from first draft to query.
No course guarantees an agent, an offer or a sale. The aim is stronger work and informed decisions.
| Course | Stage | You finish with | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finish the Novel | Draft | A complete manuscript, a sustainable drafting routine, and a diagnostic plan for revision. |
| 2 | Revise for the Market | Revise | A revision plan, one substantial pass, and a manuscript tested on readers. |
| 3 | Position the Book | Position | A positioning brief: genre, audience promise, comparable titles, pitch, synopsis, query. |
| 4 | Find and Query Literary Agents | Target | A vetted agent list, a query package, a batch strategy and a tracker. |
| 5 | Understand the Traditional Publishing Business | Publish | Read a plain-language offer summary and know what to ask your advisers. |
| 6 | Publishers, Imprints, and the Market | Target | A research brief comparing publisher types. |
| 7 | From Deal to Publication | Publish | An offer-evaluation sheet, a rights checklist, a production timeline. |
| 8 | Launch, Career, and Long-Term Strategy | Publish | A launch plan and a second-book strategy built on what you control. |
| Lab | Market Intelligence Lab | Position | Read the market as a changing system, without mistaking data for destiny. |
| Capstone | The Submission-Ready Package | Submit | Prepare a full package for one novel and defend the choices behind it. |
What you will have at the end
- A revised manuscript or a documented revision plan
- A positioning statement and query materials
- A researched agent list and a submission tracker
- A rights-question checklist
- A 90-day action plan
Status: syllabus written; lessons in production. Which courses are free and which are premium is not yet set.