Hit Send: Publishing Short Nonfiction is a structured, comprehensive, and intensive four-week course combining instructional lectures with practical hands-on writing exercises and constructive peer feedback from fellow writers. Designed for those beginning their writing journey or seeking to refresh and significantly improve their skills and approach to publication, this course includes a detailed, comprehensive syllabus available in the section below for your review and planning.
Across the contemporary media landscape and publishing ecosystem, magazines, newspapers, digital publications, online platforms, and specialized websites and publications continuously and actively seek fresh, engaging, original short nonfiction content that resonates with their specific audiences. Articles, personal essays, narrative reportage, opinion pieces, and first-person accounts on virtually every conceivable subject matter attract readers, generate advertising revenue, build audience loyalty, and fulfill editorial missions and publisher goals. The challenge many aspiring writers face involves positioning their unique work to appeal effectively and immediately to busy, discerning editors, convincing them that their specific piece merits serious publication consideration and fair payment compensation, and understanding the intricate submission and negotiation process with professional editors. Publication and payment success require multiple integrated competencies working together synergistically.
To publish your nonfiction writing successfully and with increasing frequency, you need multiple integrated competencies and skills: the ability to identify promising publication venues and emerging editorial opportunities that match your expertise, craft compelling, original stories that precisely match specific editorial requirements and distinctive publication voice, conduct thorough, professional research and conduct effective interviews, write with clarity, style, authenticity and impact, understand editorial needs, publication economics and market positioning, and navigate effectively the complex submission process, follow-up procedures and negotiation with professional editors and publishers.
This comprehensive, practical course teaches each of these essential competencies through a blend of lecture, detailed analysis of published examples across multiple publications and genres, writing assignments carefully tailored to specific markets, and your own deliberate writing practice with constructive feedback from the instructor and peers. You'll develop practical familiarity with different publication types and editorial needs, understand what makes short nonfiction compelling and marketable to both editors and readers, learn systematic revision and editing strategies that strengthen and significantly improve your work, and develop professional submission practices, author platforms and networking that increase your publication success rate over time and build your writing career.
Topics Covered:
- Market analysis, research, and identifying promising publication opportunities and editorial venues
- Crafting compelling nonfiction pitches and query letters that editors find irresistible
- Research methods, professional interview techniques, and primary source documentation
- Structuring, writing, and editing engaging articles, essays, and narrative pieces effectively
- Revision strategies for increasing strength, impact, and clarity in your writing
- Professional submission practices, follow-up, and effective editor communication
- Building an author platform and developing your writing career
