All Pennwriters Courses are conducted in a “live” presentation format utilizing the Zoom platform. If a conflict arises based on the required meeting times, please contact the instructor and Online Courses Coordinator to find a possible solution. ALL sessions will be recorded. Recordings are available to participants for 1-2 weeks after each recorded session.
PLEASE NOTE: You should receive a confirmation email upon registering for the course from both Club Express and the Online Classes Coordinator. If you do not receive either email, please reach out to the Online Classes Coordinator immediately so you do not miss out on information for your class.
Who is this course for?
Writers who are ready to start writing a book (fiction or non-fiction) that they intend to publish. As well as writers who want to learn the basics of book marketing to begin a successful career as a published author.
What makes the course unique?
Two instructors, who are both published authors and speakers, focus writers on both the writing process and book promotion to launch a successful writing career. Each session focuses on sparking creativity, building confidence, and providing the skills and knowledge needed to go from aspiring wordsmith to accomplished author.
How does this help the aspiring author? Is this a write-my-book course?
This course gives you, the new author, the lay of the land, to travel from concept to completion. This class guides your inspiration into action, creating: a writing intention, a story arc, and destination. We also remove the guesswork of entering the world of publishing, laying down the fundamental groundwork for you to be an inspired, educated, and informed writer. You get to decide where and how to take this forward on your writing journey. But now, you have a map.
Session One: Getting Started: Share Book Ideas and Publishing Goals
Published authors, Kate Brenton and Claudine Wolk, briefly share how they help writers publish and sell their books. In this interactive session, Kate moderates a segment for participants to share their book ideas and ways to refine their focus. In the second segment, Claudine introduces crucial beginner publishing terminology including publishing choices, book distribution, and publishing timeline.
Session Two: Focus: Your Book Idea Takes Shape & How Book Promotion Works
Kate runs an interactive session leveraging inspiration and intention to guide participants through uncovering and deciding on a primary focus as well as the accompanying arc for their book. Participants will come away from this session with a decision of what they want to write and an outline for future writing goals. Claudine educates participants on book marketing and promotion, spotlighting the essential questions: what it is; how it works to sell books in today's world; why authors resist selling themselves; and how authors can overcome that resistance. Together, Kate and Claudine show aspiring writers that their intention and marketing message are intertwined, and that is a good thing.
We end the session with a Q&A period.
Session Three: Create Writing Plan – “The Author Agenda” and Book Marketing Fundamentals
Kate runs a creative session on developing an Author's Agenda — an action plan to complete a book. Participants build upon session one and two to start story mapping and choosing coherent themes to advance their book. Claudine runs an interactive session with handouts to help participants to identify the book marketing fundamentals for their book: message, audience and hook, plus an elevator pitch.
We end the session with a Q&A period.
Session Four: Fun, Interactive Evaluation and Sharing: Share the Elevator Pitch for Your Book, Resources and Next Steps
In Session Four, Kate and Claudine summarize the three sessions and give participants an opportunity to share where they are in their writing process. We also give participants the opportunity to share the “elevator pitch” for their book, within the boundaries of positive and constructive communal support. Next steps and crucial book marketing and and publishing resources for additional learning are shared.
We end the session with a Q&A period.
About the teachers:
Kate Brenton,Ed.M., is a published author, inspired speaker, podcaster, and soul-guide. A lifelong teacher, Kate brings accessible, conscious creativity to all of her modalities, empowering others to bring their brilliance into the world and onto the page.
KateBrenton.com
Claudine Wolk is a three-time published author, substack writer, podcaster, speaker, and book marketing consultant. Her latest book with co-author Julie Murkette, Get Your Book Seen and Sold, (Sept 2023, Lost Valley Press) is the go-to guide for aspiring authors to dive in to book marketing to successfully sell their books!
ClaudineWolk.Com