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How to Get Published (Online)

Learn how to publish your book in this complete seminar led by an experienced literary agent. You'll get a clear look at how the publishing industry actually works, sharpen your query letter, and gain a realistic understanding of the process to give your project the strongest shot.

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  • 18 and older
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Express Checkout – $220

Access anytime: Jan 13, 2027 to Feb 10, 2027


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Start Dates (1) $220/person

  • Includes $25 Reg Fee
    Class accessible anytime within the session dates
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Class Description

Description

How to Get Published is a comprehensive four-week course that combines instructor lectures with hands-on query letter writing assignments, designed for beginners and anyone seeking a refresher in the publishing process. A detailed syllabus is available below.

You have invested countless hours perfecting your manuscript, and now you are ready to capture the attention of literary agents and publishing houses. Or perhaps you are currently writing and want to understand the publishing landscape ahead. The challenge is clear: how do you get a book published?

This course teaches you to navigate the complexities of the publishing industry while developing and refining your most critical selling tool, the query letter. An established literary agent will guide you through every step of the process.

You will not hear that success is impossible, nor that it is easy. Instead, you will gain a realistic, practical understanding of how the publishing process actually works and concrete strategies to maximize your chances of success.

Course Information:

  • This course addresses all book types: novels, children's literature, and nonfiction across all categories. If your focus is nonfiction, you may want to explore the Nonfiction Book Proposal course first.
  • While self-publishing is briefly discussed, the primary focus remains on traditional publishing with established publishing houses.

This course demystifies the publishing process and helps you craft a query letter that captures agent and publisher attention. You will engage with these key components:

  • Expert lectures on the publishing industry and best practices
  • Writing, submitting, and receiving feedback on your query letter twice throughout the course

Course Syllabus:

  • Week 1: Understanding Your Book as a Marketable Product covers book definitions and categorization across fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature; identifying compelling hooks and angles; crafting effective titles; understanding nonfiction book proposals; preparing physical manuscripts and proposals; introducing query letters; and writing novel synopses (samples provided for all major formats)
  • Week 2: The Publishing World explores publishing houses, editors, and agents; how readers are reached and engaged; the author's role in modern book promotion; and alternative self-publishing routes
  • Week 3: Strategic Submission Approach addresses whether to approach agents or editors first; evaluation criteria for selecting agents and editors; determining how many targets to pursue; effective research methods; and understanding what materials to send and how to submit them properly
  • Week 4: Managing Responses and Moving Forward covers the realities of the slush pile, interpreting agent and editor feedback, tracking submission progress, handling rejection constructively, understanding acceptance offers, navigating contracts, preparing for publication, engaging with the writing community, pursuing additional writing opportunities, and developing your craft and mindset

Course content may vary among individual sections.

About Our Online Program:

  • Our online classes bring together students from around the world to connect with Gotham, New York City's most renowned writing school
  • Classes operate asynchronously, not in real time, allowing you to participate whenever it suits your schedule, day or night. However, classes progress on a weekly basis, and certain milestones should be accomplished within each week
  • You can join an online writing class from anywhere with an internet connection. While most online students are based in the U.S., we welcome participants from nearly every country globally
  • Technical support is available to ensure your success
  • You will maintain a complete record of all class materials, which you can print and save for future reference. All materials are in text and image format, not video

Refund Policy

All Classes (except One-day and Zoom Intensives and Write-Ins):

  • For a refund or credit, contact us three business days or more before your class starts. You can either choose to hold a full credit with us good for one year on other Gotham classes OR you can opt for a refund less a $25 administrative fee and your $25 registration fee ($50 total).
  • If you need to withdraw after your class has started (or two business days before it starts), you won’t receive a refund, but you’re welcome to a Gotham credit less the price of Week 1 and your $25 registration fee, but we need to hear from you three business days or more before Week 2 meets for that to happen. After that point, no credits are available.

One-day and Zoom Intensives:

  • You may reschedule a One-day or Zoom Intensive one time, if you notify us two business days before the class begins. After that first reschedule, there is a $25 rescheduling fee.
  • If you notify us three business days or more before your class begins, rescheduling is free. If you notify us less than three business days before your class begins, there is a $25 rescheduling fee. If you don’t notify us until after your class begins, we cannot reschedule you.
  • You may get a refund (minus a $50 fee) if you notify us three business days or more before your class begins.

Write-Ins:

  • If you withdraw 1 business day or more before it begins, you’re welcome to a full credit good for one year toward another Write-In. No refunds are available.
  • If you simply don’t show up and don’t notify us in advance, you forfeit your money.

A few more things:

  • Credits are valid for one year and cannot be changed into refunds down the road.
  • Simply not attending class or notifying the instructor does not mean you've officially withdrawn.
  • Some exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for medical emergencies with a doctor's note.
  • Refunds take up to six weeks to process.

Please understand, we can't issue a refund after classes have started, even if you miss your first class. Similarly, we can't offer you a credit one day before your second class or after that. We understand that other obligations get in the way of attending class, but these policies allow us to get other interested writers into class early enough to have a good experience, and this allows us to offer our classes at a reasonable price.

Important Notes:

  • Students are allowed to join a class in the second week.
  • Only those who pay the tuition in full can be guaranteed a place in class.
  • Class dates and times may be subject to change. A substitute may be assigned or make-up classes added to the end of the term.
  • Auditing and the recording of classes are not allowed.
  • For all classes, students receive a record of payment and registration.
  • Gotham reserves the right to remove any student at our discretion.
  • Gotham does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, or marital status.
  • Our courses are not intended to provide instruction that will result in the student's acquisition of occupational skills.

In any event where a customer wants to cancel their enrollment and is eligible for a full refund, a 5% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

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Gotham Writers Workshop

Gotham Writers Workshop is a creative writing school in New York City and online that has been teaching students since 1993. They offer classes for both new and experienced writers, focusing on writing craft and providing a safe and structured environment for improvement.

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