This two-day workshop demystifies the submission process by helping writers determine when their work is ready to send out—and showing them exactly what to do next.
Through focused discussion and practical examples, participants will learn how to assess readiness, identify appropriate literary journals and agents, and navigate the submission process step by step, from final revisions to tracking responses. The workshop will also include guided discussion of query letters, with time devoted to constructive, actionable feedback. By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with a clear submission plan, a stronger understanding of the literary marketplace, and concrete next steps for sending their work out with confidence. Participants are encouraged to bring a piece of writing they are considering submitting and a draft of a query letter for feedback.
Live video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it).
In this workshop you’ll learn:
- How to evaluate whether a piece of writing is ready for submission
- How to research and select appropriate literary journals and agents
- A step-by-step submission strategy, from final revisions to tracking responses
- How to write a clear, effective query letter—and common mistakes to avoid
- How to interpret responses, handle rejections, and plan next submissions
Time requirements
- A few hours reading their peers’ submission. Please prepare to submit a short excerpt of your work and/or a query letter ahead of class.
Materials
- All reading materials will be provided.
Who should take this workshop?
- Everyone who hopes to publish.
If you need an accommodation for this workshop, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
