Turn your finished draft into a submission-ready manuscript.
Transform your draft into a polished, publishable work and learn how to confidently navigate the path from revision to submission. Each week, we’ll workshop participants’ short stories or novel excerpts to identify what makes a piece truly submission-ready. Through guided discussion, revision strategies, and close readings of published fiction by writers such as Junot Díaz, Tobias Wolff, Bharati Mukherjee, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, participants will learn how to refine their prose, strengthen narrative focus, and prepare their work for publication. The class will also include conversations with published authors about their own journeys—from traditional publishing to small presses and self-publishing. Participants will leave with a thoroughly revised story or novel excerpt, a clear submission plan, and a deeper understanding of how to position their work for publication. Preparation for the first class: Please read The Lady from Lucknow short story from Missouri Review and be ready to chat about it with your peers: https://missourireview.com/article/the-lady-from-lucknow/
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:
- Sharpen your revision process to strengthen structure, pacing, and voice
- Craft prose that feels polished, intentional, and ready for submission
- Recognize when your story or novel is truly ready to share with agents or editors
- Navigate the publishing landscape—from literary journals to small presses to agents and beyond
- Learn from acclaimed authors by analyzing how their stories made it to print
Time requirements
- 2 hours
Materials
- Please read The Lady from Lucknow short story from Missouri Review and be ready to chat about it with your peers: https://missourireview.com/article/the-lady-from-lucknow/
Who should take this workshop?
- This workshop is ideal for fiction writers who have completed a draft—whether a short story, a collection, or a novel—and are ready to take it to the next level. It’s designed for writers who want to polish their prose, deepen their understanding of the revision process, and learn how to navigate the path to publication. Whether you’re submitting for the first time or refining work you’ve sent out before, this supportive and practical class will help you gain the confidence and clarity to share your writing with the world.
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.