WD Presents: 7 WDU Courses, Improve Your Email Newsletter Webinar, and More!
There’s always so much happening in the Writer’s Digest universe that even staff members have trouble keeping up. As a result, we decided to start collecting what’s on the horizon to make it easier for everyone to know what’s happening and when.
This week, we’re excited to announce seven WDU courses, an Improve Your Email Newsletter webinar, and more!
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7 WDU Courses Begin This Week!
Copyediting Certificate Program
Writer’s Digest is proud to offer our Copyediting Certificate Program. This course will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give them practical and marketable workplace skills. As a student in this certification course, you will progress from the fundamentals of grammar, form, and composition to advanced copyediting skills.
Submission Coaching: Everything You Need to Know to Get Published
This five-week class will give you the tools you need and that agents and publishers are looking for when considering taking on an author. Talcott Notch Agent Amy Collins will share insights and work with you to create a complete proposal and author pitch kit. By the end of this course, you will have what you need to dramatically increase your attractiveness to agents and publishers.
Pitch an Article: Write for Today’s Marketplace
This intensive two-week course will teach you how to craft a good pitch letter and do it well. Be ready to mine your life for ideas. Start thinking about a great spin on a topic or an unusual personal experience that you’d like to write about in class.
Writing the Thriller Novel
Do you want to write an enthralling thriller that your readers can’t put down? In Writing the Thriller Novel, a six-week course, you will get the tools you need to get your thriller project off the ground or take your current project to the next level. Examine the structural elements that create a successful thriller, learn how to build compelling conflict and suspense into your story, find out what helps a story engage a reader, and much more.
Grammar and Mechanics
Do you remember the difference between the 8 parts of speech and how to use them? Are you comfortable with punctuation and mechanics? No matter what type of writing you do, mastering the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics is an important first step to having a successful writing career.
Writing Nonfiction 101: Fundamentals
Throughout this 12-week course, you will get step-by-step instruction on how to write nonfiction, read Philip Gerard’s Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life, and write articles, essays, or a few chapters of your book. Register for this course and discover how fun writing nonfiction can be.
The Art of Storytelling 101: Story Mapping and Pacing
Discover how the seven core competencies of storytelling—concept, character, voice, plot, theme, scene construction, and style—combine to create compelling narrative.
By understanding the engineering and design of a story, and using Larry Brooks’ Story Engineering and Nancy Dodd’s The Writer’s Compass, you’ll learn how to quickly and effectively get your story out of your head and onto the page.
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Establish (or Improve) Your Email Newsletter: Every Author’s Most Important Marketing Tool!
Despite its well-established value, email marketing remains a missed opportunity for a lot of authors—and it’s by far the number-one overlooked tool for book sales and marketing. When you invest in building your platform and marketing power, you might be tempted to prioritize social media. But social media is out of your control and ephemeral. Email is not. Being able to directly reach your readers, or your most engaged audience is a powerful capability that rewards your time and investment. While it can feel difficult and slow-going to build a list (and like you’re “bothering” people with your messages), these are mindset issues that can and should be overcome.
This live webinar will cover best practices of email newsletters for authors, how to avoid the mistakes most prevalent in the writing community, plus the pros and cons of using the popular newsletter platform Substack. Thankfully, regardless of what tools or platforms you use to send your email newsletter, it’s fairly straightforward to start (or restart) an email newsletter. It often doesn’t cost you any money until you have a sizable list of names—and that’s the point at which it can become very profitable.
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Secrets of Publishing Virtual Conference!
Writer’s Digest University is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind online event for writers! On July 15, 2023, our WDU Secrets of Publishing Virtual Conference will provide expert insights from FOUR publishing pros who have been there and done that, including published authors, a literary agent, and maybe a surprise professional. Spend the day learning how the publishing business really works, from the initial query to the next book.
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Don’t Forget To Vote For Your Favorite “Your Story” Entries
Your Story #123
Out of more than 200 entries, WD editors chose 6 finalists. Vote for your favorite using the poll at the bottom of this page.
Your Story #124
Out of nearly 300 entries, WD editors chose 12 finalists. Vote for your favorite using the poll at the bottom of this page.
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Join Us In New York This Summer for the Annual Writing Conference!
Writer’s Digest Annual Conference is excited to meet in person this August! More details will be available soon including a call for speakers, registration, etc. As time evolves we will post updates so be sure to check our website for the latest information.
Writer’s Digest Annual Conference offers everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally. Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft, explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—all while being inspired by successful authors and your fellow attendees. It’s all brought to you by Writer’s Digest, the experts at nurturing and developing writers at every stage of their career for over 100 years.
Deadline to Register is August 17!
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