Month: May 2016

Survey Entry to Win Free Writing Workshop Tuition

Help shape future workshops, win free tuition!

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If you enroll in the inaugural Cadet Course starting June 8, you’ll get 50% off any other StoryCadet workshop. This incentive is only available for the first Cadet Course, so don’t miss it!

Not quite ready for the pitching workshop in June? Read on.

I’ve updated the Boot and Ranger Courses with some of the customization options you’ll have to choose from.

For example, with the Cadet Course, you’ve got these options:

  • Lesson 8—Free to the public
  • Query Edit Only—$35
  • Lesson 5 plus a written query critique—$69
  • Full package (all 8 lessons and 2 query edits)—$240 $199 before June 1, $209 after May 31 (50% off if you refer a friend)

With the drafting workshop (Boot Course), you’ll have these options:

  • The full workshop with workbook, group critiques, and a consultation from Lara
  • The story structure workbook only (PDF)
  • Just the consultation with Lara

With the revision workshop (Ranger Course), you’ll have these options:

  • The full workshop with workbook, group critiques, and a line edit from Lara
  • The revision workbook only (PDF)
  • A 5-page line edit from Lara
  • A 10-page line edit from Lara

Now, I know how much I’d usually charge for all of these options, but I also want to get feedback from you, like:

  • How much would you budget for a workshop like one of these?
  • What do you think is a fair price for the workbook (which is basically everything you’d get from the workshop, but without the instructor and class feedback or accountability from the workshop)?
  • When do you want these workshops to happen?

So I’ve created a survey to gather answers from prospective participants.

I’ll choose one survey respondent per course to receive a whole workshop tuition-free.

Here’s the survey again. Tell your friends, too! The more interest I get, the more workshops I’ll offer, the greater your chance of winning.

Odds of winning depend on number of respondents per course. Winners will be chosen for the Boot and Ranger courses when dates and prices are set for the courses. Winners will be notified by email. The full workshop can be transferred to someone else but cannot be shared. A winner may not be chosen for the first Cadet Course—it depends on numbers of surveys received.

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Cadet Course—more info and saving 50%

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Here’s a breakdown of each lesson in the Cadet Course:

Lesson 1: Choosing Self-Publishing or Traditional

  • Learn the difference between and pros and cons of self-publishing and traditional publishing.
  • Decide which route would be best for you.

Lesson 2: Understanding Age Categories and Genres

  • Understand what elements categorize a story as middle grade, young adult, or adult.
  • Figure out where your story fits in terms of age category and genre.
  • Choose a movie to watch and discuss with the class.

Lesson 3: Genre, World, Concept, Theme

  • Get the basics of your story down so you can create a foundation for your pitches.

Lesson 4: Character, Goal, Obstacles, Stakes

  • Find out what every agent looks for in a pitch, and how to make your pitch irresistible.

Lesson 5: Writing the Query Letter (or Back Cover Copy)

  • Pull apart successful query letters and gain insider information for writing a pitch that will have agents, editors, and readers asking for more pages.

Lesson 6: Choosing Agents (or Presses) to Query

  • Get a bunch of resources for finding—and filtering—agents.
  • While waiting for your pitch edit from Lara, gather your list of agents or presses to query.

Lesson 7: Responses and Rejections

  • Decipher rejections—what do they mean?
  • Learn how to respond to requests—what should you say? How long should you wait?

Lesson 8: Calls and Contracts

  • Get your publishing questions answered by Jackie Lea Sommers, author of Truest (HarperCollins, 2015)
  • How did you choose your agent?
  • What was submission (to publishers) like?
  • What do you wish you’d known before you got your book deal?
  • What’s the process of getting a book deal?
  • What happens after the book deal?

This practical pitching and query workshop begins June 8th.

Here’s how to save 50%!

Participants make or break a workshop, so if you refer a friend, both of you can save 50% off the total price.* If you refer multiple friends, each of you saves 50%.

  1. Enroll in the complete workshop, priced $199 before June 1, $209 after May 31.
  2. Tell your friends all about the workshop and why you should do it together.
  3. Your friend emails me your name (lara AT storycadet.com)
  4. I email your friend a link to purchase the workshop for 50% off.
  5. Your friend purchases the class at half price.
  6. I refund you 50% of the cost.

To receive a prompt response, email me before noon on a weekday. Allow a few business hours in case I’m away from my desk.

If you don’t send before noon, or if you send on a weekend, allow up to 1-2 business days for me to send the refund.

You may have to manually transfer the funds back into your bank account from PayPal, which could take another 3–5 business days, depending on your bank.

*Only valid for the complete workshop, priced $199–209. But please do tell your friends about the other options! Lesson 8 is free to the public, Lesson 5 is available for purchase a la carte, and anybody can watch the Lesson 2 movie with you 🙂

Cadets, for storytellers and writers ready to pitch and publish their stories (including novels)

8-week Pitching & Submission Course Starts June 8!

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Cadet Course (Submission and Publication)—A course in deciding between self-publishing and traditional publishing, pitching your story, finding and querying agents and editors, and going on submission. Subscribe to be notified of course schedules and updates.

Course Schedule: Wednesdays 9pm EDT, June 8–July 27

  • Lesson 1: Choosing Self-Publishing or Traditional
  • Lesson 2: Understanding Age Categories and Genres
  • Lessons 3–4: Pitching Your Work
    • Genre, World, Concept, Theme
    • Character, Goal, Obstacles, Stakes
  • Lessons 5–6: Submitting Your Work
    • Writing the Query Letter (or Back Cover Copy)
    • Choosing Agents (or Presses) to Query
  • Lesson 7: Responses and Rejections
  • Lesson 8: Calls and Contracts—Author Interview

Cost:

Lesson 8, Interview with Jackie Lea Sommers, author of Truest (HarperTeen, 2015)—Free for anyone

Query Edit Only—$35  Buy Now Button

Lesson 5 plus a written query critique—$69  Buy Now Button

Full package—$199 before June 1, $209 after May 31 Buy Now Button

What You Get in the Full Package:

  • The complete workshop: 8 video lectures with pitching exercises
  • A step-by-step walkthrough for writing query letters (or back cover copy)
  • A private forum for submitting your exercises and receiving feedback from other students and the course instructor
  • A query critique from Lara
  • Invitation to a private Facebook group for StoryCadet alumni