Writers
who complete this course will know how to plan for success.
They will learn new strategies on how to work with editors
and get them to call you with your next assignment.
By
the time you complete this course, if you have kept up your
assignments, made the necessary adjustments, and paid attention
to your instructor's feedback, you will be ready to make various
submissions to nonfiction editors.
Making
money as a nonfiction freelance writer is far from a get-rich-quick-scheme.
It takes long hours of tough work. This will be an intense
"working" class and participants are warned not
to sign up for this class if they are not prepared to spend
significant time researching, working, and writing.
Throughout
this course, your instructor will lecture, provide handouts
as warranted, give assignments, and evaluate the student's
work.
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CURRICULUM
Week
One
Earning A Higher Income with Nonfiction Writing
In this class, you are introduced to a different concept of
the writing life. Here you learn of the tremendous market
available to nonfiction writers, and how quickly and easily
you can break into this market. You will learn the simple
tools you need, some skills you will need to develop as a
nonfiction writer, and simple writing techniques that nonfiction
writers use. You will also receive your first nonfiction writing
assignment.
Week Two
Developing Your Specialty
In this class, your instructor will share ideas on how to
develop your nonfiction writing specialty. You will be given
checklists that help you determine which specialty is right
for you, and how you can break into the specialty that you
choose. You will learn how to get press kits, press releases,
and work with public relations people to get inside information
and special press access. You will be taught where to get
ideas, and how to refine them into a saleable manuscript.
You will also learn about the many common types of stories.
Week Three
Mastering Nonfiction Query Letters
In this class, your instructor will guide you through the
process of developing solid and effective query letters. Not
only will you learn what to say, but you will learn what to
never put into a query letter. You will learn the five elements
all query letters must have, and you will learn how to get
an editor to say "yes" even when you have no clips
or credits. You will continue to receive tips from your instructor,
and learn how to slant ideas for articles.
Week Four
Honing Your Work Habits
In this class, your instructor will be showing you how to
develop good writing work habits that will stay with you throughout
your writing career. You will learn how to develop ideas,
a futures file, and a marketing timetable. You will also learn
how to produce more nonfiction articles by following four
simple rules. You will also learn three tricks that will get
editors to say yes to you, while rejecting ideas of other
experienced writers. This week you will receive a handout
that shows you how to correct simple but annoying grammatical
errors. You will learn about researching, where to look for
help, and how to master an interview.
Week Five
The Nonfiction Markets
In this class, your instructor will be presenting a lot of
information about various nonfiction markets. More than just
a quick lecture about checking the Writer's Market, you will
learn how to locate your own markets, and find markets for
your work that are never listed in any writer's market listings.
Your instructor will be giving you a list of places to find
hidden markets. You will learn how to analyze a market. You
will also learn which markets to choose, and which to reject.
Week Six
Developing Your Marketing Plan
In this class, your instructor will show you how to develop
your marketing plan that will keep your writing career--and
income--on track. After you learn how to develop your own
plan, you will be submitting it to the instructor for review
and evaluation. Then it is time for you to launch into action!
Week Seven
Creating Multiple Streams of Income
In this class, you will learn from your instructor how to
create multiple streams of income. You will also learn why
this is so important, if you truly want to make significant
income as a nonfiction writer. The instructor will present
ideas of supplemental income and ways to increase and improve
your bottom line as a writer. You will receive a list of 25
things you can do to increase your nonfiction writing income.
Week Eight
The Business of Nonfiction Writing
In this class, your course comes to a conclusion, but this
last class is as important as any you have taken. Your instructor
will be presenting information about the actual business of
writing. You will learn how to operate a successful writing
business, and what you need to do to keep that business profitable.
The instructor will give you a checklist of things you must
do to keep your writing business growing. You will also learn
how to self-evaluate your nonfiction writing career.
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FAQs
Q:
What about the homework or student exercises?
A:
Each lesson concludes with a challenging exercise--sometimes
two or three--that is designed to help reinforce what the
student has learned in the lesson. These are not fluff or
just time filling activities. One of the comments I hear from
my students consistently is "you really made me think
about this assignment." My response is "good! That
is my job!" The exercises are suppose to challenge, make
the student think, and develop important skills they can use
in their writing careers.
Q: How long do I have to complete the lessons?
A:
When a student enrolls, I send a welcome letter via e-mail
to the student, and the first lesson. Each Friday, I automatically
send a new lesson via e-mail to the student, whether or not
the student completed the earlier lessons. The student can
take as long as they want to complete the lessons. There is
no time limit. Some students complete the courses in 8 weeks--others
take much longer. Whatever works for them is OK.
Q: Which course do you recommend someone taking first?
A:
If they are going to take both courses, I would recommend
they start with the Nonfiction Writing: The Basics and follow
up with How to Make $50,000 a Year as a Nonfiction Freelance
Writer.
Q: Do I receive individualized tutoring?
A:
Yes. You are not sending your lessons to an autoreply e-mail
address. You are sending your lessons directly to me. I review
them personally, I will write personal responses back to you,
commenting on each assignment you complete. My students are
quite satisfied with the individual attention and response
they receive during the course.
Q: How long does it take for you to respond to my assignments?
A:
That depends on when you send the e-mail and what I am doing.
I try to answer my e-mail as quickly as possible. You might
get a response within an hour, or it could take several days.
I will get back to you when I can. I too am a working writer,
and I schedule my work and I still have my own assignments
and projects that I am completing. But I will get back to
you quickly.
Q: Can I ask questions that are not necessarily related
to the lesson?
A:
Yes. I will help you any way I can.
Q: Will you represent my work or act as my agent?
A:
No. I am not a literary agent or marketing agent.
Q:
Will you critique a book I have written as part of the course?
A:
No. If you want an individual critique or editing services,
I will consider the work upon payment of an agreed prepaid
fee.
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ABOUT
THE INSTRUCTOR
George
Sheldon is a freelance writer, columnist, author, and speaker
based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He writes about many different
topics, including money and personal finance, health topics,
business, history, and Americana.
George
sold his first article when he was 14--being published in
a long defunct magazine called S-9. He has been writing ever
since. And that first article was published a really long
time ago.
Wearing
out typewriters, then computer keyboards, George has written
all kinds of things--from screenplays to articles about vinegar.
He wrote about country music, and served as a newspaper correspondent.
He writes a weekly syndicated column called Creative Money
Strategies.
George
is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors
(ASJA). An active nonfiction writer, George helps other nonfiction
writers by offering online nonfiction writing courses and
information.
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SIGN
UP!
Pay securely with any major credit card through PayPal!
For more course information, or if you'd prefer to pay by
check, please send an email to jminar@writersbreak.com
with your request.
