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Publish That Book

Write a nonfiction book proposal that sells.

Course is closed.

DURATION/TIME
8 weeks
Wednesdays
June 7 - July 26
7-10 pm

LEVEL
Intro

LOCATION
New York (Soho)

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

Course Details

Got a great idea for a nonfiction book but don't know what to do with it? You'll need a professional and powerfully-written book proposal to gain the attention of busy agents and editors.

During this workshop we'll take that idea that's in your head, develop it, and turn it into something you can sell. There is a basic formula for nonfiction book proposals and when broken down into parts, this formula can be easy to learn. By workshop's end, you'll be armed with a fully realized proposal that you can take to agents and start selling your book.

In this class, you can expect to learn:
  • How to tell if there's a market for your book.
  • The parts and pieces of a successful nonfiction book proposal.
  • The right voice and writing style for your proposal.
  • What your final product should look like.
  • What to do with your proposal once its finished.
  • How the publishing industry works and how you might fit in.

Admission Requirements:
Please submit a one to two page description of your book idea as well as a brief work history.

Instructor Bio

Christa Bourg's Courses

Nonfiction Book Writing – New York (Class starts September 11)
Nonfiction Book Writing: Advanced – New York (Class starts September 8)

Christa Bourg
Christa Bourg is a professional book packager and agent. Her work involves developing books for major publishers (a book packager is to publishing what a producer is to the movies: if she believes in your book, she can make it happen). She has worked on numerous books in nearly every nonfiction category, including humor, business, lifestyle, memoir, food, art, parenting, home, reference, etc.

Some recent titles include Dress Your Best, French Cats Don't Get Fat, The Dysfunctional Family Christmas Songbook, The Great American Citizenship Quiz, Haiku U., Latin for All Occasions, The Booklover's Repair Kit, I've Got Your Back, At Home With Art, The Junior League cookbook series, and many more. Christa is also a freelance writer, editor, and proposal doctor. She is currently co-authoring a book entitled The Education of a Very Young Madam, which will be published by Scribner in 2007.

Testimonials


This class made the daunting process of crafting a book proposal so much more manageable. Weekly writing assignments kept me on track moving forward. And regular in-class feedback helped hone and shape my idea into a solid, marketable proposal. -- Jessica DuLong

"I took Christa Bourg's class, and without exaggeration, it changed my life. Thanks to Christa's teaching skills as well as the friendly group dynamic that came out of workshopping our proposals, I was inspired to write a complete, polished proposal for my book, Becoming A Bad Girl: My Pursuit of Wicked Women. As a result, by February I had signed on with the Zachary Shuster Harmsworth literary agency, and I'm well on my way to finding a publisher. Thank you, Christa & mediabistro! -- Joyce Hanson, author

"Christa Bourg is an excellent and dedicated teacher. Her class was well structured, and in that time she was able to guide us through each section of our proposals and workshop them thoroughly with us. In addition to her own comments and editorial help, Christa encouraged a really helpful class atmosphere and the support and interest from the group was incredibly useful. I came out of the class feeling confident in my proposal and happy that Christa not only prepared us with an informed and realistic picture of the publishing industry but also gave us tools to help us navigate the business." -- Elise MacAdam

"Christa Bourg's class really brought my book project to a new level. She gave everyone in the class equal time to develop and workshop their material. Then with her expert knowledge, she coached all of us into a better, more enlightened, place in our writing. Without Christa my manuscript would still be gathering dust in a forgotten file drawer." -- Lisa Peterson

"Writing a book is a huge undertaking, and being part of a group of people that are all making the same commitment makes it much more enjoyable -- and less daunting. During the class, I had an opportunity to workshop a piece that will be published soon in a magazine, and the feedback and structure improved my work significantly!" -- Judy Kamilhor

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