CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Marketing.

DETAILS

In order to run a successful online marketing campaign, you need to understand how to conceive, structure, and measure your efforts across several different outlets -- from landing pages to social media to mobile. In this course, you'll learn how to create an online marketing strategy, identify the appropriate distribution platforms, and use the web to successfully deliver your message.

We’ll review the fundamentals of online marketing including search engine marketing, keyword optimization, targeted display advertising, and mobile outreach. You'll develop the key components of a successful online marketing campaign while learning how to create display ads, distribute email newsletters, and develop a social media marketing strategy. We’ll also discuss how to measure ROI and track the effectiveness of your campaign.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Use the four pillars of marketing within an online campaign
• Incorporate paid search and best practices of search engine marketing
• Create successful display ads and track ROI on landing pages
• Implement the anatomy of a successful email marketing campaign
• Identify the appropriate social media and mobile applications for your marketing strategy

By the end of class, you will have:
An understanding of best practices to launch an interactive marketing campaign and how to use online channels to achieve measurable results.

DETAILS

You've taken your young adult manuscript as far as you can, but there's another level to reach before securing a book deal. This workshop is for writers who are seeking to do the serious revision that will bring a good idea to its fullest realization.

In this intensive workshop -- limited to 12 students -- you'll hone your story arc, character development, setting, voice, point of view, level of diction, and every element of your manuscript. Each week you will receive detailed feedback from the instructor and your classmates as you work toward polishing your YA or middle grade manuscript for submission to agents and book publishers. You'll learn how to navigate the publishing world to be in the best position to get published.

By the end of class, you will have:
Up to 80 polished pages of your young adult novel and steps for submitting it to literary agents.
 
This class is purely workshop-based and does not contain written lectures.

Admission Requirements:
This class is for students working toward a polished manuscript. Apply with a note to explain your interest in this topic and goals for the course. Please include a two-page writing sample.

The online classroom has several components:

• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

There’s a world of publishing opportunities available to food writers in print, websites, blogs, and review sites. The key is knowing where to look for assignments and how to make the most of opportunities.

In this intensive class, we’ll review online and print publications where you can pitch your work –- and how to land assignments that will get attention from foodies. You’ll learn the anatomy of a successful food piece, how to conceive of story ideas, and how to create a portfolio. We’ll discuss steps to build authority in the food writing community, including creating a food blog or website, and how doing so can leverage your personal brand.

Students will leave class with the confidence to kick-start their food writing career and a complete portfolio of articles.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Create a portfolio to showcase your work and build name recognition
• Read a food magazine or website with a critical eye
• Draft a pitch that gets an editor’s attention
• Adapt your writing to different platforms
• Position yourself as an authority

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete portfolio including a news product, interview, profile of a food personality, restaurant roundup, travel piece, and food blog entry.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
The NY Daily News, The Boston Globe, Time Out NY, the Village Voice, Relish, Vegetarian Times, Clean Eating, Edible Queens, and more.

DETAILS

Learn how to connect with other bloggers via social media efforts, continue to maintain your blog so search engines rank its relevancy, and how to write for the search engines.

We'll also review how to use your blog to leverage new career opportunities -- be it speaking on a panel, publishing an ebook, or consulting for major brands.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Read analytics reports and interpret key performance indicators
• Use effective tagging, SEO writing, and responding to comments
• Integrate social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube) 
• Monetize your blog through ads, sponsorships, affiliates, and digital products by packaging your overall brand
• Leverage your blog toward a larger platform, such as publishing, speaking, and consulting

By the end of class, you will have:
An understanding of how to use analytics to improve your content and a content plan for increasing traffic and exposure.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Though we can't promise that your novel will sell 10 million copies like 50 Shades of Grey, we can help you write a smart, polished manuscript that will appeal to agents, editors, and readers.

In this class, you'll read sample chapters from successful romance novels and learn the elements of historical, contemporary, paranormal, and erotic romance to find your perfect niche in the current marketplace. You'll complete a working draft of your romance novel, all while receiving expert, personal feedback from one of the genre's stars.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Build emotional and sexual tension quickly and effectively
• Create compelling characters, from heroes to villains
• Write sparkling dialogue that drives the plot, develops characters and heightens tension
• Revise, cut, and tighten your manuscript
• Find an agent and market your book and brand

By the end of class, you will have:
A working draft of your romance novel manuscript.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Marketing. 

DETAILS

DETAILS

From Glamour to Good Housekeeping to theknot.com, women's magazines and websites are among the most lucrative and high-profile markets. In this intensive workshop, you will learn how to wow editors with the stories they want (and need).

Each week, you'll produce a different story, each a type of article that is a mainstay at women's magazines and websites. You'll also workshop pitch letters, editing them to perfection to ensure they get read by editors. Your goal in this class is to pitch articles immediately after workshopping them. The pieces that you will complete include a short service piece, a Q & A, a health article, a personal essay, a long service piece, and a human interest piece (an "as told to" or narrative).

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Write in the voice of the magazine or website in which you want to be published
• Know which sections are easiest to break into and are most "freelancer-friendly"
• Find sources
• Rewrite and self-edit
• Connect with other writers in the industry

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete portfolio of publishable articles that will impress any editor.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
Real Simple, For Me, Woman's Day, Self, Seventeen, Pregnancy, Fit Pregnancy, Everyday with Rachael Ray, Cooking Light, and Redbook.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Nonfiction books -- a market easier to break into than fiction -- are the backbone of publishing. Whether self-help, travel, health, memoir, business, current affairs, or any other number of categories, there's no shortage of readers for nonfiction that teaches, transforms, and captivates readers interested in a particular subject.

In this class, you'll learn how to convey your idea in a winning book proposal and why taking the time to do so will make or break your chances of getting it noticed and sold. You'll also learn what is appropriate for writers who have an idea for a book, but would like to know the complete and correct execution of this vital marketing product.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Identify whether your idea is a good one
• Think through the essential ingredients of a book proposal
• Format the proposal
• Write your proposal letter
• Understand the nuts and bolts of the nonfiction publishing industry

By the end of class, you will have:
A marketable nonfiction book proposal package ready to send out to agents, including a query letter and sample chapter.

Students who have taken this class have published with:
Simon and Schuster, Perseus/Running Press, and Simon Spotlight.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Marketing, Ad Copywriting, and Social Media Marketing.

DETAILS

If you don't come up at the top of a search, your audience may never find you.

This course will teach you how to use SEO and search marketing, social media, and digital outreach methods to drive traffic to your website. You'll also learn how to optimize your sites for search engines and how social media exposure and links can leverage more exposure on Google and other search engines.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the difference between SEO and SEM
• Determine the most important factors of search rankings
• Report on web traffic and keep your website code clean
• Reach out to bloggers and other webmasters to have them link to your site
• Manage SEO and social media projects

By the end of class, you will have:
An understanding of the factors that can get your website to the top of search engine results, and how to use social media and search marketing to drive traffic to your website.

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Journalism and Social Media Marketing.

DETAILS

A blog can help you stand out, whether you're an author building your marketing platform, a freelance writer creating an online portfolio of clips, or a business owner growing your customer base.

Learn how to design, promote, and maintain a blog to build your authority as a writer, forge connections with an audience, or drive sales for your brand. 

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Choose a blogging platform that's right for you
• Design, organize, and archive your blog using categories, tags, and photos
• Use effective tagging, SEO writing, and comment management to develop an audience
• Integrate social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Digg, Stumbleupon)
• Build connections with your blogging community with link sharing

By the end of class, you will have:
A blog complete with a mission statement, profile page, a basic knowledge of HTML, and 8-10 blog posts.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Copy Editing.

DETAILS

So you know a colon from a semicolon -- but how about an en dash from an em dash?

This class is for those familiar with the basics of copy editing and ready for the next level. If you are a junior-level copy editor or have some editorial experience, this class will provide a deeper understanding of the rules that anchor style choices.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Use more complex grammar and punctuation errors with a focus on proper comma usage
• Evaluate the merits of the popular style guides and other resources
• Understand the role and responsibilities of the copy editor
• Fact-check
• Judge proper word usage

By the end of class, you will have:
Copy editing skills to make consistent style choices in your editing or writing. 

Beginners: Check out our Intro class.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Journalism.

DETAILS

In this class, you'll learn how to translate news stories into fascinating multimedia packages. We'll take a look at the best multimedia news stories on the web and get a feel for how photos, audio, and video can enhance the written word. You'll come up with a story you think would best be told in a multimedia format and create original content for that package including photos, slideshows, and short video and audio pieces all published on your own blog showcasing your work.

Each week's assignments are designed to advance you toward the the completion of a published multimedia package. You'll need access to an audio/voice recorder, a digital camera, the capability to record video, and a computer with enough speed and space to download some software.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Organize your story into a complete multimedia package
• Shoot video for the web
• Make an audiovisual slideshow
• Determine where to get free and/or cheap online software to create an at-home studio
• Build a multimedia portfolio on a blog

By the end of class, you will have:
A complete multimedia story package published on a blog showcasing your work.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

This intensive 8-week online class is for experienced students who are ready to dig deeper and demand more from themselves and each other. We'll be looking at examples of published work from magazines, anthologies, and websites and discussing how they succeed. Students will generate and workshop short drafts of new ideas -- and work on revising longer work that has you stuck.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Identify what makes your experience compelling for others
• Explore the hidden narratives that can and should shape your work
• Use "ordinary" details and events to create extraordinary insights
• Reshape your tale using the techniques of fiction while retaining the integrity of the truth
• Approach editors and submit your work

By the end of class, you will have:
Five short pieces to expand into essays and at least one complete personal essay.

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
The New York Times, Modern Love, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post, Newsweek, Self, Salon.com, Runner's World, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the London Times.

Admission Requirements
Apply with a note to explain your interest in this topic and goals for the course. Please include a two-page writing sample.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Digital Marketing, Ad Copywriting, and Social Media Marketing.

DETAILS

If you don't come up at the top of a search, your audience may never find you.

This course will teach you how to use SEO and search marketing, social media, and digital outreach methods to drive traffic to your website. You'll also learn how to optimize your sites for search engines and how social media exposure and links can leverage more exposure on Google and other search engines.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Understand the difference between SEO and SEM
• Determine the most important factors of search rankings
• Report on web traffic and keep your website code clean
• Reach out to bloggers and other webmasters to have them link to your site
• Manage SEO and social media projects

By the end of class, you will have:
An understanding of the factors that can get your website to the top of search engine results, and how to use social media and search marketing to drive traffic to your website.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

Learn best practices for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Foursquare, YouTube, and Flickr. For details, see our Social Media 101 website.

More advanced students who want to create a social media strategy should consider our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp. 

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Ad Copywriting or Public Relations.

DETAILS

DETAILS

Learn how to maximize the impact Twitter can have on your business or personal brand. You’ll gain practical, hands-on knowledge about how to build your Twitter presence and engage in relevant conversations shaping your industry. We’ll cover essential skills including how to filter out the noise and focus on meaningful dialogue that’s appropriate for your business. We’ll demonstrate how to build audience by writing tweets that will get retweeted or shared with new groups of people. We'll also  review proven Twitter techniques for yielding conversions into page views and actual sales.

You'll learn how to review analytics to measure your success, use hashtags to direct conversations, and optimize your tweet schedule to make sure you’re reaching your followers when they’re listening.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Brand yourself on Twitter using a keyword-rich bio, an authoritative tone, and a meaningful strategy
• Optimize your follower count and increase your targeted audience
• Dissect the anatomy of a successful tweet
• Use TweetDeck, HootSuite, and other services to manage your tweet schedule
• Integrate your Twitter strategy with Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms to maximize web presence

By the end of class, you will have:
A well-crafted Twitter presence, a strategy for understanding and increasing your audience, and an in-depth understanding of the techniques that make Twitter a powerful social media tool.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through video-based lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

CERTIFICATE Use this course to earn a certificate in Copy Editing.

DETAILS

This course is for anyone who wants to break into copy editing or feel more confident wrangling words. We'll cover the basics, from understanding copy editing marks to avoiding rookie grammar mistakes. You'll have the tools needed to enter the field and an understanding of how to create smooth, readable copy. And you'll have another skill you can add to your resume and put into action.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Determine when a sentence needs tweaking or is best left alone
• Understand copy editing lingo, including proofreading symbols and common terms
• Navigate stylebooks and prepare for a copy editing test
• Find the best reference materials for a copy editing assignment
• Tailor a resume and find copy editing jobs

By the end of class, you will have:
Knowledge of the copy editing field and the tools to pursue a job as a copy editor.

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM
  
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

DETAILS

In this class, you will learn how to manage the tricky process of writing a nonfiction book from an instructor who has overseen the development of nonfiction titles of all kinds, including memoir, narrative journalism, self-help, social and political issue, business, and narrative nonfiction.

Find out where to start, how to stay motivated, how to write for a specific audience, and how to establish a powerful voice. You'll get guidance while receiving invaluable feedback on your writing. Class will be a combination of lectures and weekly manuscript workshops.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Research your topic efficiently and effectively
• Create a dramatic structure that makes your book a page turner
• Find and sustain the right voice
• Distinguish your book in a crowded marketplace
• Navigate the publishing industry

Students who have taken this class have published:
Too Good to Be True: The Rise and Fall of Bernie Madoff (Penguin), The Creative Girl's Guide To Having It All: How to Brave the Odds and Make Your Way in a Creative Career (Perseus/Running Press), Something New: Wedding Etiquette for Rule Breakers, Traditionalists, and Everyone In Between (Simon Spotlight), Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams (Ballantine), and Read My Hips (Harmony)

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
• Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
• Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions