If you test positive for Covid – Don’t come to class until you test negative. But let your teacher know and we’ll work to give you access to your missed classes via Zoom.
If you show Covid symptoms OR If you have been exposed to someone with Covid – Don’t come to class for at least 5 days after showing symptoms or exposure, and then take a test to confirm that you are negative. Let your teacher know and we’ll work to give you access to your missed classes via Zoom.
If you have any questions about this, you may call (212-974-8377) or email us ([email protected]).
Hit Send: Publishing Short Nonfiction
GUIDE TO NONFICTION COURSES
Nonfiction Pathways
Foundation
If you’re not sure what kind of nonfiction to write...
If you know what kind of nonfiction to write...
Memoir I
Essay & Opinion Writing
Feature Article Writing
Blog & Newsletter Writing
Travel Writing
Food Writing
Or...
If you want a rather short course...
Memoir Intensive
Personal Essay Writing
Feature Article Writing Intensive
Humor Writing Intensive
Blog & Newsletter Writing Intensive
Next Steps
After completing a Level I ten-week course...
After completing Memoir II, if you want to write a book...
Selling Your Work
If you hope to get published somewhere...
Also Helpful
These essential courses are great for writers of any level.
Hit Send: Publishing Short Nonfiction is a 4-week class, which includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s for beginners or anyone who wants a refresher. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.
There are countless magazines, newspapers, and websites that need a continual supply of short nonfiction pieces—articles, essays, etc. And they need material on every subject under the sun. How do you get them to publish (and pay for) your work?
You need to bait the hook properly. Here you will learn how to generate saleable ideas, turn them into pitches, and match them to the most appropriate people and places. It’s like fishing, and you don’t always get a bite, so to maximize your chances, you need to be repeating the process regularly.
You will work under the guidance of a successful freelance writer, who will help you identify your best ideas and prepare them for “casting into the waters.”
This class will have you ready to pitch a polished idea to editors in 4 weeks.
Marissa Metelica
racial equity consultant
Price
Registration fee $25, paid once per term
4-Week
-
Online
Anytime, week-long sessions
Tuition: $185
Syllabus
This course shows you the process of getting your short nonfiction pieces published, and helps you craft a winning pitch letter. Course components:
Lectures
Writing and receiving feedback on a pitch letter (each student presenting work two times)
Week1
The Pitching Life: Perks of the pitching life. Setting your goals. What is your expertise and/or platform? Pitching basics.
Week 2
Who Wants My Writing?: Finding a home for your work. Narrowing the field. Doing reconnaissance. Listening for voice and tone. Moving up the ladder.
Week 3
Getting The Job (And Getting It Done): Understanding the editor’s dilemma. Making contact. Query letter basics. The art of the successful pitch. Query letter FAQs. Before you hit send. Handling it when you hear “No.” What to do when it’s a “Yes.”
Week 4
The Work of the Working Writer: Getting paid and how much. Contracts, rights, negotiating for more. Should you accept a fee of $0? Conducting research. What it means to deliver the goods. Working with an editor. Getting “killed.” Promoting yourself. Making time for the work. Keys to success.
Note: Content may vary among individual classes.
Teachers
Lara Ewen
Lara Ewen is senior editor of Fashion Dive. She's the author of The Girlshop Guide to NYC Shopping (Shecky’s Media), and her articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Insider, the Kansas City Star, Newsday, NYC&G, NPR, PBS, Retail Dive, Slate, and Zagat, and she's a regular contributor to American Libraries Magazine. She has served as the U.S. market report columnist for Rapaport Magazine, editor-in-chief of the U.S. edition of Sportswear International magazine, a freelance digital editorial consultant for Rolling Stone, and a consulting editor at Women’s Wear Daily. She is also the talent booker for the Free Music Fridays series at the American Folk Art Museum. She has taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She holds a BA from Boston University.
Read moreLara Ewen
Lara Ewen
is senior editor of Fashion Dive. She's the author of The Girlshop Guide to NYC Shopping (Shecky’s Media), and her articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Insider, the Kansas City Star, Newsday, NYC&G, NPR, PBS, Retail Dive, Slate, and Zagat, and she's a regular contributor to American Libraries Magazine. She has served as the U.S. market report columnist for Rapaport Magazine, editor-in-chief of the U.S. edition of Sportswear International magazine, a freelance digital editorial consultant for Rolling Stone, and a consulting editor at Women’s Wear Daily. She is also the talent booker for the Free Music Fridays series at the American Folk Art Museum. She has taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She holds a BA from Boston University.
Related Courses
Essay & Opinion Writing I
Various types of viewpoint writing—essays, op-eds, reviews, and more.
Personal Essay Writing
The writer’s view on a topic, interlaced with experiences from the writer’s life.
Feature Article Writing
Feature articles are the story-driven side of journalism, covering topics earth-shaking or simply interesting.