Understanding Your Book
A Custom Workshop for Aspiring Authors
“A book that knows why it is being written,
for whom, and most important, what it wants to say,
is a book well on its way to successful publication.”
– Susan Rabiner, Thinking Like Your Editor
Why this book? Why now? Why you? The first step in any author’s journey is to clarify and bring into focus the core vision and mission of the book. At CoCreative Writing, we approach this in an intensive, full-day workshop, where we can immerse ourselves in the big questions and bring multiple perspectives to the table.
You bring your ideas, your story, your expertise, and your direct connection to your target readers. We bring the experience of envisioning and collaborating on dozens of books, including traditionally published New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, self-published grassroots hits, and everything in-between. Together, we’ll figure out what book you have to share, and map your optimal path from inspiration to publication.
The workshop can be customized to your specific needs, but typically includes an exploration of the following topics and questions:
- Vision & Message: What message or story do you want to communicate? Why does it matter to you? How does this book fit into your life’s work? What do you hope to achieve by writing and publishing it? What would success as an author look like to you?
- Target Readers & Positioning: Who are you writing for? Why will they buy this book? What questions will it answer for them, what needs will it meet, what journey will it take them on? Where might they find it on the bookstore shelves? What other books might sit around it? What popular books might you compare it to?
- Style & Structure: What writing style do you admire or intend to use in your book? What structure might best serve to take your target readers on a journey that answers their questions or meets their needs?
- Publishing Strategy: What options do you have for publishing your book? Do you have the credentials and “platform” to attract a big publisher, and is this the best strategy to meet your goals? Would a “hybrid” publisher or self-publishing be a better option? What are the pros and cons of the various paths available to authors today?
- Collaborative Options: What support can you benefit from in the writing and publishing process? Do you want to write the book yourself or would you prefer to hire someone to write it for you? What’s the difference between a ghostwriter, a co-author, a writing coach, and an editor? Which might be most helpful to you? And how can you find the right person?
Workshop Package also includes:
- Pre-workshop review & critique of up to 5000 words of content
- Pre-workshop questionnaire to help you clarify your goals and vision, and identify your brand attributes, target readers, and competitive & complementary books
- In-depth, personalized platform assessment: a questionnaire that will enable us to give you an honest and informed answer to the question “do I have what it takes to get a book deal?
- “Your Publishing Options” roadmap—with clear next steps, recommendations, and resources.
At the end of this workshop, you will “see” your book more clearly, having focused in on its message and purpose, identified your target reader(s), and looked at how it fits into the broader landscape of your work. You will also have a clearer picture of your publishing and collaboration options and have identified the next steps on your path to authorship.
COST: Workshop fees start at $5000 for a full-day, virtual session.
In-person workshops are also available, as are multi-day workshops that include more in-depth work on the book’s content and outline.
Want to learn more or schedule a workshop?
