The Course
So, you want to be an author? Let's help you get there. A few things you can expect to cover in this course:
- Picking the right idea.
- Methods, downloadable resources, and software tools for outlining.
- Creative writing exercises to improve your craft.
- Tools and strategies for developing a routine and overcoming hurdles in writing.
- Types of editing and exercises to revise your manuscript.
- Software tools for writing and editing novels.
- All the paths to publication and step-by-step guides for them
- In-depth how-to on. independent publishing, so your novel is guaranteed to make it to print.
- Software specific to book formatting.
- Tips for marketing and building your author platform.
Curriculum
- Section Overview
- So You Have a First Draft
- Developmental Editing: Character Arcs
- Developmental Editing: Every Scene Has a Purpose
- Developmental Editing: Story Consistency
- Copy Editing: Basic Rules of Grammar
- Line Editing: Re-writing for Reading
- Edit. Revise. Repeat.
- Proofreading: The Final Boss
- Tools for Editing and Revision
- From Manuscript to Book: Next Steps
- Section Overview
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Editing
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Beta Readers
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Sensitivity Readers
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Artwork and Design
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Formatting Your Book
- Tools for Novel Formatting
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Setting a Timeline
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Choosing a Publishing Platform
- Steps to Indie Publishing: Release Day!
- Setting Expectations: Pros and Cons
Your instructor
First and foremost, Emily is a writer. She is not a literary agent, nor has she ever worked for a big publishing house. But she is a former literature teacher who knows good writing, a journalist who knows good editing, a bookseller in a bookstore who knows what books sell, and an indie author who published a book herself. She believes that every aspiring author deserves to achieve their dream, and wants to show you how with the Indie Author School.
Emily also has a Master's in Education, specializing in curriculum design and differentiation for different learning styles. She has 10 years of experience as an educator, 15 years of professional journalism experience, writing for both print and online publications, and published her debut novel, The Last Empress, as an indie author. It was an instant top seller online and in bookstores, and has a 4.92-star rating on Goodreads and Storygraph.
You can also find her work on Substack under The Writer on the Water and follow her podcast Odyssey of a Novel.You can also find my work on Substack under The Writer on the Water or follow my podcast Odyssey of a Novel to hear the advice of other amazing independent authors..