The Writer's Workshop @ Authors Publish

Join New York Times bestselling author Emily Colin and expert book coach Julie Artz for a two-week intensive that shows you how to craft a pitch package that stops agents in their tracks.

With decades of combined experience, Emily and Julie have guided countless writers from drafts to submission-ready manuscripts, helping sharpen stories, craft winning pitches, and banish self-doubt.

Their deep industry knowledge and personalized approach will give you savvy feedback and clear, actionable steps to make your pitch package irresistible.

Why the Pitch Package is So Important—And How We Can Help

You’ve polished your manuscript, revised until your eyes blur, and shared your work with critique partners. Now, you’re ready to query.

But here’s the truth...

Agents and publishers don’t decide whether to sign you based on your entire book.

They decide based on your pitch package—your query, synopsis, and those all-important opening pages.

That’s where this class comes in.

The Pitch Package is a two-week intensive designed to take the mystery out of submissions and give you the tools to show your story at its very best.

Plus, you’ll get the chance to hear directly from a literary agent about what makes a pitch stand out. 

Week One: Hook Agents with Your Pitch & Synopsis

Discover how to position your novel so agents are compelled to read more. You’ll learn:

• The four essential questions every pitch must answer
• How to condense your premise into a knockout logline
• The secret to crafting a query letter that earns requests for your full manuscript
• The eight key scenes every novel should deliver (and how to highlight these in your pitch package)
• How to write a synopsis that highlights your story’s structure, voice, and stakes (and answers the key questions agents and publishers are looking for)

When you're ready, you can submit your query letter and synopsis for feedback from your instructor.

You'll then get in-depth written feedback, and the opportunity to engage in a discussion with your instructor (via email), so you can move forward with confidence.

Week Two: Sparkling First Pages

First impressions matter. In your second week, you’ll refine your opening so agents believe in your story from page one. You’ll learn:

• How to build an opening scene that grounds and intrigues the reader
• Ways to eliminate backstory and info dumps that stall momentum
• The most common line-level mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• How to infuse your main character with confidence and clarity
• The difference between a hook and the inciting incident—and how to maximize both

At the end of this week, you'll be able to send your first ten pages to your instructor for feedback from your instructor.

They'll then send you in-depth written feedback, and answer as many follow up questions as you have.

Office Hours and Q&A with a Literary Agent

During the course, you’ll get exclusive access to a live Q&A with a literary agent about what makes a pitch package irresistible. You’ll also have two live office hour sessions with Emily and Julie. This is your chance to ask all your burning questions—and get clarity on what truly makes a writer stand out. The agent discussion and office hours will be recorded live -- so you can attend live, or watch them on your own time.

Why Take This Class?

By the end of two focused weeks, you’ll have:

• A polished, professional query and synopsis
• First pages that capture an agent’s attention
• A clear understanding of the querying process and a strategy to approach agents
• The confidence to know when your book isn’t just finished—it’s truly ready to query

Space is Limited (Due to the Level of Feedback Provided)

Please keep in mind that space in this course is strictly limited. Emily and Julie have limited capacity to provide feedback, so this course is strictly limited to just 20 participants per instructor.

Also, please keep in mind the early bird tuition is only available until October 27th, or until the course fills.