March 12 through April 30
Workshop registration includes:
- One genre-specific, seven-week Craft and Critique class that meets for two hours over Zoom each week
- Personalized feedback and critique on your book project from an expert instructor
- Five pre-recorded Topics in Nonfiction classes on how to edit, publish, and market your book
- Five live-over-Zoom Q&As with the teacher of each Topics in Nonfiction class
- A “get out of the slush pile free” card from Shadow Mountain Publishing
Early Bird Price (Feb 1–Mar 5): $400
Full Price (Mar 6–Mar 11): $450
Craft and Critique Classes
Craft and Critique Classes take a deep dive into the research, organization, and writing for the nonfiction genre addressed in the class. Our carefully selected teachers are experts in the topics they’ll teach. They will provide instruction and individualized feedback on students’ manuscripts.
Each Craft and Critique Class will meet for two hours a week on a set day determined by the teacher. Those days are indicated below for each class.
Craft and Critique Classes will be taught live, via Zoom.
Each class is limited to 12 students.
Gospel Topics / Spirituality
Sherrie Mills Johnson
Saturdays, 8 to 10 a.m. MT
Conveying spiritual truths for a Latter-day Saint audience combines essay writing, storytelling, and scriptural presentation developed on a strong thematic foundation. We will explore each of these with an emphasis on how to combine them to communicate in ways that encourage and uplift. In this class, you will identify the audience and purpose of your book, determine your specific subgenre, learn from and contribute constructively to others’ work, and get feedback on an outline and samples of your book.
Bio: Sherrie Mills Johnson has authored numerous religious books, including Gospel Insights for Everyday Living, Count It All Joy: Finding Peace in a Troubled World, and the Steppingstone series of children’s Book of Mormon stories. She is a retired instructor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University; has written curriculum material for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; has published poetry, short stories, essays, articles, and books; and has written narrative for Music and the Spoken Word. Sherrie has a BA in English, an MA in the Theory and Practice of Writing, and a PhD in Sociology.
Memoir
Jay Christopher
Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m. MT
This class will examine the intersection between story and truth telling and explore how to establish a clear “voice” in a memoir. You will learn how to plot a narrative trajectory, create a sympathetic antagonist, explain the five memoir voices and determine how and when to apply them, articulate three primary themes for your memoir, find solutions to problems with your structure or content, and receive feedback from both the instructor and other participants.
Bio: Jay Christopher has nearly twenty years of experience helping others tell their story. He has worked as a documentary film editor, writing instructor, and content editor for memoirs. Currently, he is the Manager of Acquisitions for E. L. Marker, the hybrid imprint for WiDo Publishing.
The Personal Essay
Dr. Joey Franklin
Thursdays, 5 to 7 p.m. MT
Together we’ll take a deep dive into writing and revising personal essays, with a particular focus on 1) the challenges of shaping and interpreting memory, observation, and other source material 2) the importance of creating an authentic persona, and 3) the possibilities and pitfalls of form. Participants will have a chance to revise and polish an existing personal essay, as well as draft new material. We will read and analyze model texts by Brian Doyle, Eula Biss, Anne Fadiman, Jerald Walker, and others, and we will offer each other peer feedback in class-wide workshop. We’ll also talk about the ethics of personal writing and the value of submitting personal essays to literary magazines. Our goal will be for students to have an essay draft ready for submission by the end of the course.
Bio: Joey Franklin is the author of two essay collections, Delusions of Grandeur and My Wife Wants You to Know I’m Happily Married. His essays and articles have appeared in Writer’s Chronicle, Poets & Writers Magazine, Gettysburg Review, Brevity, and elsewhere. He currently directs the MFA program at Brigham Young University, and serves with Patrick Madden as coeditor of the literary magazine Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction.
Family History
Robert Raymond
Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m. MT
Participants will work through the steps to write, design, and print a miniature family history. In their history, participants will utilize genealogy-specific writing skills, including revising for theme, finding contextual sources, and including adequate documentation. They will learn word processing tools for creating paragraph styles, tables of content, and indexes. They will learn how to include photographs and illustrations and perform page and book designs.
Bio: Robert Raymond works for FamilySearch and previously worked for Ancestry. He has written articles for national genealogical magazines, a top-5 genealogy blog, and his own genealogy website. Each year he “surprises” his wife, publishing a new volume of her journal. He was a Kimball Scholar at Brigham Young University.
I Have an Idea—Where Do I Start?
Dr. Trina Boice
Tuesdays, 7 to 9 p.m. MT
If you write it, they will buy . . . Not true! One thing MANY writers overlook before writing a book is doing keyword and data research in order to assess market demand and profitability. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to find out if your book idea will actually make any money before you even write it! We’ll talk about brainstorming, outlining, structure, and writing. Authors in this class will be given instruction, homework, and feedback.
Bio: Dr. Trina Boice is a #1 best-selling author of 31 nonfiction books, as well as an author coach. She teaches at BYU-I and Arizona College of Nurses. She’s a film critic at MovieReviewMom.com, creates online courses at LifelongLearningEducation.com, and is the Marketing Director for LDSPMA. Her podcast is called “Daily Inspirational Quote with Trina Boice.”
Keynote Presentation
YOUR Story Matters: 3 Steps to Changing the World through Words
Connie Sokol
Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m. MT
Feeling the rumble to write? But not sure if you’ve got what it takes? Everyone has a story to tell, what matters is the why, what and how. As a bestselling and award-winning author of 18 books—while a mother of seven—I’ll teach you how to find YOUR why, what, and how. And make it happen in daily life. It’s time to pen YOUR masterpiece and influence the world for good!
Bio: Connie is a speaker, bestselling author, media personality, the host for Called to Create: An LDSPMA Podcast, and program founder (not all at once, and not without chocolate . . .). But at the core most days she’s a keeping-it-real mother of seven. #thegoodthebadtheugly
You can find out more about her and her work at ConnieSokol.com or at her Called to Create season 2 opener.
Topics in Nonfiction
Topics in Nonfiction classes are pre-recorded, self-paced classes that participants can access at any time during the workshop. They are approximately one hour long, and they offer instruction, templates, worksheets, and advice to supplement the writers’ learning.
Each Topic in Nonfiction class will be accompanied by a live-via-Zoom Q&A with the teacher. Participants are encouraged to complete the associated pre-recorded class before attending the Q&A.
Genre and Audience:
Your Unique Marketing Angle
Angela Jepperson
Q&A: Thursday, March 17, 7–8 p.m. MT
Here’s the bad news: no book is for everybody. Trying to talk to an audience of all results in an audience of none. Ready for the good news? We have the insider secrets to help you reach the audience who needs your book most. Even more good news: these strategies translate into sales!
Bio: AJ Jepperson is a senior editor and project manager at Eschler Editing. She’s always eager to get her hands on the next exciting manuscript—that means yours! A former high school English teacher of fifteen years, she now writes and edits full time in Ogden, Utah.
Foundational Book Marketing
Melissa Dalton Martinez
Q&A: Thursday, March 24, 7–8 p.m. MT
Have you ever wondered how to prepare a marketing strategy for your book release when you don’t have any books out yet? It can be overwhelming . . . websites, newsletters, social media, advertising, oh my! Don’t you wish someone could spell out what a new author REALLY needs?Good news: If you’re a new author and don’t know where to start when it comes to marketing, this Intro to Book Marketing course is for you! Learn foundational book marketing and get your publishing career on the path to success!
Bio: Melissa Dalton Martinez has worked in the entertainment industry since 1998, including television, film, music, online shows, and books. Melissa has a BA in Communications and Business Management and an MA in Publishing. Melissa hosts the online show The Book Break where she interviews authors and others in publishing. She also serves as a book reviewer for multiple publications and does monthly book recommendation segments on Utah’s ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX television stations. In addition, Melissa provides publisher and author services in marketing, branding, and media consulting; is a bestselling author; and is a co-owner of Tolwis Publishing.
Self-Publishing
Shanda Cottam
Q&A: Thursday, April 7, 7–8 p.m. MT
Whether you know you will self-publish or are still exploring your publishing options, this course will provide valuable information to help you along your self-publishing journey. Your end goals determine your self-publishing path, and what works for someone else may not work for you. In this course, you will learn more about what self-publishing involves, what you need to consider when designing and producing your book files, and distribution options for sending your book out into the world.
Bio: Shanda Cottam is an editor and project manager at Eschler Editing. She founded and was the moderator of a book review podcast and blog for over a decade. During that time, she discovered that writing, critiquing, and editing manuscripts was where she had the most fun. Shanda has served on conference committees, taught classes, and participated in panels at various local writing conferences. She’s currently working on a BA in Creative Writing and English.
All About Editing
Victoria Passey
Q&A: Thursday, April 14, 7–8 p.m. MT
So you’ve finished writing your book. Now comes the dreaded next step: editing. But editing doesn’t have to be something we dread as authors. In this course, you will learn and practice principles of editing, including: (1) the levels of editing, (2) editing plans, (3) strategies for self-editing, and (4) when and how to hire a professional editor. At the end of the course, you will feel empowered to tackle your book edits head-on.
Bio: Victoria Passey works for Eschler Editing as an editor and project manager, specializing in editing LDS and general Christian nonfiction. She loves to help authors share their faith and spiritual insights through writing. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from BYU-Idaho, and currently lives in Idaho with her family.
All About Traditional Publishing—Pros and Cons
Angela Eschler
Q&A: Thursday, April 21, 7–8 p.m. MT
Understanding the aims of a traditional publisher, how they work, and what timeline they work on will help you determine if traditional publishing is the right fit for your project. Come prepared to learn about agents, publishing models, royalties, “high concept,” platforms, and pros and cons.
Bio: Angela Eschler, founder of the award-winning Eschler Editing and boutique publisher E&E Books, has over twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, including nearly a decade working in-house at traditional publishers. She now works as a freelance editor and industry coach for authors, editors, publishers, and other organizations and has edited thousands of manuscripts from diverse genres. As a best-selling author, Angela’s work has been featured on television, radio, and in documentary film. As a certified word nerd, she loves connecting with writers and readers of all sorts.
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