4 Fulfilling Online Courses to Help You Publish Your Poetry
For many poets, publishing can feel mystifying and exclusive. From choosing what magazines and journals might be a good fit for your work to determining how many poems to send and when to stop revising, the process is full of confusing moments. Add in the emotional toll of nerves and potential rejection, and it’s easy to see why mentorship and instruction feel necessary.
If you’re ready to delve into the world of publishing, these resources are everywhere—including online. Get started with these four helpful courses designed to take your poetry from your laptop to the larger literary community.
- Catapult’s Book Deal Tool Kit
Cost: $39
Date and time: Self-guided
Catapult is known for its high-quality and detailed online writing courses, and their Book Deal Tool Kit class definitely deserves this stellar reputation. Led by Courtney Maum, the author of five books and a regular newsletter titled “Get Published, Stay Published,” this 6-week, independent study model includes lessons on carving out writing time, revising, how to prepare a manuscript for an agent, and how to write a query letter.
- How To Get Published: A Step-by-Step Guide to Submitting Your Writing with Rachel Mindell
Cost: Free
Date and time: Self-guided
Rachel Mindell, the content strategist for Submittable, leads this hour-long course on how to navigate the publishing landscape. The class details how to choose which poems to submit, identifying journals that align with your writing style, and practical matters like how to write a cover letter. Mindell’s expert submission checklist acts as a roadmap for the course, and eight relevant projects provide poets with hands-on preparation.
- You’ve Finished Your Book; Now What? with Savannah Brooks
Cost: $105, $94.50 for Loft Literary Center members
Date and time: Aug. 21, 2021, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
The Minneapolis-based Loft Literary Center regularly invites top literary talents to teach—and inspires thousands of writers each year to devote even more energy to their craft. Savannah Brooks, an associate literary agent, will host this intensive, one-day workshop, which covers tips on finding a literary agent, publishing mistakes to avoid, and more. Each participant will get the opportunity to meet with Brooks one-on-one.
- Gotham Writers’ How To Get Published
Cost: $175
Date and time: Registration required before Sept. 8, 2021, self-guided
Led by an established literary agent, the How To Get Published bootcamp from Gotham Writers focuses on helping writers face the publishing industry with realism and clear expectations. Like similar courses, this class places the most emphasis on writing and refining a query letter to represent your collection.
Good luck with the next step in your writing journey!
