Begins Saturday, October 17, 2026

Live Seminar via Zoom from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PT): 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM / Chicago (CT): 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM / New York (ET): 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM / London (BST): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM / Berlin (CEST): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

*A recording of this seminar will be made available to enrollees.

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.

Instructor Bio

Instructor Mark Owen Gottlieb is a highly-ranked literary agent in overall deals and other categories. Using that same initiative and insight for identifying talented writers, he is actively building his own client list of authors. Mark Gottlieb is excited to work directly with authors, helping to manage and grow their careers with all of the unique resources that are available at book publishing's leading literary agency, Trident Media Group. During his time at Trident Media Group, Mark Gottlieb has represented numerous New York Times bestselling authors, as well as award-winning authors, and has optioned and sold books to film and TV production companies. He previously ran the agency's audiobook department in addition to working in foreign rights. Mark Gottlieb is actively seeking submissions in all categories and genres and looking forward to bringing new and established authors to the curious minds of their future readers.

Who is this class for?

This online writing seminar is for fiction and nonfiction writers who want to understand how publishers evaluate a book's potential beyond a single title. Whether you're writing a debut novel, developing a concept-driven nonfiction project, or wondering if your standalone has series legs, this session offers the strategic publishing insight you need to think about your work the way editors do.

What to expect:

Many authors write one book. Publishers think in programs. In this live Zoom seminar, literary agent Mark Owen Gottlieb explores how editors evaluate series potential—even when acquiring a standalone—and how authors can think more strategically about longevity.

This online writing class covers when series help and when they hurt, how publishers test scalability, and how to design worlds, concepts, or narrative frameworks that invite continuation without forcing it. Mark will draw on his experience at Trident Media Group to explain the real distinctions between a sequel, a series, and a publishing program—and why those distinctions matter at the acquisitions table.

Whether you're querying a standalone debut or developing a multi-book concept, this seminar will give you the tools to position your project with the kind of long-term thinking that gets publishers excited about investing in an author's career.

What are the writing goals?

In this seminar, students will gain a practical understanding of how publishers decide whether a book can sustain a series, the difference between a sequel, a series, and a publishing program, when to pitch series potential and when not to, and how to future-proof a debut without overcommitting to a multi-book arc.

COURSE OUTLINE

Session: From Standalone to Series: Thinking Like a Publisher

• How publishers decide whether a book can sustain a series
• The difference between a sequel, a series, and a publishing program
• When to pitch series potential—and when not to
• How to future-proof your debut without overcommitting
• Q&A with literary agent Mark Owen Gottlieb

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A clear understanding of how editors evaluate series potential even when acquiring a standalone title
• Knowledge of the real distinctions between a sequel, a series, and a publishing program—and why they matter
• Insight into when pitching series potential strengthens a submission and when it can work against you
• Strategies for designing worlds, concepts, or narrative frameworks that invite continuation without forcing it
• Practical guidance on future-proofing a debut project without overcommitting to a multi-book structure

TESTIMONIALS:

"To find someone in the publishing world these days who possesses such style and grace…a throwback. Crown moldings and brass door knocker in a world of prefab housing." — Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author

"He is professional, knowledgeable, and deeply cares about the careers of his clients. …I'm lucky to have Mark in my corner!" — Alan Hlad, USA Today bestselling author

"My writing career never would have advanced as fast or as far without Mark's help." — James Breakwell, bestselling author

"He goes above and beyond his work expectations by cultivating caring relationships with his clients, always expressing empathy and patience. He is kind, supportive and knows what he's doing." — Ruby Karp, author of Earth Hates Me

"Saturday's class opened my eyes to the mistakes of my query submissions, which boil down to two crucial elements: word count & comps. Soliciting a bloated manuscript with no comps outside of a couple of 20+ year-old movie references advertised a novice understanding of the publishing industry, making me a rightful candidate for the rejection pile." — William W., Workshop Student

"Thank you, Mark, for this wonderful workshop!" — Diane G., Workshop Student

"You gave me enough writing technique and marketing information to feel like I can get started with confidence. Thank you!" — Workshop Student

"Thank you for being so diligent, so focused and so professional in your approach to the class. I found the whole experience exceeded my most optimistic expectations." — Workshop Student

"I wanted to thank you for your time this weekend for the Hook and Query writing seminar. It's hard to know from reading articles alone what a query letter or pitch should look like." — Jed H., Workshop Student

"It was my absolute pleasure to meet you virtually on Saturday! Thank you for the wealth of detailed information and on-the-spot, yet carefully crafted critiques you shared with each of us—the experience is treasured, and invaluable." — Mica K., Workshop Student

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $99 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Mark Owen Gottlieb
• Begins Saturday, October 17, 2026
• Class will meet once via Zoom on Saturday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $99 USD.