Begins Sunday, August 9, 2026

Class will meet Sundays, August 9 & August 16, 2026, via Zoom, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PDT): 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM / Chicago (CDT): 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM / New York (EDT): 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM / London (BST): 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM / Berlin (CEST): 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

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

Instructor Bio

Instructor Shze-Hui Tjoa is a Singaporean writer who lives in Edinburgh, UK. Her debut, The Story Game: A Memoir (Tin House Books, 2024), was recognized by The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Between the Covers podcast, and Book Riot as a notable book of its release season, and was listed as a best nonfiction book of the year by Electric Literature and Paste Magazine. Over the past 8 years, Shze-Hui has worked as a leading editor of nonfiction and fiction at Guernica, Adi Magazine, Sundog Lit, and Exposition Review, among other literary journals. Her career has been supported by global arts organizations including AWP and VONA/Voices (US), Disquiet International (Portugal), Green Olive Arts (Morocco), and the National Arts Council of Singapore.

Who is this class for?

This course is for writers across fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who want to understand best practices for getting their work read and published by literary journals and start building a strong public portfolio. Open to all levels, this online writing class is designed for anyone who finds the submission process daunting and wants a clear, behind-the-scenes understanding of how lit mags actually operate.

What to expect:

Want to see your writing published and celebrated, but find the submission process daunting? In this two-part online writing workshop, Shze-Hui will demystify the often-opaque procedure of getting published in lit mags, drawing on her real-world knowledge as an editor at both small independent journals and larger, highly structured outfits. The aim is for students to leave feeling empowered to submit their work more thoughtfully and effectively, so that the work can find its readers and its place in the wider world.

In the first session, Shze-Hui will walk you through the submission models used by different styles of lit mags (Submittable-style platforms versus pitching, for example), covering the dos and don'ts for each and explaining the concrete procedures that editorial teams follow when they evaluate your work behind the scenes. Together you'll do textual analysis exercises to refine submission best practices — from learning how to draft a more eye-catching opening paragraph to figuring out how to structure a pitch so that it earns a "yes" from readers.

In the second session, Shze-Hui will lead an "ask me anything"–style discussion drawn from her years inside the lit mag world. You'll then take part in a feedback session built around students' writing samples, before turning to the afterlife of lit mag publication: how to leverage your publications to build the basics of a healthy literary career, including a portfolio of work, in-person readings, and a supportive writing community.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will gain real-world knowledge about how lit mags operate behind the scenes, along with concrete guidelines and a toolbox of best practices for submitting to different sorts of journals. Students will perform reading exercises to learn how to judge the strength of a submission, so they can eventually evaluate whether and when their own work is ready to send out. Each student will submit one writing sample to receive direct instructor feedback.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Introduction to different lit mag structures and submission best practices. Close-reading exercises to learn how to secure a "yes" from readers of your work or pitch.

Week 2: "Ask me anything"–style discussion about working as a literary magazine editor. Feedback session based on students' writing samples, and tips for the afterlife of lit mag publication.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Real-world knowledge of how literary magazines operate behind the scenes, from small volunteer-run platforms to larger, structured journals
• A practical toolbox of submission best practices, including dos and don'ts for Submittable-style platforms and direct pitching
• Skills to evaluate the strength of a submission and judge whether your own work is ready to send out
• Instructor feedback on one writing sample
• Strategies for crafting eye-catching opening paragraphs and effective pitches that earn a "yes"
• Guidance on the afterlife of publication: building a portfolio, organizing readings, and cultivating a supportive literary community

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $180 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: Shze-Hui Tjoa
• Begins Sunday, August 9, 2026
• Class will meet on Sundays, August 9 and August 16, 2026, via Zoom, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $180 USD.