Begins Saturday, September 19, 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 writers working in a literary register who want to understand how their work is evaluated in today's commercially driven publishing landscape. Whether you're drafting a literary novel, preparing to query, or trying to understand why your serious fiction hasn't gained traction with agents or editors, this session offers essential market insight.

What to expect:

Literary fiction is still very much alive—but it's being acquired differently than it was even five years ago. In this live Zoom seminar, literary agent Mark Owen Gottlieb focuses on how literary novels succeed within a commercially driven publishing ecosystem.

This online writing class explores what editors mean when they say "elevated," "accessible," or "book club–friendly," how literary voice is weighed against plot and pacing, and how authors can position serious work without diluting ambition. Mark will draw on his experience at Trident Media Group to break down the real dynamics between literary quality and commercial viability.

Whether you're a literary writer navigating the query process or an author wondering how to frame your novel for today's market, this seminar will give you the strategic perspective to position your fiction for acquisition without compromising your artistic vision.

What are the writing goals?

In this seminar, students will gain a practical understanding of what makes literary fiction sellable right now, how editors assess "commercial potential" in literary work, where voice, structure, and theme intersect with marketability, and how agents frame literary projects in submission to editors and publishing houses.

COURSE OUTLINE

Session: Selling Literary Fiction in a Commercial Market

• What makes literary fiction sellable right now
• How editors assess "commercial potential" in literary work
• Where voice, structure, and theme intersect with marketability
• How agents frame literary projects in submission
• Q&A with literary agent Mark Owen Gottlieb

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A clear understanding of how literary fiction is being acquired differently in today's commercially driven publishing market
• Insight into what editors actually mean by terms like "elevated," "accessible," and "book club–friendly"
• Knowledge of how literary voice is weighed against plot and pacing in editorial evaluations
• Strategies for positioning serious literary work without diluting artistic ambition
• Practical guidance on how literary agents frame and pitch literary novels during the submission process

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, September 19, 2026
• Class will meet once via Zoom on Saturday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $99 USD.