Begins Saturday, December 12, 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 (GMT): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM / Berlin (CET): 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 writers at any stage who want to think beyond a single manuscript and start building a sustainable author career. Whether you're preparing to query a debut, navigating what comes after a first book deal, or reassessing your trajectory, this session offers the strategic perspective that publishing professionals use to evaluate an author's long-term potential.

What to expect:

Publishing rewards consistency, adaptability, and long-term vision. In this live Zoom seminar, literary agent Mark Owen Gottlieb focuses on career strategy—how authors build momentum, navigate shifting markets, and make decisions that serve more than a single book.

This online writing class examines branding and why it's not a dirty word, backlist strategy, genre mobility, and how agents and publishers assess an author's long-term potential. Mark will draw on his experience at Trident Media Group to explain the common career mistakes that limit growth and the strategic choices that set successful authors apart over the course of multiple books and deals.

Whether you're a debut writer thinking ahead or an established author looking to recalibrate, this seminar will equip you with the mindset and practical tools to position yourself as a career author in today's competitive publishing landscape.

What are the writing goals?

In this seminar, students will gain a practical understanding of how publishing professionals evaluate career trajectories, the role of branding, consistency, and flexibility in building long-term author success, common career mistakes that limit growth, and how to position yourself for multiple books and deals rather than a single publication.

COURSE OUTLINE

Session: Thinking Like a Career Author, Not a One-Book Author

• How publishing professionals evaluate career trajectories
• The role of branding, consistency, and flexibility
• Common career mistakes that limit long-term growth
• How to position yourself for multiple books, not just one deal
• Q&A with literary agent Mark Owen Gottlieb

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A clear understanding of how literary agents and publishers evaluate an author's long-term career potential beyond a single title
• Insight into the role of branding, consistency, and flexibility in building a sustainable writing career
• Knowledge of backlist strategy, genre mobility, and how these factors influence an author's market position over time
• Awareness of common career mistakes that limit long-term growth—and how to avoid them
• Practical strategies for positioning yourself as a multi-book author rather than a one-deal writer

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, December 12, 2026
• Class will meet once via Zoom on Saturday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $99 USD.