How to Publish a Memoir Zoom Seminar with Elissa Bassist, Sunday, October 6th, 2024
Sunday, October 6th, 2024
Live Seminar via Zoom from 3:00PM - 5:00PM EST
Now Enrolling!
Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.
Elissa Bassist is the editor of the “Funny Women” column on The Rumpus and the author of Hysterical, a semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. As a founding contributor to The Rumpus, Elissa has written cultural and personal criticism since the website launched in 2009. INSIDE JOKES, a humor writing craft book, co-written with Caitlin Kunkel, is forthcoming from Grand Central Publishing in 2026. Elissa teaches humor writing at The New School and elsewhere, and she is probably her therapist’s favorite.
In this career-changing seminar, Elissa Bassist—award-deserving author of Hysterical—will reveal how she sold her researched memoir and how you can too.
Writing and publishing are two different jobs, and in this seminar, we’ll focus on the latter.
There will be real-talk about agent queries, book proposals, author platform (and the many, many ways to build one), and how finding an agent and an editor is like dating. What should you ask/tell yourself before/during/after publishing your work to acclaim or silence?
Elissa will tell all. She’ll also normalize rejection and give pep talks upon request and answer any question, no matter how stupid.
Preparation and workload: Read (and love) Hysterical (if you want). There will be handouts (to reference during classes) and optional homework to brainstorm everything you’ll need to sell your book/book proposal.
Can't Make It Live?
No problem! The session will be recorded and available to watch after the seminar concludes.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- Learn how to get total strangers interested in reading your life story.
- In-class brainstorming to develop your personal narrative and universal themes.
- Productivity and preservation hacks.
- Novella-length handouts on what every researched memoir needs
- You want to hone your ability to write and publish a researched memoir (about your life).
- You're an aspiring memoirist or comedy writer.
- You want to expand your tools as an artist.
TESTIMONIALS:
"I loved this class. Elissa was an extremely generous teacher/storyteller. I think listening to her talk about her experience/struggles to get words on the page was the most valuable part. I was amazed with Elissa’s ability to focus and maintain passion and energy for 3 straight hours. I was completely engaged in her personal writing journey and was satisfied with spending 3 hours listening to her speak." -former student
"This was a fun class! I found Elissa's personal takes and experiences in both the process and in finding a home for her writing most valuable. The process seems much more manageable to me now, and I would take another class with Elissa." -former student
"I heard about WritingWorkshop.com via Hippocampus Magazine. I'm so happy I found Elissa's class, which was filled with many small insights that added up to a lot. I left the class feeling inspired. Thank you." -former student
"Elissa's seminar exceeded my expectations! She provided real-world solutions for rejection and included so many thought-provoking prompts. This class was so rich with information it could have easily been a 6-week course."-former student
"This class was SO, SO GOOD!!!! By far, my favorite ever of the many many I have taken with Catapult, Grubstreet, Porch, CFF, and WritingWorkshops.com. Big compliments! Thank you!!! Learned a lot and was furiously taking down notes; what marvelous advice and stories you have. Can't wait to read HYSTERICAL and the books that will come after that." -former student
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Class is on Sunday, October 6th, 2024, via Zoom from 3:00PM EST - 5:00PM EST
- Tuition is $75.
If you have questions, please use the Chat Button or contact us via email HERE.