Led by David Hopkins, author of The Dryad’s Crown, Wear Chainmail to the Apocalypse, and the co-author of the memoir about Dallas burlesque legend, Tammi True.

David is a novelist and essayist who has written for D Magazine, Dallas Morning News, Chicago Tribune, and Infinite Worlds Magazine. He taught Shakespeare for twelve years in the public schools. Even after his time in the classroom, David keeps coming back to Shakespeare for guidance.

The adage “just be yourself” is terrible advice, especially when the whole concept of personal identity is inherently elusive. As writers, we know how difficult it is to write realistic fictional characters. Making yourself seem realistic is even more daunting. But when it comes to branding, it’s essential that you know who you are and what you offer.

Whether independent or published by a multi-billion dollar corporation, all writers are expected to market themselves. And marketing can’t happen without branding. In this workshop, we’re focusing on:

1. A clearer understanding of what your personal creative brand is.
2. An actionable plan for how to better market and elevate that brand.
3. A set of useful marketing tactics to keep you busy.

This course is open to writers of all levels and genres. Even if you haven’t finished your book (you definitely should), your creative brand provides purpose and direction, so that you can focus on what works.

COURSE SKELETON:

SESSION 1: HOW TO SUCCEED AT BEING YOURSELF

David will walk you through four steps and eight activities that get to the heart of your personal brand, plus we’ll look at how to work on your brand without burning out. Are you a frantic noisemaker or a marketing monster? There’s a better alternative.

SESSION 2: 50 WAYS TO SUCCEED AND ONE WAY TO FAIL

It doesn’t get any more straightforward than this session. Be encouraged! There are many ways to be successful as an author. We’re going through 50, yes 50, different ways that you can take your brand and make it known. But we’ll also cover the one tragic misstep that every author should avoid.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF:

• You want to be a prolific writer.
• You want to find your audience.
• You want your audience to find you.
• You are willing to devote some time and effort to re-discovering your creative self.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This is an online video class you can work through at your own pace. The sessions are entirely asynchronous, which means you complete the lecture videos on your own schedule. Upon enrollment, you'll receive an invitation to activate your account in Thinkific, our online platform for video courses.