PART ONE: SUBSTANTIVE EDIT
- Once you have registered and paid, finalize and submit the first draft of your manuscript as soon as possible after registration. (Please include details about your plans for the story and any specific aspects that trouble you.)
- Although you may register at anytime up to October 1st, 2019, James begins reviewing manuscripts as soon as they start arriving.
- Meet with your mentor in person at a mutually agreed time and place (or via SKYPE, Facetime or telephone) to discuss the substantive edit and review your mentor’s recommendations.
- Take 4 to 6 weeks to review the substantive edit and design a rewrite plan with your mentor.
PART TWO: COMPLETE THE REWRITE
- Work with your mentor to develop a biweekly submission strategy and completion timeline that starts in January, 2020.
- Stay focused on the thrill of knowing your story is only a short time away from publication.
- Maintain a creative revision schedule and engage with your mentor’s suggestions and discussion points throughout the process.
- Enjoy the process of writing together in a group atmosphere during the 10 silent writing days every second Thursday evening starting January 9th here at Uplands.
- Maintain the self-discipline to complete as much of your revision as possible (TARGET DATE IS June 30th, 2020) before taking a break over the summer and starting the third phase of Second Draft, the in-class book promotion workshops that start in September every year.
PART THREE: ‘PREPARING YOU AND YOUR BOOK FOR THE MARKETPLACE’ INTENSIVE WORKSHOP
- Work together with the other writers in 9 consecutive workshops to develop successful self-promotion strategies (Share the journey of writing and practicing agent pitches, memorizing Log Lines and elevator pitches, writing intriguing synopses and irresistible query letters, and learning techniques on how to research and approach agents and publishers.
- Take the manuscript that you now hold in your hands, and the promotion skills that you have learned, and enjoy the confidence it takes to promote your wonderful story to the world.
