Substance Over Substack:

Building an Email Newsletter that Serves You and Your Readers

October 22

This live webinar cuts through the hype to reveal what actually works for writers at any stage of their careers. You'll learn why most newsletters fail, and it's rarely about algorithms, platforms, or design. You'll learn how to build content that comes from your genuine creative obsessions instead of a marketing formula, because the newsletters that succeed are the ones with a clear, specific point of view. And you'll get an honest look at the monetization landscape, from leaky paywalls to patronage models, so you can decide if and how charging for your newsletter makes sense.

Agent One-on-One:

First 10 Pages Boot Camp

October 22 - 25

As many writers know, agents and editors won't give your work more than ten pages or so to make an impact. If you haven't got them hooked by then, it's a safe bet you won't be asked for more material. Make sure you've got the kind of opening they're looking for! In this invaluable event, you'll get to work with an agent to review and refine the first ten pages of your novel or non-fiction book. You'll learn what keeps an agent reading, what are the most common mistakes that make them stop, and the steps you need to take to correct them. The best part is that you'll be working directly with an agent, who will provide feedback specific to your work.

The First 5 Pages:

Making Your Memoir Impossible to Put Down

October 29

What happens in your first five pages determines everything. It’s where agents decide to keep reading or pass. It’s where readers lean in or drift away. And it’s often where strong memoirs fall short, not because the story isn’t compelling, but because the opening isn’t yet doing the heavy lifting.

In this dynamic and interactive live webinar, award-winning journalist, editor, and TEDx speaker Estelle Erasmus will show you exactly how to command attention from the very first line. Estelle will break down what agents and editors are truly looking for in those opening pages and how to deliver it.

Writing Scary Stories: A Short Story Primer on Horror

October 22 - November 19

This four-week class will make sure you have the basics of short story telling down, and then show you how to use that pairing between terror and horror to immerse your readers in atmosphere, mood, tone, setting, and depth.

Query Letter in 14 Days

October 22 - November 5

Last chance to sign up! This course will not be offered in 2027.

Take your writing one step further and tackle the publishing process. When you enroll in this online course, you'll learn the details of the query letter format and how to write a query letter that catches the attention of agents and publishers.

Scriptreading Certificate Program

October 22 - December 17

Last chance to sign up! This course will not be offered in 2027.

This course will show you, step-by-step, how to write script coverage. We will cover key elements of screenwriting coverage, including writing a synopsis, analyzing a script, writing an evaluation, script formatting, and finding work as a reader