How, HOW has it taken us this long to bring you the amazing Sue Shapiro? Sue teaches what is unquestionably THE class on publishing personal essays—her motto is “Instant Gratification takes too long” and her students’ success record is astounding. She’s the author , co-author or editor of 16 books in genres ranging from memoir to middle-grade and including self-help and fiction. She’s a poet, an essayist and a teacher of such generosity and enthusiasm that I could probably just stop talking right now and let her go and you’d still end this podcast going man, I learned so much! Her latest book is The Book Bible: Sell Your Manuscript—No Matter What Genre—Without Going Broke or Insane, and there is no one more qualified to write it. 

The Book Bible should be taught in the first session of every writing program or MFA. It’s a how-to on getting published, but also a primer on the industry as a whole—an industry every writer should understand, ideally early in their career. We talk about learning hard lessons, the dream of “becoming a writer” as opposed to “becoming a poet/novelist/literary figure” and how many, many different ways there are to make this particular sausage. 

Links from the pod:

The Byline Bible: Get Published in Five Weeks

Amy Klein, The Trying Game

Samantha Wextein, agent

Jess’s 3 part blog post: When Opportunity Knocks (parents-need-to-let-their-children.html">part 1, opportunity-knocks-anatomy-of.html">part 2, part 3)

Five Men Who Broke My Heart, Susan Shapiro

KJ’s book coaches: Jennie Nash and Susanne Dunlap

Email Sue at: profsue123@gmail.com

LOOK! Sue hosts an online event at The Strand: How to Publish in Any Genre 1/22 at 6 PM.

#AmReading

Sue: Black American Refugee, Tiffanie Drayton 

KJ: The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream, Jeannie Zusy

Jess: The Latinist, Mark Prins

Find Sue: susanshapiro.net

IG: @ProfSue123

Twitter: @SusanShapironet

Are you serious about writing a nonfiction book this year? Author Accelerator is offering a nonfiction book incubator starting February 28th. There are only a few seats in this intensive program because you will get 1:1 coaching on every single step of the process AND you will have the chance to pitch your proposal to a pool of agents and publishers at the end -- a fabulous opportunity. Apply for the program HERE -- and get a strategic session with Jennie Nash to kickstart your work. We think Jennie and her book coaches are terrific -- tell her we sent you!