WRIT 8240 - The Business of Being a Writer

In this hands-on and experiential course, students will work in mentorship with a writer-professor who has extensive experience in building a writing life. Over the course of the semester, students will learn about, discuss, and reflect on topics that might include the current state of publishing; how to send out and publish in periodicals; how to send out a book and / or secure an agent; the stages of book publication, including marketing; author-editor relationships; building a professional presence, including author websites, blogs, book reviews, and best professional practices for social media; researching grants, residencies, and conferences; writing a grant proposal; building a life post-MFA, including finding a community and dealing with the common stumbling blocks of time, failure, doubt, isolation, jealousy, and fear; and common entry-level opportunities for writers, why they matter, and how to find them. Students will keep a journal of their ideas and reflections; develop their own personal mission statement, plan, and action steps; and create a portfolio of materials, which may include design ideas for their website, a book review, and a grant proposal. The final month of the course will be devoted to an entry-level opportunity practicum in which students work closely with the graduate-student assistant editors of Water~Stone on screening the submissions for the magazine’s next issue, gaining skills for potential further involvement with Hamline’s award-winning national literary magazine.

Course content might shift slightly depending on the instructor. Please note that for the Water~Stone practicum, students may be asked to screen in other genres.

Prerequisite: WRIT 8000 or WRIT 8110 or WRIT 8120 or WRIT 8130

Credits: 4