Don’t just take our word for it.

If you didn’t know it already, here’s the truth:

Jane Friedman is the real deal.

She is an established and well-known authority on the publishing industry, and she is generous with information, research, and opportunities for writers to market their work and learn the ins & outs of publishing.

And coming up on February 22, 2025, Midwest Writers will be hosting an all-day online Masterclass with Jane: “Roadmap to Yes: Plotting Your Path to Publication.” Don’t miss out on the chance to learn from the best! If you can’t be there the day of, or a road crew was jackhammering in front of your house and you couldn’t catch all of the information, no worries! You’ll have access to the recording for 90 days following the event.

Now, you might be thinking, “Of course, they’re going to say Jane’s the best. They’re hosting the event!”

In that case, let the attendees of previous years’ MWW online Masterclasses with Jane Friedman tell you about their experience:

“Jane has her finger on the pulse of the publishing world and is an excellent presenter. Her ability to seamlessly respond to questions and instantly provide resources as she presents always amazes me!”

—Deborah Svec-Carstens

“Jane Friedman and Midwest Writers Workshop are giants in the writing field. Both offer high-quality instruction with depth and breadth beyond the typical. And both deliver this in-depth information with kindness and humor. Highly recommended.” — Lyri Ahnam

“Jane Friedman humbly presents her expertise in an inspiring manner that is easy to understand. Great workshop! Her book, The Business Of Being A Writer is terrific. Thank you MWW for another great learning experience.” — Stephanie Gruenhagen

“Jane is clearly an exceptional resource for this guidance. I really enjoyed her confident take on this content, and the very practical implementation opportunities…things I can do right away.”

“Jane is a “fount” of information. Anything she offers is worthwhile. She has deep understanding of the publishing business and I always learn something from her.”

“Jane Friedman rocks — she has the goods, she shares them generously, and she’s genuine.”

“Jane gives real value for practical application on a smooth-running Zoom platform. She is expert and professional in her delivery while making the class feel like an informal one on one conversation. I’ve attended several of her classes and she is best in the business for online training.”

“I appreciate Midwest Writers Workshop for providing such a helpful virtual event with the opportunity to re-watch the sessions later. Great value for time and money spent.”

About the Class

In this masterclass, you’ll learn the mechanics of how traditional publishing works and how to prepare submissions materials for your novel, memoir, or nonfiction book. Learn what it takes to capture the attention of a New York publisher or literary agent, plus what expectations you should have so that you approach this (often frustrating) process with the right expectations and mindset.

This masterclass will cover the following:

• Key traditional publishing paths. Big Five, midsize, independent, university … The world of book publishers is vast and they all operate a bit differently. Learn about the key categories of book publisher with tips on evaluating them without an agent.
• Literary agents—who they are and what they do. If you want to sell your work to a major New York house, you’ll need an agent. You’ll learn what the standard agenting practices are and why you might want one.
• Research markets (agents and editors) for your work. We’ll look at the major tools and resources for identifying the right agent or publisher for you.
• Query letters for novels and memoirs. Your one-page query letter should be short and sweet and pack a punch. Learn what it means to sell your story, and how to avoid problems that plague (and sabotage) writers in this critical document.
• The dreaded synopsis. Few, if any, writers enjoy writing a synopsis of their book, but agents like to see how you’ve structured (and ended) your novel or memoir without reading the manuscript. Understand how to pull it off without it sounding dead inside.
• An overview of nonfiction book proposals. Nonfiction writers typically submit a book proposal instead of a manuscript. This is one of the more challenging business documents you’re likely to tackle. This class can only offer highlights of proposal writing, but you’ll be given resources for researching and writing a full proposal. We’ll also talk about the gray area of memoir and whether memoirists should prepare a book proposal.
• Pitching at conferences. If you attend a writing conference or workshop, you may have the opportunity to pitch your work directly to an agent or editor. But if you’re nervous (and who isn’t?) then you can make a bad first impression. We’ll discuss how to take advantage of a pitch opportunity.

About the instructor

With 25 years’ experience in the publishing industry, Jane Friedman is the go-to authority on business strategy for authors and publishers. Check out her list of affordable and stellar classes with impressive faculty, and her newsletters Electric Speed and (paid) The Hot Sheet which provide guidance and advice for authors. Also make sure that her book, The Business of Being a Writer, is a reference book on your shelf.