Why You Need My Book Proposal Class
Plus: Jim Morrison, illustrated memoirs, and music journalism roots
I’m Tawny, author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-host of the Recovery Rocks podcast, and co-founder of the vinegar-based botanical beverage, (parentheses)
ICYMI:
I’m teaching a virtual, two-hour seminar about book proposals on May 22nd at 7 EST!
Get your book idea out of your head and (finally!) onto the page. This course will help you understand what exactly a book proposal is and how to actually enjoy writing one.
Whether you're pitching a nonfiction book or a nonfiction card deck, Book Proposal 101: Stop Dreading It and Start Writing It will help you feel empowered by the proposal process rather than overwhelmed.
OK, you might still feel overwhelmed, but you can totally do this!
Fun fact, my agent wrote this piece about how he read my book proposal and offered to sign me within 24 hours.
Curious about what to expect from this class? Check out this interview I did with WritingWorkshops.com:
Hi, Tawny. What made you want to teach this specific class? Is it something you are focusing on in your own writing practice? Have you noticed a need to focus on this element of craft? Or is this just your jam and you love it?
Most authors I know hated writing their book proposals. I'm a weirdo who actually loved it. I have a business degree and a passion for marketing so that's how I approach writing these proposals: a business and marketing plan for your book idea or card deck idea.
Give us a breakdown of how the course is going to go. What can the students expect? What is your favorite part about this class you've dreamed up?
Hearing authors share their publishing stories is often my favorite part of taking a writing class. I'm excited to share my publishing journey with students. I think it's important for future authors to have realistic expectations while remaining low-key optimistic. It's a delicate balance, but that's my goal in teaching this course.
What was your first literary crush?
Jim Morrison! I know he probably doesn't "count," but I spent so much of my youth analyzing his lyrics and poetry.
What are you currently reading?
Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame by Erin Williams
How do you choose what you're working on? When do you know it is the next thing you want to write all the way to THE END?
I'm a journalist, so I'm passionate about finding the objective truth, especially with taboo topics like mental health and intimacy. I spent years researching the intersection of sobriety and sex/dating which resulted in my first book. I knew I had to write Dry Humping because it was the resource I needed to read in my early sobriety.
Where do you find inspiration?
Song lyrics were my first source of inspo and they remain at the top of my list today. Songwriting (like poetry) inspires me because word efficiency is such a fascinating skill. As an essayist and journalist, I often struggle with distilling my thoughts into 500-1,000 words. But the average song is just 100-200 words. That just blows my mind.
What is the best piece of writing wisdom you've received that you can pass along to our readers? How did it impact your work? Why has this advice stuck with you?
"Let yourself write bad." Poet Ruth Danon gave me this brilliant advice when I took a creative writing summer intensive at NYU. That advice completely changed my approach to writing. It gave me permission to get words on the page and out of my head. To me, letting yourself write bad means word-vomiting on the page (or screen!) without editing in your head first.
What is your favorite book to recommend on the craft of writing? Why this book?
How to Write About Music by Marc Woodworth and Ally-Jane Grossan. I began my writing career in music journalism. This book helped me understand the basic elements of writing a profile, interview principles, album reviews, and much more. I recommend this book to anyone interested in journalistic writing or research. I also recommend
's Before and After the Book Deal and ’s The Business of Being a Writer.Bonus question: What’s your teaching vibe?
I mean, I wrote a book called Dry Humping! I like to have fun while talking about serious stuff. Let's get weird.
What questions do you have about book proposals/the publishing process?
XO,
Tawny
I’m all signed up! 🤘
Grateful for the mention, thank you!