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✪ This class is part of the May Masters of Fiction promotion. Learn more.

Once you have a complete draft of your novel or memoir, you might think the hard part is behind you. But often, the most important decisions you’ll make about your manuscript are still ahead—leading up to the moment you hit Send on your first query. Submit before your story is ready, and you could shoot your shot with your dream agent or editor prematurely. Obsess too long, and you risk falling into an endless revision loop where you’ve lost sight of the way out.

Prolific writers and methodical perfectionists alike can find it equally challenging to know when to say when. Sometimes the closer you get to the finish line, the more uncertain you feel. After working on a book for months or years, how do savvy writers know when they’re done, or close enough to done—and is “good enough” ever really good enough? If writing your pitch feels like a huge struggle, is it supposed to be this hard, or is that a sign that the manuscript is missing something? And is it normal to have that uneasy feeling that if you keep tinkering with it, you might make it worse instead of better?

This class will help you assess your revision-in-progress and plan ahead to take your draft from rough to ready. Through a strategic checklist of 20 eye-opening questions, you’ll learn:

• How to litmus test your premise on a big-picture level
• How to tell if you’ve started your story in the right place
• What sets great manuscripts apart from good manuscripts (on the page, scene, and story levels)
• Tips for identifying—and strengthening—weaknesses in your prose
• How to choose the right beta readers and ask them the right questions
• How to know whether you should hire editorial help, or can self-edit effectively

Who should take this class

• Novelists and memoirists who have a draft completed or nearing completion and are looking ahead to what’s next
• Novelists and memoirists who are revising and uncertain about their self-editing decisions
• Novelists and memoirists who are starting to have doubts about their readiness to pitch
• Novelists and memoirists who feel confident they are ready to pitch but want to do everything they can to put their best foot forward
• Novelists and memoirists who have been working on their manuscript for so long, they can no longer see the forest for the trees
• Novelists and memoirists who have gotten feedback from outside readers and are uncertain whether to take it
• Novelists and memoirists who are struggling to make sense of conflicting advice
• Novelists and memoirists who have already started submitting with frustrating results and suspect the problem might be the manuscript, not the pitch

This class is NOT for:

• Picture book writers
• Poets
• Writers who are still working on a first draft with the end not yet in sight
• Experienced published writers who have honed self-editing skills

What you’ll receive

How do I attend the live class?

This class uses Zoom webinar technology. You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.

• When: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
• Time: 1:00–2:30 p.m. Eastern Time / 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
• Fee: $25 through May 3, 2026 / $35 if you register after May 3, 2026

The webinar is broadcasted via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.

Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service (powered by Otter), which is about 80%+ accurate.

Refund policy

If you attend the live class and/or watch the recording, and it does not meet your expectations, contact us for a full refund, no questions asked.

All students receive the following

• Access to the live class (90 minutes). The instructor will take questions during class using in-class chat/text. The class will end after roughly 90 minutes.
• A recording of the class—audio and video. This is especially helpful if you have a conflict with the class time or something comes up and you can’t make the session. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for 30 days. You do not have to attend the live event to access the recordings.
• Presentation slides. All participants receive a copy of the slide presentations in PDF form.
• Rough transcript. We offer a lightly edited transcript of each webinar, which we’ll share with you in addition to the audio and video recording.

Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy

We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee or presenter—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.

• That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
• That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be asked to leave the live event and will not be refunded.