WD Presents: 4 WDU Courses, Upcoming Webinars, and More!

There's always so much happening in the Writer's Digest universe that even staff members have trouble keeping up. As a result, we decided to start collecting what's on the horizon to make it easier for everyone to know what's happening and when.

This week, we’re excited to announce 4 new courses, an upcoming webinar on creating an author website, and more!

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Writer's Digest is proud to offer our Copyediting Certificate Program. This course will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give them practical and marketable workplace skills. As a student in this certification course, you will progress from the fundamentals of grammar, form, and composition to advanced copyediting skills.

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Do you remember the difference between the 8 parts of speech and how to use them? Are you comfortable with punctuation and mechanics? No matter what type of writing you do, mastering the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics is an important first step to having a successful writing career.

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Throughout this four-week course, you will have feedback and support while you write and hone an entire short story from beginning to end, and you'll leave with a polished draft of your story. You will get insider information about what editors are looking for in short stories they choose to publish.

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In this course, you'll learn how to write a winning picture book narrative, envision it with illustrations, and put together a picture package that a publisher will really notice.

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Every professional author needs their own website, and the best time to start is when you’re not under pressure to get one up in time for an important event or book launch. Even if you haven’t published anything yet, establishing a website before you really need it forces you to think through important questions for your early career: What should your bio say? What do you want readers to know about you? What belongs in your website tagline? And what kind of site aesthetic best represents your work?

In this live two-hour intensive webinar, digital media and publishing expert Jane Friedman will teach you how to use WordPress to get a basic website up and running in a day or less—often in one evening! If you have a neglected or abandoned website (or dusty blog), you’ll get inspired to revisit it and ensure you’re getting the most out of it.

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If you want to get your book traditionally published in 2022-be it fiction, nonfiction, a children's book, or memoir-increase your chances by knowing how to evaluate the commercial potential of your work and learning the best way to approach editors, agents, and publishers.

This intensive and information-filled 120-minute live webinar helps you think like an industry insider who makes decisions every day on what work merits print publication. You'll get practical advice and tools to help you develop strong pitch letters and proposal materials for both fiction and nonfiction-plus back-door methods for networking with agents and editors.

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Beginning in the March/April 2022 issue of Writer's Digest, we'll include For All Ages—a new 1,200-word, guest-written column about the craft of writing and the business of publishing for children, middle grade, and young adult readers (though we argue those books can and should be enjoyed by adults as well). With six issues per year, two issues will focus on children's books, two will focus on middle grade, and two will focus on YA. Topics should be specific and written by those with experience in that area. Examples include: rhyming or page turns in picture books, advice for setting up school visits to connect with readers, using accurate and contemporary language and references for YA, etc.

Beginning with March/April 2021, the Writer's Workbook column will change to be the MFA Workbook. Rather than sharing excerpts from WD books as done previously, this column will be written by a different MFA student/teacher each issue. These articles will serve two purposes: 1) to provide an opportunity for MFA candidates to get bylines in a national publication in service of their degree. 2) Offer MFA-type instruction/tips to writers who are not in MFA programs. Generally craft-focused with an emphasis on writing exercises and techniques (as opposed to touting the benefits of an MFA program), this column may occasionally include a business-based column if it’s connected to what’s learned in an MFA program (for example, successful networking).

Click here for the full submissions guidelines and how to submit your work.

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