Pitching Your Personal Essay
Date: Saturday, August 9th
Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm (PST)
Cost: $75
Where: Writing Workshops
Have you written a personal essay but aren't sure where or how to submit it? This one-day workshop will go over the ins and outs of finding and pitching your completed or in-progress work to magazines.
After all, pitching to magazines is no easy task. Repackaging your essay in a way that will set you apart from all of the other writers submitting their work is an art. In this one-day workshop, students will read pitch examples - both accepted and rejected - to learn how to craft compelling pitches that will catch an editor’s eye, find the right magazine and how to approach them, how to pitch an idea for an essay not yet written, and manage rejection, ultimately leaving with a completed pitch ready to send off.
Important: For this class, please bring a work-in-progress (or essay idea), any notes on it, and a notebook.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm (PST)
Cost: $75
Where: Writing Workshops
Have you written a personal essay but aren't sure where or how to submit it? This one-day workshop will go over the ins and outs of finding and pitching your completed or in-progress work to magazines.
After all, pitching to magazines is no easy task. Repackaging your essay in a way that will set you apart from all of the other writers submitting their work is an art. In this one-day workshop, students will read pitch examples - both accepted and rejected - to learn how to craft compelling pitches that will catch an editor’s eye, find the right magazine and how to approach them, how to pitch an idea for an essay not yet written, and manage rejection, ultimately leaving with a completed pitch ready to send off.
Important: For this class, please bring a work-in-progress (or essay idea), any notes on it, and a notebook.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- Learn how to craft a compelling pitch.
- Learn how to find and approach magazines.
- Learn how to move forward after rejection
- Hour one: Discussion on pitches to learn the ins and out's, best practices, and techniques on how to approach new ideas.
- Hour two: Drafting pitches followed by sharing and feedback.
- Hour three: Discussion on finding the right magazine and/or editors, and how to manage rejection.
Idea to First Draft: A Personal Essay Workshop
Dates: Wednesdays, October 1st - 22nd
Time: 3:00pm to 5:00pm (PST)
Cost: $299
Where: Writing Workshops
When done well, personal essays show how a moment, big or small, changed the writer. In this 4-week workshop, participants will learn how to do just that - mine their experiences and intersect them with their own unique perspective to create a compelling first draft that will appeal to editors.
This is a generative, feedback-based workshop open to writers of all levels with discussions on editing, pitching your work, and techniques for finding the story within an event.
Over four weeks, you’ll learn how to:
Shape Your Experiences: Discover how to turn moments, big or small, into powerful narratives that resonate with readers.
Develop Your Unique Voice: Harness your perspective to create stand-out essays.
Edit and Refine: Gain valuable insights into editing your work, ensuring your first draft is polished and ready for submission.
Pitch Your Essays: Learn effective techniques for pitching your essays to editors and getting your work published.
This workshop is open to writers of all levels. You’ll participate in feedback-based sessions, engaging discussions on editing and pitching, and exercises that help you find the story within your experiences.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid first draft and the tools you need to continue refining and submitting your work.
Join us for an inspiring and supportive journey from idea to first draft. Sign up now and start turning your personal moments into essays that connect and inspire!
Sign up here!
Time: 3:00pm to 5:00pm (PST)
Cost: $299
Where: Writing Workshops
When done well, personal essays show how a moment, big or small, changed the writer. In this 4-week workshop, participants will learn how to do just that - mine their experiences and intersect them with their own unique perspective to create a compelling first draft that will appeal to editors.
This is a generative, feedback-based workshop open to writers of all levels with discussions on editing, pitching your work, and techniques for finding the story within an event.
Over four weeks, you’ll learn how to:
Shape Your Experiences: Discover how to turn moments, big or small, into powerful narratives that resonate with readers.
Develop Your Unique Voice: Harness your perspective to create stand-out essays.
Edit and Refine: Gain valuable insights into editing your work, ensuring your first draft is polished and ready for submission.
Pitch Your Essays: Learn effective techniques for pitching your essays to editors and getting your work published.
This workshop is open to writers of all levels. You’ll participate in feedback-based sessions, engaging discussions on editing and pitching, and exercises that help you find the story within your experiences.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid first draft and the tools you need to continue refining and submitting your work.
Join us for an inspiring and supportive journey from idea to first draft. Sign up now and start turning your personal moments into essays that connect and inspire!
Sign up here!
Writing Personal Essays: Three Month one-on-one Mentorship
Dates: Ongoing
Cost: $1,400
Where: Writing Workshops
Apply Now
This mentorship is designed for writers seeking guidance on how to turn a significant experience, large or small, into an essay that will resonate with readers.
During our time together, we will meet monthly over Zoom with bi-weekly check-ins via email. Our first meeting will be spent identifying your unique perspective, writing into the experience, and preparing clear goals for the weeks ahead.
Writers will submit their essay - somewhere between 1,000 and 4,000 words - at the end of the month, as month two will focus on editing your draft and developing strategies for editing future work independently. Writers will spend the rest of month two implementing that feedback.
With a polished draft in hand, month three will center on pitching: how to find appropriate magazines, how to find the right editor, and how to develop a pitch that will catch that editor’s eye, all with the goal of submitting your pitch by the end of the month, if not sooner.
The goal of this mentorship is for writers seeking to complete and submit a polished draft.
Assigned Craft Essays & Articles will be determined depending on the needs of individual writers.
PROGRAM OUTLINE:
MENTORSHIP TAKEAWAYS:
Cost: $1,400
Where: Writing Workshops
Apply Now
This mentorship is designed for writers seeking guidance on how to turn a significant experience, large or small, into an essay that will resonate with readers.
During our time together, we will meet monthly over Zoom with bi-weekly check-ins via email. Our first meeting will be spent identifying your unique perspective, writing into the experience, and preparing clear goals for the weeks ahead.
Writers will submit their essay - somewhere between 1,000 and 4,000 words - at the end of the month, as month two will focus on editing your draft and developing strategies for editing future work independently. Writers will spend the rest of month two implementing that feedback.
With a polished draft in hand, month three will center on pitching: how to find appropriate magazines, how to find the right editor, and how to develop a pitch that will catch that editor’s eye, all with the goal of submitting your pitch by the end of the month, if not sooner.
The goal of this mentorship is for writers seeking to complete and submit a polished draft.
Assigned Craft Essays & Articles will be determined depending on the needs of individual writers.
PROGRAM OUTLINE:
- Month 1: Our initial Zoom meeting will focus on identifying and unpacking the essay you’d like to write. Students will leave with a solid framework for a first draft and clear goals for completing it before the second meeting.
- Month 2: Students will submit a draft of their work before the start of the second meeting. The rest of the month will be spent reviewing my edits and learning tools for editing your work in the future. Then, students will implement those edits and send a fresh draft before the start of the third meeting.
- Month 3: Month three will be spent polishing your draft for submission. We will spend our last meeting discussing pitching guidelines, identifying potential magazines for your piece, and working together to create a memorable pitch that will catch an editor’s eye.
MENTORSHIP TAKEAWAYS:
- Learn how to turn an experience into an essay that will resonate with readers.
- Develop strategies for editing your work.
- Leave with a polished draft between 1,000 and 4,000 words.
- Learn the ins and outs of pitching to editors with the intention of sending a completed pitch during the third month.
Ongoing Consultations
I'm currently available for one-on-one essay consultations that involve writing, editing, and/or pitching. Below is a breakdown of services, rates, and a bit about my working style.
Connecting with a writer and their work is essential to a consultation. Before committing to a project, I will ask you a few questions to find out more about you, your work, and what you're hoping to gain from our time together. Depending on the type of consultation, I might also ask for a writing sample to get a better sense of the writer.
SERVICES OFFERED
Essay identification ($40 per half hour): Or, finding the essay within the experience. Our time together will be spent cracking open the experience(s) you'd like to write about to reveal the essay within it as well as your unique perspective.
Developmental editing ($80 per essay, up to 8 pages double spaced; $45 per half hour, one-on-one consultation to discuss feedback): Rates are flexible depending on needs. This consultation is for those with a work in progress, whatever stage it may be in. I will provide comments throughout your draft, a letter of feedback on the overall work, and if you'd like to add it, the half hour, one-on-one meeting.
Pitching and submission guidance ($35 per pitch; $40 per half hour, one-on-one consultation): Help with identifying publications and pitching your proposed or completed piece. We'll go over best practices, strategies, and how to write about your work.
Career advice/motivation/accountability ($40 per half hour): This consultation is for writers of all levels and can involve anything from how to write through a rut, how to break into publishing, general accountability work, reformatting your essay for different publications, maintaining motivation, etc.
Connecting with a writer and their work is essential to a consultation. Before committing to a project, I will ask you a few questions to find out more about you, your work, and what you're hoping to gain from our time together. Depending on the type of consultation, I might also ask for a writing sample to get a better sense of the writer.
SERVICES OFFERED
- Essay identification
- Developmental editing
- Pitching and submission guidance
- Career advice/motivation/accountability
Essay identification ($40 per half hour): Or, finding the essay within the experience. Our time together will be spent cracking open the experience(s) you'd like to write about to reveal the essay within it as well as your unique perspective.
Developmental editing ($80 per essay, up to 8 pages double spaced; $45 per half hour, one-on-one consultation to discuss feedback): Rates are flexible depending on needs. This consultation is for those with a work in progress, whatever stage it may be in. I will provide comments throughout your draft, a letter of feedback on the overall work, and if you'd like to add it, the half hour, one-on-one meeting.
Pitching and submission guidance ($35 per pitch; $40 per half hour, one-on-one consultation): Help with identifying publications and pitching your proposed or completed piece. We'll go over best practices, strategies, and how to write about your work.
Career advice/motivation/accountability ($40 per half hour): This consultation is for writers of all levels and can involve anything from how to write through a rut, how to break into publishing, general accountability work, reformatting your essay for different publications, maintaining motivation, etc.
Testimonials
"Sam brings a genuine curiosity and openness to different writing styles and creative goals. She really thinks about her students as individuals, and tries to understand where each is with their work and what they are needing in order to continue and develop. She works to meet them there, sharing her expertise and perspective, but steering clear of applying her own agenda or preferences on their writing." -- Student
"Samantha is a confident teacher, and deftly and respectfully manages group classes. She's supportive of her students’ writing. She has a gift for editorial insight and feedback—she just sees things, and very quickly, and couches her critiques positively in terms of possibility and growth. She’s helped create a sense of community with her students." -- Student