Publishing Lab 2024
What Is Publishing Lab?
Charlotte Lit’s new Publishing Lab is a year-long intensive to help writers with revised book manuscripts to finish and polish, and to begin submitting into a publishing world they can understand and navigate. The Lab includes classes, coaching, and the support of a cohort community.
Element 1: Group Classes
Publishing Lab includes 12 monthly classes—six via Zoom and six in-person. The latter will take place Saturday afternoons during Authors Lab Weekend Intensives to allow Lab participants full access to the four coaches, and to make it easy to audit Authors Lab craft classes.
Part 1: Finishing
January: Maps: Map of the world + Your publishing roadmap [In-person]
February: Finishing the book: Editors, beta readers, polishing [Zoom]
Part 2: Querying
March: All about your book: Comp titles, log line, genre/sub-genre, synopsis [In-person]
April: Query letters (generic form) [Zoom]
May: Query workshopping [in-person]
June: Agent search + Tracking (w/QueryTracker, spreadsheets) and responding [Zoom]
July: First 3 pages workshopping [In-person]
Part 3: Pitching & Engaging
August: Virtual Presence: Web, social media, e-mail [Zoom]
September: Live pitching and conferences [In-person]
Part 4: Living & Writing
October: Legal Issues: copyright, contracts, advances, royalties [Zoom]
November: Opportunities: Grants, residencies, journals [In-person]
December: What’s Next? Writing another book; revising and re-querying; self-publishing [Zoom]
Auditing
Publishing Lab participants can audit any Authors Lab class or salon during the 2025 program year.
Element 2: Coaching
Type 1: Group Workshopping
At two Weekend Intensives, you’ll work with your peers and a Charlotte Lit coach in a workshopping (live feedback) environment to perfect your query (May) and create compelling first three pages (July).
Type 2: Group and Individual Coaching
On Saturday and Sunday mornings at all six Weekend Intensives, if you’re not auditing an Authors Lab class, you’ll have the option to attend a group coaching session and/or to schedule individual coaching sessions with faculty members. During the year, you’ll have six additional “discretionary” hours you can use at any time.
Element 3: Query Rounds
Step 1: Preparation
While putting the finishing touches on your manuscript in the first months of the year, you’ll get ready to query literary agents and small publishers. In March, you’ll do the background work that gets you ready to write your query. In April and May you’ll write and polish your query letter and synopsis. In June you’ll make a list of target agents, with free access to Publishers Marketplace.
Step 2: Querying Round 1
In or around July, you’ll send out your first batch of queries. You’ll have learned how to track your submissions and how to follow-up and respond.
Step 3: Querying Round 2
If needed, you’ll revise your manuscript based on feedback received from round one, then send a second batch of queries in or around October.
Element 4: Cohort Support
Type 1: Wet Ink Community
You’ll belong to an exclusive publishing-focused community on the Wet Ink platform, where you’ll have access to discussion boards, peer and coach feedback, class recordings, web links and other resources.
Type 2: Cohort Gatherings
As noted in Element 1, you’ll attend 12 classes with your cohort, two of which are group workshopping. On Saturday and Sunday mornings at the six Weekend Intensives, you’ll have the option to attend group coaching sessions with your cohort members. And on Sunday afternoons, you’ll have the option to gather at Charlotte Lit with fellow cohort members for self/peer-directed accountability and support.
Our Award-Winning Faculty
The monthly classes (six in-person, six online) and all coaching are provided by Heather Newton, Kim Wright, Megan Rich, and Paul Reali. [Click here to learn more about them.]
Your Investment
The base fee for the 2025 program year is $2400, payable in monthly installments of $200. In addition, students must be Charlotte Lit members. (Memberships begin at $75 per year.)
Scholarships: Charlotte Lit has limited funds available for need-based scholarships. Accepted applicants can apply online. Scholarship decisions will be confirmed in early December.
How to Appy
Admission to Publishing Lab is by invitation. To inquire: paul@charlottelit.org.