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Art of the Pitch

  • Iowa Writer's House 332 East Davenport Street Iowa City, IA, 52245 United States (map)

When: Sunday, February 11th, 1:00pm-4:00pm

Where: Iowa Writers' House, 332 East Davenport St

Cost: $75

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

Maybe you have a brilliant idea for a non-fiction story or perhaps there is an essay, hidden like a jewel in your files, the only trouble is, you don’t know how to get published. This intensive three-hour course, is designed to take you from idea, to pitch, to publication. The class begins with idea generation, explores the art of the successful story pitch, and how to find the right home for your writing. At the end of the course, you will have sample pitches, tools and resources for finding and contacting editors, your own fully crafted pitch, and three publications to send it to. This class is designed specifically for people interested in publishing journalism, non-fiction, and essays.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

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Lyz Lenz knows a lot about pitching. She’s published essays and journalism in the New York Times, Buzzfeed, Washington Post, The Guardian, ESPN, Marie Claire, Mashable, Salon, Fusion, Broadly, Forbes, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Lit Hub, Pacific Standard, Mom.me, Narratively, The Daily Dot, The Toast, The Hairpin, Jezebel, and The Huffington Post. She has two books forthcoming, one from Indiana University Press and the other from Norton. She also has an essay in the forthcoming anthology Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture edited by Roxane Gay. Lyz has an MFA in creative writing from Lesley University and is the managing editor at The Rumpus.

INSTRUCTOR INSPIRATION STATEMENT

When I decided to "become a writer" I had no idea what that actually meant. I had a lot of pages of writing and a lot of ideas, but no idea how to sell people on my writing or how to even talk to an editor. A lot of what I have learned is through trial and error and going about it the wrong way. And I wish I had someone who had guided me along the process, or at least shown me their work so I could learn from it. This class is designed to be exactly what I wish I would have had--that extra boost into the world of writing.

 

Everyone has a story to tell. If you are financially unable to attend this workshop, scholarships are available through our generous partners and donors.

APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP

Helping another person attend a workshop is helping them achieve their dreams. Thank you for making our world a better place.

SPONSOR A WORKSHOP SCHOLARSHIP

Later Event: March 2
Writing as a Spiritual Practice