“You don’t have a career,” writes Cheryl Strayed, “You have a life.”

What even is a writing life and how do you get one? Is writing a sustainable way to live financially? Why is the literary universe so confusing and contradictory? How do you break into the scene that everyone else seems to be part of if you have zero connections? Do you really need an agent? Why do all the other writers seem to know each other? What are the pros and cons of small presses versus the Big Five? Is it worth spending money on an MFA? How do you make close writer friends and frenemies? Do you have to write a book proposal? How many rejections is too many rejections? What are some hacks to build a career the nontraditional way? 

This one-of-a-kind, four-session course will demystify the above questions and embolden writers to create space for themselves in the sometimes daunting literary world. From hands-on in-class submitting, to actionable exercises and blunt conversations, Chloé will expose and explain the nontraditional and nonlinear paths to becoming a writer. 

Session 1: Look Where Others Aren’t Looking: Chloé’s had the best luck using the back door to literary life. This means submitting to lesser known places, sending books to micro presses, and finding niche calls for submitting instead of the New York Times. Founder and editor-in-chief of literary journal Taco Bell Quarterly M.M. Carrigan will be visiting to describe the way they created what they couldn’t find in the publishing realm, and to also discuss the unconventional way they landed an agent. 

Session Two: To Agent Or Not To Agent? This module explores the million dollar question: Should I have an agent or go rogue to small presses? There isn’t a right or wrong answer but rather pros and cons to each path. Courtney Maum, visitor of the week, will come to answer your burning questions. Chloé and Courtney both have published with indie and major publishers and can speak openly about what they’ve learned. 

Session Three: Nurturing a Literary Life: Lidia Yuknavitch will visit and talk about writing as life and life as writing. Being a writer isn’t only when you’re published or have a book deal or an agent, it’s the way in which you see the world. Lidia will talk about making a life of art and writing (and rocks!), and how to see the literary world through a non-hierarchical lens. 

Week Four: Publishing On Your Own Terms: Who gets to decide who is published? Week four will really drive home the unconventional ethos and approach to being scrappy. Alex Alberto will visit class and speak about creating their own publishing collective and why they self-published their book. 

Students will leave the course with new writer friends; a collaborative playlist for when they’re stuck; actionable strategies to approach agents, editors, and indie presses; concrete ways to use their resources; and a broader, more accessible, and vibrant way to see the lit world. 

This course will take place on Zoom on Saturdays between February 24 and March 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. EST. Participants will receive a Zoom link prior to the course as well as a recording of the course afterwards. We cannot offer refunds once the course has begun. Please email general@offassignment.com with any questions.

A limited number of scholarships may be available for this course; please send a brief statement outlining how and why a scholarship would impact your ability to attend to general@offassignment.com by Feb 2 and we’ll get back to you by Feb 9.

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Off Assignment’s Masters’ Series courses are unique four-session courses on in-depth writing topics that harness the perspectives and craft tactics of a lead instructor plus celebrated guest lecturers, such that participating writers gain a wealth of input while benefiting from the cohesive leadership of one renowned writer in a particular niche of nonfiction. Masters’ Series courses also include an additional virtual gathering in which students can mingle with fellow students and meet OA editors.