For years, I have been struggling with motivation and inspiration to finish my book proposal. I didn't know where to look for advice and a Tweet from Jeanna changed everything. I took Jeanna's class on how to write a book proposal and I was able to not only connect with like-minded writers but learn the true in's and out's of the book proposal process. Jeanna's teaching style is approachable and honest. She approaches straightforward feedback with a kindness that inspires and motivates. I would highly recommend Jeanna's class to any aspiring writers looking to tackle the book proposal process.

It’s one thing to learn the components of a proposal, but it’s another to understand why each component exists and how they all fit together to form a cohesive whole. Jeanna Kadlec’s class taught all of this while also creating a warm, generative space for me to think deeply and in new directions about my own work. She helped me re-conceptualize an intimidating business document into an energizing creative challenge.

I took Jeanna's class on writing book proposals at a turning point in my literary career where I felt really insecure and was considering giving up on some dreams because I just didn't know how to proceed or if I could. This class made me feel confident and even excited to continue - Jeanna is so generous with information and teaches us vitally important information in an academically accessible way. I strongly recommend this class to anyone pursuing publishing, but especially those of us who haven't had access to the information we need to do it well.

Learning how to write a book proposal is weirdly emotionally fraught for how boring it ultimately is. But Jeanna manages to make it really interesting, while holding space for everyone's angst and aspiration at the same time. I left her class with fresh ideas and a sense of hopefulness that this necessary exercise could be enlivening rather than soul-killing. That it might actually, if approached in the way that Jeanna teaches, make my book as a whole better.

I recently made the switch from academic writing to non-fiction and memoir writing, and had just joined Jeanna Kadlec’s substack. When I saw the workshop announcement, I didn’t hesitate! Here’s a writer who just published a book in a similar area to what I want to publish on, providing concrete advice about proposal writing for trade publications? I’m in! The three-session course was amazeballs, and I ended up with 18 pages of notes, including getting a jump start on several sections of the proposal because of her well-planned curriculum and embedded exercises. I highly recommend this workshop for anyone who needs to know how proposals for memoir and other non-fiction typically works, or who might already know but wants to jumpstart their next writing project through specific, actionable, top-level writing prompts. Jeanna’s teaching is kind, well-timed, and incredibly helpful. 

I’ve been working on a manuscript for the past year, and when I saw this book proposal class, it immediately seemed like the right thing at the right time: fair price, easy amount of time commitment, and a clear preview of what was to come.

 

However, Jeanna’s teaching style and many insights gave me much more than some notes to fill into a preconceived notion. I have an enriched concept of how to approach book proposals, and I understand my own writing better and how to talk about it within the industry. This class has given me invaluable tools that I didn't even know I'd be happy to use.