Overview:
This class will meet monthly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM starting January 28. Applications are due by January 9, 2026.
For most novelists, the ultimate goal is to get published. Before that, however, comes much revision, along with some frustration and confusion at a seemingly impenetrable system of submission, waiting, and hoping. Writing, Revising, Pitching is a class for people who have written a substantive portion of a novel and seek to develop it in workshop, blended with a detailed look at how books are pitched and marketed. This class is designed for writers who already have something on the page, as writers will be asked to start with a project of at least 50,000 words. Work in any adult fiction genre is accepted, and writers of all levels are welcome to apply. The class will meet monthly via Zoom beginning in January of 2026 through October 2026.
Writers will receive detailed workshopping through guidance from the instructor and the class as they work toward the goal of getting their novel ready for submission or publication. Each student will also receive guidance and feedback on writing a query / pitch letter, and each class will involve some time for the instructor to answer publishing-related questions and discuss best practices for the process of finding / selecting an agent, crafting a query letter, etc.
Details:
This class is designed to help novelists take a novel-in-process and workshop it to a complete draft, or to take a full draft and workshop it to a more polished revision. Through workshopping and discussion, it will also help writers to approach the process with stronger analytical tools, helping to make both the writing and revision process less frustrating and more productive.
Prospective attendees will apply with a writing sample of up to 7500 words of a work-in-progress. Class size will be limited to ensure that all writers have the time to develop their own work while also giving detailed reads to fellow writers. Each writer will have one class devoted to workshopping their writing and query / pitch letter, as well as availability for one-on-one feedback and discussion with the instructor.
The instructor will also select a recently published debut novel and one class will be dedicated entirely to discussing this book, breaking down the choices the author has made and how writers can apply these techniques in their own writing. The instructor will provide the title of the book in advance so writers are prepared for the discussion. We will consider how publishers marketed the book, whether they were successful, and influences on how a writer pens a submission letter or pitches his or her own work. These issues and others will be discussed by the class to give writers a foundation on how to build a novel, how to revise it, and once it’s ready, how to get others interested in it.
The first class session will be for meeting the class, scheduling, and the “Book Club” discussion. The work will begin in earnest at the 2nd class. Class will meet on the following dates:
Class 1: January 28, 2025 (Scheduling and Bookclub class. The purpose here is to get everyone used to the structure of a workshop without the pressure of evaluating the manuscript of a student).
Class 2: February 25
Class 3: March 25
Class 4: April 29
Class 5: May 27
Class 6: June 24
Class 7: July 29
Class 8: August 26
Class 9: September 30
Class 10: October 28
Fees:
Tuition can be paid in full by check or online. Tuition can also be divided into four payments with an approved payment agreement. Costs below do not include the $103/100 application fee. Payment details will be provided after acceptance to the class.
- Full payment online: $1319
- Full payment by check: $1279
- Installment payment online: $329.75
- Installment payment by check: $319.75
Application Requirements:
The application deadline is January 9, 2026. Prerequisite: all students must have made substantial progress of at least 50,000 words on the first draft of a novel. Please note, this program is for novelists who are prepared to make a strong commitment to their work; students will be expected to participate in the entire program.
Please submit up to 7500 words of a work-in-progress. It may be from any adult fiction genre (mystery, romance, literary, science-fiction, etc.). Writing samples must be emailed to programs@writerhouse.org. A $100 (plus fee if using online payment) nonrefundable deposit is due at the time of application. Application fees will be applied to the cost of tuition for students who are accepted to this program.
This class is limited to a maximum of eight writers. Acceptance letters will be emailed to writers. Upon acceptance, the balance of the tuition will be due within a week. Payment plans will be available for students who are accepted into this program. The first installment will be due within a week of acceptance.
About the Instructor:
Randall Klein worked in publishing for a decade, starting at the literary agency Trident Media Group, then as an editor, first within the Random House Publishing Group, then for Diversion Books, where he acquired and edited over one hundred books across all genres. He is also the author of the novel Little Disasters, published in May of 2018 by Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. He has been teaching at Writer House for over six years.
