WRITING FOR PUBLICATION
Online Writing Course
Professor: Joel Comiskey (joelcomiskey@msn.com) with team members Jim Corley (straitpather@gmail.com), Kerry Patton (pattonkerry4@gmail.com), Helen Baratta (helenbaratta@gmail.com), and Rich Ronald (rich@richlyspeaking.com)
June 02 to September 01, 2026
Basic Writing Course price:
- Registration: $299
- Early bird special: $199
Includes: 11 hours of online, interactive instruction (4 large group sessions, 2 hours each and 3 small group sessions, 1 hour each)
Required Reading-- one book per class (total of four books)
Joel’s Gems -- additional, but not required, enrichment reading materials
Certificate of Completion for those who accomplish the key requirements.
Post-course help: Team members available for additional coaching (ask a team member about specific pricing)
Three key requirements for earning the certificate: Read, Write, Attend
- Read all four required books (all available on kindle) by the end of the course and discuss one book during each zoom session.
- Write a Comparative Reflection of all four books. Compare the advice from the various textbooks, highlighting the similarities and differences of the author’s points of view, as well as what helped you most (2 -3 pages).
- Attend and participate in the zoom sessions.
Comprehensive Syllabus (All times are Pacific/California times)
Class 1: June 02, 2026 : (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at http://zoom.us/j/9092607499); Motivation for Writing
- Required Reading: Writing with Power by Peter Elbow
- Joel’s Gems: Writing with Power notes (Joel Comiskey), The Courage to write, Finding Your Niche, Writing and Personality, What to Write About
Writing Lab -- June 16 at 4 p.m. (One hour of group writing coaching)
Class 2: July 07, 2026 (4 pm – 6 pm at http://zoom.us/j/9092607499) How to Write Well
- Required Reading: On Writing Well by William Zinsser
- Joel’s Gems: Writing Well notes, Writing for an audience of one, Writing Disciplines, Good Writing is Rewriting, Editing and Editors, Style and Writer’s Voice
Writing Lab -- July 21 at 4 p.m. (One hour of group writing coaching)
Class 3: August 04, 2026 (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at http://zoom.us/j/9092607499) How to Get Published
- Required Reading: The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman(chapters, 1,5,9,10,12,15,18,20,23)
- Joel’s Gems: Subsidy Publishing (If you have questions about subsidy publishing, please contact one of us personally. On July 25, we’ll use all the time to positively focus on Indie publishing and traditional publishing. Book proposals, More on proposals (with some of my past proposals), Query Letters,Simultaneous Submissions, Publishing Industry, Agents, Indie Publishing, Ebooks
Writing Lab--August 18 at 4 p.m.
Class 4: September 01, 2026: (4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at http://zoom.us/j/9092607499); Marketing What You’ve Published
- Required Reading: The Nonfiction Book Marketing and Launch Plan by Stephanie Chandler
- Joel’s Gems: Marketing, Platform, Publishing Industry
Check out those who have taken and recommended the "Writing for Publication" course
For a list of books published by our distinguished team of presenters, click here.
For a list of books published by our writing course alumni, click here.