My writing story.
I created a course to teach others how to improve and sell their writing. This is the story of how I became a writer and the lessons I have learned to date.
Contents
❑ My writing story
❑ Sell Your Writing: Concept to Copy overview
❑ Course curriculum and schedule
❑ Enrolment details
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Claire Dalgleish: My writing story
I somehow managed to get published in a magazine with the first pitch I ever sent. Reading over the email retrospect, I can’t quite believe it got picked up. From memory, I was incredibly nervous and did not expect a response. My nervousness seeped through. It reads as nonchalant and vague, as though I am bracing myself for the rejection before I even pressed send.
For context, I had just finished writing my Honours thesis examining the work of an Australian artist named Albert Tucker. Tucker is majorly famous for his Images of Modern Evil series. You cannot read his name without the series being mentioned. At the time of my research, the series had only ever been shown in their entirety once, maybe twice. This discrepancy was the crux of my work. I wanted to know why art history was obsessed with the power and reverence of the series despite rarely seeing them together.
Once it was submitted my supervisor suggested I do something with my research. Hm. The seed was planted. Soon after, it was announced that The Heide Museum of Modern Art would be displaying the series in its entirety. Tucker had deep connections with Heide and so did I; I spent a lot of time in their research library while writing said thesis. So much so that Lesley Harding, the show’s curator invited me to help install the exhibition.
It seemed kismet. So I took a leap of faith and emailed Maurice O’Riordan, Editor of Art Monthly Australasia at the time. I suggested I write a review for the exhibition. We had some email exchanges and before he agreed to commission my piece, I sent him this:
Hi Maurice,
I've attached a research assignment from my undergraduate degree, it focuses on art after the second world war, in particular, art being produced in America. I received a fairly good mark for this piece of work and although it may not be relevant to the article I could write it will help you to understand my writing style.
I have also attached the body of my thesis work.
Thankyou for your prompt reply, I hope to hear from you again soon!
I have so much embarrassment for 2011-me. Please let the Brené Brown Gods bless me for my vulnerability. I wrote to an Editor — a real, live, professional in the magazine world — I received a fairly good mark for this piece of work. Cringe.
That said, he agreed and I was elated to write the article. Was it beginner’s luck? Maybe. Right time and place? Sure. Excellent idea? Meh — it was topical and relevant. I was 23 and being paid 0.25c per word to write a 1200 word review! I thought I had made it.
Since then, not every pitch I have written has been picked up. A large number, in fact, have been politely declined or ghosted. But that hasn’t stopped me from continuing to write and earn cash while doing so.
I’ve learnt a lot since my first cringe-worthy email and can proudly report that I no longer send vague (read: nervous) emails to editors. In the 10 years since then, I have continued to pitch, write, pitch, and write, while learning from other experiences, too. I took an internship at The Guggenheim Museum where I worked on publications. I took commissions from artists to write media releases. And I completed a Journalism Diploma to consolidate my self-taught lessons.
Majority of what I have learnt and do successfully as a freelance writer comes from the trial and error of my own experience. In the beginning, I started out writing for art magazines but soon realised there was money to be made in content marketing and lifestyle features. So I scaled my options and learnt to hone my craft.
I say all of this to tell you that being a successful writer isn’t about who you know, or how good your spelling is, or where you went to school. It’s about making observations, using your resources, and finding a thread to weave everything together. Anyone can be a writer and make money from selling their work. Truly. I still don’t quite understand how to use apostrophes, but I manage to get paid.
I now have the lovely Sprout community to entertain, and continue to write for clients like Art Monthly Australasia (they wanted me back, phew!), Artist Profile, and Courier Media to name a few. I’ve also published work with Junkee Media, Dovetail Mag, Artsy, Culture Trip, and in 2015 I won the DLux Media Emerging Writers Award. In between all this, I have written a lot of terrible first drafts.
I designed Sell Your Writing: From Concept to Copy to help budding (and established!) writers jump-start their writing practice by discovering the joy of writing and to learn how to make money from their words in the process.
Successful writers need three things:
✎ A great idea
✑ An ability to write
✐ Communication skills to sell their work
These three components make up every stage of the writing journey; from conceiving an idea to drafting and editing, to packaging it to appeal to readers.
In my email to Maurice, I had a solid idea and an ability to write. I somehow managed to clumsily get my point across in a pitch, and at the time it was enough to be published.
I have learned a lot since then. Sell Your Writing is structured around these three ingredients. Across the duration of the course, you will learn how to cultivate ideas, how to finesse your writing skills, and how to shop your concepts around.
Creating engaging and positive learning experiences is important to me. So I created the course to be dense with practical, quality teachings. At the end of the course, I want you to have tangible, measurable results in your writing practice. And — I want you to enjoy the learning process! I designed the teachings to be sticky, engaging, and easy to refer back to if you find yourself off-track.
Over the duration of the course, we will together unpack the most vital parts of the writing process. At the end of the course, you will have found joy in creativity and will be able to write with the confidence you need to get published. ■
Course overview
When: Enrolment closes 20 January. Course commences on 23 January 2022
Where: A blend of online modules with real-time Zoom sessions
Who should take this course? Anyone who writes, for business or pleasure! The course is open to those who want to improve their writing; from writing features to personal essays and even content marketing.
Course curriculum and schedule
Each online module includes
Video tutorials
Written lectures
Downloadable worksheets and templates
Practical exercises
Quizzes!
I have been teaching online courses for 3+ years now.
I designed each section to be engaging and interactive. This not only means the lessons will stick, it means you will enjoy the learning process, too!
Expect to learn
How to develop an idea, write about it successfully, and get your idea published
How to master the craft of writing: find your unique voice, style, and technique
The red tape of freelance life: manage invoices, projects, deadlines, and finances
Be transformed
Integrate the teachings straight away by writing and pitching your work to get published
Discover the joy of writing 💻 There’s a reason so many people want to be freelance writers — it’s fun!
Start the new year by up-skilling or exploring a side hustle
Enrolment details
How much: The course runs for 10 weeks and costs £150+VAT.
This works out to be £15+VAT per week.
Participants will have 6-months of unlimited access to online content after the course is complete.
Choose from the payment options below:
✐ Pay in full upfront before January 2022 for an early bird discount, only pay £135+VAT 🐤
✐ Pay as you learn with 3 instalments of £50+VAT.
What does the course fee include?
❑ Course curriculum and schedule of workshops/events over the course of 10-weeks (outlined above)
❑ Downloadable templates and worksheets to utilise outside of the course
❑ 6-months of unlimited access to online content
❑ A freelance resource guide outlining where to pitch, find job offers, and other writer opportunities
❑ Discount codes and bonus offers to inspire your learning journey — TBC
Need convincing? Hear from past participants:
"I came into this course a little jaded by online workshops, post-pandemic, but was positively surprised by the many practical exercises...I had the feeling Claire enjoyed teaching the course and was genuinely interested and supportive of our writing while still providing valuable feedback..."
"If you are feeling stuck with writing, or you don't know how to find inspiration to get yourself started - sign up to this course. Claire's relaxed and friendly approach really helps break down barriers to an otherwise intimidating concept. Loved it."
"...I now feel confident about the process and requirements of taking on freelance work. How to research publications, pitch work, and successfully condense ideas into a word count. I also emailed with additional questions and the response couldn’t have been more thought out and gracious..."
What happens next? Click the enrol button and head to the sales page to sign-up. You will then be directed to Teachable to set up your free account.
I will send you an email to confirm your enrolment and keep in touch with everything you need to know before we start learning on 23 January 2022.
Got questions? Leave a comment below with your query and I will get back to you. All FAQs will be included in the next newsletter.
Not sure if it’s for you? Reply to this email with your personal query and we can chat about it! 🧑🏽💻 👩🏻💻