Revision and Self-Editing

For authors with a completed draft who want a repeatable revision system.

This 4-week online course provides students a practical approach to revising a completed novel. The homework assignments work best using a completed draft novel.

Here's a sample schedule:

• Optional (and strongly encouraged) pre-work before class starts
• Day 1: Introductions
• Day 2: Lesson #1 - First Steps - Read Through
• Day 4: Lesson #2 - Point of View Considerations
• Day 6: Lesson #3 - Opening Your Novel
• Day 8: Lesson #4 - Self-Editing Structure
• Day 10: Lesson #5 - Scene by Scene
• Day 12: Lesson #6 - Ebb and Flow
• Day 14: Lesson #7 - Deepening Characters
• Day 16: Lesson #8 - Dialogue
• Day 18: Lesson #9 - Making the Details Count
• Day 20: Lesson #10 - Scene Pacing
• Day 22: Lesson #11 - Closing Your Novel
• Day 24: Lesson #12 - Checking the Nits
• Day 26: Lesson #13 - Miscellaneous and Last Thoughts
• Day 28: Last day to turn in homework and receive feedback

Student Comments

Jim’s course delivered much more than promised: a soup-to-nuts revision system that starts from a bird’s-eye-level and progresses to the best prose-polishing system I’ve come across. Plus, Jim critiques the accompanying series of practices exercises with humor and expertise. Highly recommended.

~ Nancy G. (published author)

Jim Jackson's class on self-editing was exceptional. He concluded the class with the words "when you publish your novel" and never implied "if." I think that attitude sums up his treatment of and belief in his students. Whether a first-time novelist like me or a more experienced writer, he treated us all with the same respect, constructive comments, and positivity. After following his excellent lessons and exercises, I now have a much clearer path on how to move forward with my manuscript. He has saved me hours and hours of work, and the editing process is not as daunting as I first thought before the class began.

~ Sally M. (pre-published author)

Jim provides in-depth, straightforward instruction, with homework that generates honest reflection on your work, all to the good.

~ Chris K. (published author)

As a writer, I've taken advantage of critique groups and manuscript swaps, but found that I was hitting a wall with regards to the value I could take from the feedback. This course helped me think more intentionally about different aspects of the process of writing. It provides space to reflect on the layers of revision as well as providing tangible feedback on how to prioritize structural issues and how to identify possible problems and get "unstuck."

~ Gabi S. (pre-published author)

Story Structure

For authors who want to know why stories work (and why they don’t)

This 3-week online course examines two intertwined structures that provide the framing to support every novel. One involves the plot. The second captures the internal upheaval of the main character(s). You use your WIP and a novel you believe is an excellent comparable to your WIP to gain a detailed understanding of your story’s structure. (Or, if your novel isn’t complete, you can use the comparable novel to do the homework.)

Here's a sample schedule:

• Optional (and strongly encouraged) pre-work before class starts
• Day 1: Introductions
• Day 1: Lesson #1 - Overview of Story Structure
• Day 2: Lesson #2 - The Modified Three Act Story Structure
• Day 4: Lesson #3 - Introduction to Character Arc
• Day 5: Lesson #4 - The BEGINNING (Act 1) Plot Points
• Day 7: Lesson #5 - The BEGINNING (Act 1) and Character Arc
• Day 9: Lesson #6 - Scene by Scene
• Day 11: Lesson #7 - The Inciting Incident and Threshold #1
• Day 13: Lesson #8 - The MIDDLE (Act II) Overview and Other Structural Elements
• Day 15: Lesson #9 - The MIDDLE (Act 2), Failures Pile Up
• Day 17: Lesson #10 - The MIDDLE (Act 2) Stress, Threshold #2
• Day 19: Lesson #11 - The ENDING (Act 3)
• Day 20: Lesson #12 - Additional Ideas to Help You Improve Your Story Structure
• Day 21: Last day to turn in homework and receive feedback

Student Comments

I did want to write to compliment you on some of the best class / craft notes that I have ever seen, and I have been reading craft books for 15 years. Your phraseology and explainers were really fresh and showed me new aspects to all the pieces you covered. Thank you so much - reading them and making notes and highlighting them has been a treat amongst the daily life travails.es the accompanying series of practices exercises with humor and expertise. Highly recommended.

~ Nancy G. (published author)

Jim, I wanted to add to the chorus of thanks. This is by far one of the best writing courses I’ve taken. I came in with a hot mess and I’m leaving with a hot mess… but now I know how what’s missing and exactly what I need to do to bring it to the level that I want.

Your detailed materials and thoughtful responses to each student shows how much time and care you put in. As you told us at the start, you get as much as you’re prepared to put in. That works both ways.

Thank you for providing this organized and thorough blueprint for strengthening my story structure! Love the examples—very helpful, as well as the variety of approaches since it’s not always one size fits all. The personal feedback was great for clearing up any confusion and giving further practical insight. I’m already diving in and making changes and feel excited about the possibilities!

This is the third class I have taken with you, and it did not disappoint. 10/10!

Indie Publication

For authors who want to understand if Indie publishing is right for them and how to do it.

This 6-week online course provides students an in-depth understanding of the business, finance, and technical aspects of Indie Publication. The homework assignments allow students to experiment and discover what they can do and will do, what they can do, but will pay others to do, and what they can't do and must pay others to do.

The lessons are spaced to allow students time to complete the homework assignments. Here's a list of the lessons:

• Introductions
• Lesson #1 - Questions You Should Answer
• Lesson #2 - Comparing Traditional and Indie Publishing Workflows
• Lesson #3 - Business Formation and Records (part 1)
• Lesson #4 - Business Formation and Records (part 2)
• Lesson #5 - Creating and editing an eBook File (part 1)
• Lesson #6 - Creating and editing an eBook File (part 2)
• Lesson #7 - Creating and editing an eBook File (part 3)
• Lesson #8 - Creating a Word Document to Convert to ePub
• Lesson #9 - Creating a Word Document to Convert to PDF
• Lesson #10 - Inventory Accounting
• Lesson #11 - Tax Filing Fun
• Lesson #12 - ISBN, LOC, Copyrights
• Lesson #13 - Exclusive vs. Going Wide
• Lesson #14 - Taking your eBook Live
• Lesson #15 - Creating Your Paperback
• Lesson #16 - Creating Book Covers
• Lesson #17 - Audiobooks
• Lesson #18 - Estate Planning
• Lesson #19 - Miscellaneous and Final Thoughts

Student Comments

Jim Jackson’s Indie Publishing course gave me just what I wanted – a step-by-step guide to setting up my author business and publishing my first book. In a month of jam-packed lessons, he laid out the decisions to make and the factors to consider, along with clear detailed how-tos and hands-on exercises. He quickly answered every question and provided feedback to every post. And when someone hit a glitch, he had a gift for spotting the problem and helping them solve it. It’s a terrific course, and Jim’s a great teacher.

~ Kathy W.

Jim Jackson's Indie Publishing class packed everything an author needs to set up their own author business and publish their novel. The step-by-step instructions - including screen shots - are golden. I could never have patched this information together no matter how many Google searches I did. On top of the excellent material, Jim is a great teacher, open to all questions, and promptly responding. I give this class five stars!

~ Debra K.

Jim Jackson is an extraordinary teacher who thoroughly covers major aspects of self-publishing. Once I completed the course, I felt empowered to begin the journey.

~ Michele L.

I just finished a fabulous Indie Publishing class taught by Jim Jackson. It's a soup-to-nuts look at how to set up your author business and then publish ebooks, paperbacks and audiobooks. All that's left for the author is to write the books!

~ Nancy G.

Jim Jackson’s Indie publishing class should be part of every writer’s toolbox. If you’re considering taking the class because you have questions, take it and you’ll find your answers.

~ Jennifer P.

Jim Jackson is an excellent teacher who combines comprehensive, information-packed lessons with knowledgeable and supportive responses to class members' questions. He is also funny and infinitely patient. I knew almost nothing about indie publishing before I took his class. Now I have a good understanding of the many tasks involved in publishing a book on my own, so I can decide in the future whether to choose that path.

~ Jane L.

Jim rocks! He’s the Indie guru. He offers an impressive depth of information, and a lot of how-to examples. Warning: there is homework. Jim's lessons not only made me smarter, they made me confident about knowing which independent publishing tasks I can handle myself, and which ones I will delegate to others. I give him five-out-of-five stars, but wish I could give six.

~ Judy C.

Jim Jackson has created a great, in-depth introduction to the world of indie publishing. When you finish his course you will be well on your way to setting up your author business and launching your first book. I took the course to help me make the decision between trying traditional publishing and doing it myself. Jim gave me all the tools I needed to make that decision.

~ Sharon P.L.

Jim Jackson’s Indie Publishing Class is a must for any author considering publishing their own work. The class is taught by the knowledgeable and experienced publisher of the Sisters in Crime Guppy Anthology. A wealth of downloadable detailed class materials and feedback gives the prospective indie publisher an inside look into the field and covers the gamut of questions and issues to consider before jumping into indie publishing.

~ Susan B.

This class has been wildly useful, beyond all expectations, in the depth and breadth of information covered and your patience in answering questions and walking us through solutions. I learned from classmates' questions as well and am grateful to everyone for things they noticed and brought up.

~ Deanne D.

The Writing Craft:

• Bell, James Scott - Conflict & Suspense
• Bell, James Scott - Plot & Structure
• Bell, James Scott - Revision and Self-Editing for Publication
• Browne, Renni & King, Dave - Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
• Cleland, Jane K. - Mastering Plot Twists
• Kempton, Gloria - Dialogue
• King, Stephen - On Writing
• Kress, Nancy - Beginnings, Middles & Ends
• Lamott, Anne - Bird by Bird
• Stein, Sol - How to Grow a Novel

The Writing Craft: (Cont.)

• Stein, Sol - Stein on Writing
• Vogler, Christopher - The Writer's Journey
• Zuckerman, Albert - Writing the Blockbuster Novel

Writing Technique:

• Strunk Jr., William & White, E.B. - The Elements of Style
• O'Connor, Patricia T - Woe is I

Miscellaneous

• Niernberg, Gerald I & Calero, Henry H - How to Read a Person Like a Book