The Art of Sharing Your Voice 

and Publishing Your Work: 

Workshop with Nadia Colburn

Imagine feeling aligned in sharing your work, with a clear vision and step-by-step process. 

Publication can be a mystery and challenge, even to the most seasoned writers. How did we translate this activity of writing, that we often first do for ourselves,  into a meaningful relationship with others?

How did we keep our writing sacred while also encountering the gatekeepers of publication? How do we stay authentic and do our best work without getting caught up in comparison? How do we reach a large audience and not get in the pitfalls of competition? 

This class will demystify the publication process and give you clear ways to think about the art of sharing your work—both within traditional paths and nontraditional ones. 

Not having an outlet for your creative work can be a deeply frustrating experience; it can lead to depression, apathy, and even physical illness.

Similarly, publishing only to climb some external ladder or because you "should" without being true to your own vision is also unhealthy and can similarly lead to anxiety and illness. 

But you we come into a space of alignment, when you are clear on your unique path and have the tools to get there, you can not only do your best work and share it with others but also blossom in all kinds of other ways. 

Whether you’re already a published writer or someone who thinks you’re not interested in publishing, this class will give you the tools to have a more satisfying, fulfilling relationship with your writing and with sharing your work.

Get the tools to share your writing, get published consistently, and keep going for the long term. 

The class will lead you through a process to know why, when, and how to publish and share your work. 

You'll get clear on when, sometimes, it's better not to share certain work and to keep it for yourself. And you'll be encouraged to honor and support your own unique path. 

The class will present clear actionable steps so that you can publish your work in the ways that are right for you.

Leave up with a step-by-step plan that suits your particular vision and wishes for your writing life—either through a traditional publishing path, through self-publication, or by sharing your work outside-the-box in other ways. 

Some of the Topics the Class Covers Include: 

• The difference between self-publication and traditional publication (and how to choose which path is right for you).
• When to publish shorter pieces and when to publish a book.
• Tips from my own long, publication journey and from helping hundreds of students get published.
• A step-by-step process to getting your work published, from the initial queries to preparing your manuscript.
• Outside-the-box ways to share your voice beyond publication.
• How to discern when you want to share your work and when you want to write for yourself (sometimes not sharing is the most empowering option).
• The steps after publication: how to process the post-publication path, both emotionally and practically.
• How publication and sharing your work in traditional and non-traditional ways fits into your larger life and vision. 
• Time to answer your questions.

Who is it For?

• Poets, memoir writers, fiction writers.
• Writers interested in publishing short works.
• Writers thinking about publishing a book.
• This class will benefit writers of any level of experience, but is especially appropriate for writers just beginning to think about publishing or who have some experience publishing but want to go deeper and expand their reach.
• Anyone who wants to share their voice in traditional or non traditional ways.
• Anyone who wants to step into greater creative alignment and fulfillment.

Resources:

All students will be given access to step-by-step publication guides so that they have resources for the publication path. I'll be available to go over, explain and answer any questions about these guides.

Timeline:

• 10 minutes: Welcome and introductions.
• 30 minutes: Background information about different publication paths and time for questions and answers
• 30 minutes: Visioning exercises on what you want for your writing–at this moment. Get clear on where you are and what you want. 
• 30 minutes:  I'll go into more depth about each of the publication paths as well as other outside-the-box ways to share your work. I’ll give you tools and resources so that you can have a step-by-step process. 
• 20 minutes: Questions and answers
• 20 minutes: Visioning your next steps. 
• 10 minutes: Closing exercises and discussion. 

Leave the Workshop With: 

• A better understanding of the different paths to publication
• A clear personalized vision for what you want–in the moment, and resources to revise and refine that vision in the future.  
• Resources and tools to formulate a step-by-step plan to realize your vision and share your voice and writing. 

I'll be sharing my own long publication path and tips from helping hundreds of writers.

I'm the author of two poetry books I Say the Sky and The High Shelf. My poetry and prose have been published in more than eighty publications including The New Yorker, The Boston Globe Magazine, Truthout,  Lion’s Roar, and The Kenyon Review. I’ve been a founding editor of Anchor Magazine: Where Spirituality and Social Justice Meet. And, of course, I’m the founder of Align Your Story Writing School, where we have a community of over 35,000 mindful writers. I’ve worked with many thousands of students, helping them to publish their work both traditionally and non-traditionally and to come into an aligned writing life.

Come live and/ or watch the recording. Even if you can't make it live, there will be an opportunity to ask questions before the class so that I can respond to them and you can watch later. Come back to the recording any time you want to work with the exercises again. Leave feeling empowered and energized.

Join now; space is limited.