My first serious attempt to write a novel was, somewhat unfortunately, inspired by The Da Vinci Code. I was a college sophomore when I decided to try NaNoWriMo, and a few months into a busy school year, The Da Vinci Code and its cousin The Rule of Four were probably the last books I had read for fun. I was a medieval history and literature major particularly obsessed with England, and my moment of book inspiration came while thinking about the 12th-century murder of Thomas Becket: then archbishop of Canterbury, soon-to-be saint, and obviously the perfect fulcrum for a novel.

While wandering through the history section of Barnes & Noble, I had seen a book called The Quest for Becket’s Bones: The Mystery of the Relics of St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury. I hadn’t read it, but a mystery about a saint’s bones—a saint killed violently after a king’s tantrum about him—seemed (probably only to me) like a perfect seed for a modern mystery with medieval parallels. So I ordered the book and, without reading it, began planning my own. The King’s Evil, the title I gave my novel, was actually a phrase used to describe scrofula, a kind of tuberculosis, and had nothing to do with Becket or anyone connected to his story. I just liked the way it sounded.

The rest is here.

So, you’ve written a novel. Now what do you do with it? This class is an introduction to the publishing process for fiction writers. We’ll discuss what happens to a book between the time the writer finishes it and the time it appears on shelves, with a particular focus on how to find and sign with a literary agent who will submit your work to editors.

We’ll talk about what literary agents do, how to find one who might be a fit for you and your book, and how to write a query letter that will entice an agent to take a look at your manuscript. Then we’ll break down a few successful query letters to see why they work.

Sign up here.

Thanks to my wonderful agent Suzie Townsend for finding the book a home.

My Twitter feed can be found here.

My writing is represented by Suzie Townsend.