agent, author, books, digital, ebooks, Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, publisher, publishing, Writing on the Ether, Tools of Change, O'Reilly Media, author platform, blog, blogging, journalism, TOC, #TOCcon, Author (R)evolution Day, Tools of Change, O'Reilly Media, Publishing Perspectives, Ether for Authors, Ed Nawotka, DBW, #DBW13, Publishers Launch, Authors Launch, FutureBook, Philip Jones, Sam Missingham, The Bookseller, TheFutureBook
ONLINE CLASS

Land a Book Deal with a Better Table of Contents

Use an Outcome Outline to develop a nonfiction book with logic, narrative drive, and emotional resonance


INSTRUCTOR

Jennie Nash

DATE

Live on June 9, 2022, or watch recording

IDEAL FOR

Nonfiction authors seeking an agent or traditional publisher

ACCESSIBILITY

Closed captions by Otter; transcript provided with recording


As readers, we come to nonfiction books with very specific needs. There may be something about the world we want to learn or understand, some facet of ourselves we want to improve or accept, or some skill or behavior we want to master. We are looking, in other words, for transformation. If your book doesn’t deliver that, no agent or publisher will want to invest in your project. It doesn’t matter how much you know about your area of expertise—if you don’t share that knowledge in a way that engages the reader emotionally, pulls them through from beginning to end, and connects with them on a deep level, your book will die on the vine.

The Table of Contents is the secret to ensuring that your book delivers the transformation your reader is looking for. Most writers assume that the TOC is just a simple outline, when in fact it’s the architecture that defines the entire reader experience. A great TOC shows the reader how your book will propel them towards their specific and desired goal.

The Outcome Outline is a tool that helps you achieve this. It ensures that every chapter in the TOC earns its place and is tied directly to the chapter that comes before and after. At every step you say, This is the point this chapter makes, this is the outcome it delivers to the readers, and this is how it connects to the next chapter.

In this hour-long webinar, Jennie Nash will teach you how to use the Outcome Outline to build the underlying thread of connection that readers, agents, and book editors are looking for.

You will come away from this workshop with:

  •  A simple and powerful tool called the Outcome Outline that you can use before you write, before you revise, or whenever you get stuck (including a worksheet to use during the class itself)
  • A set of seven “test” questions you can use in conjunction with the Outcome Outline to measure the narrative drive of your book.
  • A workbook to guide you as you flesh out your Outcome Outline once the class is over

Who should take this class

  • Entrepreneurs, educators, executives, and coaches (of everything from basketball to business, career to life) who want to make an impact with their ideas
  • Writers who are working on their book proposals and getting ready to pitch to agents
  • Writers who are noodling around with a new idea and haven’t yet pinned it to the page
  • Experts who are tempted to throw everything and the kitchen sink into their books
  • Keynote speakers who are struggling to translate their core presentation into a book
  • People who have never written a book—they will unlock the secret that sets a good book apart from a great one

This class isn’t suited for

  • Memoirists
  • Fiction writers and poets

What’s included in all of Jane’s classes

How do I attend the live class?

This class uses Zoom webinar technology (see system requirements). You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.

  • When: Thursday, June 9, 2022
  • Time: 1:00–2:00 p.m. Eastern / 10:00 a.m. Pacific
  • Fee: $25

The webinar is broadcasted via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.

Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service (powered by Otter), which is about 80%+ accurate. We also use Otter AI to generate an unedited transcript, provided with the recording.

agent, author, books, digital, ebooks, Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, publisher, publishing, Writing on the Ether, Tools of Change, O'Reilly Media, author platform, blog, blogging, journalism, TOC, #TOCcon, Author (R)evolution Day, Tools of Change, O'Reilly Media, Publishing Perspectives, Ether for Authors, Ed Nawotka, DBW, #DBW13, Publishers Launch, Authors Launch, FutureBook, Philip Jones, Sam Missingham, The Bookseller, TheFutureBook

About the instructor

Jennie Nash is the founder and CEO of Author Accelerator and the creator of the Book Coach Certification Program. Her company has certified more than 75 book coaches in both fiction and nonfiction. Jennie’s own book coaching clients have become New York Times bestselling authors, landed top New York agents, and won six-figure book deals with Big 5 houses such as Penguin, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette. Jennie is the author of 10 books in 3 genres, including her most recent, Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book. This course is based on the Blueprint framework Jennie teaches her book coaches.

Jennie’s value doesn’t just come from knowing the nuts and bolts of writing, it’s from coaching ALL sides of what a book entails from her head AND her heart. She brings out the best of both from the writer.

Jenn Lim, co-founder and CEO of Delivering Happiness

The Outcome Outline showed me that it wasn’t enough just to teach my readers a new mindset and a new skill: I also needed to tell a compelling story.

Dan Blank, founder of We Grow Media

I had NO idea what a proposal should be, and Jennie’s help, edits and advice have made all the difference!

Monica Holloway, author

All students receive the following

  • Access to the live class. After roughly 45 minutes, the instructor will take questions during class using in-class chat/text. The class will end after roughly 60 minutes.
  • A recording of the class—audio and video. This is especially helpful if you have a conflict with the class time or something comes up and you can’t make the session. Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for 30 days. You do not have to attend the live event to access the recordings.
  • Presentation slides. All participants receive a copy of the slide presentation in PDF form.
  • Rough transcript. We use Otter to create an automated transcript of the entire webinar, which we’ll share with you in addition to the audio and video recording.
  • Supplementary worksheets: an Outcome Outline worksheet to work on during the class itself, a workbook to guide you as you flesh out your Outcome Outline once the class is over, and a 7-point Outcome Outline checklist

Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy

We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee, presenter, or staff—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.

  • That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
  • That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be disconnected from the live event.