Narrative Voice for Novelists

Suck in readers from page one!

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. . . We had so many wonderful comments about you and your class on our evaluations. ~ Lindy Jacobs, OCW Summer Conference Director


How to Suck in Readers From Page One

This is part of a series of courses that will help you if you are trying to get an agent, sell to a publisher, or sell your self-published books directly to the reader. After reading thousands of queries, I've come to believe that four things are essential if you want your novels to sell well.

VOICE is one of those essentials. It's the first thing we notice when we open your manuscript or book.

If you're unpublished and having a hard time breaking in or if you're published but having a hard time breaking out, this course will help you. You'll get the voice lectures that I give at writers' conference around the country, but you'll get them at a fraction of what they normally cost. Plus, you can take them in your own home, at your own pace, you won't have to pay for a hotel, and you'll have lifetime access to these lectures.

But you get more than conferees get. When you sign up for this course, you get:

  • Lifetime access to a private forum where I will spend two hours a week holding "office hours" sessions
  • A first chapter critique (up to 2500 words--just send it within 60 days of buying the course.

What this course promises:

To teach you how to make your voice more interesting and compelling.

What this course does not promise:

That you'll get a book contract.

Some questions this course answers:

  • What is close-third-person point of view?
  • Should I write in past tense or present tense?
  • How can I improve my narrative voice?
  • How can I use metaphors in a novel?


Your Instructor


Sally Apokedak
Sally Apokedak

Sally Apokedak is a literary agent with the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency and she wades through thousands of queries from hopeful authors every year. This puts her in a great position to be able to tell you what it is about the rare manuscript that stands out. She also teaches at writers' conferences across the U.S.

Sally has been studying, reviewing, and marketing children's books, as well as giving writing instruction for fifteen years. As the manager of the Kidz Book Buzz blog tour she was privileged to work with best-selling and award-winning authors such as Jeanne DuPrau, Ingrid Law, and Shannon Hale.


Course Curriculum


  Introduction
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  Foundations
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  Furnishings
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

Get started now!