There's no single model for publishing success, especially for debut memoirists. In this 90-minute virtual class, participants will see three different roads towards publishing memoirs. Melissa Fraterrigo will share her experience working with a University Press on The Perils of Girlhood, a memoir in essays. Jacque Gorelick will share how Map of a Heart landed at an independent press and Tiffany Graham Charkosky will discuss her path to publishing Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy with an Amazon Publishing imprint.
Presenters will share their experiences querying their books, how they used comparative titles to their advantage, and demonstrated knowledge of their audiences and capacity to reach them. Participants will leave with real-world examples of strategies for packaging their memoirs and connecting them to the times we're living in and a better understanding of the different types of publishers seeking their stories.
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Details: Pathways to Publishing takes place Thursday, August 20 from 6:30-8:30pm ET remotely online via Zoom.
Genre: Business of Writing
Level: All levels
Format: One session craft talk
Location: This class takes place remotely online via Zoom.
Size: Limited to 25 participants (including two scholarship recipients).Scholarships: Two scholarship spots are available for this class for writers in Northeast Ohio. Apply by April 19. Click here to apply.
Cancellations & Refunds: Cancel at least 48 hours in advance of the first class meeting to receive a full refund. Email info@litcleveland.org.
Work with the best...
Tiffany Graham Charkosky’s work explores human relationships, medicine, and women’s health. Her writing has been featured in outlets such as Oprah Daily, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, Gordon Square Review, and MUTHA Magazine. Her debut book Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy (Little A), chronicles her experience with genetic testing and its emotional and physical aftermath.
Melissa Fraterrigo’s memoir, The Perils of Girlhood was published by the University of Nebraska Press in Fall 2025 and named by Literary Hub as one of “100 Notable Small Press Books of 2025.” She is also the author of the novel Glory Days (University of Nebraska Press), and the story collection The Longest Pregnancy (Livingston Press).
Jacque Gorelick’s essays on motherhood, health, and family have been published in Pithead Chapel, X-R-A-Y, Los Angeles Review of Books, The New York Times, Salon, The Kenyon Review, and more. Her debut book, Map of a Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Finding the Way Home (Vine Leaves Press, 2026), is the story of a life upended by a medical crisis. Gorelick lives in California with her husband and two sons.
This class takes place remotely online via Zoom.
Cleveland OH
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