This workshop is for writers at any stage of their careers, including those who’ve serialized before and those who never have—or even thought about doing so. 

We cover serializing novels and memoirs.

Highlights!

You’ll leave this workshop with

  • clarity on your goals and whether serialization is the endpoint or the means to a book deal;

  • an understanding of how craft “rules” (character, plot, voice, structure, point of view, dialogue, etc.) function differently on Substack; 

  • a step-by-step plan for your writing process before, during, and after your novel or memoir runs;

  • a blueprint for Substack’s tech; 

  • a profound acceptance of why your novel or memoir isn’t enough; and

  • guidance on how to create “extras” that keep people reading and attract publicity and subscribers.

About Me

I’ve taught undergraduate and graduate creative writing and literature students for twenty years at The University of Iowa, Northwestern University, et al. I have many degrees and letters after my name: M.F.A., M.A., Ph.D.

I’m an author at HarperCollins, a former advisory editor at The Paris Review; a freelance writer; and the creator of two bestselling, featured Substacks —Writers at Work with Sarah Fay and Cured: The Memoir. My debut memoir Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses (HarperCollins) was an Apple Best Books pick and hailed in The New York Times as a “fiery manifesto of a memoir.” I’m currently serializing the sequel, Cured, right here on Substack.

I write for many publications, including Oprah Daily, The New York Times, The New Republic, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, and The Paris Review, where I was an advisory editor. I’m the recipient of the Hopwood Award for Literature and grants and fellowships from Yaddo, the Mellon Foundation, and the MacDowell Colony, among others.

I live in Chicago with my two beloved cats, Siddhartha (a.k.a. Sweets) and Theo. More than anything, I want a t-shirt that says, Ask me about my cats.

Baby Theo (left) and Sweets (right) hard at work on their new novel

For more, visit www.sarahfay.org and follow me on Instagram @sarahfayauthor (though IG is mostly my cats, who get tens of thousands of views).

Where the information I’ll share with you comes from

  • The many conversations I’ve had with the amazing people who run Substack—I want to share with you the advice they’ve given me


  • The fifteen years I’ve spent teaching creative writing in the best MFA programs in the country (The University of Iowa, Northwestern University, etc.)


  • My work as a freelance journalist for The New York Times, Oprah Daily, The Paris Review, and many other media outlets


  • My experience building two bestselling, featured Substacks


  • What I've learned as a professional writer for the past twenty years, including writing and publicizing my memoir Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses (HarperCollins)


  • My study of the best, most successful writers on Substack (i.e., those who provide a service and community for readers)


  • A bit from my M.F.A. in creative writing and Ph.D. in Literature


  • A bit from business icons and marketing gurus