DIY PR: Platform, Pitching, and Press Releases for Writers 5-Week Zoom Intensive with Tawny Lara, Starts Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
Class Starts on Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
The class will meet weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 7:00PM - 9:00PM Eastern.
Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.
Hiring a publicist can be expensive AF, while learning how to do your own outreach can feel like one more thing on an already overwhelming to-do list. You want to get the word out about your work but have no clue where to start. That's where DIY PR comes in. This course is designed to help you promote your work (books, essays, expertise, business, products) by learning Tawny's scrappy approach to DIY publicity and platform building.
Join author and entrepreneur Tawny Lara for a five-week intensive filled with tangible advice on getting quoted as an expert on your subject, being a podcast guest, and creating a public persona with solid boundaries. You'll also learn whether to hire a publicist or try DIY.
Tawny's a self-help author who likes to keep it real, so she'll facilitate frank discussions about the finances of working with publicists and virtual assistants. This course concludes with therapy-informed tips on managing the emotions that come with rejection, imposter syndrome, and the myriad emotions associated with writer life and media outreach.
Week 1: Platform + Persona - Identify what makes you, you by exploring your “why me, why now.” Learn Tawny’s experience creating "The Sober Sexpert" persona that landed her a book deal and hear what she’d do differently if she started today. You’ll also learn how to set boundaries while honing a public persona so you can prioritize your privacy.
Week 2: Find Your Target Audience(s) - Tawny leads a series of exercises to help you identify your target audience(s). Then, you’ll learn how to pitch the gatekeepers (editors, reporters, podcast hosts, etc…) who publish the content your target audience consumes. Getting eyes and ears on your expertise is essential for platform building.
Week 3: Essay Pitches - Writing for traditional or new media outlets can be a great way to establish yourself as an expert while also getting more eyes on existing work. Tawny shares examples of her essay pitches that got her in writing in Men’s Health, Playboy, LitHub, and more. Students will practice writing their own pitches and receive feedback.
Week 4: Press Pitches - While week 3 is all about collecting bylines, week 4 covers “alerting the press” about your expertise. Learn the basics of a press release and personalized media pitch. You’ll also review Tawny's media pitches that landed her expertise as “The Sober Sexpert” on NPR, Men’s Health, Dan Savage's Savage Love, and more. Students will write their own media pitches and receive feedback.
Week 5: The Emotions of It All - This course ends with real talk about the emotional side of being a writer and being your own publicist. Tawny shares anecdotes about how she learned to manage rejection, imposter syndrome, and insecurities then provides resources for when it all feels like too much. We're all in this together!
SPECIFIC COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- Students will learn how to define (or refine) their public persona—rooted in their personal “why me, why now”—while still maintaining healthy boundaries to protect their privacy. By the end of Week 1, they’ll have clarity on what sets them apart and how to leverage that uniqueness to stand out in a saturated market.
- Through guided exercises, students will pinpoint the exact audiences most likely to connect with their work. They’ll also learn practical outreach tactics—pitching editors, podcast hosts, and other “gatekeepers”—to effectively reach those audiences and build a genuine platform.
- Over Weeks 3 and 4, students will develop and refine their own essay pitches and press releases. They’ll see real examples from Tawny’s successful placements (in outlets like Men’s Health, Playboy, LitHub, NPR) and receive personalized feedback to help them position their writing and expertise for maximum impact.
- The course culminates in candid discussions on the realities of rejection, imposter syndrome, and the mental toll of doing your own publicity. Students will leave with therapy-informed strategies to navigate emotional roadblocks, plus insights on whether to DIY or hire professional help—all grounded in an honest look at the finances and logistics of PR for writers.
TESTIMONIALS:
“When it comes to non-fiction, a big part of an agent’s job is wrangling a book proposal together with their author. Digging into the why of the project, discussing platform, and the like. It only benefits you to be more prepared. The more you have in there, the better. When Tawny’s proposal arrived in my agent inbox and I opened it, it was like that scene in Pulp Fiction when they open the briefcase and all golden light shines out. It was perfect. And I called her the same day asking to work on the project. You’ll learn a lot from her, absolutely” -Eric Smith, author & Tawny’s agent
“The publishing world is a minefield, and Tawny is a Bloodhound. Over the past decade, she's learned how to navigate this clusterfuck of this industry, cutting through the BS, so you can actually get published and your voice heard.” -Zachary Zane, Author of Boyslut, A Memoir and Manifesto
“Tawny is such an excellent resource for someone navigating publishing and proposals for the first time. I am a DIY-type who usually just uses Google to teach me everything, but having Tawny's help saved me weeks if not months of research and helped me feel extremely clear and prepared as I began the process. Very grateful for her expertise!” -Mariana Louis, archetypal tarotist
"Tawny Lara's class on writing non-fiction book proposals is a lighthouse for anyone eager to explore mental health topics with depth and empathy. Her expertise not only helps writers to craft impactful narratives but also to navigate the complexities of mental health with sensitivity and insight." - Sophie Saint Thomas, author of Reproductive Rites
“Tawny is not only an experienced journalist and writer, but she’s also a marketing wiz who can bring that extra special sauce to your book proposal. If you want to actually sell your book, there’s no one else that I’d rely on to teach me the 101.” - Irina Gonzalez, editor, journalist, and author of the Raising Gen Alpha newsletter
"Tawny is a master when it comes to marketing yourself as a writer. She will help you focus your vision and tap into insider knowledge of the publishing world." -Gemma Hartley, author of Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward
“Tawny will help you sell your book proposal. She knows the game, and she will teach you how to play it.” -Paulina Pinsky, co-author of It Doesn’t Have to be Awkward
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
- Instructor: Tawny Lara
- Starts Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
- The class will meet weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 7:00PM - 9:00PM Eastern
- Limited to 20 students.
- Tuition is $495