Publishing
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Course 1: Book Creation
(Starting Sept. 15th, 2026)
Turn your book idea into something real! This hands-on course takes you step by step through the creative process—from developing your idea and writing your manuscript to organizing, revising, and planning the visual elements of your book. Whether you’re starting with a spark of an idea or bringing an existing project across the finish line, you’ll receive practical instruction, personalized feedback, and support from Monarch instructors, guest lecturers, and fellow writers. Along the way, you’ll build the skills and confidence to transform your ideas into a polished manuscript. In Week 11, you’ll have the exciting opportunity to present your work to potential illustrators and editors. The course concludes with a special showcase where you can celebrate and share what you’ve created with friends and family.
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Course Details: Meets once a week for 12 weeks • 1-hour classes • $120 per month ($360 total)​​
Weekly Schedule Week 1: Traditional vs. Independent Publishing Week 2: Book Outline/AI Secretary Week 3: Writing Part One Week 4: Writing Part Two Week 5: Editing Manuscript Week 6: Work Day/One-on-One Mentoring Week 7: Illustration Week 8: Formatting and Graphic Design Week 9: Front Matter and Logistics Week 10: Work Day/One-on-One Mentoring Week 11: Meet Illustrators and Editors in Class! Week 12: Presentations
Publishing Courses
Course 2: Business and Marketing
Course 3: Illustrations and Cover Design
A great book deserves a great publishing plan. This course takes you through the practical business side of turning your finished book into a published product—from publishing options, ISBNs, copyrights, formatting, and printing to pricing, distribution, Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, marketing, branding, and book launches. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of the publishing industry and a practical roadmap for getting your book into readers' hands. This course is targeted towards those interested in self publishing and all it entails. Click the link above to sign up now.
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Course Details: Meets once a week for 12 weeks • 1-hour classes • $120 per month ($360 total)
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​Bring your story to life with illustrations that feel like they belong together! Designed for authors who want to illustrate their own books, this hands-on course guides you through the entire visual storytelling process—from developing characters, props, and settings to planning page layouts, creating a book dummy, choosing colors, and designing an eye-catching cover. You'll learn how to turn individual pieces of artwork into a cohesive, professional-looking book and prepare your finished illustrations for publication. Some previous drawing or art experience is recommended, but you don't need to be a professional illustrator—just bring your story, your creativity, and a willingness to learn!​
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Course Details: Meets once a week for 12 weeks • 1-hour classes • $120 per month ($360 total)​
Weekly Schedule Week 1: Understanding the Publishing Business Week 2: Is There a Market for My Book? Week 3: Treating Your Book Like a Business Week 4: Building Your Publishing Brand Week 5: Copyright, ISBNs & Protecting Your Work Week 6: Amazon KDP Week 7: Ingram Spark Week 8: Pricing & Making Money From Your Book on Amazon Week 9: Marketing & Launching Your Book Week 10: Selling Beyond Amazon: Week 11: Your Book as an Asset: Week 12: Publishing Plan & Showcase:
Weekly Schedule Week 1: Intro to Illustration Week 2: Character Design Week 3: Props & Details Week Four Setting & World Building Week 5: Page Design & Visual Storytelling pt. 1 Week 6: Page Design & Visual Storytelling pt. 2 Week 7: Building Your Book Dummy Week 8: Choosing the Right Colors Week 9: Cover Design Week 10: Final Illustrations Workshop Week 11: Preparing Artwork for Publishing Week 12:Illustration Showchase
