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Map Your Book

4.8

(7 ratings)

·

6 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Refine your idea and plan your nonfiction book chapter-by-chapter to get unstuck, find inspiration, and write a book that sells.

Course overview

Plan Your Book So You Never Get Stuck

You've got a message - a story to share that the world needs to hear.


But how do you take that idea all the way from Introduction to Conclusion? How do you fill 50,000 (or more!) words with that idea?


Too many authors start strong but run out of steam because they haven't made a plan. Too many authors have a vision for the end result but don't know how to make it a reality.


We'll help you map your book from start to finish.


Book mapping is at the heart of everything we do. As long-time publishing professionals who have worked on hundreds of books, we know that the best books start with a solid plan.


By creating a visual map of your book's content, you'll always know what to write next and feel confident that you're on the right track.


Is it right for you?

This course is best for those who aspire to publish a commercially successful book, and are open to feedback and willing to adjust their vision in order to achieve that dream! We see everyday what works and what doesn't - so we'll be honest if your idea isn't commercially viable. You'll get the most out of this course if you come in with an open mind.

Who this course is for

01

Thought leaders and experts who know that writing a book is the next step to their big breakout.

02

Aspiring memoirists who want to learn from commercially successful memoirs how to tell a winning story.

03

Historians, academics, and experts who want to write the next Seabiscuit or The Boys in the Boat.

What you’ll get out of this course

Define your audience and pick a genre

Every book starts with knowing who you're writing for and what you're writing. Your book is no exception! Plus, we'll help you choose great models to learn from.

Get personalized feedback on your big idea

Nailing down your big idea is one of the hardest parts of writing a book! We'll spend lots of time helping you refine your idea into an argument worth writing and defending.

Create a transformative journey for your reader

Every book is about transformation - and it's essential to have clarity about where your reader is starting and where they're going before you begin writing.

Learn how to structure your book from start to finish

For every nonfiction genre, we'll give you tools and templates to find a structure that works!

Outline every chapter for maximum impact

Every chapter should have a rhythm and accomplish a little transformation of its own. We'll help you build a sequence of chapters that lead to your book's ultimate transformation.

This course includes

11 interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

In-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

Projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Oct 8—Oct 13

    Oct

    8

    Week 1: Audience, Genre, Comps

    Tue 10/86:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)

    Oct

    11

    Week 1 Workshop

    Fri 10/1112:00 AM—1:00 AM (UTC)

    Pick Your Genre

    5 items

    Define Your Audience

    4 items

    Choose Your Comp Titles

    4 items

Week 2

Oct 14—Oct 20

    Oct

    15

    Week 2: Find Your Big Idea

    Tue 10/156:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)

    Oct

    18

    Week 2 Workshop

    Fri 10/1812:00 AM—1:00 AM (UTC)

    Find Your Big Idea

    6 items

Week 3

Oct 21—Oct 27

    Oct

    22

    Week 3: Tell Your Transformation Tale

    Tue 10/226:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)

    Oct

    25

    Week 3 Workshop

    Fri 10/2512:00 AM—1:00 AM (UTC)

    Tell Your Transformation Tale - Prescriptive Nonfiction

    6 items

    Tell Your Transformation Tale - Memoir & Narrative

    6 items

Week 4

Oct 28—Nov 3

    Oct

    29

    Week 4: Structure Your Book

    Tue 10/296:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)

    Oct

    31

    Week 4 Workshop

    Thu 10/3112:00 AM—1:00 AM (UTC)

    Structure Your Book - Prescriptive Nonfiction

    5 items

    Structure Your Book - Memoir & Narrative

    4 items

Week 5

Nov 4—Nov 10

    Nov

    5

    Week 5: Plan Your Chapters

    Tue 11/57:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

    Nov

    8

    Week 5 Workshop

    Fri 11/81:00 AM—2:00 AM (UTC)

    Plan Your Chapters - Prescriptive Nonfiction

    6 items

    Plan Your Chapters - Creative Nonfiction

    5 items

Week 6

Nov 11—Nov 12

    Nov

    12

    Week 6: Paths to Publishing

    Tue 11/127:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

    Paths to Publishing

    1 item

    Writing Your Book

    4 items

Post-course

    Set Readers' Expectations With a Great Introduction

    5 items

    Send Them Off With a Compelling Conclusion

    4 items

Bonus

    Prescriptive Nonfiction Book Maps

    5 items

    Sample Creative Nonfiction Book Maps

    7 items

4.8

(7 ratings)

What students are saying

Meet your coaches

Ariel Curry

Ariel Curry

Senior Editor

Ariel Curry currently serves as Sr. Editor for nonfiction at Sourcebooks. Prior to that, she collaborated with authors on nonfiction book proposals and manuscripts for traditional publishers (including the Big 5), and served as an acquisitions editor at Corwin Press for nearly 9 years. She specializes in developing commercially successful prescriptive nonfiction and memoirs. As an editor, she enjoys brainstorming and outlining new book ideas, bringing clarity and purpose to prose, and helping authors build their self-efficacy. She has collaborated with bestselling authors such as Jeff Goins, TED speaker Sugata Mitra, New York Times columnist Warren Berger, supermodel Genevieve Morton, and TV producer Matt Williams.


When she’s not working on books, you can find Ariel doing yoga, playing piano, beekeeping, or reading with a cup of coffee. She lives in Chattanooga, TN, with her husband, foster kids, and rescue dogs, Enyo and Tenaya.

Liz Morrow

Liz Morrow

Bestselling ghostwriter

Liz Morrow is a traditionally-published ghostwriter for entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business experts. She specializes in personal and professional development and memoir. Though she has experience in every piece of the pipeline—including book ideation, planning, positioning, editing, and marketing—writing has always been the part she loves most. She is proud to have worked with authors such as Grant Baldwin, Jeff Goins, Pat Flynn, and Whitney English and publishers such as Baker Books, Harper Horizon, Harper Leadership, and Hay House.


When she’s not writing, you can find Liz listening to long-form podcasts, rewatching The Office, and drinking margaritas with friends. She lives in Greenville, SC with her husband, two children, and goldendoodle.



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Course schedule

2-3 hours per week

  • Tuesday Teachings

    2:00-3:00p

    On Tuesdays, we'll teach you that week's lessons and split into breakout groups so everyone has time to share ideas and ask questions specific to their genre.

  • Thursday Workshops

    8-9p ET

    We realize that not everyone can make it live to the teachings on Tuesdays, so you can catch up on the replays and come Thursday evenings to workshop your ideas, get feedback, and hang out with your new writer friends!

Free resource

Your Bestselling Book Idea

Watch our favorite webinar to preview the Week 2 teaching in our cohort and start refining your book's big idea!

Watch the webinar now

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other writers through breakout rooms and workshop time

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I can’t make a live session?

I work full-time, what is the expected time commitment?

What’s the refund policy?

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Map Your Book