The Published Author

Tools for navigating through the elusive, complicated, and confusing world of publishing. Find an agent, submit your best work, and get published.

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For first time authors, getting a book or manuscript published is a daunting task. There is not much creativity involved and luck has even less to do with it. But with the right preparation and execution, an aspiring author can pursue agents and get published.

Sound too good to be true?

It doesn’t help that MFA programs have popped up all over the country, churning out writers who appear to know what it takes to get published. Many students become overly analytical of their work and believe getting an agent will be impossible. The cited stats become scare tactics, but not anymore.

A course can do one of two things: make you fear the publishing process or provide you with the tools needed to navigate through the world of publishing. In The Published Author, we opt for the latter. This course will provide a step-by-step guide to take your work from your desk drawer to the shelves of Barnes & Noble.

I created The Published Author because I know, first hand, the struggle many new authors face just thinking about getting their book published. I also created this course because I did it. My fiction novel was published by Simon Pulse, the young adult division of Simon & Schuster.

I had a sense that it might be tough to get published, but I forged my own path. I refused to listen to those preaching that getting an agent would be possible. There was a lot of noise, but I had a story that needed to be told. If you're still reading this, I bet you feel the same way.

I created a strategic path for myself. And now, I’m sharing that path with you.


Your Instructor


Amy Belasen Draheim
Amy Belasen Draheim

Amy Belasen Draheim is a published author, marketing guru, and founder of ABD Creative, a consulting agency dedicated to helping clients tell their best stories. Her novel, Jenny Green's Killer Junior Year, was published by Simon Pulse, the young adult division of Simon & Schuster. Well traveled, well fed, and well read, Amy holds a BA in English from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. When she's not traveling the world, she lives in Bend, Oregon with her growing family.


Course Curriculum


  Welcome
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  Completing Your Manuscript
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  All About Agents
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"I began the course with only two things: A written introduction, and a story that needed to be told. I knew nothing about writing or publishing. A novice for sure! Two years later, I had a completed manuscript, an agent and two competing publishing offers. I credit Amy Belasen Draheim with teaching me how to write a query letter, how to find agents in your genre, and the basics of a proposal. I sent my query to only two agents. Both responded within one week and asked for the proposal. One agent told me it was the best proposal he’d ever seen, and he wasn’t even the one who signed me. Thank you, Amy!"

- Barbara Cofer Stoefen, Published Author, A Very Fine House

"I enrolled in Amy’s course with a completed fiction manuscript and total ignorance of the steps to get published. By the time I completed her course, I had an understanding of how to search and query agents as well as publishers, but more importantly, the confidence to move forward. Within 3 months I had found an agent, and within 7 months I had a contract from Light Messages Publishing. With five published books and USA Today Bestseller status, I can honestly say that The Published Author was a life-changing event for me."

- Dave Edlund, USA Today Bestselling Author, Peter Savage Novels

"Amy is knowledgable, approachable and the content of the course is extremely useful, especially for anyone launching their writing. The class is set at a comfortable, manageable pace, guiding students through each step of the publishing process. After taking Amy's course, I hired Amy to edit my novel. She provided incredibly useful insight, both in terms of my writing and the story as a whole. My writing improved and elements of the story were greatly enhanced with her suggestions. She provided direct, succinct, feedback that better developed characters, and moved the story forward. The process improved the quality of my writing, as well as my confidence."

- Joni Kilstofte, Aspiring Author

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. The content is evergreen - you can come back to it when you're ready and restart the course or pick up where you left off.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
Who is The Published Author for?
The Published Author is for writers who have completed, or are very close to completing a full manuscript. Although self-publishing has grown in popularity in recent years, this course does not cover self-publishing. The course is focused on the traditional publishing route - which typically includes distribution of your book in mainstream bookstores and online. The first step in getting published is completing your work. If you've come this far, you're a great candidate for The Published Author. The course provides a step-by-step guide for fiction and non-fiction writers alike, breaking down differences whenever necessary, though the truth is, the process is very similar. As a published author of a young adult fiction novel, I'm most familiar with this world, but non-fiction writers will find the step-by-step guides not only applicable but equally beneficial.  If you've just come up with the idea for your story but haven't yet put pen to paper, bookmark this course for later. If you prefer the self-publishing route over traditional publishing, this course may not be for you.
How long does it take to complete the course and see results?
You can complete the course at your own pace, but I recommend completing one section per week. If you follow this schedule, you'll complete the course in six weeks! I taught this course in a classroom over six weeks, and many students found a lot of success in that time. It provided enough time between sections to complete the workbook assignments. Within a few months of completing the course, my students had successfully sent their first query letters, and within a year, two of my students had been published.
Is the course right for me?
I could go on and on about why I think The Published Author is the best resource for aspiring writers to become published authors. There are numerous courses out there for aspiring writers about crafting your story and honing your writing. This course is the next step - this course allows writers with a completed work to get it into the right hands and get published. If this is you, I can't recommend this course highly enough. But don't just take my word for it. I'll let you hear from one of my former students who is now a published author:  "I began the course with only two things: A written introduction, and a story that needed to be told. I knew nothing about writing or publishing. A novice for sure! Two years later, I had a completed manuscript, an agent and two competing publishing offers. I credit Amy Belasen Draheim with teaching me how to write a query letter, how to find agents in your genre, and the basics of a proposal. I sent my query to only two agents. Both responded within one week and asked for the proposal. One agent told me it was the best proposal he’d ever seen, and he wasn’t even the one who signed me. Thank you, Amy!" - Barbara Cofer Stoefen, A Very Fine House

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