Free Workshop, Publication Recs from Agents, Great Writing Advice & What’s on in March
The Forever Workshop’s Very Best Digest
If you’re going to AWP, please please stop by Chill Subs’ booth and say hi! We’re Booth #448, on the corner, irresponsibly bright green banner ((:
Hey friends,
Welcome to the first (possibly last — we’ll see how it goes) very best digest. If you like it, we’ll do more. If you hate it, we probably wont.
What’s inside:
A tool from each workshop that we found exceptionally useful
A calendar of the upcoming workshops and live events in March
12 publications our instructors think you should know about (and submit to)
The Free Workshop of the Month
Okay, let’s go!
A No Bullsh*t Tip from Each February Workshop That Will Genuinely Advance Your Writing Career
Top Tip From:
“So many queries become overwrought because writers contort themselves when trying to adhere to all the conflicting rules they hear from a bunch of advice givers like myself. But every agent knows you can break the rules of query writing and still have a successful query. Having confidence means achieving self-awareness of your own work and hopefully where it fits in the market. It also means you can probably mention any flaws or weaknesses in a way that’s helpful or humorous rather than depressing or overly self-critical.”
— Jane Friedman
Top Tip From:
“As far as selling the collaboration to others, the collab itself should always be mutually beneficial. At first, of course, it’s a lot of favors, but once you start to work up a reputation, social media following and portfolio, people will start reaching out in droves hoping to work with you. Not just because it seems cool or fun, but because it adds something substantial to their life too: gives them a community, a creative opportunity, and something new to add to their resume.”
— Daphne Bryant
Top Tip From:
“If titles stress you out, just adapt the prompt (if the prompt was ‘write about a keychain,’ call your piece ‘Keychain’), look inside the micro for a word or phrase, or go with an emotion that feels adjacent. Treat it as a ‘working title’ for now — the piece may change during revision and demand a new name. But until then, call it something.”
— Darien Gee
Top Tip From:
“Line breaks are one of poetry’s most powerful tools—and one of its most anxiety-inducing decisions. Where you cut a line shapes rhythm, emphasis, breath, and meaning. And sometimes, the answer isn’t to break the line at all, but to let it run free and wild (as in a prose poem)! […] Think about it this way: if punctuation tells us how to read sentences, line breaks tell us how to feel the poem. In a way, they choreograph the reading experience.”
— Shannan Mann
Paid subscribers get full access to all past and fourthcoming workshops
The Workshop Line-up for March 2026
One-Shot Workshops
Everything you need to plan literary world domination in a bite-sized workshop…
How to Plot Your Novel (Without Sobbing in the Middle) — March 4
A brilliantly accessible and practical roadmap to help you create a professional outline for your novel from award-winning writer and Substack bestseller Nina Schuyler
Editorial Experts on Pacing in Short Fiction — March 11
Learn from prestigious lit mag editors Derek Askey (The Sun), Rachel Dillon (Ploughshares) and Steve Chang (Okay Donkey) and discover how to craft and structure short fic
Non-Fiction Pitching 101— March 18
Everything you need to know about writing and pitching essays and articles from freelancing expert and marketing queen Amber Petty
Not Just a Nature Poem: An intro to Ecopoetics — March 25
Explore the delicate and complex web that connects time, nature, humanity and art with this guide to eco-poetry by artist, writer and researcher Madeleine Bazil
Live Events
Join in with live webinars, submitting sessions and Q&As with publishing experts over at big daddy Chill Subs:
Visibility and Book Sales: Marketing Your Book — March 11
Learn the necessary tools, money-saving techniques, and networking skills to market your book with maximum effectiveness — hosted by John Sibley Williams, editor, author of nine poetry collections, and 35-times Pushcart nominee
Simplify Submitting with Chill Subs — March 18
New to Chill Subs? Join this live tutorial and get to grips with all its fancy features, including how to make a profile, browse journal and contests, track your submissions, and much more — with editor, author and columnist Svetlana Litvinchuk
AMA: Carolyn Kuebler, Editor of New England Review — March 25
Bring your burning questions about the lit mags and getting published to this live Q&A with editor, novelist and essayist Carolyn Kuebler and find out how to make the submission process work for you
Free Workshop of The Month
We have an unholy amount of invaluable writing advice in our Forever Archive, so we thought we’d showcase some of our favorites each month and make them available to everyone.
To kick us off, here’s a little author platform wisdom from our in-house marketing genius Shelby:
Social Media for Writers (Made Easy)
Let's make "set it and forget it" social media pages that boost your writing career and don't drain your soul...
12 Publications Our Instructors Think You Should Be Reading (and Submitting To)
Publishers Weekly for the best source for publishing news
The New York Times Review of Books for great features, and lists of upcoming books you don’t want to miss
Writers Magazine for excellent writing advice
(Recommended by Erin C. Niumata, Senior Vice President & literary agent at Folio Literary Management)
Poets & Writers for great personal essays
(Recommended by Karin Gillespie, Simon & Schuster published novelist and Substack bestseller)
Ebony Tomatoes Collective: a lit mag for black women and non-binary creatives that pays their contributors and hosts powerful community events
Runt Magazine: a lit mag based in LA with an amazing visual aesthetic and identity, bold topics and conversations
Jardin Zine: a lit mag based in Boston with calming graphics, kind staff and great work
(Recommended by Daphne Bryant, Founder of multimedia publication Dreamworldgirl Zine)
ZYZZYVA: a robust and eclectic selection of beloved and new writers, covering all genres
CALYX Magazine: featuring women writers and diverse voices
Delmarva Review: an attentive editor who works closely with contributors (which is such a rarity these days)
Short Reads: an editorial team (formerly with Creative Nonfiction magazine) that celebrates writers and writing short
Tupelo Quarterly: championing new writers and established contributors to offer a balance of work that’s fresh and relevant
(Recommended by Darien Gee, 5x Penguin Random House published author, translated into 11 languages)
Okey-poke, that’s a lot of stuff for one little month! See you on the blank page…
Jo & Shel
Did you find this digest helpful?
Also, tell us about what you’ve been writing this month and what you’re looking forward to in March!
Super helpful. New info & needed reminders alike. Thank you. Would be thrilled if it continues
love a monthly wrap up 🤌🏻