Poetry & Publishing
with Jeanine Walker
Genres: Poetry
Online
Online Introductory, Intermediate
Introductory, Intermediate 6 Sessions
6 Sessions In stock
"Here’s what I’ve learned: A maze contains
multiple routes: wasted trips, dead ends.
But a labyrinth offers just one path
and it leads to the center. You can’t get lost."
— Bill Hollands, "Memory Sonnet," published in Identity Theory
If you’ve ever felt lost in the world of poetry submissions—overwhelmed by literary journals, unsure where to begin—this class is your map.
In this six-week poetry publishing course, you’ll research target journals, build a sustainable submission tracking system, and draft a cover letter that reflects your voice and vision. While there's no formal workshop, you’ll participate in a mock editorial committee, gaining insider perspective on how editors evaluate work—and what makes a poem rise to the top.
You’ll also read and write in response to contemporary poets like Jericho Brown, Franny Choi, Solmaz Sharif, letting their work sharpen your voice and expand your range.
By the end of class, you’ll have:
- A working poetry submissions plan
- A first submission sent to a literary journal
- A deeper understanding of how to navigate the literary landscape with intention, not guesswork.
- New poem drafts and starts
This class is perfect for poets with at least four poems they’re proud of and ready to share—regardless of publication history. Just bring your work, your questions, and your curiosity.
This Class Focuses On:
- Generative Writing: Focuses on producing new writing through prompts and exercises.
- Close Reading & Analysis: Engages deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style.
- Publishing & Professional Development: Focuses on submitting work, understanding the publishing industry, or building a writing career.
What to Expect:
- Goal Setting & Accountability: Includes tools or practices to help students stay motivated.
- Project-Based: Students will work toward completing a specific project (e.g., a story, poem, or essay).
- Publishing: Covers submission strategies, query letters, or publishing tips.
- Career & Industry Guidance: Focuses on navigating the writing profession.
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Lecture: Instructor-led teaching.
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation.
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- In-Class Writing Time: Class will include dedicated time to write.
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
- Instructor Feedback: Students receive direct feedback from the instructor.
- Work Outside of Class: 1–2 hours of writing or reading outside of class per week.
Students say…
“This class was both extremely practical and confidence building for me as a writer. Jeanine is a fabulous instructor and I would take any class from her 😊"
“I'm grateful to have an updated how-to for publishing since it's been a few years. I always thought of it as a tedious part of writing, but Jeanine helped frame it as a generative practice.”
“Submitting my material to publications always seemed very daunting, and Jeanine helped break down the barriers to submitting for me. She made the act of submitting easy, and she was very transparent and open about her own methodologies and practices that she uses to keep track of publications, etc. Additionally, something that I need to get better at is writing when I don't feel like writing, and she did a really great job of making the idea of consistent writing very accessible. I was blown away by the organized structure of Jeanine's classes and the balance she struck between reading, writing, practical tips, peer discussion, etc. I am very thankful to Jeanine — she shared so much with us, and for the first time, I now have tangible goals to consistently write and to get my writing out there!”
Registration Dates:
- May 20: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- May 27: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- June 1: Last day of Early Bird discount
- June 3: Scholarship applications open at 10:30 am PT
Jeanine Walker
Jeanine Walker is the author of The Two of Them Might Outlast Me (2022). She has received writing fellowships from Artist Trust, the Jack Straw Cultural Center, Wonju, UNESCO City of Literature, and Inprint. Her work has appeared in Bennington Review, New Ohio Review, Pleiades, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere. A poet with a Ph.D. in creative writing from the University of Houston, Jeanine is a long-time poetry teacher and most recently taught English at Kangwon National University in Chuncheon, South Korea.
Describe your teaching style.
Positive, fun, and generous, I love to make my students feel welcome and let them know it's important to me that they're there.
FAQ
Complete FAQEach class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).
Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.
Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers.
Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.
Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.
Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.
Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.
Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.
Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.
All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.
You’ll get your class information, including Zoom link if applicable, three days before the first day of class.
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program, operated in partnership with the Seattle Public Library. Two take place onsite at SPL locations, one takes place online.
Sliding-scale classes are offered every quarter. Find them in our Class Catalog.
We announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.
At this time, we offer payment plans on classes 8 sessions and up. Email education@hugohouse.org with the name of the class you’re interested in to set up a payment plan.
-
We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
-
Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
-
We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.
-
If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.
-
If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.
Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!
During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!
While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.
Asynchronous classes take place through the website Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.
Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 business days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception if a student has specific access needs.
We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.
We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.
If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.
You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red “Request a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the “add to cart” button.
Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.
Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!
Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today.
If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more. Learn more on our Volunteer page.
Make a Donation
Donations made throughout the year help fund our programs and operations.
