Replay: Maurice Carlos Ruffin shares Five Things He's Learned Too Late about Publishing His First Book
Check out the first five minutes of his recent class.
“What matters most? I learned too late that you only have one chance to debut. Yes, you may publish other books, but you only have one opportunity to announce yourself to the world and set the tone for the kind of writing life you wish to have.”
– Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Five Things I’ve Learned Too Late about Publishing My First Book
Maurice Carlos Ruffin recently joined us to share the Five Things He’s Learned about how to make the most of your one opportunity to announce yourself to the world – and how to set the tone for the writing life you wish to have.
Maurice is the author of the national bestseller The American Daughters and The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You, both New York Times Editor’s Choices. His debut novel, We Cast a Shadow, was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and several other major prizes. He’s the recipient of numerous honors, including the Louisiana Writer Award and the South Arts State Fellowship, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Oxford American, and Four Hundred Souls. A New Orleans native, Maurice is a tenured professor at Louisiana State University, has taught at major literary conferences, and produces the craft-focused newsletter and podcast Sitting in Silence.
His class, Five Things I’ve Learned Too Late about Publishing My First Book offers an honest, behind-the-scenes guide to the five most important things he’s learned too late about debuting a book—insights that can help you avoid common pitfalls and set the foundation for a sustainable writing career. Drawing from personal experience as an award-winning author and professor, Maurice shares hard-earned lessons about vision, publishing, team dynamics, publicity, and launch strategy to help you make the most of your first book release.
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