This frank, personal, yet expert version of how publishing works is designed to answer the most urgent questions aspiring writers have about access to a readership. The course will first familiarize students with the basic structures of publishing and the needs and attitudes of editors; then take apart myths of how publishing success happens; and finally evaluate different ways of gaining entry and building a portfolio and a network. Entertaining literary excerpts related to each week’s topic have been chosen to help stimulate discussion, allowing students to bring forward their own experiences and concerns. The rise of the Internet has created confusion as well as new opportunities for writers, while the traditional publishing industry has contracted painfully. This course will shed light on these moving targets, mitigate frustration, and give encouragement.