✍🏽Your favorite writing teacher’s favorite writing teacher

As a writer with a business degree, I understand both sides of the creative life: we want to create cool shit, and we also want to make a living.

I teach ethical, sustainable approaches to storytelling, media strategy, and self-promotion.

I’m the author of Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze, co-author of The Sobriety Deck, and co-founder of (parentheses) botanical beverages.

I’m currently booked out for 1:1 retainer clients but join my waitlist or email me about your project to see if I can help.

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Join my waitlist

Contact me about your project

    • get featured on podcasts

    • establish yourself as an expert

    • learn DIY publicity instead of paying a publicist thousands of dollars a month

    • learn how to position your product/expertise to grab media attention

    • pitch essays and press releases to editors

    • get your product in stores and pop-ups

    • connect with gatekeepers who will help spread the word about the cool shit you’re doing

    • identify different ways to pitch traditional media (news, tv, magazines) and new media (podcasts, newsletters, social media)

    🗞️ BOOK A MEDIA STRATEGY SESH

    • swap likes and comments for an email marketing campaign that people actually click on

    • move your existing blog or email list into a newsletter platform

    • create a content calendar that feels inspiring but not feel overwhelming

    • collaborate with likeminded newsletter writers to spread the word about your work

    • distill your ideas into quippy copy that keeps readers engaged without feeling too salesy

    📧 BOOK A NEWSLETTER SESH

    • create a sustainable marketing plan to launch your book, podcast, or product

    • get your hard work featured in the media, on podcasts, and with like-minded folks who will smash that order button

    • draft a compelling press release and learn who to send it to

    🚀 BOOK A LAUNCH SESH

    • quick glimpse at my retail strategy tips

    • get your books, beverages, and other goods sold in stores

    • email shop owners a brief one-pager that explains why your product belongs in their store

    • create and nurture retail relationships by scheduling in-store events to connect with the community (which results in repeat sales)

    🛒 BOOK A RETAIL SESH

    • traditional publishing vs self-publishing

    • book proposal audits + coaching + editing

    • find a literary agent who’s obsessed with your book

    • ensure your voice is heard and your work reaches its intended audience

    • card decks are having a moment in publishing. read all about it!

    📚 BOOK A PUBLISHING SESH

    • have a bunch of research and ideas floating around your head but don't know what to do with it? i got you.

    • let’s break it all down into manageable pieces

    • identify the main themes or questions your research/idea addresses

    • organize your findings into categories, which will help you see connections and gaps in your knowledge

    • get your ideas published!

    ✍🏽 BOOK A THESIS SESH

    • swap likes + comments for an email marketing campaign that people actually click on

    • learn how to make sense of what your business does and who your target audience is

    • identify how to reach your audience through focused media strategy and content creation that doesn’t feel cringey (hint: i’m going to nudge you to start a newsletter!)

    • clarify your “why me, why now” in your brand messaging

    • pick my brain!

    📣 BOOK A MARKETING SESH

    • pitch editors and write killer subject lines so they actually open their email

    • negotiate your rates to get paid for your work

    • mix your unique story idea with zeitgeist appeal to write the perfect pitch

    • check out my column, Behind the Pitch.

    💻 BOOK A PITCH SESH

    • learn tangible tips to bring your project to life

    • dream big, but also keep it real. let’s break down your big ideas into action items you cross off your to-do list

    • get over imposter syndrome so you can just fucking do the thing you wanna do

    🎯 BOOK A GOAL SESH

  • "I'm so glad I trusted my gut and brought Tawny on right as I was getting the show off the ground, because it's been one of my best decisions. As my creativity coach and PR strategist, she helps me trust my own voice, and she's been shaping my Substack writing too.”

    - Kristin Horstman

  • "Working with Tawny has changed the trajectory of my life! I didn't know how to extrapolate my trans cancer experience from my head and her coaching has really brought things into focus. She truly believes in me and it's a hell of thing to have someone in your corner like that.”

    - Ash Davidson

  • “Tawny has been crucial to my writing process. She’s challenged me and encouraged me at just the right times. My book is significantly better because of her!”

    - Greg Downs

  • "How did I get here? I started with Tawny's book proposal bootcamp (highly recommend!) and continued with 1:1 coaching. I seriously could NOT have gotten to where I am today without Tawny's coaching, expertise, and accountability.”

    - Laura Silverman

  • “If you’re a lost and uncertain aspiring author (like I was!!), then working with Tawny will be invaluable. Her knowledge of the inner workings of the publishing process was just what I needed while building my proposal, and her guidance truly helped me to secure an agent. Plus, sessions with Tawny are fun and creatively deep! I highly recommend making Tawny a part of your authorship journey.”

    -Alyssa Polizzi

  • “Tawny will help you sell your book proposal. She knows the game, and she will teach you how to play it.”

    Paulina Pinsky,
    co-author of It Doesn’t Have to be Awkward

  • "...If you want to actually sell your book, there’s no one else that I’d rely on to teach me the 101.”

    Irina Gonzalez,
    Editor, Journalist, and Author of the Parenting In Hard Mode Newsletter

  • "...When Tawny’s proposal arrived in my agent inbox and I opened it, it was like that scene in Pulp Fiction when they open the briefcase and all golden light shines out. It was perfect...."

    Eric Smith,
    Author & Literary Agent

  • "...She will help you focus your vision and tap into insider knowledge of the publishing world."

    Gemma Hartley,
    Author of Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward

  • "...Her expertise not only helps writers to craft impactful narratives but also to navigate the complexities of mental health with sensitivity and insight."

    Sophie Saint Thomas,
    Author of Reproductive Rites

  • “The publishing world is a minefield, ... she's learned how to navigate this clusterfuck of this industry, ... so you can actually get published and your voice heard.”

    Zachary Zane,
    Author of Boyslut, A Memoir and Manifesto

  • “Tawny is such an excellent resource for someone navigating publishing and proposals for the first time...having Tawny's help saved me weeks if not months of research and helped me feel extremely clear and prepared...Very grateful for her expertise!”

    Mariana Louis,
    Archetypal Tarotist

  • "Tawny Lara is a book marketing genius! ... thanks to her one-of-a-kind promotion strategies, from in-person events to social media campaigns. Any author can learn a lot from her success!

    Jordyn Taylor

    Author of Wicked Darlings and The Paper Girl of Paris

  • “Tawny is THE REASON I was able to land an agent with my book proposal and secure bylines. I would be lost in the writer’s world without her guidance and support.”

    - Sydney Allen

Tawny Lara, AKA The sober sexpert, is also available for public speaking.

Available for Panels & Speaking Events

To Book Tawny for speaking events please reach out to dubbs@thankyouforcomingout.com