REAL TALK TIME.
"Get published" is not a clear goal.
Understanding the kind of book you're writing, the kind of career you want, and this book's role in that career gives you life-changing clarity on HOW and WHERE you want to be published, and perhaps most of all, WHY — and WHAT exactly getting published will do for you.
Stop making career plans based on outdated industry myths, and develop a real action plan with a real timeline and real, tangible, crystal clear bucket list goals.
Stop trying to do what your favorite author did, and redefine what you want YOUR author journey to look like so that you have an unshakeable confidence.
Revamp your writing routine, writing goals, and writing calendar in a way that is based on your birth chart AND ACTUALLY FUCKING WORKS FOR YOU.
Get clear on your Inner Artist and your Inner Businessperson in a way that's sustainable for the long-term.
You're due for a breakthrough.
aka do you guys ever think about what it would be like to actually finish your book and know what your next steps were like what if
I was really excited about this from the beginning; but I was totally unprepared for how transformative it was.
When I started BDB, I was coming off almost a year and a half of querying agents, with over a dozen rejections. I'd been mired in a decade-long book project (a huge scifi trilogy) which was finally picking up speed, and I was starting to feel hopeful about finishing it, but the weight of that many rejections was really demoralizing. I wanted to be in community with other writers to see if I could figure out what I was doing wrong (was it the book? the query letter? the sample pages? did I just suck?) and get support from other people who have been through the same process.
Jeanna asked us before the first session to imagine where we wanted to be at the end of it, and my first instinct was to limit myself, keeping my aspirations manageable and small (maybe just coming out of it with a stronger query letter would be enough?) I forced myself to just say what I wanted: an agent, a yes, a career that was moving forward in a big way towards finally being able to at least partially make a living through my art.
I got all those things, but in a way I couldn't have imagined and would never have found on my own. Jeanna's guidance prompted me to think differently about my writing, my career, and the stories I wanted to tell, and the practical wisdom from both other cohort members and expert guests helped me clarify my next steps.
It turned out that what my heart wanted was to start a new project; after a year and a half of crushing rejections, the new book hooked the interest of one of my dream agents who I hadn't even queried because she was closed to applicants. All I had was an outline and an idea, and she was ready to jump on board.
I can't overstate how much this workshop changed my writing career; I had sort of given up on finding any kind of success in trad publishing after getting so many rejections, but between the wisdom of our Q&A experts and the self-reflection we did in our rituals together, it finally clicked for me that I just wasn't thinking expansively enough. I had put all my eggs in the scifi trilogy's basket and assumed any no to that was a no to me as a writer, and it really blew everything wide open to discover that wasn't true.
I can't promise that everyone who takes this workshop will come in saying "I want to find an agent" and then come out of it with an agent at the end, like I did, but I can promise that the exploration of your own writer identity and the endless array of expert resources available are absolutely worth it for anyone.
— Claire Willett, the internet's gay Catholic aunt
The Practical & the Magical for Finally Getting Published
You are going to learn how to marry the magical with the practical in a way that works for you... AND supports your publishing journey.
You're going to get clear on how to do witchcraft for your professional creative pursuits... AND meet with industry professionals, from Big 5 editors to bestselling authors, who can illuminate the path forward.
You're going to do spells AND make spreadsheets (okay both are optional but you get the vibe!).
And you're going to be more inspired AND focused than ever.
your imposter syndrome is ken; it can come along but it can't drive!
For 10 weeks, from September 13th to November 15th, we’ll use your birth chart, the magical power of ritual, conversations with industry pros, and straight up spellcraft to break through to the next level in your publishing journey — and get career-defining clarity on what actually works for you.
8 live rituals. 9 live Q&As. (All recorded and available as replays!). Publishing 101. Witchcraft 101. AND guided walk-throughs from me for publishing spells that actually work.
This is what I needed when I first started on my publishing journey.
I went into Book Deal Breakthrough hoping to strengthen and interweave my creative and spiritual practices together, and I left with that and so much more. I now have a more practical understanding of how the publishing industry functions and what type of career I want to build within that structure, but I also have instilled in myself a new self-confidence. I'm leaving Book Deal Breakthrough feeling resourced and nourished, both creatively and magically, and that is in a huge part thanks to Jeanna.
Jeanna is an incredible facilitator and teacher, who creates a safe and welcoming environment for all skill levels. She brings so much knowledge to the table as well as valuable connections and resources that help demystify so much of the publishing process.
Over the course of the program I finished a rewrite of my novel, revised half of it, and wrote a query letter—all while deepening the connection to my creative practice. This was truly one of the most impactful, wonderful containers I've been in and I cannot recommend it enough.
Jeanna is an inspired and kind guide through both the esoteric and mystical world of magic, and the gritty practicalities of publishing. I have so much more respect for myself as a writer, since Jeanna took us all so seriously, and treated us as publication-worthy. I feel a deep integration of the eclectic parts of me from this experience, and I would definitely recommend this course. The people in the cohort were awesome. I learned so much. I want to take it again!
I signed up for Meet Your Muse (a different meditation offering) on a last-minute whim and had a profound experience. Luckily, Jeanna announced this cohort at the end that session; I would have been at a loss of where to go from there since I've never been a particularly spiritual person. But Book Deal Breakthrough weaved in that aspect in an accessible and grounded way that really supported the practical insights provided by guest speakers.
Jeanna's carefully constructed meetings and activities provided the scaffolding I needed to move forward with my projects—I even had a meeting with an interested agent toward the end of the container.
I recommend taking advantage of this one, even if you don't consider yourself spiritual. You might be surprised.
Over the last decade of my career as a working writer, I have sold two nonfiction books on proposal (one at auction for six figures) — and worked on numerous projects that went in the drawer. I've taught creative writing to undergraduates and to adults independently continuing their education, from their thirties to their seventies. I have hosted events with publishing experts — and sat on panels with my fellow astrologers and witches. I have written publicly about the pains of being on submission and the book deal spells I've done in the process. Behind the scenes, I have ghost written book proposals and read the astrological birth charts of nearly a thousand working writers and artists — from New York Times bestsellers to freshly minted MFAs — to help them get unstuck and unblocked.
To me, writing and witchcraft are two halves of the same coin. So I thought: what if we did it all in one program?
How unstoppable would that make you?
How prepared to publish. How ready and f-ing resourced!
Which is why I've created THE BOOK DEAL BREAKTHROUGH, and invited a bunch of my friends and colleagues along for the ride.
Ritual workshops will be held almost every Sunday between September 13th and November 15th from 1-3:00pm Eastern. (Note that all times are Eastern.)
Industry guests for this cohort are still being determined and so Q&A times are TBD.
WEEK ONE: Welcome + Opening Circle (Sep 13) & Publishing 101 Q&A with Jeanna (Sep 14, 7-9p)
WEEK TWO: The Story You Tell Yourself: Expectations vs. Environment (Sep 20) & Q&A TBD
WEEK THREE: How You Work: Your 3H & Your Writing Routine (Sep 27) & Q&A TBD
WEEK FOUR: ~integration/catch-up week~ & Q&A TBD
WEEK FIVE: Meet Your Muse II: Going Deeper (Oct 11) & Q&A TBD
WEEK SIX: Your Creative Home (Oct 18) & Q&A TBD
WEEK SEVEN: Enchanting Your Author Brand: The MC, Archetypal Magic, and Social Media (Oct 25) & Q&A TBD
WEEK EIGHT: ~integration/catch-up week~ & Q&A TBD
WEEK NINE: Working a Career Spell (Nov 8) & Query Letter workshop with Jeanna (Nov 10, 7-9pm)
WEEK TEN (Nov 15): Reflections & Closing Ritual Circle
All events will be recorded and available for participants in perpetuity.
Industry guests for this round of BDB are TBD (this will be updated by late August), but the spring/summer 2026's cohort guests included:
Nikki St. Crowe, a USA Today Bestselling dark romantasy author who began her career indie (self) publishing before transitioning to Big 5
Carla Bruce, a publicist at Lavender Public Relations and former Director of Publicity at Harper One World
Dana Murphy, a senior agent at Trellis Literary
Jenny Xu, a senior editor at Atria (Simon & Schuster)
Lilly Dancyger, nonfiction faculty at a lo-res MFA, former small press editor, and acclaimed memoirist
Casey McQuiston, a #1 New York Times bestselling author of queer romance
