Upod academy Video Packages
The Agent Pack
10 Literary Agents
10+ hours of publishing wisdom
$125
Look Here For the Full Library Of Upod Videos
Agent Liz Phair from Greenburger & Associates. In this illuminating session, she spells out the path for publishing and we compare plants in our Zoom backgrounds.
Brian DeFiore, DeFiore & Co.
In his insightful session, Brian showed us how to craft book proposals that are as captivating as a novel, keeping agents hooked from the first page.
Sarah Phair, Greenburger Associates (pictured)
Delivered the clearest, most actionable advice yet on what makes a query and proposal stand out in today's competitive market.
Liz Parker, Verve
A friendly guide through the often sharky waters of publishing, Liz is as sharp as she is approachable.
Kevin Anderson, Anderson & Associates
Agent for ghostwriters who will make sure you’re not left in the dark. His session was packed with practical tips for working with ghostwriters.
Bonnie Nadell, Hill Nadell
Legendary agent to David Foster Wallace, Bonnie shared timeless publishing wisdom, offering valuable insights to authors at all stages.
Rick Richter, Aevitas Creative Management
Rick's mantra: "Your success is my success." He's signed several Upodders and is known for his unwavering support.
Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Associates
A fan favorite among Upodders! Kirby’s session is often ranked as the best, and for good reason—he’s signed multiple authors from our group.
Laura Mazer, WSA
Laura has the magic touch, transforming even the faintest of ideas into fully realized book concepts. She specializes in adult fiction and nonfiction, with a particular focus on cultural commentary, health and wellness, women’s lifestyle, and popular history and science.
Stacey Glick, Dystel & Goderich
This lively session is a hit every year! Stacey’s expertise spans memoir, food, psychology, self-help, mental health, lifestyle, women’s issues, and beyond.
Suzanne Gluck, WME
The queen of agents—Suzanne is a powerhouse. If she’s on board, your project is destined for greatness. She’s signed several Upodders, securing their place in the industry.
This could be the best $125 investment you'll ever make in your career.
Ordering is easy:
Zelle: davidhochman@mac.com (Ruth Kennison)
Venmo: david-hochman-1
PayPal: davidhochman@mac.com
The Travel Pack
Five Top Travel Editors
$50
Get inside the minds of top travel editors as they spill the dos and don’ts of pitching your stories—all for an economy-class price. In these sessions, you’ll hear firsthand insights from:
Peter Terzian, Features Editor at Travel + Leisure (pictured)
Sarika Bansal, Editorial Director at Afar
Amanda Finnegan, Travel Editor (and more) at The Washington Post
Starlight Williams, Editor at National Geographic
Sarah Bruning, formerly of Travel + Leisure*
(*Sarah left T+L in 2024, but her advice is still gold.)
In short, it's a way to get the scoop straight from the experts and fine-tune your travel pitches.
Send $50 via...
Zelle: 310 383-5555 (Ruth Kennison)
Venmo: @david-hochman-1
PayPal: davidhochman@mac.com
Look Here for the Full Library of Upod Videos
The New Yorker Starter Pack
Ten hours of New Yorker pitching insights
$100
Introducing The New Yorker starter pack! Nine videos from New Yorker editors and writers who detail what it takes to get into "the greatest magazine that ever was." You won't find this content or this level of depth and insight anywhere else outside One World Trade Center. Even the older sessions are enormously helpful in capturing the essence and rigorous mindset of NYer-worthy storytelling and pitching. Here's who's in the pack:
Monica Racic, digital director. From the Oct 2023 session.
Rachel Syme, staff writer, on New Yorker-level storytelling.
Emma Allen, humor and cartoons editor. One of the funniest and most rewarding Upod sessions ever.
Susan Morrison, longtime articles editor. She knows all.
Daniel Zalewski, features director. Revered by everyone.
Doreen St. Felix, staff writer since 2017. TV critic.
Dorothy Wickenden, former managing editor. Still tons of wisdom in this session.
Nathan Burstein, current managing editor.
David Grann, genius writer and author of Killers of the Flower Moon, The Wager, The Lost City of Z, etc.
The nine session package is $100 dollars, payable via…
Zelle: 310 383-5555 (Ruth Kennison)
Venmo: @david-hochman-1
PayPal: davidhochman@mac.com
Include your email and I will email you the links/codes for the videos.
The Smarty Pants Pack
The Alantic & New York Times Magazine
7+ Hours of Pitching Wisdom
$75
The Atlantic
Denise Wills, editorial director - advice on how to hit the Atlantic’s very high bar for entry.
Lauren Williams, culture editor - taking pitches on ‘what it all means’ stories, circa now.
Lenika Cruz, senior editor - smart advice on pitching digital and print.
The New York Times Magazine
Sasha Weiss, culture editor and writer - detailed insights on pitching meaty pieces.
Wesley Morris, contributing editor and writer - a fun session from one of my favorite guests ever.
Sheila Glaser, senior editor - tough talk on pitching the vaunted publication.
Emily Bazelon, contributing writer - brilliant advice on structuring longform pieces and more.
$75 dollars, payable via…
Zelle: 310 383-5555 (Ruth Kennison)
Venmo: @david-hochman-1
PayPal: davidhochman@mac.com
Include your email and I will email you the links/codes for the videos.
The Upod Pop-Up Nights Pack
Playbacks of Upod Special Events
Two hourlong sessions for $60
Our special-event pop-ups are packed with useful mechanics for pitching and making more $$.
Our session with Substack co-founder and Chief Writing Officer Hamish McKenzie covers every imaginable question about starting and building a Substack newsletter, from rookie mistakes to earning enough to fire all your freelance clients. We really packed a ton into this informative session.
And if you missed the sold-out headline-writing clinic with Abby Williams, Huffington Post’s Editorial Director for Audience Growth & Strategy, you can watch it now. The session opens with Abby's useful data-driven presentation deck on writing better headlines, creating a "curiosity gap," and more. Then there's a raucous headline pitch session, where Abby helps Upodders polish headlines on the spot. Amazing to watch. Guaranteed to change your headline game.
$60 for the pair. Order via…
Zelle: 310 383-5555 (Ruth Kennison)
Venmo: @david-hochman-1
PayPal: davidhochman@mac.com