The Creative Art of Proposals

This course is available for you anytime, online, 365 days a year — whenever YOU need it. Download the lessons and go at your own pace as you learn this intuitive, effective pathway to getting your proposals out the door.  

Just the class, ma’am: $169

*

Class + 1 Private Strategy Session! $300

start anytime. work at your own pace. what are you waiting for?

 

A Fancy Little E-Course to Get You Writing About Your Work

(Without Tearing Out Your Hair)

If you’re like most writers and artists, you’re always feeling like you should be applying for stuff. Grants, gigs, fellowships. Jacket copy, crowdfunders, residencies. Book proposals, collaborations, article pitches—oh my!

The opportunities are out there. People you know (even, shhhh: less talented people!) have gotten them. In fact, there are hundreds of organizations that exist solely to give money, space, and resources to artists and writers.

All you need to do is … describe your work in writing.

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More Creativity, Less Agony

This e-course is for anyone who wants help turning that “Waaaa!” into prose. It’s designed for creative people of all disciplines and genres, including writers, visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, dancers, entrepreneurs, consultants, teachers, arts administrators … and you.

Creative proposals are different from old-school business plans or contract bids. Creative people are different, and our projects are often exploratory, without guaranteed outcomes. We’re that special size that doesn’t fit into a one-size-fits-all approach.

That’s why I’ve designed this course just for creatives. It’s jam-packed with everything I’ve learned over two decades of writing successful proposals for myself and for others (scroll down to see my proposal “street cred”). I’ve fine-tuned the material through live workshops, and now I’m offering it online so that you can access it from anywhere in the solar system.

I can’t swear that every proposal you submit after taking this course will win. But I do know that your win rate, and more importantly, your application rate—your willingness and capacity to put your name in the hat—will increase. And if you steadily send in your proposals over a period of time using your new, kick-ass language, you’ll see results. Awesome results.

Because this course is for artists and writers and people just starting out, I’ve intentionally kept the price low. In putting it together, I looked at dozens of offers out there to help people with proposals. I’ve seen a $600 offer to help you hone one paragraph, and a $5,000 coaching package.

I set the price low because I don’t think you need all that. What you need most is already inside you: a deep intimacy with your own beautiful, valuable work. 

On top of that, you need: Confidence and a way to express your ideas clearly. Samples, templates, and reality-check information. A supportive tone, heck yes. And most of all: a strategy for getting your passion onto paper.

That’s what The Creative Art of Proposals is all about. This e-course will guide you to the heart of what you want to say, quickly and efficiently — so that you can spend more time on your creativity and less time agonizing over (or avoiding) your important career documents.

Who I Am and Why I Made This Class
(a.k.a. Minal’s Proposal Street Cred)

It’s strange to say, but almost every creative or professional accomplishment in my life has started with a written proposal.

In my early 20s, I was accepted to my first creative writing residency and was promoted to become the youngest department head in my newsroom, both by writing proposals. Since then, proposals have landed me a Fulbright fellowship to research a novel in India, a fellowship at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a Sundance Institute writing fellowship; various other grants and residencies; promotions; consulting gigs; and a six-figure book contract.

I’ve also helped raise millions of dollars through professional grantwriting work and served as a contest judge, so I’ve seen the process from all sides. As a writing coach, I love helping people find the freedom to tell their most powerful stories. You can read more about me on my bio page.

This course exists because I believe that creative people at all levels deserve funding, support, and space and time to work.

Ever since I was a young, unpublished poet working the graveyard shift on the copy desk, I’ve experienced how going after those opportunities can lead to immense creative and professional leaps. And I want you to make those leaps, too.

Here’s How It Works

The core of the program is 21 organized, interactive lessons, each one with a simple yet inspiring homework exercise. By following this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to infuse your proposals with the same gorgeous energy that you bring to your art.

putting the S-P-A-R-K into your proposals

My S-P-A-R-K framework guides you to generate language that is:

Shiny: That special something that makes your art unique is the exact same thing that will make your proposal leap out of the pack. Instead of toning down your magic to sound “more professional” or “fit in,” you’ll learn how to identify and channel your originality to make your proposal stand out—without being amateurish or gimmicky.

Persuasive: You’ll learn how to assess each opportunity, identify what the folks on the receiving end are really looking for, and then give it to them — packaged as your own project.

Authentic: There is nothing more powerful than the truth. Your own voice is your greatest strength. In this section you’ll tap your core to write language that is true to yourself and communicates your values clearly to another person.

Relevant and Realistic: Here’s where we get into the pragmatic aspects: timelines, priorities, and project milestones. I’ll help you nail it every time.

Killer: At the very end, it’s time to tighten up your language and sweat the details (without fretting). You’ll learn what you absolutely must do in order to take care of business. Includes a detailed checklist so that you know exactly when you’re ready to hit “send.”

Each S-P-A-R-K lesson has an easy-to-understand exercise, so you’ll get started on your proposal writing from Day 1.

But wait, there’s more!

In addition to the 21 S-P-A-R-K lessons, you’ll get access to a whole caboodle of BONUS material, links, and resources, including:

  • Blocks, fears, and other monsters:  a strategy for defeating the doubts and blocks that may be holding you back.
  • Proposal do’s and donuts — how to avoid the mistakes that can cost you time and ruin your chances. (Donut rely on spellcheck!)
  • An action plan that you’ll customize with your next steps for the next 6, 9, and 12 months.

Ready, Set? Go!

Click on one of the BUY NOW buttons on this page to sign up. Let me know if you want to use a different email address for the course than the one linked to your PayPal account. Within 48 hours you’ll get enrollment instructions that give you full access to all of the materials.

As an e-course, it’s self-paced. You can open one lesson at a time, complete it, and go on to the next.

But you’ll get access to everything up front—so, if you prefer, you can speed-browse the whole class pack and do just the parts you need. Maybe your persuasive argument is tight, but you need help setting a realistic project timeline for that deadline next week? Great! Jump right to whatever you need most, first.

Want me to look at your proposal and give you strategies for your applications? Ok:

Add a Private Strategy Session (optional)

When you enroll in the class, you can also book a private session with me at 20% off the normal price!

We’ll meet via video or phone, at a time convenient for you. You may send me any documents or questions you’d like me to review in advance (up to 2,500 words / 10 pages). I’ll spend a full hour with you developing the best strategies for you and your goals. We’ll plot out your best course, your most gorgeous argument, and your strongest next steps. You may choose to focus deeply on one proposal (those Fulbrights are comin’ up fast!), or we can develop a big-picture plan.

You’ll leave our private 1:1 session with:

  • concrete action items,
  • a clear sense of the value of your work and how best to pitch it, and
  • a powerful strategy to put you on the fast track to becoming a fire-breathing, proposal-writing beast.

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The Satisfaction Refund* 

I solemnly swear: If you do every one of these exercises, you WILL have kick-ass language to wrap into every proposal that you ever write.

But: If you work through the course materials and you’re just not happy, please do let me know. Your feedback will be very valuable to me, and you’ll receive 100% of your money back, no questions asked.

 *A note from my crack legal team: Satisfaction Refunds for the price of the e-course are available up to 45 days after purchase. Offer valid only with Minal Hajratwala; does not apply to any other unicorns. For more information, contact Client Relations: minal@minalhajratwala.com

The Bottom Line: What You Get

This e-course will show you how to create kick-ass language that you can deploy across platforms to sell yourself as a creative person … without selling your soul.

Specifically, for just $169 you’ll receive:

  • 21 clear, focused lessons, with simple exercises to get you writing your proposal language from Day 1.
  • The unique S-P-A-R-K writing template that I’ve designed just for creative people, to share our work authentically and infuse our applications with the same energy and originality that we bring to our projects.
  • An action plan that you’ll customize with your own next steps for the next 6, 9, and 12 months.
  • A detailed checklist so that you don’t miss anything and know exactly when you’re ready to hit “send.”
  • Proposal do’s and donuts — how to avoid the mistakes that can cost you time and ruin your chances. (Donut rely on spellcheck!)
  • Access to a private, growing Facebook community of Write Like a Unicorn alumni where you can ask questions, have direct access to me, and learn from other proposal alumni unicorns.
  • Optional: A seriously discounted Private Strategy Session to put you on the fast-track to becoming a proposal-writing beast.

Just the class, ma’am: $169

*

Class + 1 Private Strategy Session! $300

START ANYTIME. WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE. the class is waiting for you!

 

bracketBlack_LbracketBlack_R“Amazing ~ nurturing and fun ~ inclusive ~ specific ~ safe, supportive, and empowering environment ~ helped me rekindle my writing ~ gave me new confidence ~ dynamic, rigorous, and caring ~ I don’t think you could ask for more.” (See more testimonials here.)

Writing a book? Check out the Unicorn Authors Club. (The Creative Art of Proposals is included at every Club membership level!)