Book Genius Summer Kickstart June 2026 Masterclass + Writing Immersion
Turn Your Book Idea into a Business
Your Book Idea Is More Than a Book.
It's a Business.
A one-day live masterclass from one of the "Big Five" publishing houses' bestselling authors — followed by a 30-day writing immersion to get your book actually written.
Enroll Now — $149 Early BirdJayne Allen
- Harvard Law School graduate · Duke University engineer
- Former entertainment attorney turned full-time author
- Wrote first commercial book in 3 weeks — nearly doubled attorney salary year one
- Self-published fiction debut sold 20,000 copies → 4-book HarperCollins deal
- 5 "Big 5" published novels, 300,000+ copies sold worldwide, 4 future books under contract
- Twice earned out a six-figure advance in royalties
- TV optioned · Reviewed by The New York Times Book Review
- Co-author of The Best Man: Unfinished Business — winner, inaugural Astra Book Award for Best Debut Novel
- Mentor, We Need Diverse Books 2025 Revisions Workshop — mentee won Adult Fiction category for Penguin Random House consideration
- Taught hundreds of writers through Book Genius since 2018
The books of Jayne Allen
The Best Man: Unfinished Business
Penguin Random House
I wrote my first commercial book in
three weeks
.
That year, it nearly doubled my attorney salary.
I was a full-time attorney when I started writing. I didn't have a writing room, a sabbatical, or a publishing contract. I had a desk at work, a commute, a voice recorder in my car, and the grocery store checkout line.
I wrote in the margins of my legal career — during downtime at the office, dictating ideas while driving, capturing scenes while waiting in line. But my book wasn't a hobby. From the beginning, I treated it like a business asset, because that's exactly what it turned out to be.
That first commercial book took three weeks to write. It started generating revenue almost immediately. Between publishing income and the consulting work it unlocked, that first year I earned almost double what I'd been making as an attorney.
But here's the part that mattered most: financial stability. I'd spent years working for startups — good money when it lasted, brutal when it didn't. Publishing income smoothed the valleys. When I wasn't in a 9-to-5, I switched focus to my 5-to-9. When COVID lockdowns arrived and I was laid off, self-published royalties replaced nearly half my lost income.
A book idea is not just a book idea. It's a business idea. And you deserve to be armed with everything you need to treat it that way from day one.
— Jayne Allen
first commercial book
earned year one
worldwide
+ 4 more contracted
I'm going to teach you from everything I know — show you the business case and revenue models, explain the publishing ecosystem, and fully illustrate how to turn your good idea into a great book— in one day. Then I'm going to write alongside you for 30 days, in real time, while I'm on deadline for my own publisher.
Welcome to the Book Genius June Immersion.
Three months. One complete writing journey.
Each month: a one-day live masterclass + a 30-day writing immersion + a curated community. Low demand. High outcome. Each month builds on the last.
Into a Business
The Essential Building Block
Author Marketing & Platform
The Book Genius June Immersion
What you will learn — the five workshops:
Most aspiring authors have no idea how publishing actually works — or how much money is on the table. This workshop is your Publishing MBA in 45 minutes. We start with the honest answer every writer has but rarely asks out loud: how much money do authors actually make? You'll see a real author P&L, understand self-publishing vs. traditional, when to query agents vs. when to publish yourself, and how marketing determines whether your book earns or disappears. You'll leave knowing exactly how the publishing industry works and where your idea fits.
Not every idea is worth your next year of life. This workshop teaches you how to qualify an idea worth writing — and how to tell the difference between an idea and a story. We break down the three major book categories (fiction, memoir, how-to) and how each qualifies commercially. You'll learn the transformation framework that makes any story work, and the most common mistake memoir writers make that kills projects before they start. You'll leave with a clear answer: is my idea worth writing, and what kind of book is it?
You have an idea. Now let's turn it into a story architecture — live, in 30 minutes. Using the same process Jayne used to develop Black Girls Must Die Exhausted , you'll build your main character, identify the conflict that drives them, map the key moments from beginning to end, and develop your supporting storylines. You'll leave with 20–30 plot points across your storylines — a working outline you can write from.
You have your outline. Now — what makes it a book, and how do you get there in 30 days? This workshop demystifies the writing process: word counts, the reality of first drafts, why writing is 80% editing, and why overwriting is the most common trap. We cover how to turn each outline point into a scene, what you need in a first draft vs. what can wait for editing, and how to hire a developmental editor once you have a draft worth developing. You'll leave with a clear 30-day writing roadmap and the mindset to actually finish.
The bonus session covers the ethical use of AI in your writing practice — what AI can and cannot do for you as an author, what's protectable as a business asset, and how to use AI practically without compromising your copyright. Then open Q&A: bring your real questions about your idea, publishing path, or timeline. You'll leave with your individual June writing plan, daily goal structure, and full understanding of how to use every tool in the immersion.
Secure your spot · Price increases to $197 on May 15
What the 30-day immersion includes every single day:
- A daily writing prompt structured to move your manuscript forward
- A daily progress tracker — click to log your writing goal for the day
- A daily personal video from Jayne, filmed while actively writing her own novel for her HarperCollins publisher — inspirational, honest, and straight from the field
- 1-year membership to the Book Genius online community ($99 value) — writers supporting writers, all summer
- 30-day recording access to all masterclass workshops
The Insurance Policy for Your Outcome.
Standard access gives you everything you need to write your book. VIP is for the writer who wants to make absolutely sure they do. If you've started and stopped before — if you want someone in your corner — this is the closest thing to 1:1 mentorship available at this price.
"My last writing mentee went from first manuscript to winning the We Need Diverse Books Adult Fiction competition — now being considered for a book contract with Penguin Random House. That is the level of attention VIP receives, in a group setting, at a fraction of the cost of private mentorship."
- Weekly live Q&A livestream with Jayne — ask anything, get direct answers from a working HarperCollins author
- 2× weekly Zoom writing sprints — write live alongside the VIP cohort with accountability built in
- Live manuscript editing during Q&A — submit your pages for real-time feedback in front of the group
- Priority DM access for 30 days — a direct line to Jayne throughout the entire month of June
30 seats only. VIP enrollment closes after the first week of June — join at the start or not at all.
Simple, transparent pricing
- One-day masterclass (May 31)
- 30-day writing immersion
- Daily prompts + tracker
- Daily video from the field
- 1-yr community ($99 value)
- Everything in early bird
- + Workshop recording
- Everything in standard
- Final pricing tier
- Weekly live Q&A
- 2× Zoom writing sprints
- Live manuscript edit
- Priority DM · 30 days
Ever wonder why so few writing courses are taught by career authors? People who are actively writing on deadline, right now?
It’s true, this writing immersion is an unusual offer. The fact is for most authors, the process of writing a book under contract is too time-consuming and intense to offer their time to teaching. But since the beginning of my career, I have been building Book Genius in tandem with my writing success. The challenges that I faced entering the industry were such that I wanted to make the journey easier for all those who desired to also use their voice. This immersion is a dream of mine, writing alongside you, sharing what I’ve learned as I’ve built my career as a bestselling author over these past ten years and counting.
Here’s what I’m writing right now — for my HarperCollins publisher, on deadline:
Every video I send you in June comes directly from the field. Not from a recording I made in 2022. From the actual experience of being a working author with a real contract, navigating the same creative and professional challenges you will face.
- Author of the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy — HarperCollins/HarperPerennial
- Author of The Most Wonderful Time — HarperCollins
- Co-author of The Best Man: Unfinished Business with Malcolm D. Lee — winner of the inaugural Astra Book Award for Best Debut Novel
- 300,000+ copies sold worldwide across formats · Translated into Portuguese for release in Brazil
- Black Girls trilogy optioned for television development
- Twice earned out a six-figure advance in royalties
- Currently under contract for novels 6 and 7
- Mentor, We Need Diverse Books Revisions Workshop — mentee won Adult Fiction category for consideration of a book contract with Penguin Random House
- Taught hundreds of writers through Book Genius since 2018
- Harvard Law School · Duke University Pratt School of Engineering
- Former entertainment attorney · Entrepreneur · Turnaround strategist
Writers who've been in the room
This is for you if...
- You have a book idea you've been sitting on and you're ready to stop sitting
- You have a draft that's stalled and need momentum
- You're in another career and want to understand the business opportunity before investing more time
- You want to know what publishing actually looks like from the inside
- You're ready to treat your writing like the career it could become
This is not for you if...
- You’re looking for an instant shortcut that skips both the craft and the business
- You want to “try writing” casually without any intention of finishing
- You prefer to stay in the idea phase rather than move into execution
- You’re not open to learning a structured approach to your creativity
- You’re only interested in writing as a hobby, not as something that could grow into earnings
- You’re not ready to invest small increments of focused time
Early bird pricing closes May 14 · 30-day immersion included free
Everything you need to know
No. The masterclass and immersion are designed for writers at every level — complete beginners to those with a draft that needs momentum. If you have a story or an idea, you can do this.
The business and platform content applies to any book — fiction, non-fiction, memoir. The daily writing prompts are structured for narrative work but adaptable across genres.
The last time that Jayne had availability to teach a Book Genius course was 2023. With numerous contracts and projects in development for film and television her schedule is not certain to allow another similar offering in the near future. If you are unable to participate in the Masterclass live, you will have access to the recording for 30 days and have the ability to submit questions through the Book Genius community as well as the Immersion portal for the duration of the month of June. Life happens. On any day you’re unable to participate in the Immersion you’ll have ample opportunity to catch up throughout the month. Prompts and videos are yours to access at any time. Consistent effort matters more than perfection — do your best and pick back up the next day.
Yes. Recordings are available for 30 days after the event and are included in the Standard and Last Chance tiers.
Direct access to Jayne for 30 days: two live Zoom Pomodoro-style writing sprints per week, a weekly live Q&A where she answers your questions, live manuscript editing during Q&A sessions, and priority DM access throughout June. Seats are strictly limited.
Yes — each month is a standalone immersion. You can join one, two, or all three. The all-three bundle saves roughly 20% off standard pricing.
Full refund available up to 7 days before the May 31 masterclass. Questions? Email hello@bookgenius.com.
Ready to write the book
you've been carrying?
Early bird pricing — $149 — closes May 14. After that it goes to $197, and it doesn't come back down. The 30-day immersion is included free. Your first video from the field arrives June 1.
June early bird $149 through May 14 · Bundle $497 for all three months · Questions? hello@bookgenius.com