PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES TALK SERIES:
The Inside Track with Jenny Parrott and special guests Arzu Tahsin, Fiona Erskine and Elise Dillsworth

There are many urban myths about getting published. And while no-one would claim the process is easy, it’s important to hold onto the fact that the industry constantly needs new authors. With a solid understanding of how agents and publishers make decisions and how those decisions affect booksellers - and ultimately readers buying books - writers can greatly improve their odds. We want you to leave this course confident you know how to approach the whole process in an organised way, from how to produce an excellent query letter to an appreciation of what is likely to happen once you’ve signed agency and publishing contracts. Of course for some writers self-publishing will be an excellent option, and we’ll look at this too.

Week 1 – Agents and editors. What do they do?

It takes a team to publish a book. We’ll look at the role of the agent, how they work with writers and how they connect authors to publishers. We’ll then focus on the different types of editor you’ll encounter - acquiring, structural, line and copy editors, each with different responsibilities - along with all the other things a publisher has to do to bring a book to market. We'll also look at the role of the all-important elevator pitch, blurb and synopsis.

Week 2 – Getting ready to submit

Now it’s time to consider what authors need to do to ensure their submissions make sense for agents and editors. We’ll help you hone your pitch, blurb and synopsis, and examine how they fit into the all-important agent query package. We’ll talk about other documents you might need, and we’ll look at the pros and cons of a social media presence. We’ll also discuss things that might raise flags for those in the industry, such as unusual book lengths, legal questions, or copyright issues.

Week 3 – The editor's perspective, with guest speaker Arzu Tahsin

It’s time for our first guest! Arzu Tahsin (more details below) is a successful commissioning editor who will talk about the process of acquiring a book, including what happens if a book is bought in an auction situation. We’ll look at how commissioning editors take an author through to publication, and how they go about their own editing process. (This can vary from editor to editor, so it’s always useful to know the particulars.) We’ll find out how and when the contracts, sales and rights departments start work, and we’ll look at what authors can expect from the publisher’s marketing and publicity team. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll look at how writers can give themselves the very best chance of commercial success. And we’ll look at things authors should never do!

Week 4 – The self-publishing perspective, with guest speaker Fiona Erskine

This week we’ll chat to successful self-published author Fiona Erskine (more details below) and discuss all things self-publishing, including why she took this route, the good and bad she's learned along the way, and whether she'd do anything differently if she was starting over. As with all guest speaker sessions, there’ll be an opportunity for your questions. When we’ve said goodbye to our guest, we’ll have time to discuss and absorb their thoughts and advice.

Week 5 – The literary agent's perspective, with guest speaker Elise Dillsworth

This week we’ll welcome our final guest, experienced agent Elise Dillsworth (more details below) as our guest. We’ll talk with Elise about how the publishing industry is changing, ask her what she likes to see in queries from hopeful writers, and find out how authors put her off! How might the ‘perfect’ writer deal with their agent and publisher? We’ll investigate the sometimes complex relationship between agents, editors and publishers, and find out what you can do to help this process run smoothly.

Week 6 – The submission process

To wrap the course, the spotlight will be on the nitty gritty of the submissions process itself, putting into practice what we've learned from our guest speakers. We'll go over exactly how you'll begin submitting to agents, and how agents will submitting to publishers. This is all about being organised! We’ll think about what happens if agents and publishers are keen, and how to cope if it’s taking time to secure representation and consequently a publishing deal.

Our tutor Jenny says...

Getting ready to submit to agents is daunting. This course is all about demystifying the ‘query’ process as well as the publishing industry itself, and giving yourself the very best chance of success. We’ll consider every stage of the process from manuscript to finished copy in print and/or ebook, including how to make the best decisions for yourself. We won’t skip the complete buzz when a much-loved piece of work is first spied in its natural habitat – a bookshop! – or a self-publisher’s work begins selling in quantity from its Amazon page, and we’ll go on to think about what happens afterwards. We’ll be joined by some great industry guests too, who will describe what it feels like from the coalface of their professional lives. Knowledge, as they say, is power!

ENCOURAGING, REALISTIC ADVICE

Jenny did a great job of giving us an insight into the seemingly impenetrable world of publishing with help from some super insightful guest speakers. My elevator pitch, cover letter and synopsis have come on leaps and bounds. I would definitely recommend the course to anyone at any stage in the writing journey as it provides encouraging yet realistic advice on how to get your foot in the publishing door, knowledge which can be difficult to come by without an industry insider to guide you!

Ellie

BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS

Jenny went way beyond my expectations with quick and helpful answers whenever I had questions. The talk series also gave me insights into writing a good query letter and synopsis which then helped me find a better focus for my book.

Ros

INSPIRING GUEST SPEAKERS

Jenny was very lovely, welcoming and extremely knowledgeable about the world of writing and publishing. I found that she really tailored the content to what individuals in the group were writing to support us in our journeys. There was a great selection of inspiring guest speakers too. Really looking forward to joining her editing course soon.

Amy

PASSION AND DEDICATION

It's good to know you're not alone in your publishing journey, and that there are lots of creative ways you can get your work out there. Thanks so much to Jenny for her time, passion, and dedication.

Natalie