This masterclass isn’t about writing craft, it's about how to give you and your children's book the best possible chance when it comes to approaching literary agents.
Join two leading children's and YA fiction literary agents for this two-hour online masterclass in which you'll receive how-to advice on how to craft a covering letter, guidance on producing an attention-grabbing pitch, tips on writing a synopsis, and general insight into the role literary agents play for their authors.
Please note that while picture books will be covered, this event will be of most use to writers of middle grade and YA fiction.
Thirty minutes will be made available for a Q&A, while all attendees have the opportunity to submit their covering letter to receive feedback from one of the participating agents.
Submitting Your Covering Letter
This is an optional extra, and must be submitted to writersandartists@bloomsbury.com by noon 28th April. Please attach as a Word.doc or PDF and use the subject line 'Manuscript Submission Masterclass: Children's & YA'. Expect to receive feedback within 10 working days of the deadline.
Testimonials
"The two agents that attended the event were such positive and honest voices, which was so reassuring. I've often found there's a doom and gloom aspect when approaching writing as a career, so it was great to hear from professional voices that it's achievable if you're smart about it. I came away feeling hopeful and positive about writing a children's book - which is the best feeling you could hope for when approaching a mammoth project." Grace Ball
"Really fantastic speakers who shared some very useful nuggets of information […] It made me feel less alone, and it was incredibly useful to get the covering letter feedback as well!" Brittany Golob
"Both speakers were engaging and informative, managing to be both frank and friendly. It was so useful to have the review of the query letter too - that kind of feedback you'd never get when you start submitting, so better to get it before!" Nick Martlew
"It was great. Really insightful and informative […] The opportunity for cover letter feedback from an agent is invaluable." Joely
"It was so informative and it was good to hear two different voices. There was no repetition, it stuck to time and, for me, I got a lot of useful information plus ideas about how to decide who to send my manuscript to." Karen S
‘"A fantastic interactive event that is a must for anyone working on current manuscripts or who want begin their writing journey. It provides a great interactive platform with clear guidelines on how improve the craft." Nysha
"Very good value for money. Two bona fide agents spilling the beans for 50 pounds." Narinder Kasi
"This online session was truly inclusive in that location and travel were no longer a barrier. […] packed full of tips and insights that both educated and inspired." Alison Mitchell
Schedule
18:00- 18:45: A how-to session on knowing when your novel is ready, finding the right agent and what to include in a submission package.
18:45-19:30: Advice on how to pitch your novel
7.30-8:00: Q&A
Camille joined David Higham Associates in July 2019. She assists Jane Gregory and Stephanie Glencross on the Gregory & Company list, as well as Allison Cole and Olivia Hickman on the children’s translation team.
Camille is in the early stages of building her list. In MG she is interested in the more literary end of the spectrum (David Almond, Frances Hardinge, Jonathan Stroud) but also loves stories with a classic feel and big heart, in the vein of Sophie Anderson or Jacqueline Wilson. In terms of YA, she is interested in seeing unique concepts and ideas with diverse and engaging characters and a healthy dose of romance. On the whole this would be on the more commercial end of the market, but she is also interested in brilliantly written literary YA in the style of Meg Rosoff or Jenny Valentine.
Lina is originally from Sweden but has been living in Scotland since 2008. After working in publishing, notably at Canongate and Black & White, she became a literary agent in 2018. She was shortlisted for the RNA ‘Agent of the Year’ award in 2019 and 2020.
Lina is looking for books across genres: commercial fiction with a great hook, accessible literary fiction, speculative or high concept books that remain very readable, crime fiction that stands out, fun and moving Middle Grade, and ‘big emotion’ Young Adult.
In terms of non-fiction, Lina is interested either in ‘the small made big’ or ‘the big made small’: specialists that can make really niche subjects accessible and interesting to a wider market, or deeply personal accounts of the big issues we might all one day tackle.
Lina is less likely to be keen on political or gangland thrillers. She actively welcomes authors from all backgrounds and would like to see more diverse stories and voices.
The workshop fee of £50 (incl. VAT) is payable in full online.
This is a live online event which will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided by the W&A Team a week before the event start-date.
All attendees who wish to submit a covering letter for feedback from one of the agents must email writersandartists@bloomsbury.com with the covering letter attached by midday Thursday 28th April.
Event materials will be made available to attendees for a time-limited period after the event at the speaker's discretion.
Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on writersandartists@bloomsbury.com so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
Accessible to All
It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- Writers & Artists has made up to five bursary places available for this event as part of our accessibility scheme. Please visit our bursaries page for further information about how to apply. All bursary applications must have been submitted for consideration by 14th April.
- At the speaker's discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after the masterclass.
- A link to a recording of the masterclass will be circulated after the event. This will be made available to event attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
- This event will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email AccessWA@bloomsbury.com
