This masterclass isn’t about writing craft, it's about how to give you and your book the best possible chance when it comes to approaching literary agents.
Join two leading literary agents for this two-hour online masterclass in which you'll receive how-to advice on how to produce 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.
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 but must be submitted to writersandartists@bloomsbury.com by midday 20th May. Please attach as a Word.doc or PDF and use the subject line 'Manuscript Submission Masterclass: Fiction'. Expect to receive feedback within 10 working days of the deadline. Any presentations will also be shared with attendees after the event.
Testimonials
"An excellent and comprehensive view into how agents think and what they're looking for from a submission.The opportunity to hear directly from literary agents, and know exactly what they want to see in a submission, was invaluable knowledge when it came to me hammering together a really good pitch for my novel [...] Being able to distill specifically how writers like me can engage with agents is a vital first step on the ladder of getting published." Ben Britworth
"Insightful, helpful and enjoyable and incredibly affordable too. The feedback I received from an agent on my query was gold dust." FJ Morris
"This was such a valuable experience in the lead up to submitting my manuscript [...] I now feel like I am armed with all the tools needed to take the next steps in my journey." Bean Sawyer
"Gave me a much clearer view of the agents' job - as well as our job as writers, in terms of what they need from us [...] As a first-time novelist, the pitching process is mysterious and intimidating; this class made it much less so." Gail Haslam Loose
"Informative and energising. It reminded me that agents are people who love books and that they want authors to succeed." Amanda Huskiss
"So much information packed into 2 hours. Like a behind the scenes peek at the industry with two very enthusiastic speakers." Angela Philomena Watson
"Both literary agents were frank about their role and focused on what we can do when hoping to gain representation. The session was full of good practical advice and gave an illuminating insight into the agent-client relationship. Invaluable." Suzy Powling
"I didn’t stop taking notes for two hours. Writing can be a lonely pursuit, so it was nice to hang out with others on the same journey." Steve Hennessy
"A really useful session and a wonderful opportunity to ask the ‘obvious’ questions that everyone wonders about!" Ian Huntley
"As a complete novice to this process, I now feel more confident to be able to send my work to an agent." Susan M
"Very informative and will save me a lot of time and heartache." Adio-Adet Dinika
"Perfectly judged for people with a manuscript ready to go but lacking an understanding of how to approach agents. Before the masterclass, I wasn't sure whether an agent was the way forward. Now I definitely know it is!" Amanda Murphy
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
Agents to be confirmed
Laura Williams joined Greene & Heaton as an agent in 2018. She worked at Peters Fraser and Dunlop from 2011, after completing a degree in Classics at Oxford.
She is actively building a fiction list and a small non-fiction list. She is currently looking for literary fiction, edgy commercial fiction, psychological thrillers and high-concept contemporary young adult, as well as narrative non-fiction of all types. Her taste is quite dark, and she loves gothic, ghost stories, horror and anything sinister. She also loves books that make her cry, from big love stories to intense family dramas.
Lucy Morris is an agent at Curtis Brown, where she represents a list of hugely talented fiction and non-fiction authors. In both she is always drawn to brilliant social observation and clever storytelling. She loves structural conceits and deftly woven plots, writing with purpose – and a sense of mischief.
Currently she is looking for commercial and reading-group novels written with wit and warmth, irresistible contemporary romance, truly chilling ghost stories, and thrillers with a high concept and strong emotional roots.
In 2019 Lucy set up the Curtis Brown First Novel Prize as part of the agency’s 120th birthday celebrations and am proud to represent the winner, Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ, whose debut novel Dazzling will be published by Wildfire in 2023. She is also part of the team behind Discoveries, a development programme for unpublished women writers launched in partnership with the Women’s Prize Trust, Audible and Curtis Brown Creative. Now in its second year, the programme culminates in the Discoveries Prize for a novel-in-progress, and she is a member of the judging panel.
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.
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 two 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 10th May.
- 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
