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Dear Friends of TLC,
Welcome to the June TLC Newsletter. We've a jam-packed letter for you this month, with news of the first of our free 'Meet the Editor' regional workshops (in Exeter, with more to come), a very special Pride Month opportunity for LGBTQ+ writers, and a final reminder to get tickets to this Thursday's Secret Life of Novels event in London which will feature dream sequences, rejection letters, top tips on identifying your writerly intention, chalk outlines, and tree fungus. Intrigued?... Book your ticket here.
We also bring you, as always, a practical TLC blog, From Pitch to Publication with top tips on pitching you work and reading your writing aloud, by TLC Pen Factor 2017 winner Neema Shah, and our June Showcase featuring an extract from Starfish, the (as yet) unpublished literary manuscript by Bridport Prize First Novel Award finalist Melanie Gilbert. As usual, we round up with writing inspiration from around the web.
We also continue to offer professional advice on manuscripts at all levels through our manuscript assessment and Chapter & Verse mentoring services. Do get in touch with us if you are in need of expert feedback. We're also happy to post out copies of our new leaflet to anyone who wants it. We're very post-friendly here.
Happy writing, and reading,
TLC
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Last Chance to Book: Secret Life of Novels
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"A fantastically intimate event that was as insightful as it was inspiring."
"This is a great format enabling people to learn about the process of writing novels, distinct from other writer events I have been to."
This Thursday marks the third event in our acclaimed new series The Secret Life of Novels, where we invite three authors at the top of their game to speak about their creative process, creatively. Each writer has twenty minutes to talk candidly about their creative process, revealing the dead ends, drafts, sketches and scribbles beyond the page. There follows an intimate sofa chat chaired by TLC Director Aki Schilz, drawing out the themes of the evening. This exciting third instalment will be held at Free Word in London, this Thursday 6th June, 6.30pm-8.30pm.
The theme for our June event is 'playfulness' and we are delighted to welcome Will Eaves, Susmita Bhattacharya, and Joseph Scapellato. Our guest novelists have all experimented with form, writing across poetry, short stories and fiction, and pushing the boundaries to challenge their readers.
BOOK NOW and select 'Concession' at check-out to access discounted £12 tickets, as valued TLC newsletter subscribers
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TLC Michael Langan LGBTQ+ Free Reads are OPEN for submissions
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For the third year in a row, TLC is delighted to announce it is once more partnering with novelist and writing tutor Michael Langan to offer five free 15,000 word TLC manuscript assessments to unpublished LGBTQ+ writers working on novels. This will be the third year in a row that we are putting out a call for submissions throughout the month of June, following the success of the last two LGBTQ+ Free Reads.Three of these will be funded through the TLC Free Reads scheme, with two donated by Michael himself.
For details of how to apply, please see this page on the TLC website. Submissions close 28th June 2019.
TLC Free Reads is a nationwide bursary scheme run by TLC, funded by Arts Council England. To find out more, please see our Free Reads website page.
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In this free session, held by TLC in association with Literature Works as part of Quay Words 2019, meet professional editor James Magniac. James will be talking about the role of the editor, how critical feedback can help develop your writing, and will be workshopping key editing questions to help you get to grips with your book. James draws on his experience as an editorial consultant and former in-house editor (with Oneworld), and hosts this session as a TLC Regional Ambassador. This marks the first in a series of free TLC regional events, with more to be announced shortly.
Participants are encouraged to send in their editing queries in advance of the session, and James will select a small handful to look at in detail during the session. This session is open to writers of all levels.
Attendance is free, but registration is essential. Please register here. Do have a look at the full Quay Words 2019 programme here for a range of inspiring events.
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TLC Blog: From Pitch to Publication
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"Let’s just say I was a little late getting started with my writing. After many years building a career in marketing, I signed up for a short online writing course with a vague idea inspired by my family history. And somehow that uncertain first step has turned into my debut novel Kololo Hill, which will be published in early 2021..."
In this month's TLC Blog, writer Neema Shah details her path to publication, including how pitching her work to a live audience helped her challenge herself, and launched her career. Also included are our top tips for reading your work aloud. Neema won the TLC Pen Factor Competition, part of the TLC Writers' Day, in 2017, and 2018 finalist Abi Darè has also recently announced a book deal with Sceptre. We've had a brilliant set of entries for this year's competition, and look forward to hearing the finalists pitch their work at Writers' Day in June. If you missed out on a ticket this year, don't worry, we run the event annually and will see you again next summer. Keep an eye on the Events page for more information on other events and watch out for special offers including priority booking and earlybird discounts in the newsletter.
Do you have something on your mind, about books, literature and the value of literature, or publishing, that you'd like to blog about for us? We are actively seeking pitches to: aki@literaryconsultancy.co.uk
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TLC Showcase: Melanie Gilbert
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Starfish was selected as a finalist for the Bridport Prize Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award, which recognises first-time novelists and which has produced writers like Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott, recently longlisted for the Women's Prize, and Deepa Anappara, whose debut was snapped up following a heated auction. The manuscript, which impressed the judging panel with its sensitive rendering of a delicate relationship, follows a teacher, Jane, as she befriends a Kurdish boy, Sher. In the process of trying to protect him, Jane becomes ever more entangled in Sher's life. This is writing on a knife-edge, but deft, delicate, and with deft handling of difficult, sometimes traumatic, subject matter.
“As soon as we leave the building he lights a cigarette and puffs hungrily. He sags against the wall, spent. I feel pretty much the same, overwhelmed on his behalf, and relieved that the session of half-sentences and near-tears is over, for both of us. The bell has sounded, and school is out. We are released from the strain of trying to find a reason why; it is more than enough just to taste a cigarette, and feel the wind on your face as you step outside, and know that you are still living. The rest is too difficult to tackle.”
Read the full extract, and more about Melanie's writing, in the June Showcase
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TLC Recommends: The Future of Culture and Storytelling
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The Way Forward: What Does the Future of Culture and Storytelling Look Like?
Byte The Book’s next event explores the future of stories. Michael Kowalski (Head of Product at Tortoise and Programme Director of Confluence) chairs and his speakers include: Ines Bachor, (PR Manager at Frankfurt Book Fair), James Luscombe, (Technology Director at Pan Macmillan) and Alex Holmes (Journalist, Writer and Podcaster). This event takes place on 17th June 2019, 6:30pm to 9:00pm at The Groucho Club, London.
Entrance is free to Byte The Book members, non-member tickets are £25 (+ VAT and booking fee). Tickets can be booked here or you can join Byte The Book from £36 a quarter here.
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Are you on Twitter? If so, make sure you're following our page @TLCUK for all the latest news, tips and inspiration, including our #TLCTips series of writing tips.
Remember to also follow us on Instagram.
Other things from around the web to inspire you this month...
* Spread the Word, the London literature development agency, is currently open for submissions from low-income writers seeking TLC Free Reads
* Also from Spread the Word is the new Room 9 project, offering free writing desk space at their offices in Deptford
* The Mslexia Fiction Competitions across prose, poetry and short stories are open now
* Join Writing West Midlands for their National Writers' Conference on June 22 in Birmingham. Tickets and more information here
* The do's and don'ts of submitting to literary magazines and competitions, a free course from Writers' HQ
* A full list of short story opportunities from Anne O'Leary
* A new series from Electric Lit called 'Can Writing Be Taught' features inspiration and thoughtful conversation with a range of creative writing tutors
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Thank you for reading this newsletter. For further information on TLC's core services including manuscript assessment, mentoring, and other editing services including copy-editing and proofreading, do visit our website. All general enquiries and manuscript submissions should be sent to Editorial Services Assistant Nelima Begum at info@literaryconsultancy.co.uk.
We also have Facebook and Twitter pages where we share information and insights, articles on writing, editing and the publishing industry, as well as tips and recommendations.
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