How to get published

What is the course about?

What to do when you’ve finished a manuscript? In this short course, you'll receive guidance on how to edit and present your book-length project, and how to craft submissions to publishers and agents in order to boost your chances of success.

Students say: "I appreciated the opportunity to practice synopsis writing and the chance to ask someone knowledgeable about points I struggled with"; "The discussions about publishing were really useful"; "I liked working within a group and I received very useful feedback, enabling me to make my writing better and gear it towards what publishers are looking for."

What will we cover?

- What to do with a manuscript you think is finished.
- Structural editing, copy editing and other forms of revision.
- Online and other services for authors.
- Approaching agents and publishers.
- Crafting loglines, synopses and letters of introduction.
- What agents do and don’t do.
- The publishing process.
- Advances, agent’s fees and royalties.
- Self-publishing and variants thereof, marketing yourself and your work, social media.
- Strategies to increase your chances of getting published and/or getting an agent.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Identify the work that needs to be done on your manuscript to boost its chance of success.
- Determine the best way forward for you and your book-length project.
- Craft the best approach for a particular agent or publisher.
- Navigate some of the financial complexities of the publishing industry.
- Improve your chances of getting published.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

Ideally you will have finished or be far-advanced with a novel, non-fiction book or other similar full-length piece of writing.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

A variety of methods including discussion, exercises, question and answer and written tasks in class and as homework.

There will be homework that involves writing and rewriting. To get the most out of the course you will need to do this.

All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day, regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Please bring a pen and paper to the first session.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

If you feel your manuscript needs further work, you may wish to apply for one of our advanced critical workshops.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.