How to get published

What is the course about?

So you've spent the last few years slaving away on your novel, and now it's finally complete. But what should you do next? Try to get yourself an agent or submit directly to a publisher? What should you submit? When and how? Can you send out work to more than one agent or publisher at a time? A synopsis! Help! What’s one of those? And how on earth do you write one?

On this short course, answers to these and other important questions are combined with guidance on how to shape and tailor what you submit in order to boost your chances of success.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

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, 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...

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 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.

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 writing materials.

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.

AAll 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.