Edit & Pitch Your Novel – Advanced
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Edit & Pitch Your Novel – Advanced
Take your rough first draft all the way to finished and polished novel and put together a compelling pitch package ready to send to agents on this specially designed course. .
We'll provide expert feedback and encouragement from an experienced author-tutor, who has also worked in the publishing industry. You’ll also receive a series of masterclasses from publishing professionals and acclaimed authors to give you the inside track, a comprehensive set of teaching videos and resources, and will join a supportive peer group of 15 students, all working at a high level.
On this elite course – which includes the complete Edit & Pitch Your Novel teaching materials delivered on our online learning platform – you’ll have plenty of time to work through all of the tasks so that you can hone that novel, build your confidence, as well as perfect your pitch over three months. This course will run from 4 Oct to 21 Dec.
The course surpassed my expectations. Having access to industry experts was invaluable. I realised that writing a novel is like anything else that's really difficult – you need expert advice and support. Editing my manuscript feels doable now.
Tutor
Lauren Pearson
Lauren Pearson has been in publishing for more than 20 years, both in the US and in the UK. A former agent, most recently with Curtis Brown, she has worked with authors including Audrey Niffenegger, Gregory David Roberts, Babette Cole, Isla Fisher, Paula Harrison and Emily Barr. Now a freelance editor and writer, she especially loves working on crime & psychological thrillers, both literary and commercial fiction, as well as middle grade and YA. She is also the author of the Crabtree School series from Scholastic and The Sleepover from Orion Children’s Books. She lives in Buckinghamshire.
What does this course give you?
- Weekly teaching posts: Every Tuesday your tutor Lauren Pearson will post on our Learning Platform with insights and tips. These posts will stimulate lively online discussions.
- Teaching videos, notes & resources: You’ll get access to a comprehensive set of teaching videos plus substantial notes and resources from Anna Davis, delivered via our Learn platform, which underpin the live teaching.
- Tutor feedback & 1-to-1 tutorials: You will have two 30 minute one-to-one tutorials on Zoom with Lauren. One will be early in the course and one on your submission package towards the end of the course. She'll also be providing written feedback on the tasks set across the course.
- 5 Industry Masterclasses: Top authors, literary agents & publishers will share their insights into editing and pitching in special 90-minute live Zoom teaching sessions. Topics will include rewriting, line editing and working with publishers.
- Synopsis and agent letter feedback: We’ll draw on our expertise to give you critiques of your synopsis and the all-important pitch letter.
- Student forum: We have developed a bespoke learning platform exclusively for our students. Here you can give and receive feedback, and discuss the week’s topics with your fellow students and tutors.
Speakers
Course schedule
This course will be delivered via our private online Learning Platform and in live teaching sessions on Zoom.
INTRODUCTION & REVIEWING YOUR NOVEL
WEEK 1THE REWRITE DOCTOR
WEEK 2EDITING: AN AUTHOR'S APPROACH
WEEK 3THE REWRITE CHECK-UP
WEEK 4REVISING AND POLISHING
WEEK 5SCENE BY SCENE
WEEK 6THE SYNOPSIS
WEEK 7THE PUBLISHER'S PERSPECTIVE
WEEK 8WRITING YOUR AGENT LETTER
WEEK 9AGENT FEEDBACK ON YOUR LETTER
WEEK 10THE AGENT'S PERSPECTIVE
WEEK 11CONCLUSIONS & YOUR SUBMISSION PACKAGE
WEEK 12
Course fees and discounts
The course fee of £1,600 (inc VAT) per student is payable, in full, by bank transfer or cheque before the start of the course. However, if you are unable to pay the full fee upfront, let us know and we can arrange an instalment plan.
Alumni of our selective three- or six-month Writing Your Novel courses and those who’ve taken the original Edit & Pitch Your Novel course are eligible for a £150 discounted fee. There's also a £50 discount available for writers who’ve taken Anna Davis’s one-day Rewrite Doctor course.
Application process
Our selective applications process means that you will be in a peer group of 15 students working at a high level.
Please apply with the first 3,000 words of the novel you’d like to work on during the course, and a synopsis of no more than a page (both need to be in the same document, as you can only upload ONE file in the application below).
The CBC team will select applicants based on the quality of the writing sample provided. The deadline for applications is midnight, end of day Sunday 11 September, and we will respond to applicants by Thursday 15 September.
We read all application material promptly after the closing date and make our selection of students swiftly at that time. However if you require an earlier response from us in order to be able to take part in this course, please email us with full details and we will consider and respond on a case by case basis.
If you encounter any problems during the application process, or have any more questions about the course, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.
Polish your novel and shape up a compelling pitch package with support from a tutor and publishing professionals.
Tutor
Lauren Pearson