Edit & Pitch Your Novel – Advanced
Applications
Edit & Pitch Your Novel – Advanced
Polish your prose and put together a compelling pitch package with expert tuition and support from authors, editors and literary agents.
Tutor
Abbie GreavesLength
3 monthsLocation
OnlineWriting Goal
Edit & pitchTake 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.
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.
Get expert feedback and encouragement from author, Abbie Greaves, who previously worked at a literary agency. You’ll also attend a series of Zoom 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 3 June to 22 October 2025.
Tutors
Abbie Greaves
Abbie Greaves is the author of The Silent Treatment (2020) and The Ends of the Earth (2021/2022). She lives and writes in Cambridge, UK. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages, selected for the Radio 2 Book Club, shortlisted for the RNA Debut Novel of the Year Award and featured in the Independent, The Sun, Woman & Home, PopSugar, Cosmopolitan, and more. Abbie worked in publishing for three years, including at Curtis Brown as a literary agent’s assistant, before leaving to write full time.
Read our interview with Abbie to discover more about her writing and approach to teaching creative writing.
What does this course give you?
- Flexible study: Teaching for this course is entirely online, meaning that you can take part from anywhere in the world, at a time that suits you. The course is delivered via interactive forum discussions with your tutor and fellow students alongside pre-recorded teaching videos on our bespoke learning platform, which we have developed exclusively for our students. The ‘live’ elements of this course (taking place at set times) are the five Zoom industry masterclasses and your one-to-one-tutorials. Timings of these sessions will always be confirmed in advance.
- A community of writers: Our selective applications process means that you will be writing your novel in a peer group of 15 students working at a high level. Many of our former students have found trusted readers with us and formed strong working friendships that go on long after the course is over.
- Weekly teaching posts: Every Tuesday your tutor Abbie Greaves 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 & one-to-one tutorials: You will have two 30 minute one-to-one tutorials on Zoom with Abbie. 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.
- 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. Zoom sessions will take place on Wednesday evening, unless otherwise stated.
- Synopsis & agent letter feedback: We’ll draw on our expertise to give you critiques of your synopsis and the all-important pitch letter.
MASTERCLASS SPEAKERS
Join special live Zoom sessions with leading publishing professionals and literary agents.
Anna Davis
Anna Davis is the founder and Director of the Curtis Brown Creative writing school. She is the author of five acclaimed novels which have been published in twenty languages. She has been a journalist and Guardian columnist, as well as a Curtis Brown literary agent. She taught creative writing at the University of Manchester and in many other settings before founding Curtis Brown Creative in 2011.
INTRODUCTION & REVIEWING YOUR NOVEL
Tues 3 Jun - Mon 9 JunPLANNING YOUR EDIT
Tues 10 Jun - Mon 16 JunEDITING: AN AUTHOR'S APPROACH
Tues 17 Jun - Mon 23 JunTHE REWRITE CHECK-UP
Tues 24 Jun - Mon 30 JunREVISING AND POLISHING
Tues 1 Jul - Mon 7 JulSCENE BY SCENE
Tues 8 Jul - Mon 14 JulPRE-SUMMER CHECK-IN
Tues 15 Jul - Mon 21 JulSUMMER BREAK
Tues 22 Jul - Mon 8 SeptTHE SYNOPSIS
Tues 9 Sept - Mon 15 SeptTHE PUBLISHER'S PERSPECTIVE
Tues 16 Sept - Mon 22 SeptWRITING YOUR AGENT LETTER
Tues 23 Sept - Mon 29 SeptAGENT SUBMISSION TIPS
Tues 30 Sept - Mon 6 OctCONCLUSIONS
Tues 7 Oct - Weds 22 Oct
COURSE FEES & DISCOUNTS
The course fee of £1,700 (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 on the application form).
We will be reading and responding to applicants throughout the application window. We, therefore, advise people who are keen to join this course to apply early.
The final deadline for applications is midnight, end of day Sunday 18 May.
We are offering priority entry to former students of our three- or six-month Writing Your Novel courses (online or in London). We, therefore, advise people who are keen to join this course to apply early.
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.
