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
Lauren PearsonLength
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 advanced three-month course with live Zoom masterclasses.
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 experienced author-tutor, Lauren Pearson, who also previously worked as a literary agent. You’ll 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 30 September to 17 December 2025.
Tutors
Lauren Pearson
Lauren Pearson has worked in publishing for more than 20 years. She has been an agent for both adult and children’s authors, first in New York and then in the UK, most recently for Curtis Brown. Throughout her career she has worked with a number of acclaimed and bestselling writers, including Audrey Niffenegger, Gregory David Roberts, Babette Cole, Isla Fisher, Aidan Chambers and Emily Barr. She is now a freelance editor and ghostwriter of both children’s and adult fiction and non-fiction and is the author of five books for young readers: The Crabtree School series from Scholastic, and The Sleepover from Orion Children’s Books. She is a graduate of Duke University and the Radcliffe Publishing Course (now the Columbia Publishing Course). Lauren's first adult fiction novel, Very Slowly All at Once will be published in January 2026 with Harper Collins.
Read our interview with Lauren 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 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 & one-to-one 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.
- 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.
Course schedule
This course will be delivered via our private online Learning Platform and in live teaching sessions on Zoom. Please note that precise dates of sessions and details of course speakers are subject to change.
INTRODUCTION & REVIEWING YOUR NOVEL
Tues 30 Sept - Mon 6 OctPLANNING YOUR EDIT
Tues 7 Oct - Mon 13 OctEDITING: AN AUTHOR'S APPROACH
Tues 14 Oct - Mon 20 OctTHE REWRITE CHECK-UP
Tues 21 Oct - Mon 27 OctREVISING AND POLISHING
Tues 28 Oct - Mon 3 NovSCENE BY SCENE
Tues 4 Nov - Mon 10 NovTHE SYNOPSIS
Tues 11 Nov - Mon 17 NovTHE PUBLISHER'S PERSPECTIVE
Tues 18 Nov - Mon 24 NovWRITING YOUR AGENT LETTER
Tues 25 Nov - Mon 1 DecAGENT SUBMISSION TIPS
Tues 2 Dec - Mon 8 DecCONCLUSIONS
Tues 9 Dec - Weds 17 Dec
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 in the application below).
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 14 September 2025, and we will respond to applicants by Thursday 18 September 2025.
The CBC team will select applicants based on the quality of the writing sample provided.
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.
STILL DECIDING?
If you’re thinking about applying for this course and want to know if it’s the right fit, book a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your needs.
Consultations will take place on Tuesday afternoons (14.00 to 17.00) or Friday mornings (10.00 to 13.00). Times listed are UK times.
