Edit & Pitch Your Novel – Advanced

£1,600

3 months

Online

Applications

Start Date

19th Mar 2024

End Date

25th Jun 2024

Application Deadline

18th Feb 2024

Applicant Notification

22nd Feb 2024

Apply Now

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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 19 March to 28 June 2024.

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.

Sally Brockway

Tutor

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

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.
6 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.

Jennifer KerslakeRead bio →

Craig LyeRead bio →

Sabhbh CurranRead bio →

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.

MODULE 1 – INTRODUCTION & REVIEWING YOUR NOVEL
Tues 19 Mar
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Module 2 – THE REWRITE DOCTOR
Tues 26 Mar
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Easter Break
Mon 1 Apr – Fri 5 Apr
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EDITING: AN AUTHOR’S APPROACH
Tues 9 Apr
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THE REWRITE CHECK-UP
Tues 16 Apr
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MODULE 3 – REVISING & POLISHING
Tues 23 Apr
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SCENE BY SCENE
Tues 30 Apr
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Break week
Mon 6 May - Fri 10 May
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MODULE 4 – THE SYNOPSIS
Tues 14 May
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THE PUBLISHER'S PERSPECTIVE
Tues 21 May
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MODULE 5 – WRITING YOUR AGENT LETTER
Tues 28 May
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MODULE 6 – AGENT SUBMISSION TIPS
Tues 4 Jun
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THE AGENT’S PERSPECTIVE
Tues 11 Jun
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CONCLUSIONS
Tues 18 Jun - Fri 5 Jul
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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 on the application form).

We will respond to entries throughout the application period. The deadline for applications is midday Sun 18 Feb 2024.

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’d like to apply, please fill in our application form.

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.