About Writing

Crack the champagne or mineral water! You have finally finished the manuscript of your novel, having written numerous drafts, ideally had it assessed by a professional editor to ensure it is the best story you are capable of writing and are now ready to put your creative baby out into the world.

If you have decided to go down the traditional publishing route, you will need to engage with the business of writing, especially when seeking representation from a literary agent or publisher. This requires a very different mindset from the one that created your novel.

Once you’ve written the best novel you can and feel ready to get your novel published and release it to the world, the first decision you must make is whether to self-publish or pursue a traditional publishing deal. This article explores the pros and cons of both paths.

The British author services firm, Reedsy, describes self-publishing vs traditional publishing as one of the great debates of the literary world.

Self-publishing authors sing the praises of having creative control, not having to deal with the publishing gatekeepers and receiving higher royalties.

Exploring the landscape of getting your novel published. If you are a writer who wants to publish your novel, you have more options available to you than ever before. But the path to publication can be confusing, frustrating and challenging, even for experienced writers.

In this article, I aim to provide an overview of the publishing landscape and give you an understanding of which publishing option is the most suitable for you and your novel. To gain a broad perspective of the publishing industry, I researched online materials – some of which are excellent – and interviewed publishers, editors, authors, agents and other industry professionals.

Writing a successful novel or screenplay that resonates with readers doesn’t happen by accident.

As John Tullius, author and founder of the Maui Writers’ Conference, said, “I don’t care how talented you are. It’s not about contacting your muse. Success comes from taking the time to learn the craft.”

There are many different elements that go into the process of completing a story. Broadly speaking, they are planning, writing, rewriting and editing.

Listed below are upcoming competitions that you might like to enter. They are listed by submission closing date, not when the competition is open.

Please read all instructions and entry requirements.

To fully harness your creative potential, it is essential to grasp the subtleties of the creative process and understand how at first, elements of the craft of writing and storytelling can feel counter-intuitive or counter-instinctive.

Writing longer stories such as a novel or screenplay, requires you learn how to use both sides of your brain.

Writing a novel or a screenplay is an art and a craft that takes time to master. We believe it is important that you follow a process that enables you to turn off your internal editor, setting up a dance between structure and imagination.

And above all enjoy the process of writing and experience the pleasure and satisfaction of telling your story in a way that other people will want to read what you have written.