BFLA Open Week: Resources & Resourcefulness – Some Tips for Writers

Written by Isobel Dixon

So, you’re a writer. You’ve been putting in the hard yards, sitting at your desk/kitchen table/in bed, with your laptop/iPad/notebook and writing, WRITING, whichever way you can. In fact, you’ve written a lot – short stories, one that’s turned into a bit of a novella, a full War-and-Peace-sized novel manuscript even. Or you’ve started and abandoned books half a dozen times, but now you know that this one, this is The One That’s Not Going to Get Away. But you need help, some guidance, a boost in the right direction. Your family and friends are sick of you going on about your book, or are wondering why you keep disappearing, because you’re too shy to tell anyone that you have ambitions as a writer. What to do now?

There are many resources for writers, at many stages of their writing careers, and though I won’t go into extensive detail here, below are a few ideas and waymarkers. Some pointers, starting with your own practice and reaching out further. If you scroll down you’ll find a list with some links – not an exhaustive list and mostly a UK-focused one, but it will give you some idea of the kind of things you can look out for, wherever you are.

Already, as an observer and chronicler, you are watching and recording. Being ‘someone on whom nothing is lost’, as Henry James said. You’re alive to the world around you, noticing, and writing things down. Robert Louis Stevenson said he always carried two books at any time – one to read and one to write things in. And as a writer, you’re also going to be reading widely and closely – for pleasure as a reader, but also with an analytical eye to understand how plot , structure and narrative form work in practice. You can see a bit more about this in a piece I wrote about ‘voice’ (with some emphasis on poetry, given that I am a poet myself).

As a reader, and a writer aspiring to publication, you’ll be curious about how books are sold and received, so you’ll want to spend some time in bookshops and libraries. Whether you’re buying or borrowing, and whatever genre you are writing in, there is so much information to be absorbed there.

In your reading journey, ask questions of booksellers and librarians as to what they’ve liked and what they recommend in your chosen field. If you’re pressed for time, remember that you can listen to audiobooks via your library too. (And a note here that writers love the royalties they get from book sales, but in many countries, authors, translators, illustrators and audio narrators receive a small amount every time a library book is loaned, if they sign up to the national system, called Public Lending Right in the UK. So borrowing lots of books is good for writers too! If you’re published and haven’t registered your books for PLR yet, there’s no time like the present… And while you’re on the admin, check out the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), who also make payments to authors for registered titles, where there has been photocopying or other licensing use.)

Also ask questions as a writer – libraries and independent bookshops will have knowledge of book clubs and writers’ groups in your area too. At some stage you will need to ‘declare and share’ – acknowledging your goals as a writer, whatever your day job, and showing your work to someone else. This may be via an informal local group or a taught course, in-person or online, but it will be transformative, even as it pushes you beyond your comfort zone.

Beyond your local library, local universities may offer writing workshops – in London I started attending Michael Donaghy’s evening poetry workshop, a short course given by City University, which led me to the poetry friends I still informally workshop with, decades later.

Regional writer development organisations do invaluable work with and for writers, offering courses about the craft, information on publishing, creating networking opportunities, running festivals and prizes – so do check what there is in your region. At the agency, we’re big admirers of the National Centre for Writing in Norwich, with whom I have worked closely for years, New Writing North, Writing West Midlands, Writing East Midlands, Literature Works, Scottish Book Trust, and more. The Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Literary Fund also provide support for writers in different ways – see their websites for more.

The Arvon Foundation runs creative writing courses in Devon, Shropshire and Yorkshire. The Word Factory helps support short story writers, bringing established and emerging writers together for mentoring, helping to develop craft and contacts. They run an Apprentice Award Programme for this. Attending festivals, local author events and live literature nights like Café Writers (Norwich and online) will bring you into contact with more useful organisations and creative people! The many online and hybrid events and festivals now available provide wider access: do investigate online festival passes and what discounts are offered for students and those on low incomes.

Arts Council England, Arts Council of Ireland and Creative Scotland provide information and funding for writers and projects – see what applies to your region and what they showcase online. Literature Wales lists writers’ groups and literary societies across Wales and beyond on its site.

In London, Spread the Word also does excellent work, and Apples and Snakes supports spoken word artists. Recently, my colleagues Juliet, Sian and I enjoyed talking about agenting with the Black Girl Writers group: a free mentoring programme for Black women who write, pairing them with established authors and literary agents and hosting online workshops.  Other towns and cities will have their projects too – too many to mention individually, so do your local research. Sign up to newsletters from organisations like these, and also festivals and venues that offer events and courses that could help you in your writing practice.

If you’re interested in finding out about the publishing industry in general, this year in the UK the Association of Authors’ Agents, the  Publishers Association and the Booksellers’ Association joined together to create a platform called OpenBooks – an initiative designed to reach the next generation of book industry talent, through a series of free, accessible online events. Aimed primarily at 14 to 19-year-olds from underrepresented backgrounds, OpenBooks showcases a range of book-related career options across publishing, bookselling, literary agenting and beyond. Speakers on various panels help to demystify publishing career options and identify routes into the book trade. Various publishers and literary agencies run paid internship programmes, like our own Carole Blake Open Doors Project.

Carole Blake, the brilliant co-founder of the agency, also wrote an excellent book, From Pitch to Publication, about finding an agent, and the path to publication. It’s due an update on some aspects like e-books, but the core principles are timeless and valuable.

The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is a practical compilation of industry advice including agent listings, author interviews, and information on editorial services. If you want to move beyond courses and workshops, don’t have an agent, and choose to pay for one-to-one editing or writer mentoring, there are many companies and individual freelancers who offer these services. The Literary Consultancy is one that is long-established and supported by the Arts Council.

The Society of Authors also hosts a number of excellent creative seminars and panel discussions around writing and publishing. Membership eligibility covers all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators at every stage of their careers – including journalists, scriptwriters, bloggers, novelists, biographers, translators, poets and games writers. The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) is also a trade union representing professional writers in TV, film, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and videogames.

Do also take a look at the various practical pieces written by Blake Friedmann colleagues over our Open Weeks!  There is lots of information on submitting to agents, what agents do, and much more, and you can access these here. 

Here are just a few good books on writing and creativity (much more to say on this another time!):

• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (this is a great audiobook too)

• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

• Why I Write Poetry: Essays on Becoming a Poet, Keeping Going and Advice for the Writing Life, edited by Ian Humphreys.

Happy writing, and exploring!

 A (non-exhaustive!) list of some links and resources

Open Books – joint UK book industry initiative:
https://agentsassoc.co.uk/2022/11/04/press-release-the-pa-ba-and-aaa-join-together-for-openbooks/

Open Books website
https://www.publishers.org.uk/openbooks/

Carole Blake Open Doors Project
http://blakefriedmann.co.uk/carole-blake-open-doors-project

Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook
https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/

Spread the Word
https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/

Apples & Snakes
https://applesandsnakes.org/

Black Girl Writers
https://blackgirlwriters.org/

Word Factory
https://thewordfactory.tv/about/

Arvon Foundation
https://www.arvon.org/about/arvon-home-of-creative-writing/

The Association of Authors’ Agents (AAA) – UK
http://www.agentsassoc.co.uk/

Association of American Literary Agents
https://aalitagents.org/

The Australian Literary Agents’ Association – Australia
https://www.austlitagentsassoc.com/

Arts Council England
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

Arts Council Ireland
https://www.artscouncil.ie/home/

Royal Society of Literature
https://rsliterature.org/

Royal Literary Fund
https://www.rlf.org.uk/helping-writers/

Society of Authors
https://www.societyofauthors.org

Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) – UK
https://writersguild.org.uk/

Authors Guild of America
https://www.authorsguild.org

PEN International
https://www.pen-international.org/

Society of Childrens’ Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) – International
https://www.scbwi.org/

The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) – Canada
https://www.writersunion.ca/

We Need Diverse Books
https://diversebooks.org/

Public Lending Right (PLR)
https://www.bl.uk/plr

Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)
https://www.alcs.co.uk

Literature Wales
https://www.literaturewales.org/for-writers/writers-groups-literary-societies/

Conmonword
https://www.cultureword.org.uk/

Literature Works (South West)
https://literatureworks.org.uk/

New Writing North
https://newwritingnorth.com/

Writing West Midlands
https://writingwestmidlands.org/

Writing East Midlands
https://writingeastmidlands.co.uk/

Scottish Book Trust
https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/

Publishing Ireland
https://www.publishingireland.com/

Publishing Scotland
https://www.publishingscotland.org/
https://www.publishingscotland.org/about-publishing/

Independent Publishers Guild
https://www.independentpublishersguild.com/

Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ)
https://publishers.org.nz/

Publishers Association of South Africa (PASA)
https://publishsa.co.za/

And for those in the book trade who are in need, see what BTBS the Book Trade Charity has to offer:
https://btbs.org/

BFLA OPEN WEEK: Bookselling, from a Publishing Perspective

Written by Tabitha Topping

I was a bookseller from May 2018 to March 2020. The bookshop I worked in was a small branch of a well-known book retailer – which, for obvious reasons I am not going to name - but suffice to say my experience of bookselling was, and will be, very different from those who work in independent bookshops. Obviously, the aims of all booksellers are the same (to sell books) but the way this is done differs hugely depending on the bookshop you work in.

I want to say now that the reality of bookselling does not match the cosy image often portrayed in films and books. There is no time within the workday to sit and read and very rarely do your encounters with customers lead to a Notting Hill or You’ve Got Mail experience. But bookselling is invaluable experience for those who want to work in publishing.

Looking back from my current publishing vantage point, I can see the many ways in which my years as a bookseller equipped me for the role I do now. The most obvious being the constant close contact with customers. As a bookseller you see first-hand how customers interact with books; which ones they are drawn to, the ones they buy, the ones they don’t. You talk to them: you hear their likes and dislikes, the books they love, the books they hate. Frequently your opinion is sought – they want a recommendation for their seven-year-old grandson, their sister, their friend.

The nature of the job means that as a bookseller you are constantly surrounded by books – giving you an excellent knowledge of the current market. This sort of first-hand knowledge is invaluable if you want to work in publishing, no matter the department you might be considering.

Something I think that is also helpful if you want to take the leap from bookselling to publishing is the regular interactions you have with authors when working in a bookshop. Most bookshops hold frequent events with authors (whether that is part of a larger literary event or a simple talk or signing held within the bookshop itself) and authors often dropped in to check we had their books on the shelves. Not only do these events and interactions help dispel any common preconceptions about authors (it turns out that they are regular people after all!), but being able to navigate the slightly trickier situations that may come up (e.g. not having any of the author’s titles in stock and having to explain it to them) will prove extremely useful when working with authors within a publishing context – again, this applies to whichever area of publishing you end up working in.

Something that I was keenly aware of as a bookseller (and perhaps even more so now as I work in publishing) is the value of booksellers. Booksellers can make or break a title. Customers trust them. Back when I was a bookseller, we had regular customers who would buy books simply on the recommendation of a favoured bookseller. Even when it was something they would never have picked up before they would unhesitatingly hand over their card or cash if a bookseller loved a book enough. ‘Alright then,’ they would say. ‘I trust you.’

As a bookseller, we had a few glimpses into the publishing industry through the copy of  The Bookseller (the trade newspaper for the publishing world) that we received every Friday morning and the advance copies of upcoming books we were sent from book publicists. We were sent the latter in the hope that we would read the book, love the book, then sell lots of it to our customers.

We would also get occasional visits from the publishers’ sales reps. I enjoyed these visits as it meant we got a sense of what was coming up and what books the publishers were really excited about. Publishing can be very insular and those visits were (and are) an ideal opportunity for publishers to learn from booksellers and their expertise regarding what was (and is) actually selling in their bookshops. Recognising the knowledge booksellers have is valuable and worth using would contribute a great deal to the books we publish and the way we publish them.

The bookshop I worked in was in a small town in the North of England, so my experience likely differed to booksellers in London and other major metropolitan areas. I value my time as a bookseller immensely and would heartily recommend all those looking for a role in publishing to get some bookselling experience – I don’t think I would have got my job without it!

BFLA Open Week: My Life as an MA Publishing Student

Written by Finlay Charlesworth

There are many different roads into publishing: whether through bookselling like Tabitha, going straight in from an English literature degree, or crossing over from an entirely different career path, there is no one set path into your dream publishing job. I was in my final year of undergraduate studies, doing English Literature and Creative Writing in Leeds, when I decided to continue down the academic route and apply to study MA Publishing at University College London, as my first decisive step into industry.

My interest in publishing as a field had been kindled by my course, but not, as initially anticipated, from producing my own work as a writer: I realised what I really loved was having conversations with my peers about plans for their work in the future, how to develop their texts, work out who their audience is, and make the leap from the word document to the world. There were two main factors that pointed me towards the MA – first of all, a lack of understanding about the industry: the specific roles available, how publishers function as businesses, and what the norms and expectations are within the industry. The second factor was COVID – by the time I graduated in the summer of 2021, I had lost about eighteen months of being a student, and I wasn’t yet ready to relinquish the freedom to learn and explore.

Through my Masters, I’ve had the opportunity to explore so many areas and ideas within the field of publishing. Starting with the huge, macro-level lessons about the different sectors within publishing, understanding who the major players are and getting to grips with the history of publishing; then drilling down into different specialist areas and being able to investigate my own interests in incredible depth; the course has opened my eyes to so many possibilities and niches in publishing that I never knew existed.

A Publishing MA gives you a chance to start by looking at the industry from the widest possible view, and through your studies roam between different sectors, roles, historical contexts, geographical markets, external influences on publishing and more, and to pursue your own interests as they emerge to you, no matter how broad or esoteric. We are prepared for working in the industry by being asked constantly, ‘how are you going to change publishing?’ – to use our academic playground to work out how we can apply what we’ve learnt, to shake up the industry and write the next chapter in publishing history.

Though it varies from university to university, it is important to stress that the course isn’t entirely based on long, complex works of theory and long, serious academic essays – I’ve been able to try and develop a great number of practical skills too, like proofreading and book reviewing; I’ve produced marketing materials for made-up books, I’ve designed book covers, I’ve produced profit-loss statements for fictional publishing companies, I’ve even coded an eBook despite having no coding experience whatsoever. I’m now building up to my dissertation, a chance to really get my teeth stuck into an extended piece of original research, interrogating the relationship between authors, illustrators and readers, which I am incredibly excited for.

The main benefit from studying publishing at university is definitely the people – both the people who run the course, a brilliant group of field-leading academics, and the guests from the industry we have the chance to meet, but also – and perhaps more importantly – your fellow students, who are heading out into the publishing world alongside you. I’ve had the privilege to meet some of the most esteemed figures in publishing on the course – from Bloomsbury founder/CEO Nigel Newton to the Managing Director of the Booksellers’ Association Meryl Halls, to authors, editors, book collectors, archivists, salespeople, marketing executives and many more. What has delighted me most of all though in recent months is hearing how my friends and colleagues from the course have found their way into the industry since graduating. I’ve always found making connections, the dreaded ‘networking’, one of the scariest parts of publishing – fearing that if you aren’t the most popular person in the room, you will be left behind. Doing the course has provided me with a ready-made network, extending across many different areas of the industry – some of my brilliantly talented friends now work in editorial, marketing, bookselling, agenting and scouting, in both trade and academic publishing, across London and beyond. It’s really exciting to know that we started our publishing journeys together, and we’re continuing onwards and upwards, through the industry, together.

One factor that held me back, however, was the cost – further study, especially in London, isn’t cheap, and I quickly realised there was no way I would be able to afford it unless I took the course as a part-time student and worked alongside. While it did worry me a lot to start with though, I have found that studying part-time has actually been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Studying fewer modules has afforded me more time to reflect on each one and consider the application of what I have learned to the books I read, the shops I see, what I hear in the news and so much more, which has definitely benefited my studies.

Pursuing work as well as my studies has also been massively rewarding – almost every guest speaker we have ever had on the course has sung the praises of bookselling as an ideal way to understand what is actually happening in publishing: from what books actually sell (yes, English Literature graduates, commercial fiction is important!), to how they’re sold, and even though I was only working at Waterstones for a couple of months in the run-up to Christmas, it was a foundational experience. After that, I worked returned to working in the NHS, supporting people with complex mental health conditions, and soon after I was able to secure my first job in the publishing industry at Blake Friedmann – and the rest is history!

BFLA Open Week: A Day In The Life Of A Book Agent

Written by Juliet Pickering

There are no two identical days in this job, which most of the time keeps it interesting and occasionally makes it frustrating! But I have always loved the variety of the work: not just on the books, but with my authors and my colleagues.

Each book agent looks after their authors’ UK, US and any other English-language rights (including audio). Our colleagues at Blake Friedmann handle Translation Rights and Media (film/TV/theatre etc.) Rights, so we talk a lot in-house about what’s going on with manuscripts and whether they’re ready to share outside the agency (e.g. with translating publishers or TV producers), and check in on delivery, covers, press, sales – the updates are constant!

Here’s one of my days, last week:

• I’m at the Post Office first thing to post off some edits on a new novel, which I’ve done on the paper pages of the manuscript with a red pen. This author is not a fan of Track Changes on the screen (and to be honest, neither am I)! I email the author to let them know to expect a delivery tomorrow. Once they receive the pages, they send some emails with queries, and we bounce ideas back and forth as they edit the manuscript so it’ll be ready for imminent submission to publishers.

• An author, editor and I review the first draft of the cover copy for a new novel, publishing next year but being announced soon (and so the book will be going up online with booksellers in time for the announcement, meaning we need to get the blurb nailed!). The editor’s done a brilliant job but half of one of the sentences troubles me because it switches the mood from something joyful to something ominous, and I try to explain my doubts to the author and editor to see what they think. Sometimes these conversations are straightforward and sometimes they’re more painful, but I love being involved in the collaboration of details like cover copy – I feel very privileged to make even a small contribution. And, of course, I want to ensure my authors are happy and sometimes they aren’t sure about voicing their own concerns to their publishing team, so it’s my role to do that for them.

• I receive and pass on/decline several requests a day for my authors to read and endorse other new books; sometimes I write those requests and send them off on behalf of my authors too, but this is more often an editor’s job.

• My media colleagues email to check that film & TV rights in a novel first published in 2000 are free, so we can respond to an interested producer.

• I ask a radio producer to confirm rates for a commissioned short story for Radio 4 (rates are usually as per public BBC guidelines!)

• One of my cookery authors is recording content for a supermarket PR campaign, and delivering the videos for approval. I watch the videos of them cooking and get hungry as they eat a delicious-looking plate of pasta!

• I receive a call from an editor to discuss improving their one-book offer to a two-book offer, and then call the author to tell them the good news! I will wait for the official revised offer in writing, review the deal memo again (the main terms of the publishing contract) and the editor and I will negotiate on those until the author and I can formally accept the offer. I love this stage, of course, and I really relish the challenges of negotiation.

• Alongside my Translation Rights team, I edit my entries in our London Book Fair Rights Guide and chat to them about new books to pitch at the Fair. Looking through the books to come is always cheering, and it’s lovely to swap in some new titles and update existing listings with news of endorsements, press quotes, prizes and translation deals.

• My colleague Sian and I have a Zoom meeting with a Publishing Director, who has recently moved from Hachette to head up another publisher’s non-fiction arm. The PD talks us through their revamped imprints and the editors working for the imprints, and what they each acquire. These conversations are always helpful, as we can then direct our submissions to the best editor. We’re familiar already with publishers and their lists, but when they undergo a lot of change then checking in to hear about their new ambitions is essential.

• We introduce ourselves and our lists in turn, and then pitch a few non-fiction projects we’ll have coming up for submission soon, and note down which editors will be the better fit based on advice from the PD. After the call, the PD sends through an ‘editor brochure’, which is a list of the editors and their tastes that we can share with colleagues and keep for reference (until the editors all switch around again; something that’s constantly happening in publishing where editors move frequently!). 

• I run a check on existing submissions (i.e. a few books that I have on submission with publishers), chase a few editors, send out to some new editors, and plan a US submission for a book recently sold in the UK.

• First copies of brand-new cookbook, THE EDIBLE FLOWER, arrive and it is such a beautiful book! I’m so pleased with how it’s turned out and send a note to the authors to tell them how beguiling it looks and what a great job they’ve done. It’s their first book and does justice to all their hard work – there are only a couple of weeks until publication, so they’re working hard on press opportunities and spreading the word with their publicists.

• I catch up with my colleague, Roya, who works closely with me on my list of authors.

• I do some spontaneous research on French women’s names for a novel set in 1940. I found some amazing websites including one which has graphs to show the popularity of any name you wish to search for, in any year! God bless the internet.

• I respond to a load of emails inviting my authors to promote campaigns that include cosmetics, sex aids, holidays, hotels… really not as glamorous as it sounds, although I did get a bit of envy when sending luxurious gift hampers was all the rage a couple of years ago.

• An author sends me a long, exciting email about a new non-fiction book idea – completely out of the blue, but I’m delighted to see it! I respond to ask that they start filling out the idea for us both by drafting a chapter outline so we can look at the structure of the proposed book and ensure it offers all the idea promises. I’m already thinking about which editors and imprints might like this new book idea, and mention it to my Translation Rights colleagues as the author has a keen and very supportive German publisher who I hope might love the idea too.

• I fill out some tedious tax and payment forms on behalf of an author who is later speaking at a university in Chicago, so the author might invoice once the talk is done.

• I do a little bit of title brainstorming for a second novel; the novel has recently been sold to a publisher and we’re thinking about whether the current title will do the best job of drawing people towards the book. It seems like the ‘right’ title has become more important in the last few years, so we’ll see where we end up with this book. It’s a beautiful, devastating literary novel, and we want the title to do the best possible job of ensuring that readers find it.

• I respond to a few submissions that have been lurking in my inbox and I’ve had a chance to read on my Kindle. Throughout a single day I get around 6-8 submissions; I read every email (usually as those submissions arrive), send on chapters/proposals to my Kindle, and read the material as/when I can (on the bus or train; sometimes on a quieter Friday afternoon; often in a grabbed hour at the weekend/in the evenings). Unfortunately, I cannot reply to every single email because that would be more than a full-time job in itself, and I have all the above keeping me busy 9-5 – and all the books my own authors are working on!

• I email one writer from the submissions above to ask them for their full manuscript, and cross my fingers…

I usually sign out of work once my son finishes childcare, or if I have an evening event to head off to. I might do a little reading in the evenings, or I might need to switch off completely with a glass of wine and another episode of Couples Therapy (I consider it research for all the books about troubled relationships I’ll represent in the future!).

BFLA Open Week: What Do Rights Agents Do All Day (At Book Fairs)

Written by Nicole Etherington

If you are an aspiring author or a publishing hopeful, you might have heard those in the industry making reference to book fairs. A book fair is an international trade event where rights agents, scouts, and publishers from across the world come together to talk about books. There are several book fairs each year, held in cities across the world – London, Bologna, Turin and Frankfurt, to name a few – but the purpose is always the same: to showcase the authors and titles we represent to publishing individuals worldwide, and to build and sustain international relationships within the publishing industry.

            Although book fairs are typically held over a few days, they are the culmination of months of preparation. Ahead of the fair, we prepare our rights guide (a catalogue of our book fair titles and key information which we use when pitching to publishers), we hone our pitches, we meet with scouts to discuss upcoming titles and we put together our meeting schedules.

            During the fair, you will find me and fellow translation rights agents at tables in the International Rights Centre (IRC). Each literary agency is designated a series of tables in the IRC where they hold meetings for the duration of the fair. Meetings are often held in thirty-minute slots. During meetings with editors from international publishing houses, we try to get a sense of their taste, what genres and formats are performing well in their markets and why, and if there have been any unexpected successes. Then we tailor our pitches to the editor and what they’re looking for. I like to think of bookfair meetings as publishing speed-dating. After the fair, we follow up with editors and send them the materials they have requested.

            The pandemic made in-person fairs impossible in 2020 and 2021, and meetings migrated online. Although it has meant that Zoom and Teams etc. are now a more ready part of our toolkits, it is hard to recreate the buzz of a fair through a computer screen. Luckily, we were able to return to in-person events in 2022. Our preparation for the London Book Fair in April this year is well under way!