LOOKING FOR: MG, YA, ADULT FICTION, ADULT NON-FICTION, NON-FICTION FOR 7+ Megan Carroll is looking for writers in a variety of areas, and from a wide range of backgrounds – she is particularly keen to hear from Black, Asian, and LGBTQIA+ writers. Her main areas of focus this year are adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as non-fiction for 7+, and MG and YA fiction. In Fiction, Megan is keen to see high-concept love stories (think The Flat Share or The Lock In) for both commercial and reading group readers. She’d love to see those familiar romance tropes – enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, love triangles, forbidden love etc. – with underrepresented characters at the centre. She is also looking for historical fiction and gothic horror (think Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls and Silvia Moreno-Garcia) – anything that has a creepy, uneasy undertone is likely for Megan’s list. Megan is also actively looking for upmarket fiction and would love to see layered family drama, contemporary stories about life today and darkly comic novels that explore a specific time, place or experience. In Non-Fiction, Megan is keen to hear from experts in their field talking about topics relating to film, music, true crime, popular culture, history and issues from largely unrepresented perspectives. She is keen to see memoir, narrative non-fiction and essay collections. In Children’s and YA, she is keen to see contemporary YA with humour, and romance at the heart – fun and emotional stories that appeal to the interests and issues of the teenage readers. She’d also love to see thrillers and horror stories for this age group too. It’s unlikely that high fantasy novels for YA readers will be right for her, but she is keen to see stories with fantasy elements in a real world setting. On the younger end, Megan is looking for funny, contemporary middle grade – think Louise Rennison and Karen McCombie – and anything creepy and spooky for 8-12 year old readers too. She’d love to find something like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and is keen to find original adventure stories in both fantasy and realistic settings. Megan would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first three chapters or 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Megan is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Tuesday 26th August 2025 at 9am UK BST
LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION, NON-FICTION Una is a Rights Agent at Susanna Lea Associates and am starting to build a client list. She grew up in London and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA in English in 2021. At university, Una was particularly interested in contemporary West African and South Asian literature. She started as an agent's assistant at SLA London in 2022 and now handles some translation rights and provides support with editorial work and submissions. Una's favourite reads always set her at ease right away and draws her in with impressive and accessible storytelling, memorable characters or an original hook. Una enjoys writing which expands her worldview, makes her laugh out loud or keeps her on her toes with its twists and turns. She welcomes submissions from debut authors and would be keen to read across a wide range of genres and styles. She is looking for literary, upmarket and book club fiction, and is always drawn to stories that explores the challenges and complexities of love and relationships in all its forms —within families, between friends or in romantic relationships. Una loves the way in which familial relationships are dissected in The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright and the impact of the local community in Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson. She is always drawn to novels with a strong sense of community, whether they are unified by geography, culture, or in other unexpected ways. Una has always loved reading international and translated fiction and welcomes submissions from authors writing contemporary fiction that engages with cultures and traditions from around the world, such as in voices of the deities in Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi or the subversive tales of Sayaka Murata. She is not looking for children’s or YA titles, science fiction or high-concept fantasy, but is open to submissions from authors writing in the speculative fiction space, and books with fantastical or otherworldly elements, be that magical realism or supernatural horror, such as Mona Awad's campus novel with a twist, Bunny. Una would also love to read more writing that engages with the natural world and reminds us of the limitations of human understanding. In non-fiction, Una enjoys books that furthers her understanding of wider societal issues — nature and the environment, culture, and little-known history. Her recent non-fiction favourites are Eve by Cat Bohannon, Doppelgänger by Naomi Klein and Unearthed by Claire Ratinon. Una would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first three chapters or 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Una is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Wednesday 20th August 2025
Description Master the secret ways of selling your short stories and fictions of the magazine in other platforms. Enroll the Marketing Short Stories course and explore various opportunities of making money through writing short stories. Selling short stories may sound difficult. However, with proper training, you can gain profit. The course helps you to choose the right magazines and other selling platforms for you. You will understand how to find and select the paying magazines and anthologies that are interested to buy your short stories. You will also learn to choose the right platform for you. The course also trains you how to avoid rejection and how to make your story accept by the magazines. The strategies of submitting your short stories will also be covered in the course. Having completed the course, you will able to learn how to make a profit by selling short stories on various platforms. Assessment: This course does not involve any MCQ test. Students need to answer assignment questions to complete the course, the answers will be in the form of written work in pdf or word. Students can write the answers in their own time. Once the answers are submitted, the instructor will check and assess the work. Certification: After completing and passing the course successfully, you will be able to obtain an Accredited Certificate of Achievement. Certificates can be obtained either in hard copy at a cost of £39 or in PDF format at a cost of £24. Who is this Course for? Marketing Short Stories is certified by CPD Qualifications Standards and CiQ. This makes it perfect for anyone trying to learn potential professional skills. As there is no experience and qualification required for this course, it is available for all students from any academic background. Requirements Our Marketing Short Stories is fully compatible with any kind of device. Whether you are using Windows computer, Mac, smartphones or tablets, you will get the same experience while learning. Besides that, you will be able to access the course with any kind of internet connection from anywhere at any time without any kind of limitation. Career Path After completing this course you will be able to build up accurate knowledge and skills with proper confidence to enrich yourself and brighten up your career in the relevant job market. Introduction Introduction FREE 00:02:00 Overview 00:01:00 The Basics Why Short Stories 00:01:00 Benefits 00:02:00 Selling v Licensing 00:03:00 Types of licencing rights part 1 00:02:00 Types of licencing rights part 2 00:07:00 Copyright 00:02:00 How to Sell Your Stories Getting ready to sell 00:02:00 The common types of short fiction markets 00:03:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 1 00:05:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 2 00:04:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 3 00:04:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 4 00:02:00 Submitting Your Short Stories Submission basics- Research 00:08:00 Submission basics- Guidelines and Formatting 00:09:00 Types of submissions 00:04:00 Set up monitoring and keep writing 00:07:00 Dealing with rejections 00:04:00 Contracts Dealing with contracts 00:06:00 Making Your Stories Work Harder and Earn More Selling reprints 00:06:00 Selling foreign language rights 00:02:00 Selling audio rights 00:03:00 Publishing your stories independently 00:04:00 Putting it all together The story submission step-by-step process 00:04:00 Conclusion Final thoughts 00:01:00
A masterclass in devising therapeutic metaphors This inspiring online training day gives you powerful, non-intrusive ways to help distressed young people – and others – overcome difficulties in their lives – the skills you will learn can also be used with adults Accredited CPD: 6 hours Length: 1 day (9.15am - 4.00pm GMT) LIVE ONLINE – Join Pamela Woodford live online on Tuesday 18th June 2024 for this enjoyable, experiential CPD accredited training day – you will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, take part in exercises to practice the steps involved, come up with pertinent metaphors and create your own story. Limited numbers. BONUS RECORDING – you will also get a recording of the tutor sessions for a limited time afterwards to maximise your learning. >> If you can’t make this date please register your interest below and we’ll let you know as soon as a new date is available. Fantastic online training, engaging and thought-provoking throughout. The confidence Pamela has given me will impact positively on my everyday practice, I am truly inspired...PSYCHOTHERAPIST Why take this course Children’s natural affinity with stories gives us an incredibly powerful, non-directive way to help emotionally distressed and abused young people, who can sometimes be hard to reach in any other way. On this practical live training event you will learn how to tap into your own metaphorical brain to create therapeutic stories and metaphors ‘in the moment’ that are appropriate to each individual’s circumstances and experiences. Throughout the day Pamela – a master storyteller and highly experienced psychotherapist – draws on her own case histories, metaphor and story examples as she guides you through the steps involved in ‘thinking on your feet’ and creating a story yourself in the moment. By the end of the day you will have lots of new, innovative ways to engage with and help distressed children deal with the experiences they have had – whilst also offering them hope, understanding, and new ways of thinking and feeling about life and themselves. Indeed, you may well be surprised at how quickly positive psychological changes occur as a result of the stories you will create and tell ‘in the moment’. Stories also play a crucial role in child development – through the ways the different characters think, act and overcome difficulties, children gain important templates for understanding the world and dealing with the challenges and situations they will meet in life – both now and in the future. They are a wonderful way to help build resilience. Storytelling and the careful use of therapeutic metaphor are crucial elements of successful counselling and psychotherapy – they help bypass assumptions and rigid thinking to offer a new, broader way of looking at things, awaken innate resources and offer crucial hope – just what struggling children need… Wonderful, interactive online course. Pamela is a joy to listen to – I learnt so muchCOUNSELLOR What will you learn A clear understanding of how to address emotional issues in children Simple ways to calm and relax children – “it’s the way you tell ‘em” Tips for igniting your own imagination and creativity How to ‘think metaphor’ to find the right one for each situation A step-by-step guide to creating your own stories – the 6 steps for creating short stories with metaphors specifically tailored to quickly bring about positive psychological changes in children and young people Breathing life into inanimate objects and taking inspiration from nature – how to tune into your metaphorical mind Valuable experience in creating your own therapeutic story from scratch How to use your stories and metaphors The importance of paying attention to the words children use when telling you something Case histories which illustrate the effectiveness and flexibility of stories – and show why they are such powerful therapeutic tools, even with difficult cases How to find your own metaphors and connect them emotionally to distressing situations Using embedded suggestions in stories – exercise Different ways to use therapeutic stories, such as those in Pamela’s acclaimed Brighter Little Minds series, to develop emotional literacy The importance of incorporating all of our senses How to adapt stories to use with adolescents and adults Tips for thinking creatively ‘on your feet’ to come up with suitable metaphors and ideas there and then in the moment Flexible skills that can easily be adapted to working with adults Why subtly entwining a child’s interests into a story makes its impact stronger How to introduce a story or therapeutic metaphor naturally into your conversation Feedback on the story you create and time to ask questions of the tutor – a highly experienced and creative psychotherapist who has spent decades working therapeutically with distressed children and young people A greater appreciation of the subtle power of metaphor, imagination and embedded suggestions and how to use them to help the young people you care for Increased confidence in creating and telling therapeutic stories yourself A variety of story examples and ‘scripts’ Lots of new ideas from Pamela Woodford’s ‘treasure chest of healing spells’ to spark your own creativity Tips for improving your own storytelling abilities Such a helpful live online training day – the use of metaphor via story form is a powerful toolHEAD OF BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT SERVICE – EDUCATION Course Programme The ‘How to create healing stories for distressed children’ live online workshop starts at 9.15am and runs until 4.00pm. (GMT). 9.15am Join the Zoom meeting 9.30am What can go wrong for children? How stories can help 11.00am Comfort break and discussion 11.10am Using metaphor, relaxation, imagination and embedded suggestions 1.00pm Lunch break 1.40pm Setting the scene and creating the story 3.10pm Comfort break and discussion 3.20pm Sharing the stories you have created 4.00pm Day ends Who is this course suitable for? Anyone working with emotionally distressed children or young people, including: Psychotherapists, therapists and counsellors Teachers and educational professionals Childcare and healthcare professionals (and students) Foster carers Adoptive parents – and perspective adoptive parents Social workers Parents and carers Interested friends or family who wish to help a young person they know And anyone who would like to attend for personal reasons This course has been independently accredited by the internationally recognised CPD Standards Office for 6 hours of CPD training. On completion of this training you’ll receive CPD certificates from the College and the CPD Standards Office.
Selling short stories can be hard work, but through this training, I will show you how to sell your short stories to top paying magazines and anthologies. I will show you how find the right markets so you sell and get published more easily. How to sell your short stories over and over again and so maximise your earning from them. How to avoid having your stories rejected. You will learn techniques to make it easier for you to sell more short stories, and create an ongoing financial income. I've structured this course in a simple to follow way, that will show you how to start submitting your short stories to top paying markets immediately. Just follow the concise sections which cover all the crucial information you need to succeed. What you'll learn Learn how to research short story markets and choose the best ones to target. Have the required knowledge to be able to sell to short stories to paying magazines and anthologies. Requirements You should already be writing or planning to write short stories. Introduction Introduction FREE 00:02:00 Overview 00:01:00 The Basics Why Short Stories 00:01:00 Benefits 00:02:00 Selling v Licensing 00:03:00 Types of licencing rights part 1 00:02:00 Types of licencing rights part 2 00:07:00 Copyright 00:02:00 How to Sell Your Stories Getting ready to sell 00:02:00 The common types of short fiction markets 00:03:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 1 00:05:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 2 00:04:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 3 00:04:00 Finding and choosing the right markets part 4 00:02:00 Submitting Your Short Stories Submission basics- Research 00:08:00 Submission basics- Guidelines and Formatting 00:09:00 Types of submissions 00:04:00 Set up monitoring and keep writing 00:07:00 Dealing with rejections 00:04:00 Contracts Dealing with contracts 00:06:00 Making Your Stories Work Harder and Earn More Selling reprints 00:06:00 Selling foreign language rights 00:02:00 Selling audio rights 00:03:00 Publishing your stories independently 00:04:00 Putting it all together The story submission step-by-step process 00:04:00 Conclusion Final thoughts 00:01:00 Course Certification
Level 5 QLS Endorsed Course with FREE Certificate | CPD & CiQ Accredited | 150 CPD Points | Lifetime Access
LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION Marilia Savvides founded The Plot Agency in 2024. She began her career in publishing at Peters Fraser and Dunlop, where she spent eight years, first as International Rights Agent, and later as Literary Agent, building her own list of authors. In 2019, she joined 42MP, where she worked as Literary Agent for four years, helping to launch and set up the Book Division. She is particularly interested in fiction that is beautifully written and cleverly constructed, but still accessible to a wide readership. She is often drawn to darker tales that weave together excellent characters and an impossible-to-put-down story, from immersive book club novels with a splash of suspense, crime and thrillers, accessible horror, and speculative, genre-bending or dystopian stories. She also adores smart, witty contemporary rom-com in the style of Emily Henry. In the thriller, crime and mystery space she is interested in most areas, except military thrillers and organised crime/ mafia / mob stories. Big hooks and clever set ups are a big bonus! She adores Karin Slaughter (especially her standalone novels) and Gillian Flynn. In the book club / reading group space, she’s particularly drawn to fiction in the vein of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng, and absolutely fell in love with Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, both for the incredible voice, and the exquisite use of structure and time. Complicated family dynamics, empathetic and smart approaches to controversial issues, stand out protagonists (like Elizabeth Zott in Lessons in Chemistry or Bernadette in Where D’You Go Bernadette), long buried secrets, complicity, the road to justice, and impossible decisions, are all themes she finds herself drawn to. In the horror space, she’s a sucker for amazing female-centric stories in the vein of Yellowjackets, and the kind of contemporary, accessible horror that Stephen King always nails. She wants to get lost in a world that feels within reach of ours. In the speculative and dystopian spaces, she’s interested in genius ideas that set up big questions or reflect the most broken (and sometimes hidden) parts of society. She loves Octavia Butler, Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, and also adored The Leftovers, Station Eleven, Wanderers, and The Power. The what-ifs of life and fiction fascinate her. In the grounded sci-fi space, she’d love to find a smart, immersive, and accessible story like The Martian. She doesn’t represent fantasy or romantasy. In regards to sci-fi, unless it’s very grounded and has crossover potential to a mainstream audience, it’s not for her. In the romance space, she’s particularly drawn to smart, complex and witty characters, where the chemistry is jumping off the page. She loves contemporary settings and all the tropes, though the voice and characters must come first to make the reading experience fully immersive. She wants to be cackling, and rooting for the characters with all her heart. She is very hands-on editorially, and loves working with her authors to shape their manuscripts, and brainstorm ideas. The best part of the job is discovering debut authors, and helping them find a home for their books. Marilia would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 - 2 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single Word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Marilia is kindly offering one free session for low income/underrepresented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Wednesday 13th August 2025
Description: Learn the procedures of winning the heart of your reader. Short stories are one of the most popular forms of writing as people prefer to read short stories instead of long novels nowadays. The Creative Writing Course - Short Stories course helps you to learn the useful, pragmatic ways of scripting short stories that will attract the customers. Before starting the writing strategies, the course shows you some related terms for writing such as time management, defining your goals for writing, understanding the audiences, etc. Then, you will know how to create protagonists, style, the point of view, tones, short story templates, creating draft and publishing. The final section is dedicated to the procedures of edition including Kindle publishing etc. Here, you will also learn how to deal with the rejections, rights and payments. In short, the course guides you to start writing short stories. Assessment: At the end of the course, you will be required to sit an online multiple-choice test. Your test will be assessed automatically and immediately so that you will instantly know whether you have been successful. Before sitting for your final exam you will have the opportunity to test your proficiency with a mock exam. Certification: After you have successfully passed the test, you will be able to obtain an Accredited Certificate of Achievement. You can however also obtain a Course Completion Certificate following the course completion without sitting for the test. Certificates can be obtained either in hard copy at a cost of £39 or in PDF format at a cost of £24. PDF certificate's turnaround time is 24 hours and for the hardcopy certificate, it is 3-9 working days. Why choose us? Affordable, engaging & high-quality e-learning study materials; Tutorial videos/materials from the industry leading experts; Study in a user-friendly, advanced online learning platform; Efficient exam systems for the assessment and instant result; The UK & internationally recognised accredited qualification; Access to course content on mobile, tablet or desktop from anywhere anytime; The benefit of career advancement opportunities; 24/7 student support via email. Who is this Course for? Creative Writing Course - Short Stories is certified by CPD Qualifications Standards and CiQ. This makes it perfect for anyone trying to learn potential professional skills. As there is no experience and qualification required for this course, it is available for all students from any academic background. Requirements Our Creative Writing Course - Short Stories is fully compatible with any kind of device. Whether you are using Windows computer, Mac, smartphones or tablets, you will get the same experience while learning. Besides that, you will be able to access the course with any kind of internet connection from anywhere at any time without any kind of limitation. Career Path After completing this course you will be able to build up accurate knowledge and skills with proper confidence to enrich yourself and brighten up your career in the relevant job market. Introduction Introduction to Short Story Writing 00:06:00 Foreword Who Am I to Run This Course? 00:06:00 It's All About Mindset 00:07:00 What Tools Do You Need To Succeed? 00:05:00 Part One: Mindset Mental Preparation 00:06:00 Time Management 00:06:00 Self Belief 00:02:00 Goal Setting 00:01:00 Part Two: The Basics Subject Matter 00:04:00 Genre 00:07:00 Scope 00:02:00 Getting Ideas 00:02:00 Part Three: Construction Time The 7-Step Story Generator 00:02:00 Characters & Character Creation 00:03:00 Creating Protagonists 00:07:00 Character Motivation & Interactions 00:03:00 Story & Setting 00:03:00 The 5-Point Story Structure 00:02:00 Style & Tone 00:02:00 Point of View & Tense 00:03:00 Plotting & The Twist 00:05:00 Building a Short Story Template 00:03:00 Building a Short Story Template 00:03:00 Introduction to Scrivener All Hail Scrivener! 00:04:00 Part Four: Writing Your Story The Opening Paragraph 00:03:00 Fast Writing 00:05:00 The Second Draft 00:04:00 Polishing 00:04:00 Part Five: Submitting Your Work 6 Lectures It's All About Presentation 00:04:00 Dealing With Rejection 00:02:00 Rights and Payment 00:01:00 Kindle Publishing 00:04:00 Conclusion Short Stories 00:02:00 Resources Resources - Creative Writing Course - Short Stories 00:00:00 Certificate and Transcript Order Your Certificates and Transcripts 00:00:00
Level 5 QLS Endorsed Course | CPD & CiQ Accredited | Audio Visual Training | Free PDF Certificate | Lifetime Access
English language book club to use and improve your English. Qualified and experienced British English teacher.