New Literary Agent Listing: Laura Heathfield
firstwriter.com – Wednesday January 8, 2025
I am looking for commercial crime, thriller, suspense, book club, historical and romance fiction as well as select non-fiction. Above everything I want to be entertained. I’m looking for a book you can’t wait to talk to someone about, in the same way as a new film or the latest release on Netflix. A book that engrosses me from the first page to the last, desperate for someone I know to read so we can discuss as soon as possible. In non-fiction, I’m looking for an untold story or perspective or an unexplored area where you have expertise or real-life experience. As a reader of non-fiction, I want to be engaged in a relatable, accessible way. I am not looking for poetry, novellas, short story collections, screenplays, children’s or middle-grade books.
Applications open for 2025 Cameron Mackintosh Musical Theatre Writing Placement
westendbestfriend.co.uk – Tuesday January 7, 2025
Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) and Musical Theatre Network (MTN) have been awarded funding from the Mackintosh Foundation to support five placements as part of the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer Scheme over 2023-2025, with the next placement being hosted by British Youth Music Theatre.
Through this scheme, professional musical theatre writers are paired with a company and given the opportunity to be involved in a range of work which could include writing/composing assignments on the host company’s projects, shadowing development/rehearsal processes, and working on development of their own musical theatre material. Recent hosts have included the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre of Scotland, MAST Mayflower, Theatr Clwyd, Octagon Theatre, Hope Mill Theatre, and The Lowry.
This placement is for a musical theatre writing team of two. The opportunity will provide paid writing time and support for the team to develop a new musical over the course of the placement. This will commence from March 2025 and comprise six months of full-time work, to take place over a period of six to nine months. Alongside this, the composer of the team will collaborate with the wider BYMT team on their 2025 season of new musicals as a music coordinator, while the bookwriter will be involved in each show in a dramaturgical capacity. Following on from the placement, the team will have a guaranteed production or developmental workshop week in 2026 with a cast of approximately 36 young people.
New Publisher Listing: Loudhailer Books
firstwriter.com – Tuesday January 7, 2025
A publisher of quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
We are currently accepting submissions from authors, either directly or via a literary agent.
For fiction, we ask to see a synopsis and the first three chapters.
For non-fiction, please send a brief proposal including a synopsis, author profile and sample material.
Please send all submissions and enquiries by email.
8 Newsletters Demystifying the Publishing Industry
electricliterature.com – Monday January 6, 2025
The publishing industry can feel like an opaque, black box to aspiring authors, with countless gatekeepers—agents, editors, publicists, book buyers and more—shaping the process behind the scenes. Even established authors can find the sector confusing as they attempt to read the tea leaves behind changing advance sizes, varying levels of publicity support and shifting print run amounts.
Fortunately, there are now dozens of newsletters that aim to demystify the publishing business. I’ve been fortunate enough to have found many of them through my book recommendation newsletter, What To Read If, and now love seeing their names pop up in my email. (Given the state of my inbox, this is the ultimate compliment.)
From publishers and publicists to authors and reviewers, the eight newsletters below provide valuable insights and analysis to anyone looking to get smarter about—or to survive in—the publishing world.
New Magazine Listing: Micromance Magazine
firstwriter.com – Monday January 6, 2025
A flash fiction lit mag dedicated to romance, love stories and romantic poetry. Publishes one story or poem a day on both the site and directly to the inbox of its nearly 400 subscribers. Receives 10,500 views a month and was just voted by readers and writers the 4th favorite flash fiction lit mag in Chill Subs' Community Favorites. Submissions are open year-round with special anthology calls throughout the year. Considers submissions of all writers regardless of experience level and is all inclusive.
New magazine for alternative comedy writing launched
chortle.co.uk – Sunday January 5, 2025
Comedian Will BF has launched a magazine for alternative comedy writing.
Co-created with comedy producer Amber Ash, the first 36-page edition features contributions from Rosalie Minnit, Alex Franklin, Rosie Nicholls and more.
Will BF said: ‘There didn’t seem to be any spaces for creating surreal, spontaneous, and – most of all – creative written comedy with a little heart and just for the sake of it. I craved a space where I could write
something with a bit more joy than Will BF’s Guide To A Perfect Fringe, sandwiched between ad-crammed pages.
‘I hope the freedom of format and content is something that contributors and readers alike will find refreshing. With only one edition down - I hope Chaff will continue to grow, spread and mutate - like a lovely virus
The magazine has been funded by Croydon Council – despite the authority having a £1.6billion debt – and is available for £5 on Etsy.
The 13 secrets to writing a really good novel
inews.co.uk – Sunday January 5, 2025
One would imagine that the glamour professions of today – YouTuber, influencer, star athlete, crypto millionaire – would not include the humble old novelist. But guess what? “Writer” often storms to the top of dream career surveys, and it seems that the multitudes still believe they have a novel in them, and not only a video game or an OnlyFans site.
Writing fiction, if taken seriously, is a compulsion, and many who want to complete a whole novel end up living a lifetime of frustration. There are a couple of issues here. Firstly, they think that publication will solve all their problems. It won’t. And secondly, they are often stymied by the same mistakes, both technical and psychological. There are ways around some of these.
Can creative writing be taught? Yes and no. Pure talent cannot. Most of the rest of it really can. As a novelist, literary critic and creative writing tutor, I’ve taught for more than 20 years, and I’ve seen the same problems emerging through my time at Arvon, Birkbeck, City University, and, for the past 14 years, Faber Academy, a writing school which nurtures hundreds of students through its six-month Writing A Novel programme, and has also seen more than 200 of those students’ novels published – including plenty of bestsellers.
So here, I offer a few insights.
Winston-Salem Writers presents Three-in-a-Row Writers Workshops
wschronicle.com – Friday January 3, 2025
Registration is now open for Winston-Salem Writers’ annual Three-In-A-Row workshops. The following workshops will be on Zoom on three Saturdays in January: Critiquing and Revision on Jan. 11, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Agents on Jan.18, and Writing Short Plays on Jan. 25.
All three workshops are from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost is free for Winston-Salem Writers members and $25/workshop for non-members. Registration ends three days before each workshop. For more information, to read speakers’ full bios, and to register, visit www.wswriters.org/workshops-and-seminars. To join or renew your WSW membership for $40, visit wswriters.org/membership. Dues are for January – December 2025.
PB and Yay! Books
firstwriter.com – Thursday January 2, 2025
Traditional publisher. No advance. High royalties. Picture books only. Welcomes submissions from authors based in the United States and Canada exclusively.
8 Craft Books to Inspire Your New Year’s Writing Resolutions
electricliterature.com – Thursday January 2, 2025
Many New Year’s Resolutions are health-centric—a promise to eat healthier, exercise more, or finally quit smoking. But for writers, caring for your creativity is just as central to your wellbeing.
To give you some extra motivation, we’ve rounded up books on writing that are filled with new ways of approaching the craft and practical advice from well-known authors. Whether you’re looking to start a new writing practice or finally get to work on the novel idea you’ve been chewing on for the past few months, these books will give you the inspiration you need to begin.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
With more than 70 books under his belt, Stephen King is a pop culture icon. On Writing is a memoir of his writing career, beginning with his childhood in Maine, where he would submit short stories to science fiction and horror magazines; to publishing his first novel, Carrie; to surviving a car accident that nearly killed him.
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