A special year-long creative writing programme for authors who dream of spending a year focusing on writing their debut novel, with a supportive and publisher-led approach designed to help you develop confidence in your voice.
What is it?
Our Year of Writing: Fiction is, as the name suggests, a year-long writing programme designed to help authors complete their first novel. It is specifically designed for new authors, and those who may have written poetry, short stories or other genres such as memoir who are determined to produce their first long-format novel.
As well as publishing amazing authors, we often hear from people who have a fabulous idea but don’t know how to see it through to fruition. Developing this creative writing programme is our way of giving new talent a stepping-stone early in their writing journey, using our unique expertise as publishers and editors.
How will it work?
This is a publisher-led creative writing course, which sets a high bar and differs slightly from higher education-based study such as a Creative Writing MA. You’ll be working directly with our main editor, with a programme founded upon our own principles of positivity and fostering confidence. Our aim is to provide you with a toolkit to help you bring your voice to the fore. It is built upon a solid foundation of literary criticism and appreciating its role in developing an author’s understanding of their own work.
Most importantly, this programme is focused upon providing a positive, supportive environment to enable you to forge connections with likeminded authors and focus upon completing your manuscript. It also contains a structured route towards seeing your work in print with Crumps Barn Studio.
Who is it for?
Applications are invited from authors who are based in the UK, who have not previously had a full-length novel published under contract.
You should have an idea for your novel and be keen to start writing.
Full information on how to apply is at the bottom of this page, but authors will be asked to send by email:
- an email introducing themselves and their aims
- an outline of their proposed novel
- and a sample of a short story of no more than 2000 words written in the same genre as their proposed novel OR the opening chapter of their proposed novel.
Authors who are accepted onto the programme will be asked to sign a publishing agreement at enrolment. This publishing offer will be based on the outline you provide with your application. There are terms and conditions in the publishing agreement which cover how and when your novel will proceed into print. These terms also explain your rights over your work once it is published.
The year long course will run from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025. There will be monthly meetings in person with fellow participants at our Cirencester bookshop or on ZOOM, and workshops with published authors and industry professionals. There will be at least one optional group outing (free on the day, but you’ll need to cover your own accommodation costs outside of the planned outing and travel to the pick-up point). You’ll also be able to access regular email support and every two months you’ll be able to reserve a one-to-one meeting with our main editor Lorna (in person or online).
Writing can be isolating, and one of the founding principles of this programme is our wish to help authors develop a useful community of support, with both their editor and a small like-minded group of fellow authors.
What are the aims:
- Support a structured approach to completing first novel
- Explore book marketing
- Understand book distribution and the supply chain, and royalties
- Foster a stronger understanding of own work through a programme of literary criticism
- Develop a peer support structure and friendships which may ultimately form part of the author’s future writing career
- Learn to discuss ideas and how to talk about your own inspiration and writing journey
- Foster an environment where support is constructive
- Develop a wider range of writing skills to improve prose and dialogue
- Understand stages of writing, editing and publishing
- Complete draft in first year, work towards publishing in second year
Why are we offering this?
This opportunity has grown from our long experience of publishing, writing and editing. We’re very much of the belief that publishing does not have a one-size-fits-all solution. In the same way, we believe creative writing doesn’t need to fit a standard mould either.
From a publisher’s point of view, our authors have an enormous amount of talent, and we’re lucky because we have the flexibility within the industry to represent a wide range of genres and backgrounds. Developing this creative writing programme is our way of delving deeper into that talent, and supporting authors who already have a voice, but just need a supportive and constructive programme of writing support and literary discussion to show them how to use it.
Who can apply?
- To apply, you need to be based in the UK and aged 18+
- There is no upper age limit
- This programme is for authors writing for the general trade readership and older children (8+ through to Young Adult)
- You can have been previously published, but not a full length novel in this genre
- You must be freely able to commit to publishing with Crumps Barn Studio, and not committed to a contract for the same genre with another publisher
- We have a policy of kindness and inclusivity, and we imagine you share these values
- No formal qualifications are necessary
- This programme is exclusively for authors of long-format fiction. If you’re interested in a programme for a different genre, please get in touch
What are we looking for in a novel?
We publish a wide range of genres from literary fiction, historical drama, historical mystery, humour, contemporary crime and thriller, magical realism and and fantasy. Our titles often contain elements of several genres. We particularly love a strong protagonist with a vivid sense of the setting.
What is not accepted?
- Outlines for work in other genres
- AI generated text is not accepted – your contract will ask you to confirm that you have not used an AI text generator during any stage of the writing process
- Submissions of complete manuscripts are not invited. Please use our standard submissions system.
- Aggressive or offensive behaviour to other participants will not be tolerated
- We do not publish work with themes of extreme violence, strong political bias or sensitivity issues (eg sexualised violence, crime or prejudice based on race, gender, orientation or any other protected characteristic). We avoid themes which should carry sensitivity warnings or trigger warnings
Our commitment to you:
All submissions are confidential. We take your rights as the author of your work very seriously. Your work will not be shared with any third party without your agreement. If your submission is unsuccessful, you can ask for your work to be deleted from our system at any time.
Our decision to offer a publishing opportunity is final.
If we notify you that your submission has been accepted, you will be offered the opportunity to sign a publishing contract and enrol on the programme.
The cost to you:
The cost to participants of our Year of Writing: Fiction programme is £4500.
There is no reading fee for submissions.
There are no additional costs of publishing the manuscript you have completed as part of the programme when it is accepted for print by Crumps Barn Studio.
What is included? The fee includes all workshops and events featuring guest speakers; the books on our reading list; and the cost of the optional organised outing (excluding your personal travel and accommodation to and from the pick-up point). You can also access email support and one-to-one sessions with our main editor Lorna.
What is not included? The fee does not cover your personal expenses for equipment (eg writing equipment and webcam for joining sessions on ZOOM), or independent travel or accommodation.
What additional equipment will you need? A PC, laptop or tablet pre-loaded with your preferred writing platform (eg Microsoft Word, or Pages (iPad), or Google Docs). If you’re joining us online, you’ll need access to the free ZOOM app. Some users opt to use a headset with integral microphone, and you’ll also need an integral webcam or external webcam.
Paying for your place: The fee will be payable at the point of signing a contract. The fee can be paid in installments but the balance must be paid in full prior to commencement of the programme. We are aware that some authors may find this cost prohibitive, but we’re sorry but we cannot accept payment after commencement of the programme. This is to avoid course fatigue, where a person is nudged into dropping out by worries about making the next payment.
To make things easier, we have two intakes a year (September and March), so you may opt to defer your start date until later to ensure that you can spread the costs over the maximum number of payments.
Our refund policy: a refund can be sought if the programme is cancelled or we consistently fail to provide sessions and workshops comparable with the course schedule provided at commencement of the programme. We reserve the right to amend or update the schedule based on the availability of our guest speakers. If you decide to withdraw from the programme for personal reasons, we may, at our discretion, offer to defer your place to a later intake, or provide a proportional refund.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What happens if I don’t complete my manuscript within 12 months?
A: We will provide a further 12 months of email support. After that, you have a further two years to submit your completed manuscript for publication (totaling a span of four years from the point of commencing the programme), after which you can apply for an extension or we may terminate your publishing agreement and your rights will revert to you.
Q: Do I just have to finish my draft and then you will publish it? Is that it?
A: Not quite. We’re focused on helping you to finish your first draft within 12 months. Some authors work more swiftly and others more slowly so this is a guide not a fixed deadline. When we accept a title for publishing, the work will progress into our usual editing system. This will involve to a lesser or greater degree further editing work and proofreading. It is worth being aware that there are usually several rounds of edits before a title is approved for print. We never publish a title which does not reach our high standard of polish. It is our aim to help you reach that standard smoothly and in a structured and positive way.
Q: So there is a risk that I’ll finish the manuscript and you’ll refuse to publish it?
A: There is a small risk that despite our and your best efforts, your work won’t be signed off as ready for print. This situation mainly occurs when the manuscript is incomplete or there are strong differences of opinion about the content of certain scenes – eg where you’ve decided to include themes of violence or sensitivity issues which breach our general publishing policies. Where this is the case, we’ll discuss the issues with you and work with you to find mutually satisfactory solutions. If, at the end of that process, we can’t reach an agreement, your rights will revert to you and you will be free to seek a publisher elsewhere. This is a very unlikely and hypothetical scenario though.
Q: Will I earn royalties when the work is published?
A: Yes, all our authors receive the same generous terms. These will be outlined in your publishing agreement and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions before signing on the dotted line.
Q: Where will my book be published?
A: We publish fiction in paperback and ebook. Our books are found in UK bookshops and libraries, and online retailers worldwide.
Q: I have dyslexia so I’m worried spelling will be an issue. Does my submission have to be word-perfect?
A: A number of our authors experience dyslexia or other writing challenges. This is not an obstacle to being a great writer.
Q: You’ve mentioned a Creative Writing MA – what are the differences?
A: A Creative Writing MA is an educational programme offered by a higher educational establishment. The Year of Writing: Fiction programme is publisher-led. The end result is broadly the same in that both programmes aim to support an author through the process of writing their first major manuscript. However, our programme offers a defined pathway into print. It also offers support without the pressure of graded writing exercises or the worry of passing or failing a module. There are also cost differences. An MA is usually much more expensive. We are supportive of all creative writing routes and strongly feel the author should choose the option which works best for them.
Q: I might need to alternate between attending group meetings in person or online. Do you offer this?
A: We’re looking for a suitable venue to offer conference facilities where participants can join in person or via ZOOM and share the same meeting space. However this is not guaranteed so at the moment participants will select an online programme OR an in person programme. Feel free to mention this wish during your application though.
How to apply:
Please send a covering email with a few paragraphs about yourself, your experience as an author, and your thoughts about what this programme can do for you.
Please also include your availability – eg whether weekday meetings or Saturdays suit you best
Please include your legal name (if it is different from your pen name) and your postal address and contact details. This is purely for our records and won’t be shared with a third party.
Please attach an outline of your novel. This is a summary of the likely plot (we know plots change with the writing, don’t worry!). You should also describe the main characters and key themes.
Please attach a short story of no more than 2000 words in the same genre as your planned novel. If you prefer, this can be a draft chapter from your planned novel. We need to get a sense of your style and how it may develop through the programme.
All elements of your submission and personal details will be treated with the strictest confidence. Your outline of your novel remains your intellectual property.
There is no reading fee for submissions.
Submit now: books@crumpsbarnstudio.co.uk with the subject heading Year of Writing: Fiction