💌 The July Newsletter: The latest writer opportunities, the best new roles in publishing, the fiction writing school you need to join + some recommendations
strap on in, this is your monthly lot 📞
Welcome back, subscribers!
How is it already the middle of July? This month seems to have flown by! There’s been a lot going on in the world of publishing, and beyond, and it seems that there’s always much to discuss (and to learn from). Many of you will have seen the furore surrounding The Salt Path - and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on what publishers can learn from this case. Before we get into that, I’ll be sharing some insights from my experience of working on my first novel with the fantastic writer development agency, The Novelry, and why they should be your go-to if you’re working on fiction for the first time too. You can also expect to find some of the best new roles in the publishing industry and some fab writer opportunities for you to check out - some of which you lucky paid subscribers would have had early access to.
In personal news, I’m pleased to have had handed in the last batch of text to my lovely publishers, Nosy Crow, on my latest children’s book. Freedom at last (or until the edits come in!).
Now, that’s enough from me - let’s see what’s in store this month.
Writer Opportunities ✏️
HW Fisher Novel Writing Scholarship for Writers of Colour
The HW Fisher Novel Writing Scholarship is awarding one talented writer of colour a free place on a three-month Writing Your Novel course with teaching in London. You’ll have the chance to get direct input on your novel from acclaimed author Charlotte Mendelson, and the course will take place weekly on Tuesday evenings at the offices of the esteemed literary agency, Curtis Brown, from the 16th September 2025 to the 5th January 2026. Apply here.
Breakthrough Scholarship for Fantasy Writers with Low Income
Another great opportunity through Curtis Brown Creative here - this time for fantasy writers. This course, led by bestselling fantasy author Lucy Holland, will run from the 7th October to the 9th December, and is for any low-income author who has a desire to write, a great idea for a work of speculative fiction and a compelling voice. Apply here.
Good Housekeeping x Rachel Mills Literary
Want the chance to see your novel in print? The fantastic Rachel Mills Literary have joined forces with Good Housekeeping to offer one lucky winner the chance to win £1,500, a one-on-one, hour long mentoring session with literary agent Nelle Andrew, and to have an extract of your book published in Good Housekeeping. Apply here.
New Roles in Publishing 📎
Rights Assistant, Pan Macmillan
The wonderful Children’s Rights team are hiring for an entry-level rights assistant. If you’ve always wanted to work in rights - the field responsible for selling co-edition and subsidiary rights across their children’s publishing division - this could be your path into publishing. Apply here.
Publicity Executive, Nosy Crow
My lovely publishers, Nosy Crow, who publish amazing authors like Adeola Sokunbi and Chanté Timothy, are hiring for a Publicity Executive. If you’re passionate about children’s books, love getting involved with festivals, launches, book tours and school visits, and want to immerse yourself in all things book publicity, apply here.
Senior Rights Manager, Nosy Crow
The wonderful folk at Nosy Crow are also hiring for a Senior Rights Manager. If you’re an experienced rights seller, know how to handle negotiations, and love working on presentations and sales strategies, get applying!
Spotlight on… The Novelry 🖊️
When it comes to writing your first novel, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Whether it’s struggling with where to start, or not knowing how to unravel things when your characters feel muddled, your plot feels all over the place, or your pacing is just plain wrong, writing fiction can feel like a minefield. But, what if there was a place that could help you with all of these, and more? Welcome, The Novelry. Last month, I did a talk on authenticity editing with the lovely folk at The Novelry, and since, I’ve been fortunate enough to join one of their courses - The Fast-Track Novel Course - a year-long course where I’m working on outlining, writing and editing my novel to get it up to publishing standards. The course includes 200 lessons at your own pace, and feedback on your manuscript. I’ve learned SO much already - from plot to pace to character development.
Check out the course here and if you’re curious about general writing advice, you can access all The Novelry’s blogs for free!
What I’m Loving ❤️
A final note from me. I’ll finish every fortnightly note with what I’m reading, watching and listening to. Here’s what I’m loving currently 🔌
📺 Watching: I’ve recently introduced my mum to the wonders of The Bear, and I’m getting so much joy from rewatching Season 1. I love its gritty realism, the raw, funny and sweary interactions between the characters, and the beautiful way it depicts trauma, anxiety and the drama of restaurant culture. It’s a breath of fresh air in TV and a real must-watch for lovers of food. Watch it on Disney+.
📖 Reading: More Everything Forever by Adam Becker. I keep talking about this book, and I will keep talking about this book. If you’ve ever wanted to delve into the power-hungry world of AI, space empires and Silicon Valley, this is for you. Adam is a fantastic writer - combining investigative journalism and storytelling in such a powerful way that you sometimes forget you’re reading fiction. Reading this will make you both understand everything, but makes for bleak reading at times. If ignorance is bliss, it’s not for you but otherwise, delve on in. Thanks to Basic Books for gifting me a copy.
🎧 Listening to: I cannot describe how much I love PinkPantheress. I first fell in love with her songs - how she effortlessly blended an array of samples with painfully honest and vulnerable lyrics. Her album, Fancy That, is quite frankly a millennials’s dream - full of noughties samples from icons like Basement Jaxx (the era of that Rooty album is untouchable), Just Jack (who PinkPantheress brought onstage at Glasto, and even an unreleased track from the Sugababes. Elite music taste! Highly recommend reading this Fader article on all the samples PinkPantheress used for the music nerds out there (as a former music journo, I’m obsessed with this kind of stuff!), and give the album a listen.
That’s all from me, but I’ll be back next month in your inbox, or for you paid subscribers, even sooner!