Once you’ve decided your novel is ready to submit to literary agents, you’ll probably want to get going right away, but it’s important to take your time deciding who to submit to. It’s often advised to create a list of about ten agents, submit to five, wait a couple of months, then submit to five…
We are delighted to reveal the winners of the BPA Pitch Prize 2020. The longlist contained twenty-four brilliant novel openings, and it was difficult to make the final selection. The four winners will receive a one-on-one with our judge, literary agent Jane Finigan, a chance to pitch their novel and receive expert feedback. Many…
If you’re writing contemporary fiction that doesn’t fit neatly into a genre such as crime, fantasy, romance, etc. it can be hard to know how to describe it in a cover letter. There are a lot of terms out there: general fiction, book club fiction, literary, upmarket, and specific subgenres like uplit, new adult and…
We are thrilled to announce the BPA Pitch Prize 2020 longlist. The standard of entries was incredibly high and it was difficult to select just twenty-four novels. We look forward to announcing the winners, who will receive a one-on-one with judge Jane Finigan, in January. Many congratulations to the authors of the following exceptional titles:…
Online Craft Tutorials and optional One on One Editorial Review, January to April 2021, Contact us for bookings >
As a writer fairly close to submitting my first novel to literary agents, I was delighted to attend BPA’s session with Nelle Andrew from Rachel Mills Literary. Nelle secured a three-book deal for Neil Daws, who was highly commended in the 2019 Blue Pencil First Novel Award, just days before she sat down with thirty-or-so…
Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award 2020 The BPA First Novel Award is open to unrepresented and unpublished authors for a novel in any adult fiction genre. We are thrilled to announce the winners of the First Novel Award 2020. Our judges this year were literary agents Caroline Wood and Carrie Plitt of Felicity Bryan…
SO, WHAT IS A COVER LETTER? Literary agents and many literary competitions require a cover letter along with your sample chapters and synopsis. This is a formal introduction to you and your novel. Note: It is not a CV, a bio or a blurb for the book. It’s a letter that should make the agent…
We are thrilled to announce the BPA First Novel Award 2020 shortlist. This year’s judges, literary agents Caroline Wood and Carrie Plitt from Felicity Bryan Associates and best-selling author Anna Hope (Expectation, The Ballroom, Wake), found it difficult to choose six titles from an impressive longlist. Prizes include agent introductions as well as cash and…
Writing Weekend Online Tutorials – September 24 – 27, 2020, Contact us for bookings >