Posted By: Anonymous, 20 July 2011
A reminder of the TLC Free Reads opportunity, open to any writer in the East of England who would benefit from feedback on their manuscript from a professional but who would struggle to pay for this service. The deadline is the end of this month, so if you're interested, now is the time to apply.
If you’re a serious writer living in the East of England and want your manuscript appraised - we might be able to help!
For those who could do with a professional reading service but can’t afford it:
The Literary Consultancy (TLC) is offering a free manuscript appraisal service, funded by Arts Council England and managed by Writers’ Centre Norwich throughout the East of England. Free Reads is open to writers of prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, and scripts for TV, film, radio or theatre who could otherwise not afford the fees.
As the UK’s leading manuscript assessment service, The Literary Consultancy provides expert, market-aware editorial advice to writers at all levels writing in English. You can gain constructive feedback from professional editors and find ideal publishers for your work. TLC has a strong track record of helping writers get into print as well as being an aid to their creative development.
Manuscripts are selected for Free Reads based on artistic merit and financial need.
Deadline for entries: 29th July 2011
Winners will be announced by: 26th August
To apply please submit:
· a completed application form:
Download Application Form.doc
· a short covering letter saying why a Free Read would be useful to you at this stage in your career as a writer and addressing your financial need
· a short sample of the work that you want to be assessed by TLC (no more than 3 pages for prose, 50 lines for poetry, 2 pages for scripts)
· a short (half page) summary of the full work you would submit if selected, giving details of the overall length of manuscript or number of poems.
Am I eligible? Applicants must
• not otherwise be able to afford the TLC manuscript service
• submit an extract of the work they plan to submit to TLC if accepted
• be aged 18 or older
• be resident in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk)
• submit their application in English
• submit single authored works only
• enter under their own name and home address; pen names and c/o addresses will not be eligible
• ensure your entry is received by the closing date (29th July 2011). Entries postmarked with the closing date will not be accepted
• agree that if you win you will submit your final manuscript to Writers’ Centre Norwich by 1st February 2012
Applicants must not
• be (or have been) studying for a full time academic qualification in creative writing within the past twelve months (as of 1st June 2011)
• have ever benefitted from TLC Free Reads or TLCs regular manuscript feedback service
• have been previously published (in anything other than an anthology or pamphlet) or received a professional production of a script
• be employees of Writers’ Centre Norwich
• apply more than once
These criteria can also be found on the Application Form (see below).
All submissions should be double-spaced, in a 12pt font, and printed on one side of the A4 page. Each page should be marked with your contact details.
APPLICATION FAQ’S
What should I put on my covering letter?
Covering letters should comprise a short explanation of why a Free Read would be useful to you at this stage in your career as a writer and refer also to your financial needs eligibility. It should be no more than one side of A4.
What does ‘financial need’ mean?
TLC’s regular fees are enclosed. If you feel these prices prevent or dissuade you from making use of TLC’s regular manuscript appraisal service then we’d encourage you to apply for a Free Read.
We are asking you to self-certify your financial need, and simply ask for a statement from you as to why you might not otherwise be able to afford this service.
How will winners be selected?
Winners will be selected on the quality of the work submitted, financial need, and a judgement of how useful we think a Free Read could be at this particular stage of your writing career.
Who will judge entries?
Entries will be judged by Writers’ Centre Norwich.
