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How can we help you?

Find out more about our classes and courses.

Writing process and guidance

What if I’m writing in a second language?

We have writers from all over the world, some of whom are writing in their second language. We offer language support on the courses, with a spoken and text translation tool. The software is designed to help those who are dyslexic or who are sight- or hearing-impaired.

We’re comfortable working with all writers at any stage of their writing – and we warmly welcome beginners as well as non-native English writers. Of course, you can give us a try and see what you think, secure in the knowledge you have a full 7-day money-back guarantee.

We’re proud of all the writers in our diverse community.

How do I get feedback on my writing?

If you would like more comprehensive feedback on your manuscript, we suggest you choose The Finished Novel Course. This includes a full assessment of your entire book to help you toward submission.

You can get fast feedback on your work from the best beta-readers (writers!) in our online community day and night.

We suggest you leave getting feedback until you have a second draft where it’s most helpful.

Once you join us, you can purchase a Paid Feedback Session for $425 or £350 for a 5000-word section of your manuscript.

The feedback sessions offer detailed feedback on your writing in a report and a live online 45-minute debrief with one of our editors.

How do I choose my writing coach?

We’ll give you guidance on how to choose within the first lessons of The Ninety Day Novel class, before you book your first coaching session. Once we have shown you how to scope out your story, and you have considered the genre you’re writing in, it will be fairly obvious who your writing coach should be as they’ll be an author successfully published in the same genre.

Consider who you want to write with; take a peek inside the first pages of their published books on Amazon and see whose writing style appeals to you most strongly. The wonderful thing about The Novelry is that you can work with the writing coach of your choice and also book sessions with any other writing coach working within your genre. So if things change or you want help with specialist craft techniques from another coach, we’ve got you covered.

How does the writer coaching work?

You’ll meet when you begin The Ninety Day Novel. We’ll guide you on how to create an outline for a novel, and your coach or mentor will look at your planned storyline to ensure it’s as strong as it can be before you start writing, so that you can write with confidence. During your writing, your coaching will ensure the story gets stronger. We keep track of your progress and help troubleshoot any pitfalls and fill plot holes in the coaching sessions.

You’ll be able to book your coaching sessions at times to suit you. The sessions are 45 minutes live and online. All sessions are recorded for you to keep.

Why don’t you do group workshopping and share work at first draft?

We don’t believe that you should share and expose your work to others who are also writing their very first novels whilst you’re writing your first draft. It’s not fair on anyone and it’s a little bit cheeky for a course provider to ask students to teach students!

At The Novelry, you’ll be kept nice and safe within the one-to-one relationship with an experienced writing coach who cares about you and your story, and wants the very best for you. Feel free to ask any questions you wish, no question is too silly!

Please, don’t show your first draft to anyone else. Especially not your parents. There will be blood on the floor.

Will you tell me if I can write?

Writers often come to us asking: can I write? But the question you should be asking is: have I got a good story? 

Your storyline is the first base of a good read. Great writing has more to do with storytelling and less to do with fine and fancy words! What’s unique to The Novelry is that we will help you find, shape and structure a story from the outset. Great ideas (almost) write themselves.

Whether your ambition is to finally finish a book to share with friends and family, to self-publish or make the journey to becoming a traditionally published author, we’ll make a plan to get you there and ensure you’re writing the right story, the right way.

You don’t seriously believe anyone can write a book?

Yes we do!

Each and every one of us at The Novelry is the living proof of it. All writers learn to write and most take courses. The sole qualification is an enjoyment of reading fiction. You can read some of our writers’ stories and reviews of the courses here. They were once browsing the website as you are now, now they are writers with novels and memoirs to their names. The question is—do you want to write a novel? If you do, you’ve come to the right place.

Creative writing courses pretend there are rules to writing a novel. But it’s not true.

We don’t push tired old literary theory, textbook teaching or academic coursework created elsewhere. There isn’t only one way to write a book. But there are lots of consistent elements to a great story, and quite a few things to avoid in the writing to help your reader turn those pages faster!

We’ll give you tools, not rules.

You’ll get some shiny new equipment for your writer’s toolkit based on insights into the craft techniques of famous and bestselling authors, the greats and contemporary writers too. We will give you a fresh solution for every problem you meet. What’s more, you’ll get just the right advice for you and your story with your coaching.

The content of our writing classes was developed by our founder and course director, a Booker Prize-listed award-winning author, Louise Dean, to share more than twenty years of writing experience. You can read our story here to find out why and how Louise decided to create a radical new approach to writing fiction.

Is it normal to be nervous?

Yes! But we will convert those nerves to excitement in seconds of your arrival.

Only one writer has ever arrived at The Novelry not feeling nervous. (Hello, Sean!)

There’s a very warm welcome waiting for you at The Novelry. We’re a friendly bunch. We know how much this means to you.

We were once sitting where you are now, and the truth is, we all feel nervous when we start work on a new novel, no matter how many we have written or had published. No writer is ever completely secure in their work, but we’ll show you why those nerves are important later in your writing life (taste and judgment!). All you need to get going is warmth, community, a sense of purposeful play and someone credible who believes in you (your coach!).

You’ll soon feel super-supported and at home. We write as buddies at The Novelry.

When’s a good time to start writing a novel?

There’s never a good time, so the best time is probably now.

And while there’s never a good time, now there’s a great place. The Novelry will support you every step of the way. The courses were designed for busy people with day jobs, family life and many calls on their time. We’ll show you our one-hour-a-day writing method. It’s revolutionary! We do a lot of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to structure and planning, ideas and inspiration. You’ll wish you’d started years ago.

Imagine if you’d been writing a novel a year since you first wanted to write. How many would you have now? Start today!

As Doris Lessing said, ‘Whatever you’re meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.’

How ‘good’ a writer should I be?

The best writers tend to think they’re not very good. Even the greats despair about their writing.

This is John Steinbeck writing in his journal at more than halfway through (#entry 52) his 100 day write of The Grapes of Wrath‘My many weaknesses are beginning to show their heads. I simply must get this thing out of my system. I’m not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people. I wish I were. The success will ruin me as sure as hell. It probably won’t last and that will be all right. I’ll try to go on with work now. Just a stint every day does it. I keep forgetting.’ (Working Days, John Steinbeck.)

Every writer learns to write! Many writers take courses. Our curiosity, as writers, means we never stop learning.

Course information and structure

Is the writing group community available in my time zone?

Our writing community is online worldwide 24/7. Wherever you are you’ll find writing buddies online when you’re seeking good company. It’s a hive of friendly writerly encouragement, full of advice, tips and news, and you can get feedback on your work when you’re editing your novel too at our workshop. You’ll be invited to join the closed secure community when you join us on our courses or classes. With our Catch Up TV service, you can watch back all recorded guest events at a time to suit you. Find out more about our community here.

What live group writing classes do you offer?

We offer weekly writing classes for all writers at any stage, including genre workshops and our Story Clinic hosted by a writing mentor. Come and meet your fellow writers. We offer live sessions with bestselling authors and industry professionals every other week, and the monthly Team Chat with our founder.

Don’t worry if you miss a special guest event class. They are available recorded as part of our Catch Up TV at our community. You’ll love our vast library of recorded classes with world-famous writers like Kristin Hannah, Yann Martel, Tayari Jones, Val McDermid, Paula Hawkins, David Nicholls and many more.

What kind of writer are these courses suitable for?

Our typical writer member has wanted to write a book for a long, long time. They are heavy readers, very often cat or dog-lovers, and they are very curious about the way humans work too! We know writers are sensitive souls, that’s why we’ve have created such a warm and nurturing environment. We’re writers too! Writers at any stage of their journey will flourish at The Novelry.

We welcome beginners. (No bad habits!) We are open to all and non-selective as a principle because we know we can teach. What do you need? Probably a love of reading is all.

If you have a novel you have started or abandoned, you will find all you need to stay on track to complete it this time.

Often writers come to us after taking courses elsewhere, and we receive many former members of Faber Academy or Curtis Brown at The Novelry. We are the place writers come to write through to achieving their goals because our focus is wholly on your and your story. Your success means the world to us.

Which course is right for me?

For guidance all the way from coming up with a page-turning idea through to completing your book to publishing standard, our most popular plan is The Finished Novel Course.

It’s our online alternative to a Creative Writing MA or MFA with a structured approach to writing a book with full coaching and editorial support. The lessons are self-paced and will fit into a busy lifestyle. You’ll be able to choose your own tutor from our award-winning and bestselling writing coaches based in the USA, Canada and the UK and schedule working sessions at your convenience. You’ll work with publishing editors, formerly of Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Hachette and more, to raise your book to publishing standard, with a full manuscript assessment included. When your story is ready we will present it to our trusted literary agencies who are keen to see our graduates’ work.

As a member, you’ll have access to our regular writing classes on a weekly basis with bestselling authors. You’ll enjoy the worldwide community of writers like you in every time zone. It’s a happy place and you’ll find a warm welcome. 

You can view our courses side by side and choose the course that’s right for you here.

How much time will I need to set aside?

An hour a day. You can take the classes at your own pace and spend as much time as you like writing after the lesson. Writers LOVE the lessons and binge them, but we suggest one lesson a day, which will take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, or as long as you wish to allow. The lesson is given by video and text with downloads online and it’s timed to coincide with where you’re at in your writing process. You’ll need to set aside an hour a day for your writing when you begin to put pen to paper. It’s one hour just for you and you’ll come to love this special time.

One hour a day? You deserve it.

When does the writing course start and how long do I have it for?

Our self-paced writing classes and courses start the moment you sign up. Ready when you are!

You have a year’s access to your class or course but can easily and affordably extend access to your program with our extension plans for a maximum price of $55 or £45 a month (less if you buy an annual plan) or remain as a member for just $299 / £249 a year.

Course policies and procedures

How do I contact you? Where are you based?

You can email us at hello@thenovelry.com and we’ll respond quickly to your question.

Because publishing is global so are we! We are located in the UK and the USA, with offices in London and New York, and our companies are registered in both the United States and England and Wales. You can find our details at our Contact page here. We offer annual parties in New York and London and we coach and work with writers worldwide in all time zones.

What’s your Data Protection, Privacy and AI policy? How do you preserve my copyright?

We Decline to Use AI Generative Tools

We do not use AI generative tools as a company and have opted out of such services with suppliers such as Zoom for example. We do not use Smart Recording or any other AI-assisted tools.

Data Protection and Copyright

We have a company-wide policy to protect and safeguard your data, and do not retain your content or material outside of secure company systems longer than is needed for us to work with you on it. We delete your data after your account is closed, and conduct a regular data audit and cleaning policy on a quarterly basis.

As a company, we take matters of copyright and confidentiality very seriously. Please do not send your material to any other parties unless you have confidence they will not share it. No member of our staff may share your material with any other party without your permission.

What’s your admissions and refund policy?

We operate a people before profit policy as a way of maintaining a happy and supportive community for all of our writers. You’ll find The Novelry a safe place. See our terms and conditions here

Happy Writing Guarantee. We offer a 7-day refund policy on all courses. 

How do I enroll and purchase a course?

All currencies are accepted and converted at today’s rates at checkout.

If you are having problems checking out, your browser is most likely not up-to-date. You can update it in a click at whatismybrowser.com.

You can review our course prices with a side-by-side comparison table at our Pricing page here.

What if I need to stop writing during my year? Can I extend my course?

You have a year’s access to your class or course from the date of purchase.

The courses are self-paced so you can take the lessons in your own time, your way. You can schedule your coaching sessions to suit you too.

We cannot pause or freeze subscriptions but don’t worry! You can easily and affordably extend access to your program with our graduate plans or remain as a member for just $29.99 / £24.99 a month or $299 / £249 a year. Most of our members do because they love writing with The Novelry.

Publishing and success

What if I’m self-publishing a novel?

At your very first session with your writing coach, the first question we ask you is— what do you want? That’s your brief to us so that we can support you in your chosen direction. If you’re planning to self-publish we will ensure the work you produce is to industry standards. In The Big Edit class, you will be guided not only to prepare a story that readers love, a book that sells, but also how to work to the highest worldwide publishing standards. You’ll be among friends in our worldwide online community of authors, many of whom have self-published before. 

But self-publishing is hard, and most writers want to write! So we’ll have an eye on taking that burden away from you with a traditional publishing contract with a major publisher secured via our literary agency partners.

Do you take commission on successful submissions?

No. If and when we submit your work on your behalf to literary agents, it will be with your prior agreement and approval. Most literary consultancies take a 10% commission on your publishing contract. Add that to the 15% a literary agent receives, and simply because of your purchase of a single paid service, you have given away 25% of your hard-won income as a writer in royalties! Yikes.

We would not dream of it. We are all published authors and professional editors at The Novelry. We know how far you have come, and we value the emotional and financial investment you have made. Please check the small print at other publishing coaching companies and literary consultancies. If they are not transparent about their pricing or commission, that should be a red flag. And please, never pay anyone to be published.

What is your success rate?

Our success rate is very high.

But we only pitch work to agents when we believe it’s truly ready, as we don’t want you to experience pointless rejections. We know what will succeed through experience and our close working relationship with our literary agents.

If and when we pitch, the chance of acceptance by agents is very high indeed and over 60%. As for publication, that’s the next step and your agent handles that. It can take 1–2 years from signing a contract to seeing your book on the shelves. That so many global leading agents want to work with us might tell you that work coming out of The Novelry is very good indeed. Our reviews are so positive because writers love the journey!

Will the courses get me published?

We can’t promise to get you published, but what we do is give you all the tools you need to write and edit your novel or memoir to publishing standard, with help, support and feedback from industry professionals and successful authors. We’ll pull out all the stops because your success matters to us.

Our close relationships with leading literary agencies mean agents read our submissions quickly and with great interest. They know we’ll send them good work. We will only submit your work when it’s ready, but we’ll show you how to reach the required standard every step of the way. You are eligible for our submission service at any time during your membership with us after you have completed The Big Edit phase of your program.

We have a strong track record of getting our members literary agency representation. Read our reviews here. The Novelry has an ‘Excellent’ rating on the independent review site, Trustpilot, and we’re highly regarded and recommended by publishing professionals.