Success stories
Our writers go on to publishing contracts with major publishers.

New Island have signed The Grateful Water by The Novelry graduate, Juliana Adelman—a historical debut set in Dublin in 1866 about an ensemble of characters seeking refuge or forgiveness from the River Liffey.

Juliana is represented by literary agency Greene & Heaton. 

Juliana says: “I was just dabbling around with little prospect of finishing anything when I took The Novelry courses. I got to the end which gave me the confidence to revise and revise some more with The Big Edit. The best thing about The Novelry is the people! A supportive environment fostered by Louise and the team and a whole crew of writers.”

Penguin Random House has acquired The Language of Birds by The Novelry graduate, K.A. Merson. Ballantine Books will publish the novel in hardback.

In The Language of the Birds, a brilliant but solitary teenager must unlock ciphers, unearth buried clues, and reckon with the outside world as she pursues an ancient secret in this brainteasing, puzzle-filled mystery.

K.A. Merson says: “There may be numerous paths to publication, but I’d argue that most of them are long, winding, and full of danger. It pays to hire guides who know the way and can identify the hazards. For me, one of those guides was The Novelry. After making many of the changes suggested by The Novelry, my agent queries garnered significantly more interest in the form of full MS requests. It can really pay to hire professionals.”

Picador, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, will publish The Accidental Malay by The Novelry graduate, Karina Robles Bahrin.

The novel was the winner of the Epigram Books Fiction Prize.

Karina says: “Thank you for all the support The Novelry team gave me :-) I couldn’t have finished the manuscript without the help of everyone there.”

Welbeck, an imprint of Hachette, will publish two books by The Novelry graduate Kate Gray, acquired in a six-figure deal following a four-way auction.

Kate says: “In desperate need of some TLC, I joined The Novelry. I wanted to feel part of a gang, share writing wins and woes, and remind myself that I’d done it before and I could do it again, no matter how daunting the blank page first appears. I hoped that if I surrounded myself with like-minded writers, I would soon be fired up with creativity and rediscover that escape I desperately craved. I looked forward to the weekly team chats, and the live author Q&A sessions where I wrote down all the advice and notes in my new Moleskine until my hand ached.

“One of the things I loved so much about The Novelry was the One Hour a Day method. This became an almost meditative form of self-care for me, especially during that first draft of The Honeymoon. I decided to write the sort of book that I would want to read. A fast-paced thriller with twists aplenty, relatable characters in situations that you as a reader could easily find yourself in and gritty themes; everything I adore in suspense fiction. Within two months I had a finished first draft. Unheard of in my writing career. Within four months it went on submission. Then it went to best and final bids at auction a fortnight later. This story, one that hadn’t existed even half a year ago, was now going to be a lead title for Welbeck.”

Penguin Random House and Bloomsbury published The Novelry graduate Kate Weinberg’s “crackling, comical, tender and mysterious” novel, There’s Nothing Wrong With Her.

‍U.S. rights were sold to Putnam (Penguin Random House) by Janklow & Nesbit and Bloomsbury acquired U.K. and Commonwealth rights.

‍There’s Nothing Wrong With Her is about a woman suffering an unnamed condition that confines her to a physical and mental state she calls The Pit. This is a book “about mental health, the certainties of medicine, buried trauma, love, death and time lost in the crushing—and comical—hopes of modern life.”

Kate says: “I’ve used the inspiring resources of The Novelry for help in developing both of my novels, The Truants and There’s Nothing Wrong With Her. I can say, hand-on-heart, that it has given me more tools and confidence—in both the art and craft of novel-writing—than my year-long prestigious Masters degree in Creative Writing ever did.”

Kelly Mullen, a graduate of The Novelry, has published her second novel, A Murder in Eight Cocktails, with Century (an imprint of Penguin Random House).I

n the seaside haven of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Willa Keane’s marriage is in a rut. As a retired interior-designer-turned-influencer, she’s sure life begins at fifty-five, whereas her husband, Marty, is more interested in watching his beloved birds.

So when Willa is invited to the opening of the chicest new cocktail bar in town, she hopes the evening will rekindle their flame. But arriving at the party, Willa is shaken to discover it’s being hosted by her charming ex-husband, Paul.

The night is thrown into even deeper chaos when the bar’s enigmatic owner is found dead on the rocks below. A suicide message suggests there’s no foul play, but Willa’s heightened senses aren’t so sure. Now she must solve the mystery together with her husband…and her ex-husband.

Can they find the killer before another victim is served their last cocktail?
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HarperCollins will publish the debut novel from The Novelry graduate Lucy Barker in a ‘significant’ two-book deal.

In the U.K., Katie Bowden, editorial director at 4th Estate, secured U.K. and Commonwealth rights to The Other Side of Mrs Wood.

The Other Side of Mrs Wood is described as “an irresistible historical comedy about two warring mediums in Victorian London, inspired by the real-life rivalry between famous spiritualists Agnes Guppy and Florence Cook in the 1870s.”

Lucy says: “I signed up to The Novelry to force myself to finish a languishing draft, thinking I’d use it as a prompt rather than a “school”—I’d done enough writing courses and wasn’t expecting to learn much more from the lessons. But WOW! Louise has developed a cornucopia of thought-provoking sessions and exercises that challenged the way I saw my practice and stretched my thinking and experience well beyond my comfort zone, resulting in a first draft I never thought I’d ever be able to write. And, just as predicted, I really did quickly start to come to my writing with confidence and joy. As a writer, you can’t ask for much more. I’m hugely grateful that I discovered this fantastic writing course and the marvellously inspiring Louise Dean and her equally inspiring coaches. Thank you!”

Crooked Lane Books has published The Lost Hours by The Novelry graduate, Lynn Tavernier.

‍The Lost Hours was a Finalist for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award and described as “if Dennis Lehane and F.Scott Fitzgerald co-wrote a book” by Peter Farrelly, Academy Award-winning co-writer and director of Green Book.

Lynn says: “I’d begun submitting to literary agents hoping to secure representation, but the results were less than encouraging. One agent offered kind words, but passed explaining the book still needed work and I should consider professional editorial assistance. He suggested I look into The Novelry. Tash Barsby’s lengthy report addressed every component of the book. I went to work and edited based on Tash’s recommendations, and the result was nothing short of amazing. My novel won the Claymore Award for best mystery at the Killer Nashville writers’ conference, and then became a finalist for the Debut Dagger Award. Soon after, I secured agent representation and then, the holy grail: a book deal.

“I can encourage anyone in need of editorial assistance to find it at The Novelry.”

Emmeline Fernandez has signed with agent Liza DeBlock at Greenstone Literary Agency for her debut novel, A Little Grace. Emmeline is a graduate of The Novelry and was introduced to her agent through our bespoke submission service.

In A Little Grace, a gruesome discovery of a body in the woods sets three strangers on an unexpected collision course: a sheriff on his first murder case, a tormented brother, and a mother on the run—perfect for fans of The God of the Woods and All the Colors of the Dark.

Emmeline says: “When I started The Novelry, my only goal was to finally put on the page an idea I’d been turning over for six years, to do justice to the story in my head. Working with Kate Riordan and Amanda Reynolds helped me do exactly that. Without ever reading a word of my work in progress, they understood what I was trying to achieve and pushed me to find new ways to get there.

“I was so proud of that first draft that I even began to imagine a far-off world in which I might be published. Then I started working with editors Sorcha Rose and Tash Barsby. Their carefully considered advice and thoughtful edits helped transform my manuscript into something I could never have imagined—a real novel, and a better one than the one I’d originally set out to write. They supported not only my work but me as an author, including introducing me to an agent who believed in my book more than I did.

“At every stage of the process, I felt supported and championed by the whole team at The Novelry, and I’m so glad I made this leap for myself.”

Hannah Choi Paul has signed with agent Nicole Cunningham at Trellis Literary Management for their debut novel, Hyori.

In Hyori, a former morgue assistant receives a package from her dead mentor, Frankie, and is pulled back into the homicide case that ended their friendship: the murder of eighteen-year-old Heaven Kim. The deeper back into the case she goes, the more unstable her sense of self becomes, until she must face the fact that she’s the only person who can restore justice—and that doing so may unravel the fragile identity she has constructed as a wife and mother. Hannah Choi Paul is a graduate of The Novelry and was introduced to their agent through our bespoke submission service.

Hannah says: “For a long time, I worked alone. In 2025, I decided to change that—investing in myself and my writing through The Novelry's Big Edit and the UMA. That decision led me to my wonderful literary agent, Nicole Cunningham at Trellis Literary Management. I'm deeply grateful to The Novelry team for helping me get here. It's a dream come true!”

Jane Mansour, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Hannah Todd at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency.

Jane says: “The Novelry gave me the time and structure to write. The daily lessons helped me bash out a messy first draft. I then did The Big Edit, which guided me through the self-editing process, and helped me think about submission to agents. I found the workshops a great space to ask questions and focus on elements of plot and pace, especially when I was in the depths of structural edits.”

Jane has spent the last two decades working in the Employment and Adult Skills sectors in the U.K., U.S. and Australia.

Janet Change, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Hellie Ogden at WME's books division for her debut novel, Girl Dinner—a compulsive bookclub novel with a horror twist about Connie, a downtrodden personal assistant who attends culinary school in Paris and slowly becomes a cannibal.

With the dark satirical voice of R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface, it touches on themes of identity and female relationships like in Mona Awad’s Bunny.

Janet was introduced to her agent at WME through The Novelry’s bespoke submission service.

Janet says: “The support from The Novelry has felt like slipping into a warm bath: safe, comfortable, and barely any chance of drowning. The pace of the Ninety Day Novel helped me outrun my doubt (no time for fear when you’re writing 1200 words a day!), and The Big Edit turned my lump of clay/glass/whatever into something cohesive that still felt true to who I was, and not worrisome at all that it ended up being about cannibalism.

“Amanda, Lesley, and Katie were such encouraging coaches, and I don’t have enough words to describe how wonderful Craig and Josie were—and I have a lot of words. (But not TOO many words, thanks to them!) Josie was the most incredible advocate, and I’m so grateful she held my hand as I took my first steps into the publishing world. She and The Novelry will always be a part of my story.

“I am beyond thrilled to sign with Hellie and her team at WME, what an absolute dream come true. The Novelry performs miracles every day, and I’m so lucky that today was my turn. Thank you for believing in me and my book!”

Jennifer Snow has signed with agent Bridget Smith at JABberwocky Literary Agency for her novel, The Dividing Line. Jennifer is a graduate of The Novelry and was introduced to her agent through our bespoke submission service.

The Dividing Line is set in a country cut off from the rest of the world by a magical Line that keeps out the deadly monstrous. When one of the surveyors holding a portion of the Line in her body is murdered, two women—one to plot a course for the Line, the other to construct and hold it—are assigned to replace her segment, but in the course of their work discover much more about the Line than they were ever taught.

Jennifer says: “I joined The Novelry to improve my writing craft intentionally, rather than through trial and error, as I had reached a sticking point in a complicated novel. It has been an experience far beyond my expectations! The Novelry provides structure for the process of creating a story and bringing it to life, from the initial concept to polishing the query letter and synopsis. There are new offerings and workshops every week about every aspect of craft and the publishing industry; online community; genre-specific and cross-genre resources; and the support of book coaches and professional editors”

”My book coach, Andrea Stewart, helped me interrogate my story ideas from their first seeds through the first draft, with energy and humor, and editors Craig Leyanaar, Natasha Qureshi, and Elizabeth Kulhanek challenged me to strengthen my story’s structure, characters, pacing, and tension—not once, but multiple times. Having that feedback and being pushed to continually make the work stronger—that’s the best thing an author can ask for. I’m so glad I found The Novelry and would recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their writing and develop a strong, sustainable practice as an author and storyteller.”

Joss Wyatt, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Marina de Pass at The Soho Agency for her speculative women’s fiction novel, The Man of My Dreams.

Disillusioned at a couples therapy retreat, Lizzy meets her perfect man—in her dreams. But when he comes to life, and takes her husband’s place, she realises there’s more at stake than just her marriage…

Joss was introduced to her agent through The Novelry’s bespoke submission service.

Joss says: “I’ve been writing and querying different novels for years, and signing up to The Novelry has hands-down been the best decision I’ve made in my journey so far. I found the course content particularly incisive, and the writing and editorial coaching helped me evaluate my story from all sorts of new angles.

“The submission process was a breath of fresh air compared to the cold querying I’ve experienced in the past. I genuinely believe I’d still be in the trenches searching for an agent were it not for The Novelry. Not only is the whole team talented and wonderful, but they champion you when you feel like you’ve hit a wall, and bring enthusiasm and ideas to help you find a way over. I am so grateful to Josie, Lizzy, Tash, Emily, Sadé, Mahsuda, Katie, and Kate for all their insights and efforts.

“I started the course hopeful and finished not only a stronger writer but… agented! It’s a dream come true.”

Maggie Bowler, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Clare Coombes at the Liverpool Literary Agency, for her debut novel, In The Picture.

Michael Lawson, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Mia Dakin at Greene & Heaton for his debut novel, The Coast is Queer—a gorgeous LGBTQ romcom set in Gran Canaria featuring drag queens, cheap booze, and a cast of holiday makers getting ready for the Pride parade!

Michael says: “I couldn’t have done it without The Novelry team. Having Libby Page as a mentor and Gillian Holmes as an editor has been a masterclass in writing. Thank you for taking a chance on me on the Octopus Scheme—I CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVE AN AGENT!”