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We spoke to UNWC course alumnus Alan Fraser, who has just received a publishing deal, about the crucial things he learned about revising his work ready for submission. JW: What was your favourite part of the Ultimate Novel Writing (UNWC) course? For me, the part I loved most was actually the part I thought I would like least: commenting on other people’s work – and having them comment on mine. Thinking about why I like, or don’t like, someone else’s writing made me think more about my own. It’s easy to pick holes in other people’s writing, but, more often than not, as I started to type out what I thought could be improved, I’d find myself thinking, ‘But haven’t I done exactly the same thing in my book?’ And having people critique my writing in detail was fantastically helpful in sharpening up the book Thinking about why I like, or don’t like, someone else’s writing made me think more about my own. JW: Tell us about your journey to finding a publisher. What steps did you take, and were there any turning points/transformative moments? I started writing my first novel more than eight years ago when I was stuck on a plane with nothing to read and no access to my tech. I had the arrogance of a beginner and, after I’d mapped out the basic structure of the plot, just started writing with no help, and without doing any research about how to write a novel. It was only when I came to think about submitting the completed 192,000 word opus I realised there was a whole load of stuff I needed to know – and really should have thought about before I’d even started. That was how I first came across Jericho Writers. They gave me a manuscript assessment which really helped me get to grips with what writing a novel involved, so I signed up to Harry’s weekly emails. This meant that when I was working on my second novel, I was far more aware of the industry’s expectations. I was determined to be more professional this time and signed up for the UNWC in the hope it would help me navigate publishing. Whilst on the course I started submitting to agents. I had five full manuscript requests in the first six months which gave me real hope – but then nothing. On one of the agent one-to-ones I got with the course, an agent said that the industry had moved on and what I was writing didn’t fit with what publishers were looking for now. I was despondent, but everyone in my tutor group – and my mentor – said how much they liked my book and reminded me that my writing was really strong. So I decided to have a ‘last throw of the dice’ and submit to small presses. In the end, I got two offers of publication but opted to go with Lightning Books. I was really lucky to be in a fabulous and supportive tutor group. There’s no way I would have kept going without their encouragement. JW: In what ways has the UNWC helped you to where you are now in your writing journey? I was really lucky to be in a fabulous and supportive tutor group. There’s no way I would have kept going without their encouragement. When the rejections started to come, they really rallied round and encouraged me to believe in my writing. I also had an excellent mentor in Helen Francis. She believed in the book, but more than that, she believed in me as a writer and believed I could get published. Every time I thought I’d come to a dead end she encouraged me to keep going. The fact that she works in the industry, took the time to really understand my manuscript, and still felt that I should keep going when I’d lost all hope myself meant the world to me. JW: Do you have any advice for new students for making the most of the course? Don’t think you know it all. Commenting on other people’s stuff and responding humbly to other people’s comments about yours is actually a surprisingly effective way to become a better writer. Oh, and make sure you take advantage of every opportunity the course offers. It’s pointless investing in a course like this if you don’t commit the time to learning. I picked up loads of great tips – often in the places I least expected to. The course only works if you work the course! About Alan Alan Fraser is a writer from Birmingham (UK) who, after his dreams of rock stardom were cruelly dashed, took up writing. His play, Random Acts of Malice, won the inaugural Derek Lomas Prize for New Writing, but for the past eight years, his focus has been on fiction. His novel, The Muse of Hope Falls, will be published by Lightning Books in the second half of 2023. You can follow Alan on Twitter here.

Being an author can be a lonely and paranoia-filled occupation when writing alone. Without feedback and guidance, it becomes all too easy for doubt to creep in. We interviewed former UNWC student Nicky Downes and spoke about how the course helped her achieve her dream of finding a publisher, the lessons she learnt, and the people that helped along the way. JW: What was your favourite part of the UNWC course? I started the course with just an outline for a novel and a fledging idea for my protagonist – a female Detective Inspector who climbs mountains. If it wasn’t for the support of both my writing group and my mentor, Helen Francis, I wouldn’t now have a complete novel and a publishing contract. I loved all aspects of the course, but it was the time spent in the webinars with my group discussing our writing problems and the critiquing of each other’s work that had the most impact. And meeting everyone at the York Festival was amazing! I loved the courses there too. I had some real lightbulb moments. I loved all aspects of the course, but it was the time spent in the webinars with my group discussing our writing problems and the critiquing of each other’s work that had the most impact. JW: Tell us about your journey to finding a publisher. What steps did you take, and were there any turning points/transformative moments? I had already self-published a police procedural series before starting the course and knew how difficult it can be to promote your work successfully. I was ideally looking for a publisher that would love my protagonist and ideas for my new series, and that could place the series in front of more readers. In terms of the genre of my novels, I knew that a digital first publisher would be a good option. The one-to-ones that I had with agents were excellent and helped enormously with my understanding of what the key themes of my novel were and my pitch. In the end, I had two offers of representation. The first with Storm Publishing who offered me a three-book deal for the DI Jack Kent series. As I was considering this, I was approached by an agent who had read my submission to the UNWC anthology. After reading my full manuscript, she offered me representation. That was a wonderful and unexpected surprise. In the end, I plumped for Storm. I can’t wait to work with my publisher, Kathryn Taussig, on editing Urban Climber (the title may change) and the other books in the series. JW: In what ways has the UNWC helped you to where you are now in your writing journey? The course helped me to understand which areas of my writing I needed to improve. It also gave me a much clearer understanding of the industry and what works. Being able to discuss my writing with my peers and tutor really helped, particularly during those moments when I floundered and found it difficult to keep going. The fact that the course covers everything from the first page to the final draft is so important. I’m sure I’ll keep returning back to both the course materials, and to the support of the members of my writing group, whenever I get stuck in the future. The course helped me to understand which areas of my writing I needed to improve. It also gave me a much clearer understanding of the industry and what works. JW: Do you have any advice for new students for making the most of the course? There will be times when you will struggle with your writing. But there is so much help and guidance available at Jericho. Don’t feel that you have to do everything. Do what is working for you and your book. Sometimes you’ll get advice that you don’t immediately agree with. Take a step back and look at it again with fresh eyes, as this is often the advice that makes a real difference to your writing. Be prepared to make some lifelong writing friends too! About Nicky Nicky Downes has previously written a self-published crime series featuring DI Amelia Barton of the National Crime Agency. When she’s not writing, she loves cruising the canals of Birmingham and the Midlands on her narrowboat, Chanelle. You can follow Nicky on Twitter, or view her website here.