Submitting work direct to a publisher
Inside the #JerichoWritersOneDay member opportunity  
What an exciting newsletter we have this week! In it, we announce an exclusive opportunity for under-represented members with ‘Big 5’ publisher, Simon & Schuster. We also have more on the ‘Build Your Book’ event extravaganza happening this October – PLUS – events happening this week, announcements and a takeover from our own Digital-First superstar, Sophie Flynn.  
MEMBER OPPORTUNITY: Submit your book direct to Simon & Schuster with #JerichoWritersOneDay 
We’ve teamed up with publishing giants Simon & Schuster UK to bring our under-represented members the opportunity to submit directly to their Digital Original list (no agent required!) We have members of our own team on this list (see the takeover below!) and are so pleased to be able to offer this as a member exclusive!  
This week at Jericho Writers: 
BURSARY: 12 New Membership Bursaries Available!  
We’re also delighted to announce that Simon & Schuster will be sponsoring a full bursary membership to Jericho Writers, for an underrepresented author. To celebrate this exciting partnership, we’ll be sponsoring a further eleven bursaries.  
MEMBER EVENT: Announcing ‘Build Your Book’ month! 
We have thirteen (THIRTEEN!!) special events happening for members in October, all themed around key writing advice and techniques to build your book. It’s a cracking line-up – do check it out under ‘October Events’ and get the dates in your diary!  
TUTORED COURSES: Creative Non-Fiction starts 7 October (Discounts for members) 
If you’d like to write your memoir or other creative non-fiction project alongside a top author and commissioning editor, we have limited places available for the next online course, starting in October. 
MEMBER EVENT: Events happening this week 
TODAY we have Self-Marketing for the Reluctant Author with the brilliant Neema Shah, and we’re with superstar bestselling author Clare Mackintosh tomorrow for The Art of the Newsletter.  
NON-MEMBERS – JOIN US TO ATTEND
SUCCESS STORY: Siya Turabi’s novel published by Harper Collins  
Congratulations to Self-Edit Course alumni Siya Turabi, whose novel ‘The Last Beekeeper’ was published with Harper Collins last month. Keep up with #SelfEditAlumni on Twitter to see how this course really does change lives.  
What Digital-First means in real life, by Sophie Flynn  
My first full MS request was in October ’19. It came as a result of the Curtis Brown First Novel Prize and though I wasn‚Äôt even long-listed, I was contacted by one of their leading agents months later. Out of 3,500 submissions, she‚Äôd read and liked mine. Though in the end, she didn‚Äôt offer me representation, it certainly made me think that I might be well on my way to getting an agent. ¬†
I wasn’t.¬†
By April 2020, despite many rewrites, I’d racked up around 10 full MS requests and 10 full MS rejections.  
One day scrolling Twitter, I saw a tweet from Simon & Schuster’s Brand Director: ‘One Day a year we’re open to submissions from unagented writers’. I remember sharing it to the office chat, saying  ‘do you guys think I should submit to this?’ I got a resounding yes, so that day I sent in my submission and waited. 
Six weeks (and a few more rejections) later, I was in my garden in the sunshine when an email pinged on my phone from Simon & Schuster: they wanted my full MS. Though I was thrilled, I also told myself that I’d been here before and not to get my hopes up.¬†
The week my offer came in started with a rejection from another Digital First publisher, so I was feeling even more sorry for myself than usual. But at the end of the week, I was at my desk about to schedule Harry‚Äôs Friday Email up when the email arrived: ‚ÄòOffer of publication‚Äô the subject said. I will genuinely never forget that feeling. Harry’s email very nearly missed it’s Friday slot through the tears.¬†
After the offer, I did go on to sign with an agent and my book, All My Lies, came out in April 2021. 
Perhaps if I’d have carried on submitting to agents, I’d have eventually found the one and gone the traditional route. But quite honestly, without the One Day opportunity, I wonder if the book would ever have seen the light of day.  
I’m so grateful that I saw the tweet that changed my writing life and I’m so excited that we can now bring a similar opportunity to a whole host of new writers through our #JerichoWritersOneDay partnership.  
If you’re thinking, ‘if agents are rejecting me there’s no way a publisher will want me’ then tell that voice to be quiet and submit anyway. You just never know.¬†
Sophie x  
Plus, don’t miss: 
One-to-ones with literary agents still available 
We’ve recently released 160 new one-to-one slots with agents and book doctors. These are booking up extremely fast (as usual) so grab yours before they disappear. 
Mentoring (10% discount available)  
Get expert one-to-one help as you write and edit your manuscript with your choice of award-winning mentors. 
Welcome to the Jericho Writers team, Natali J. Simmonds! 
We’re thrilled to welcome Natali to the Jericho team as our new Digital Content Manager. Natali will be commissioning new articles on everything writing and publishing – watch this space for more! 
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