Our Submissions Process
"It’s not always about stats or silverware;
success is often no more than a feeling."​
Jonathan Wilson
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Indie Novella is excited to reopen our submissions process. We champion inclusion and believe diversity is about bringing together writers from all different backgrounds under one roster. At Indie Novella we work with numerous authors well before the submissions phase, through our writing course and our writing workingshops. Working with an author is such a two-way relationship that we ask two things of those choosing to submit with us.
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First, you are ready to submit. At Indie Novella our editors review all our submissions every six weeks. They then decide which manuscripts to take on. Last year we made several full manuscript requests to authors who did not have a full manuscript for us to review. This essentially puts us in an awkward position of not being able to work with that author - our editors would have pencilled in time to review the manuscript and not having it ready means you take the opportunity away from another author who is.
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Second, you research which publisher is right for you. Like we said, publishing is such a two-way relationship, you really need to understand what you want from a publisher and who is right for you. Indie Novella is a small press and loves producing high quality short print runs. The average sales for a literary fiction novel is 400 copies so we pride ourselves on short print runs and trying to get our novels in front of those in publishing who love what we do.
Once you've submitted: We try to get back to everyone, but if we don't it will most likely be because of how swamped we get. Please don't think bad of us or let it deter you. If we ask to work with you and you say yes, note we'll likely offer a lot of editorial advice and, as with working with a big publisher, the process will involve considerable back and forth. Publishing is never instantaneous, and that's because self-editing is difficult. We want your book to be the best it can be and remain very much, your book.
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We also want our authors taking ownership on the proofreading of their work. This doesn't need to be done before you submit, but professional proofreading is a core part of the novel's narrative and with most decent proofreaders charging £4 per thousand words, it is a bargain. We ask that during the editing process that the author lines up their own proofreader to get their narrative in shape and looking great.
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We can only publish UK based authors as we print our novels in the UK and you will have to engage with UK booksellers
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How to get more support for your manuscript
There are many organisations out there which work with aspiring authors to provide resources which take your manuscript to the next level. Please do take note of the below:
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Indie Novella's Free Writing Course: Developed in partnership with literary agencies, if you're looking to understand what agents and publishers are looking for, start with our 9 week or 6 session online course. www.indienovella.co.uk/writing-course
New Writing South (South East): Includes network, directory of writers and competitions, workshop and education www.newwritingsouth.com ï‚·
New Writing North: They support individual writers and the wider cultural landscape of the North of England www.newwritingnorth.com ï‚·
Literature Works (South West): Nurturing literature development in South West England
www.literatureworks.org.uk ï‚·
Writing East Midlands: They run creative writing events and projects and we develop opportunities for emerging and established writers www.writingeastmidlands.co.uk ï‚·
Writing West Midlands: They support creative writers and creative writing in the West Midlands region www.writingwestmidlands.org ï‚·
Spread The Word (London): Supports the development of new creative writing and live literature in London www.spreadtheword.org.uk
Submissions - UK Authors only
Our Writing Course
How To Edit Your Novel, Writing Your Novel, Creative Writing for Beginners, there are a lot of writing schools out there, each excellent at what they do.
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At Indie Novella we recognise there is a plethora of talent, either honed by writing courses or nurtured organically. We are looking for quality writing that deserves to be published.
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The Indie Novella Writing Course has been designed in collaboration with authors, creative writing tutors and literary consultancies to collate all the tips, tricks and essential literary techniques in one place for both the aspiring and the experienced writer. It is also completely free.
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As Indie Novella is a cooperative, we charge no fees regarding advice or consultation. We simply take good writing over the line.