Jane Wenham-Jones

Writer & Columnist

Writing has never been more popular. 46,000 people entered the Richard & Judy ‘How to Get Published’ competition and as one leading publisher said to me recently, ‘It seems as though in every street in Britain someone is writing a book.’ He then added: ‘And I do wish they'd stop.’ Why? Because publishers and agents get inundated with manuscripts that are totally unsuitable.

As a published novelist myself, agony aunt for Writing Magazine and the author of Wannabe a Writer?, for which I interviewed dozens of industry professionals, I’m very familiar with the pitfalls of writing a novel and the classic mistakes that lead most submissions to be rejected.

The good news is that there are 8,000 new books published each month and some of them come from unknowns on the slush pile. There is hope but you need to know the ropes and get your manuscript in tip-top condition first. I can advise on the best way to approach an editor or agent, where to go for help, how to write a covering letter and how to write a first chapter that will really grab them by the throat. I can also run an eye over your synopsis, give advice on writing short stories for the women's magazine market or your non-fiction projects, or just help you out of the writing rut.

An awful lot of writing success is down to self-discipline and self-belief. Sometimes just talking things through can give one the flip to get started and/or keep going. A lot of the advice I give at Writing Magazine is about helping writers get over their psychological hurdles, rather than actually telling anyone how to write. So, if you've hit the wall at 30,000 words - again - or have lost confidence after only the first chapter - phone me for a chat. Kicking butts my speciality! :-)