GROW YOUR STORY WITH HACHETTE PRIDE
Submissions are now open for the free creative writing development scheme, aimed at supporting the queer fiction stars of the future!
In partnership with Hachette Pride, David Higham Associates (DHA) and The Future Bookshelf, Grow Your Story provides ten unagented fiction writers, who identify as LGBTQ+ and have not been traditionally published, with the opportunity to develop their novels, demystify the publishing process and provide them with the practical skills essential for all published authors.
The selected writers will have access to mentorship from a Hachette UK editor and a DHA agent, and a series of online workshops run by industry professionals culminating in an open day at Hachette UK’s London office in 2025.
The final ten writers will be selected by a judging panel from across the industry, comprised of authors Laura Kay (Headline) and C. L. Clark (Little, Brown), DHA Agent Sara Langham and Cal Kenny, Little, Brown Commissioning Editor for fiction.
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. GOOD LUCK TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTERED.
KEY DATES
11th June 2024 – Submissions open
14th July 2024 – Submissions close
End September 2024 – ten writers selected
January 2025 – programme commences
Please contact thefuturebookshelf@hachette.co.uk for any queries.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants are requested to send:
A 3,000 word sample of your work (Please ensure your submission is in a standard font and your attachment is in a .PDF, .doc or .docx format)
A short description of your novel (Consider this a blurb, like you’d read on the back cover of a novel. If you’re unsure how to start writing a blurb for your book, take a look at a book you think is similar to yours and see how they have approached it. Keep this to 250 words)
Genre of your novel (There is a drop-down list of options that give us a sense of how you view your work)
An overview of who your book is for (Please let us know who your intended reader is – what other books might they enjoy reading, what TV shows or movies do they like, what culture do they consume? Keep this to 100 words)
A brief writer profile (Tell us more about yourself – this might include what you are aiming to achieve with your work, your influences, your publication history or why you think you would benefit from the Grow Your Story programme. But also, we’d love to hear about how you enjoy spending your time, where you’re based in the UK/Ireland and, if you feel comfortable, your pronouns. Keep this to 200 words)
FAQS
Am I eligible to apply?
You are eligible for this prize if you are aged 18 or over, a UK & Ireland resident, and identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. You must also be unagented and unpublished at the point of submission. Full terms and conditions are available here.
What does unpublished mean?
For this programme, unpublished means you have never had any book previously published by a publisher (and are not under contract to have your work published). Self-published writers are eligible to enter the competition, provided that if they are offered a publishing contract they are willing to remove the relevant work from any retailers where it is currently selling.
What does unagented mean?
For this programme, unagented means that you or any pseudonyms you might write under are not represented by a literary agent or agency.
Do I have to pay to be involved?
There will be no costs for writers to take part and the programme is open to writers in the UK and Ireland.
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
By entering the competition, you agree to the terms and conditions here.
You can find more information on how we will process your personal data in our privacy notice here.
Entries must be submitted by midnight on the 14th July 2024.
THE JUDGES
Laura Kay, Author
Laura Kay is a writer living in East London. Her journalism and personal essays have been published in the Guardian, Diva Magazine, Stylist, Metro and The Bookseller among others. In 2018 she was selected for the PRH WriteNow initiative where she developed her first novel The Split, which was longlisted for the Polari First Novel Prize. Her fourth novel Making It will be published in July 2024.
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C. L. Clark, Author
C.L. Clark is a BFA award-winning editor and Ignyte award winning-writer, and the author of Nebula-nominated novel The Unbroken, the first book in the Magic of the Lost trilogy. She graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. When she’s not writing or working, she’s learning languages, reading about war and [post-]colonial history, or studying the blade. Her short work has appeared in various SFF venues, including Tor.com, Uncanny, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
Cal Kenny, Commissioning Editor
Cal Kenny is a Commissioning Editor for fiction on Sphere, an imprint of Little, Brown. They are a member of the Hachette Pride committee and divisional representative for The Future Bookshelf, and have been involved in the organisation of many cross-divisional Hachette events, including Changing the Story Festival and Pride in Writing.
Sara Langham, Agent
Sara Langham has been at David Higham since 2018. She is actively building a list of literary and upmarket fiction, SFF and non-fiction.
Please contact thefuturebookshelf@hachette.co.uk for any queries.