Hello Susie,

I apologise for the short reply but the UK submissions deadline is this Friday and the whole team are dealing with a lot of enquiries from people - if I don't reply to anything else for a while that's also the reason.

To answer, the publishers will be whichever is best suited to the individual book and author.

Joanna

Joanna, I do appreciate that you must be very busy at the moment.
But, as I'm sure you know, this scheme has opened up a lot of discussion, not least on Jane Smith's blog, because we don't understand how you can 'guarantee' publication in a market so saturated. Surely no reputable publisher would take on a book unless they felt it was marketable and stood heads above most submissions? This is surely up to the publisher to decide? This part of your scheme worries me, as a writer. The only way of guaranteeing publication would be to a) have a financial arrangement in place with a mainstream or indie publisher, who would agree to publish the book under the Brit Writers banner or b) to have a publishing arm linked to Brit Writers, ready to publish those fifteen writers? Either way, publication would not be based upon merit or independent choice. I think if you could clear up this point satisfactorily, you'd convince many writers of the scheme's worth.
Susie

One post might be a coincidence, but two. And a closing date this Friday?

Now if I was conspiracy theorist . . . and Joanna, how can we take you seriously when you write utter nonsense like this: "the publishers will be whichever is best suited to the individual book and author." Oh really, excuse me while I guffaw.

Ben Yezir

Yes - sorry, but that is just ridiculous... as if you will just be able to reach out and pluck a suitable publisher off a tree. You could certainly pitch a novel to whichever publisher you felt was best suited to a book, but to suggest that publication with any publisher is guaranteed is a nonsense. I don't know anything much about Brit Writers, and have no reason to suspect that you are anything but a genuine outfit, but if you don't want to arouse suspicion, you really do need to work on your T&Cs!

Where do you get such a negative attitude,Ben? I had a look at this thread and frankly didn't want to comment because I can see little value in joining such a negative discussion. But I have joined, as a temporary member (because if something positive doesn't start here, I will not stay)and so that you can have another poke at someone being a 'plant'. This someone is an author who has hidden her gems under the bed because she got undermined by the silence of the slush pile. When I took a leap of faith and went with the Brit Writers Publishing Programme, I did it with head and intuition intact. I want supportive souls behind me rather than more frustrated egos.The industry is archaic, with more gatekeepers than the road to heaven.And each one of them wants payment and each has another silent slush pile.
If the BritWriters let me down, I'll let you know. In the mean time, find a way to be generous to your fellow artists.@ Becky -fair comment. No t&c's of any concern to date. Was trained in Law, don't dupe easily.

I have to go with Ben, Becky and Susie. Three new posts by new members are always welcome but, in this instance, quite suspicious. I wasn't even suspicious before

Yes at this stage it is all speculation, and I guess writers are just a cynical bunch because of all the rejection we have to put up with on the road to publication.
Personally I feel this venture is at the naive end of the scale, rather than a scam, and it wouldn't surprise me if there are a dozen angry and let down writers at the end of it, clutching their ebooks and wondering if this was in the contract. But that's just me, the eternal pessimist, and I truely wish the 15 all the success in the world.


- NaomiM

Thought I would pop in with a comment, if that’s OK with everyone. As a writer of over twelve years—having had agents jumping about to represent my bestsellers…that didn’t sell (sniffle)..and various “agencies/publishers” attempting to scam me along the way, I thought my experience with said scammers might of interest. My first heartbreaker came some years ago just before I secured a top London agent. Under the guise of a Canadian literary agency these people actually issued me a publishing contract, small print in clause bazillion therein, asking me to send my cheque in the amount of (approx) $4,000 back with the contract. Wise to these scammers now, I nevertheless test the waters occasionally. My most recent fun experience has been with a UK/USA “publisher” keen to publish my excellent literary work for a mere snip at £9,300 (yes, that’s nine thousand, etc!).

Over the years, I have spent some considerable amount of money on editorial help trying to identify what wasn’t quite right. This becomes extremely frustrating when you are consistently told, yes, this is publishable, but remain unpublished—and poor…er! I am now a participant with the Brit Writers’ Awards Publishing Programme and I am prepared to vouch for the fact that there is no scam. I would go so far as to say that what I have learned from industry experts via the BWA is invaluable. As for my writing, group meetings and intensive one-to-one sessions have—for me—identified what was crucially “not quite right”.

And no, I am not a plant, though I imagine I might well be pushing up a few…daisies…if I continue along the traditional route.

Thanks for letting us share our views, too!

Your honesty is appreciated. Rejection is toxic and we need to be kinder to one another to get over it.

Like Naomi, I really don't think this is a scam. However I do have concerns (see my post above). If the publishing programme had been set up as an aid to writers to create their best work with no mentioning of 'guaranteed publication' then I would have no problem with it, apart from the fact that, as Sinead points out, there are so many self-appointed 'gatekeepers' out there who want money from aspiring authors. I entered the BWA last year, and was one of the many who were 'longlisted' through the first two stages - in my case entering three different categories - but never being informed as to which category(ies) my work was longlisted for, despite emailing to ask. I also understand that the BWA were so inundated with entries that the judging system was overwhelmed and - perhaps - not every entry judged fairly. And some judges were paid, whilst others weren't. I genuinely think this was far more down to planning issues more than any wish to mislead, and hope that this year's competition is better organised.
Susiex

Sinead, me negative? No. In fact I am about as positive as you can get.

Every day I type away at my laptop and once a year a send a new book out into the world. Only today I got a rejection on a full, but tonight I turned the computer on and now the baby is asleep, I will type away at a new idea. A negative person could not do that.

So I am rather a realist. I work in the media and know better than most how hard it is to make it and how the claims that are being made by Brit writers cannot be stood up. I wish you all the best, but remember the only people that can promise you publication are publishers.

Finally I am full of hope. All of us here on WW are and as a fellow artist we only wish you well, but you dismiss the warnings in this thread at your peril.

Ben Yezir

Curious to know how the 15 writers were chosen for the course.
Although Joanna pops up on various blogs and forums she doesn't actually answer the specific questions people are asking about the project, which just feeds the rumour mill.

Ben,I thoroughly appreciate your reply. Gotta be honest - your positivity didn't come through. I admire your endeavours and will continue, as you do, to push out into the world. I very much hope I ignore no warnings.If this journey with BWA becomes a nonsense, I will be open about that.Write on.

Yep, with you there, Sinead. And Ben, yes, I agree, sometimes you have to just put it to bed and move on. There is no way to be but positive if you are going to write (though it's not always easy!). Good luck!

If you want to save some money Sinead, you could just forget about the middleman and go straight to the 'publisher'. Infinite Ideas is a hybrid self-publisher, industry press company and this is from their website:

How to become an author
Send us your idea. A short synopsis to richard@infideas.com will get things going. If we don’t feel we can shoulder all the publishing risk (it’s pretty tough out there) your idea may work in our Firebrand programme.

There. That just saved you £10.95.

Ben Yezir