Frequently Asked Questions

My story needs illustrating but I can’t draw so what should I do?

If you are not a writer/illustrator then we are happy to look at stories without illustrations. All children’s publishers have their own ‘banks’ of illustrators and would far rather match an illustrator of their choice with your text.

I want to illustrate my own work. Can you advise on my illustrations as well as my text?

We can, of course, pass general comment on a whole package. However children’s design and children’s editorial are both specialist areas in their own right and, at The Writers’ Advice Centre, we specialise in the editorial side of things.

If I am sending illustrations is it best to send originals?

No. Never, never, never send original illustrations in the post – that goes for us and for publishers and agents. Submissions don’t go missing very often but, unfortunately, it does happen. Photocopies may not be quite as good as the originals but, these days, they’re pretty close and certainly good enough.

In what form should I send my work to you?

Except in very special circumstances we only accept submissions as hard copy (ie. not by email or on disc). As far as possible we would like to see your work in, what you consider, to be its final format. In other words imagine that you are approaching us as a publisher or agent. In that way we can put you right should you be doing anything obviously wrong in terms of presentation an/or approach.

Can I send just part of my novel?

Yes you can. Obviously the more you send us then the better we are able to judge your completed work. However we understand that our fees can mount up when submitting longer manuscripts so if you wish to send just the first two or three chapters and a synopsis then that is fine.

How long should my synopsis be?

Try to keep it to no more that two sides of A4 if you can. And, remember, that your synopsis does count towards your word count as far as our fees are concerned.

Should I send a covering letter as well as the fee sheet?

The more information we have from you then the better we can help you. So a sample covering letter to the publisher is always a good idea and a separate letter to us detailing any specific queries you may have relating to your submission.

Should I send my work by registered post?

No it is not necessary to send your work by registered post or recorded delivery. In fact, occasionally, this can even delay receipt of your manuscript at our end, as it is necessary for someone to be available to sign for special deliveries, and being a small office this isn’t always possible. We would suggest using ordinary first, or second, class mail.

Can I hand deliver my submission directly to your office?

Yes you can. Some authors choose to do this – particularly if their work is very bulky. However, it is best to let us know beforehand if you are planning to hand deliver a submission so that we can confirm there will be someone in the office to receive it.

Are you a publisher?

No we are not a publisher and cannot publish your work for you.

Are you a literary agent?

No we are not a literary agent – although, obviously, it is in our own best interests to see that our authors find success. So if we feel that a manuscript shows promise we will, as far as possible, push it in the right direction.

Will you be able to recommend a specific publisher or agent for my work?

We do work with publishers and agents so, if we feel that a piece of work is very special, we can recommend specific names to approach. However this is rare – especially on a first submission – and we would categorically advise against any author approaching us if they are only approaching us to receive a recommendation.

Do I need to copyright my work before sending it out?

No. In this country it is not possible to copyright ideas and, in any case, in all my years in children’s publishing, I have never known of a piece of work being copied or stolen.

How do I know you won’t steal my idea?

You don’t! But rest assured that our service is entirely professional and confidential. You have to trust us and understand that we are not interested in ‘stealing’ ideas. In our experience there are few truly original ideas out there and, more often than not, it is what an author does with a particular idea that will bring them success. And we couldn’t ‘steal’ that illusive ‘x’ factor even if we tried – which we wouldn’t!

How long should I expect to wait before receiving my report?

45 working days (ie. just over two months) if you are using our manuscript assessment service. 25 working days (ie. just over a month) if you are using our ideas assessment service. There is an option to speed the process up but at additional cost.

Why do I have to wait so long?

The whole point of our service (and what makes it so unique and special) is that we only use readers who are currently working in children’s publishing – either as editors or as published writers. This means that all our readers have their own work to do as well as work for The Writers’ Advice Centre. In other words our readers are very busy people…but their advice is definitely worth waiting for.

Do you have special rates for those on benefits?

I’m afraid not. We are a very small organisation and, as a result, our profit margins are tiny. If we could afford to give special rates, believe me, we would.

Do I need to send money with my work?

Fees need to be paid upfront before we can go ahead with an assessment. There are three ways of doing this – online using a credit or debit card, over the telephone using a credit or debit card or by sending a cheque with your manuscript.

What if I don’t want to pay online?

Our online payment systems are completely secure. However if you would rather not pay online you can pay over the phone by credit or debit card or, alternatively, send a cheque with your manuscript.

Can I contact my editor with follow-up questions once I’ve received my report?

If you have a couple of brief questions which can be answered easily and quickly then of course you can contact us. However if you want to discuss your work in any great detail then a separate consultancy session should be arranged. This can be done by email, over the phone or in person.

Is there a minimum age to use your service?

Yes, we do ask that authors are over eighteen. This is because it would be extremely rare for a publisher or agent to consider work from an author under the age of eighteen.

Do I have to be part of the membership scheme to make use of your services or courses?

No, absolutely not. Our services and courses are open to everyone. The membership is just an optional added extra.

Can I only take part in your membership scheme online?

You are welcome to join our membership scheme even if you don’t go online very much. You will still be able to take advantage of our 10% discount scheme, but will miss out on the online member’s page and blog.