TLC’s Pen Factor Writing Competition is back, with four agents and publishers offering live feedback to shortlisted writers of fiction and non-fiction at our newly announced Summer Digital Book Party on June 5th, hosted in partnership with Byte the Book and featuring a carefully curated selection of the latest publishing, writing and digital projects. All ticket-holders are eligible to enter the competition, with the first place winner to be given £1,000 in TLC and Byte the Book Talent Support, and more. The deadline for submissions is May 22nd.
The competition has now reached its fourth year, and we are immensely proud of the talented writers we have worked with, some of whom have since gone on to sign with literary agents, and have been published or signed book deals. We look forward to reading this year’s entries, and hope you will join us at our one-day publishing extravaganza.
*UPDATE: This year’s judges have been confirmed*
The TLC Pen Factor panel will be made up of:
Kirsty Dunseath (Orion) editor at Weidenfelt & Nicolson, authors include bestseller GONE GIRL writer Gillian Flynn
Hellie Ogden (Janklow & Nesbit) featured in the Bookseller Rising Stars List 2013, shortlisted for the Kym Scott Walwyn Prize 2014
Patrick Walsh (Conville & Walsh) co-founder of Conville & Walsh, represents bestselling and award-winning list of authors
Tom Witcomb (Blake Friedmann) Marathon-running agent, building a diverse list of new and exciting writers across genres
“Imagine pitching your work to a panel of some of the most respected agents and publishers! I survived however, and the happy result of TLC’s Pen Factor is I’m now signed up with one of those agents… It’s a great experience for all in the publishing industry!”
Fawzia Kane, TLC Pen Factor runner-up 2012, longlisted for the 2012 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature with her collection Tantie Diablesse
“Winning Pen Factor has given me a tremendous boost, as I knew I was up against some very tough competition on the shortlist. The experience was a good one, and tremendously affirming. I had complete strangers come up to me afterwards and tell me how much they enjoyed the reading. The competition was worth entering just for that.”
Guinevere Glasfurd, TLC Pen Factor winner 2014, author of The Words in My Hand (Two Roads, forthcoming 2016)
“Winning [TLC Pen Factor] was lovely, of course – but it was the chance to read aloud that felt like the prize.”
Piers Alexander, TLC Pen Factor winner 2013, author of The Bitter Trade
Summer Digital Book Party 2015
The Literary Consultancy has teamed up with Byte the Book to produce an exciting new event on Friday June 5th with a carefully curated selection of the latest publishing, writing and digital projects. Combining key elements of our traditional Writing in a Digital Age Conference, and Byte the Book’s renowned salons – with a cracking good party thrown in for good measure. The programme includes an exclusive, up-to-date research presentation about e-book trends by Steve Bohme (Nielsen), in conversation with Roger Tagholm (Publishing Perspectives), along with five presentations by writers and organisations playing a key role in the future of publishing, hosted by Claire Armitstead (The Guardian) and a keynote about book marketing by Chris McCrudden (Midas PR).
Early Bird discounts available till April 30th, as well as further discounts for Byte the Book members and TLC clients.
Full programme and booking details here.
