TLC Free Reads Rules & Guidelines

TLC Free Reads are granted to low-income* high quality writers resident in England.
The TLC Free Reads Scheme is free to writers; no fee will be charged at any time.
Applicants cannot apply for a Free Read two consecutive years in a row.
Applicants cannot apply to more than one organisation for a Free Read within the same year.
Applicants cannot work for the regional writing organisation they apply through.
All TLC Free Reads are subject to TLC’s Service Terms & Conditions. TLC reserves the right to refuse to work, or cease to work, with any writer who breaches these terms.
TLC reserves the right to refuse any material which is deemed unlikely to benefit from the Free Reads service, or if we cannot find a suitable TLC Editor for your work. If your work is not accepted, it will be returned within 30 days.
We accept only single authored work.
We accept only writing in English.
The applicant should not be part of a creative writing programme or longer writing course at the time of submission.
Applicants must be over 16.
Please do not submit your work directly to TLC for a Free Read unless otherwise prompted to do so.
TLC Free Reads are provided subject to funding from Arts Council England.

*A definition of ‘low-income’ can be found on the Free Reads FAQs page here.