Success Stories
The Literary Consultancy is very proud of the talented writers it has helped over the years. Whilst TLC did not set up as a talent scouting operation, but rather to provide informed editorial advice to people writing at all levels, we are well-positioned to keep a steady eye on real writing talent, whilst writing markets fluctuate. We have been instrumental in helping many writers find their place with publishers and publish independently to great success, and this list represents just a small selection of those who’ve gone on to get book deals, top bestseller lists, become bookclub favourites, have their books recommended by Oprah, made into films starring Hollywood actors, and gain media coverage across the UK and internationally. We’re incredibly proud, and very lucky to feature their kind words about TLC here.
“I can attribute much of my book’s success to the initial guidance I received from TLC, Jude Cook, in particular. With discreet diplomacy he complimented me on my strong points. Then we talked about the art of telling. Everybody has a fascinating life story – the difficulty comes with knowing the words to share it. Fictional biography gave me the freedom of invention. Jim’s life would be told in the third person, not by me but my narrator. The narrator himself became an important character, one with his own personality, interesting and likeable. He was going to take you on a 580-page journey so he had to be. My most important character, however, was my reader. Of him I was always mindful, I wanted him as a new friend.”
David Turner,
A Song,
Troubador
“I’d been struggling to complete my final draft and I was unsure what to do next with my manuscript. My TLC reader, Angela Clarke, read my novel and her feedback was excellent. She helped me see what didn’t quite work with the pacing and storyline, and she helped me see that I was writing a thriller; I’d been unsure of the genre up to that point. She was also very encouraging, which is exactly what I needed. After I had worked on editing my manuscript, TLC put me in touch with Sapere Books, who are now publishing RUNNING IN CIRCLES. I’m so grateful to everyone at TLC for their input; I feel like they offer something very special and they have kickstarted my career.”
Claire Gray ,
Running in Circles,
Sapere Books
“After years of beavering away at my writing in professional isolation, I made one of the best decisions of my writing career; I called in some collaboration courtesy of an outfit that’s at the top of its game. Working with TLC made all the difference, not just to my book but to my appreciation of what was needed on the road ahead, and, crucially to my confidence. My debut, Bone Lines, went through a couple more incarnations, even after two rounds of working with my wonderful TLC mentor Dr Stephen Carver, but that initial push was the step that transformed everything. If you are prepared to face a few realities and do a lot more hard work (because, honestly, that it what is needed no matter how good you think your draft may be) then I cannot recommend this team highly enough.”
Stephanie Bretherton ,
Bone Lines,
Unbound
“Since Loyal Stalkers was to be my first collection of short stories, I wanted to get some expert advice on my MS before I submitted it to my agent. Cynthia Rogerson was fantastic; she highlighted my areas of strength and where I needed to make improvements and also advised me on the structure and length of each story and how best they would fit into a collection. Although I knew I would get superb editorial input from my agent and publisher, I wanted initial help from a skilled writer I did not know personally. Cynthia gave me the confidence, to pass on my MS to my agent, after the changes she suggested, without having to worry that he might reply saying, ‘as much as I liked your first two books, I think we need to go our separate ways…it’s not you, it’s me etc.’ I highly recommend this service.”
Chhimi Tenduf-La,
Loyal Stalkers,
Pan Macmillan India
“My novel would never have taken off and got launched in such great shape, without TLC and the editorial input from the amazing Rebecca Baker and Claire McGowan respectively. Claire did a fast and very incisive MS assessment which enabled me to really improve the novel and pull the many, and often complicated plots strands tightly together – there was also some judicious cutting which proved highly beneficial. Rebecca was a total delight to work with throughout as she did the tough job of copy and proof editing and is a wonderful supportive resource during the long , often lonely road to publication. Rebecca was there with me through thick and thin and really helped hone and craft the MS in the process. Thank you TLC, I couldn’t have done it without you and your highly professional and always responsive team!”
JJ Hughes ,
Spirit of Prophecy,
Amazon
“The manuscript assessment through TLC was the best investment I could have made, and was worth every penny. My reader, Sanjida O’Connell, gave such an insightful report, offering advice on aspects such as characters, dialogue, setting and plot to mention but a few. Her comments made me look at my own work in a different, more objective way, and I’ve been able to use a lot of that advice to improve other work since. I genuinely believe the help from her and TLC played a crucial part in being picked up by an Agent, and subsequently landing a two book deal, so couldn’t recommend them highly enough.”
Robert Scragg,
What Falls Between the Cracks,
Allison & Busby
