Success Stories

“I knew in my guts from my earliest successes as a punky poet that disability and art that sprung from the experience of living within a world of obstacles, fear and sometimes hate – yet was rich, contrary, unique and ultimately celebratory. After many years fighting against the dark oppressive ceiling it was TLC who became the light at the end of a very long and bumpy tunnel.  My reader’s report was the door flung wide – to trust my own voice and strength as a writer. When TLC opened the opportunity to link with Unbound it felt like a match made in heaven. My memoir First in the World Somewhere was published in September 2017 and launched at the Royal Festival Hall. Receiving my first healthy royalty payment six weeks after the launch has to count as one of the best days ever.”

“A Murderous Approach is my third independently published novel, and the third time I have received a critical manuscript assessment from TLC. I wrote my first book five years ago and look back on my decision to submit my work to TLC as the best investment I’ve made in my writing career. I chose TLC because I wanted a service I could rely on. Finding an editor as a self-published author can be a bit of a minefield as it’s difficult to verify a freelancer’s qualifications and experience. Working with the literary consultancy gave me the confidence that my money was well spent, as they were able to choose the best person for my manuscript from their team of qualified experts. My TLC reader, Jane Adams, has offered excellent insights and advice on my series so far, and I intend to ask for her guidance on many more  manuscripts to come.”

“The reports I had from TLC were my teachers and companions. What you crave with a novel is an objective, thoughtful, sensitive overview. I received that from TLC twice over.”

“Working with the Harper Collins HQ Digital team on the Book of Fire is a dream come true, and wouldn’t be happening without the belief of key individuals who’ve helped shape my adventure so far. The TLC team, and Aki Schilz in particular, have been incredibly supportive; providing critical advice, blogging opportunities and all-round valuable confidence, a real lifeline to aspiring writers such as myself. Book of Fire is a YA dystopian thriller with a medieval mystery at its heart, and I can’t wait to get started on the next exciting instalment.”

“In the Matter of Isabel is my first novel, inspired by a case I handled as a young and green lawyer and is most probably the reason I’m not an old and grey one now. I owe a huge debt to TLC for matching me up with my wonderful editor Alan Mahar, without whose firm but never less than encouraging hand I most certainly wouldn’t be at this point today. He had that wonderful ability to tell me where I had gone completely off the rails whilst praising me for where I hadn’t. I know from decades of working on TV scripts that the ‘praise sandwich’ is an essential part of getting the best work out of people but sadly is often overlooked. I cannot thank Alan nor TLC enough.”

“I’d been working on Dark Chapter for about a year when I applied for the TLC Free Read scheme through Spread the Word. Since I had very little income while writing, I was thankful that the TLC Free Read scheme could provide me with a professional assessment of the first section of my manuscript. My TLC reader Karen Godfrey wrote an excellent report. Prior to her assessment, I also had not considered Dark Chapter as a crime novel, but I began to see it in a different light as I continued with the manuscript. In 2015, I submitted the first 3,000 words to the CWA Debut Dagger competition, where I was Highly Commended. This led to offers from agents, and two years later, the novel is finally coming out, and has been listed by Stylist as one of ’10 Smashing Debut Novels to Look Out for in 2017′! So many thanks to the TLC Free Read scheme for giving me that initial confidence to believe in my book.”