This page shows some of my recent blog posts. If you want to read more, see my blog.
One thing we can all agree on: writing
a novel is hard. Getting published is even harder. Authors
need to do everything they can to polish and perfect their story until
it leaps off the page. Of course, you can pay for a professional critique, but it’s also possible to learn how to edit your own novel.
That’s where the 6-week online Self-Edit Your Novel course comes in. Emma Darwin and I designed the course for Jericho Writers
(previously The Writers’ Workshop) and wrote the tutorials together back in 2010,
though I now do all the detailed feedback, with Emma coming in at the
end of the week with an invaluable round-up of the topic. The course is now Jericho’s longest running course and always sells out in advance.
But does the course make a real difference, in practical ways? Can it
increase your chances? Is there any way of proving that it does?
This should convince you: the self-edit course in numbers.
The first course was in April 2011 and it runs 4 times a year.
As at the beginning of September 2025, we have had 58 courses and a total of 681 participants. But how many of our alumni have since been published?
Let’s first look at the industry average.
A top agent will receive about 2,000 submissions a year, some many more, of whom they will sign maybe 2 authors – a hit rate of 0.1%.
107 of our alumni are now published, equating to almost 20%. In one particular course,
back in March 2013, 6 out of 11 participants are now published.
Some
of these authors have self-published but I know from the signed books on my
shelf that they are as professionally presented, and as well-written, as
the trade published novels they sit next to. In fact, some of those authors make far more money from selling their books than people who have been trade published. Many of our authors have won or been shortlisted in prestigious competitions.
In case you don’t believe me, here’s our Self-Editing Alumni Hall of
Fame, with links to their websites, Amazon pages, announcements by agents or
publishers, or in The Bookseller and other sites in cases where the novels are forthcoming.
In no particular order, hearty congrats to:
Cathy Bramley (over a million copies sold)
Clare Flynn
Jody Klaire
Katherine Hetzel
G D Harper
Louise Walters
Susan Murray
Jules Ironside
Claire Evans
Sonja Price
Amanda Saint
Jackie Buxton
Claire Waller
Matt Willis
Mari Griffith
Chrissie Bradshaw
Sandra Davies
Kat Mountfort
Bernie Steadman
Isabel Rogers
Shauna Bickley
Sally Miller (writing as Sara Bailey)
Voula Grand
Aneeta Sundararaj
Susie Campbell
Barb Ettridge
E S Rollett
Sophie Cayeux
Laxmi Hariharan
Marjorie Lazoro
Sophie Wellstood
Vicky Newham
Mandy Berriman
Maddie Please (over half a million books sold)
Sophie Jonas-Hill
Fiona Erskine
Britta Jensen
Ruth Heald
Moushmi Biswas
Alice Spigelman
Clare Wade
F J Campbell
Julie Cordiner (writing as Juliette Lawson)
Jane Shufflebotham (writing as Jane Jesmond)
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If you know of anyone I’ve missed, please shout in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.
NB: this post is updated regularly.
To see details of forthcoming courses, click HERE.
Since Jan 2019, there has one free place on each course for an author from an under-represented group. Please see here for details of how to apply for the bursary.
The Jericho Writers‘ festival stayed in London again this year, but in a fancy new venue, the Leonardo Hotel in Tower Bridge. As before, I’ll let the photos do the talking.
The joy of seeing novels by three of our fabulous self-edit alumni will never get old.
My Facing the Fear workshop. Didn’t manage to take any pix of the self-edit session.
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Zoë
Richards, both of whom were celebrating their recent book launches and are now inscribed in our Self-Edit Hall of Fame.
Big thanks as always to our panel of agents, Silé Edwards
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, Ciara Finan, Megan Carroll, Laura Williams, Louise Buckley, Susan Yearwood, whose feedback is always so useful.
Plans are already underway for LFoW25, which will be at the same venue. You can register for updates here.
Shamefully late in posting photos from LFoW23. This time, the
festival was in London, at Regents College, and was non-residential.
I’ll let the pix do the talking.
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| The opening keynote address with Philippa East, self-edit alumna and starry star. |
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| John Taylor, who has been to every FoW apart from 2022 (blame Covid) with his first published novel. |
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| With Marve Michael, winner of the self-edit bursary and keynote speaker for 2024. Full list of bursary winners on the screen behind us. |
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| Writers writing in my workshop on voice |
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| Caring and sharing in my Facing the Fear workshop |
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| The traditional self-edit alumni pic |
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| With Anna Burtt, co-hosting Friday Night Live (on Saturday) |
Bookings open for LFoW24, again in London but in a very swanky venue! The self-edit course, now in its 13th year, is going strong. Details here. Bursaries available – see here. For evidence of how transformative the course is, check out our Hall of Fame.
After a two-year break, the Jericho Writers
Festival of Writing was back and it was bigger and better than ever
before. While it was initially overwhelming to be with 400 people in one
place, after only interacting online for so long, the weekend was a huge success.
I’ll let the photos tell the story. Apologies for the non-chronological order and the lack of tags.
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| With Emma Darwin and our wonderful self-edit alumni |
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| L-R: Janette Owen, Audrey Niven, Mandy Berriman, me, Emma Darwin |
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| The first shortlisted author reading at Friday Night Live |
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| With Janette Owen |
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| With Mandy Berriman, author of Home |
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| The final keynote address with Neema Shah, author of Kololo Hill |
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| With Marvellous Michael |
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| With Neema Shah, keynote speaker and author of Kololo Hill, and Anna Burtt, Jericho’s events organiser |
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| The view from the stage in the final keynote address |
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| Scrubbed up for the gala dinner |
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| Bonus bunnies |
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| With Mandy Berriman and Paul McVeigh |
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| Disco! |
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| Gala dinner menu – veg option delicious but not listed |
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| With Mandy Berriman |
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| Janette Owen and Audrey Niven |
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| The room key at York. Geddit? |
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| View from the stage at Friday Night Live |
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| Friday Night Live finalists |
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| Agent panel at Friday Night Live |
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| Jo Unwin |
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| L-R: Katy Massey, Janette Owen, Audrey Niven, Mandy Berriman |
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| Forward to 2023, hopefully without the need for masks |
When I started this blog, over 20 years ago, I could never have predicted writing this post. I’m still so overwhelmed, I’m going to reproduce the press release sent out by the Romantic Novelists’ Association rather than find my own words.
LONDON INDIE EDITOR WINS INDIE EDITOR OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS’ ASSOCIATION INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021
FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER 2021 London Indie Editor, Debi Alper, has won the Indie Editor of the Year award for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s annual Industry Awards for 2021.
The awards, which include four exciting new categories for this year,
celebrate the hard work and talent of any person, group or organisation
who has championed the broad genre of romantic fiction in a positive
way. The Indie Editor of the Year award recognises an editor who has worked on an independently published novel that falls within the scope of romantic fiction, and
who embraces the genre, supports writers to produce their best work,
and is innovative, creative and visionary in the marketing and promotion
of romantic fiction on every level.
Debi
is an author, freelance editor and creative writing tutor. Since 2006,
Debi has spent her time helping other writers to perfect their novels
through critiques, mentoring, Book Doctor sessions and creative writing
workshops. She also runs the phenomenally successful Jericho Writers’
Self-Edit Your Novel course, together with Emma Darwin. An astonishing
one in four authors from the first five years of the course are now
published. Debi also acts as a competition judge, is on the jury for the
London Independent Story Prize and is a reader for the Costa Short
Story Awards.
She commented, “I
would like to dedicate this award to the hundreds of authors I’ve
worked with over the years, many of whose novels now grace my
bookshelves. The world needs your stories and I’m so privileged and
proud to have been a part of such wonderful journeys.”
Laura James, the RNA Industry Awards organiser, commented, “I
am delighted for the recipients of this year’s Romantic Novelists’
Association Industry Awards and applaud their wonderful skill and
creativity. The range and depth of expertise and their dedication in
supporting romantic fiction is outstanding. Honouring the winners has
been a pleasure and a privilege.”
The awards, which have been held for the
eighth time, are highly respected in the UK publishing industry. The
shortlistees are nominated by the full and associate membership of the
Romantic Novelists’ Association, with the winners being chosen by a
panel of judges.
The
new award categories recognise the best Narrator, Named Cover Designer,
Indie Editor, and Indie Champion of the Year. Along with the best
Bookseller, Media Star, Agent, Publisher or Editor, Library or
Librarian, and the Inclusion Award for championing inclusivity in
romantic authorship and publishing, they spotlight the many
professionals who promote and support romantic fiction.
The winners of the ten awards were announced during the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Winter Party and Industry Awards ceremony, which was held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-14 Cooper’s Row, London EC3N 2BQ, on Thursday 28th October 2021.
ADDITIONAL MEDIA INFORMATION ABOUT DEBI ALPER
Debi
commented, “I became a published author – and a parent – in my forties,
having worked in a variety of jobs after leaving school. I began
working full-time as a freelance editor in my fifties. Now in my
sixties, I have my dream job and can’t imagine ever wanting to retire. I
like to think that I’m proof that age need not be a barrier to success,
nor do you need a string of academic qualifications.”
EDITED TO ADD LINK TO THE INTERVIEW RNA DID WITH ME AS PART OF THEIR ‘ASK AN INDUSTRY EXPERT’ SERIES.
GET ME! AN EXPERT! Thanks so much to Sue Fisher for the interesting questions.
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| With Orna Ross from ALLi, who won the Indie Champion of the Year |