The novel writing course for serious writers
This year-long course combines online mentoring, weekly tutorials and editorial feedback, literary agent feedback and an exclusive online networking event. Start with a work in progress – end with the tools and contacts you need to get published.
The Ultimate Novel Writing Course is open internationally to writers from across the globe, and we welcome applications from anywhere in the world. All online calls and live events will take place either at Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the UK & Europe course, or Eastern Time (ET) for the International course.
Applications for the Spring 2023/24 course are now closed. Our next course will start in October 2023, and applications will open soon. Check back here for more information.
This course at a glance:
A One Year Course
Running from October 2023 – September 2024
Online Learning
Combined with opportunities to get your work seen by agents
Flexible Payments
Pay upfront or in instalments
UK / Europe
All tutorials and calls held at GMT
International
All tutorials and calls held at ET
Our fifteen years of experience and industry contacts will be at your disposal…
Our fifteen years of experience and industry contacts will be at your disposal…
..including one-to-one mentoring, full-manuscript feedback, workshops with world-leading tutors and support getting your work in front of agents.
Download the Spring course prospectus:
“The agent one-to-ones and the partnership are not things you get with most other courses […] It’s not a theoretical course (like an MA for instance); it’s a practical course with links into the industry.”
Alan F, UNWC Alumni 21/22
Finish your book in a year
We built this course to give you everything you’d get from an MA plus much, much more. Alongside weekly online tutorials, you’ll receive one-to-one support, editorial feedback, networking opportunities and peer-to-peer feedback from your fellow writers.
Weekly Tutorials
Detailed weekly tutorials will teach you the craft of professional writing – from plotting, to editing your own writing. You’ll also hear from special guest tutors such as top authors and literary agents.
Mentoring
Your personal mentor is here to give you regular individual feedback on your work. You’ll have monthly one-to-ones throughout the year as your work progresses and you enhance your creative writing skills.
Editorial Feedback
You’ll get a detailed, full-length editorial report on up to 100,000 words from your assigned mentor after your first draft, and support as you implement any changes.
Publication Support
We’ll introduce you to literary agents through one-to-ones and guest webinars, and teach you how to self-publish successfully. You’ll also get a lifetime of ongoing publication support after the course from our team.
Community
You’ll be part of an exclusive student group in our warm online community. You can exchange feedback, ask questions or just hang out with new friends in your own private chat room.
Networking Events
You’ll attend an online networking event with handpicked agents, plus have your work featured in our end-of-year anthology which is sent to top agents across the UK. Last year, more than 30% of all students featured received a full manuscript request.
Proud to partner with
Meet tutor Emma Cooper
Emma Cooper
UNWC Tutor (UK & Europe)
Are you ready to take the next step in your writing?
Start with a work in progress – end with the tools and contacts you need to get published. Sign up to our newsletter for more information and to receive exclusive discounts.
Frequently asked
questions
Who is this course for?
This course is perfect for anyone serious about writing a novel and seeing it traditionally published, or successfully self-published. Ideally, students on the course have already working on a draft they’d like to write and polish. This is truly one of the best novel writing courses available. The mentoring aspect of the course will be completely personalised to you, so we’ll work from whatever your starting point happens to be, and provide you with all the writing tips and advice you need.
Do you handle all genres? What about creative non-fiction? What about children’s and Young Adult?
We warmly welcome writers in almost every genre, from very literary to commercial. Our tutors work across a diverse list of categories, including both creative non-fiction and fiction writing. We certainly also welcome YA writers. If you write for much younger children, the course may be less suitable – but feel free to ask.
I have a full time job / family commitments. Can I do this course in my spare time?
Yes. We purposely designed this course to fit in around your other commitments; flexibility is one of the many benefits of online novel writing courses. Bear in mind that we will be asking you to write (or rewrite) your novel, as well as engage with teaching material and other online/offline events throughout the year. If you think you can manage that, we’ll be happy to accommodate you – and of course we’ll be as flexible as we can be.
Do I need to be available at set times every week?
For the most part, you’ll be able to work to a schedule that suits you. There will be at least two monthly zoom calls. All calls will be recorded, so if you can’t make the live session, you’ll be able to watch the replay. The only truly fixed part of the calendar is the in-person event at the end of the course. While access to our live events is included, students will be required to pay for their own travel to and from live events, including any additional expenses incurred.
Will the online elements of the course be easy to use?
We use an easy-to-navigate online teaching platform to provide our virtual classrooms. It’s incredibly user-friendly and you’ll have no difficulty understanding what to do. The course will also have its own private space within Jericho Community, and we’ll maintain that group permanently, so your course friendships can long outlast the end of the course. If you do need help at any stage, we’ll be on hand.
Do you have bursaries available?
While we don’t have a full bursary available for this course, we want to help great writers get published, and if your personal circumstances make it impossible for you to fund the full price of this course, please get in touch. We can’t make any promises, but we’ll always do what we can.
Chat with our team
If you'd like to know more about this course, or any of our other courses/services, book a call to chat directly with a member of our team at a time that suits you.
