Stop biting your nails about UV – Book Bound can also help you on the road to publication!

This week congratulations go to SCBWI author/editors, Sara Grant (UV co-founder), Sara O’Connor (UV co-founder, Hot Key Books), Jasmine Richards (OUP) and Karen Ball (Little, Brown) for the launch of their brand new venture, Book Bound. The inaugural Book Bound residential retreat in May 2014 is an exciting opportunity for writers to polish their novel and get it in front of agents. And all with the help of these four amazing authors and commissioning editors who clock up over 30 years combined editorial experience on more than 1,000 books! 

Bookbound Team: Sara O'Connor, Karen Ball,
Jasmine Richards & Sara Grant

At the launch event a few weeks ago, the Book Bound team were brimming with enthusiasm as they told us all about the retreat and where the idea came from. Each of them gave us some writing tips to whet our appetites for the workshops that they're teaching on the retreat. 

SCBWI members Sarah, Nick Cross, Michelle Newell,
Miriam  Craig, Linda Lawlor

It was a fun afternoon and really inspiring to hear how teamwork has helped Sara, Sara, Jasmine and Karen in their writing careers, and how they want to help new authors get published. 

The venue in Kent looks absolutely gorgeous, and the four agents attending are Julia Churchill (A. M. Heath), Zoe King (The Blair Partnership), Polly Nolan (Greenhouse Literary Agency), and Claire Wilson (Rogers, Coleridge and White). 

You can read full details about the retreat and how to apply here. And our lovely editor Lorraine Gregory has blogged about the launch event here. Meanwhile here are some pix and soundbytes from the Book Bound Team and the many SCBWI members who were there....

Sara Grant: “I’m thrilled by the people we’ve had here today. What we want to build is a writing community and we want a retreat where writers, agents and editors will all learn from each other."

Linda Lawlor & Jasmine Richards

Linda Lawlor: “It’s great to have something for more advanced writers, who are almost ready to be published.” 

Miriam Craig: “I was really interested to hear Jasmine’s point about making sure you can say ‘But’ or ‘Therefore’ about what happened from chapter to chapter, rather than just ‘And then’.” 

Nick Cross & Lorraine Gregory

Nick Cross: “I won a one-to-one with Sara O’Connor. My pitch went on for about five minutes, so I might have to shorten it slightly! Sara kept smiling despite it all.” 

Karen Ball: “I hope it’s an opportunity for a group of writers to become friends, hear expert advice, benefit from the workshop and go home inspired and full of confidence. PS the venue is awesome!” 

David Richardson, Sara Grant,
Vivienne Dacosta

David Richardson: “The prospect of meeting with agents and polishing my work is really useful for me at this stage.” 

Clare, Annie Walmsley

Annie Walmsley: “To have the chance to meet people who are as passionate and eccentric about children’s literature as myself is invaluable.” 

Jasmine Richards: “We want to give an honest and realistic view of the children’s publishing industry, as well as support and guidance for writing a novel that will be published.” 

Sara Grant, Sara O'Connor, Jasmine Richards & Karen Ball

 Lorraine Gregory: “Sounds like an amazing opportunity for some lucky writers.” 

 Larisa Villar Hauser: “So much enthusiasm, energy and expertise all in one team. Wow!”

Sara O’Connor: “Book Bound has been so long in the making I’m so glad we’ve finally kicked it off with so many lovely people!” 

If you get your skates on and submit before 31 October you can get a £50 discount when you join their mailing list. So let’s wish the team a big Hurrah! for launching such a fantastic retreat. And if you need some distraction from wondering whether you’ve made the UV longlist, why not give Book Bound a try?

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Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller, and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.