Ready to submit your manuscript but unsure where to start? Pitch Perfect demystifies the publishing process and teaches you how to create a submission package that stands out.
This hands-on workshop by Isabelle Kenyon (CEO Fly on the Wall Press, Manchester) covers the current publishing landscape, helping you understand what agents and publishers are looking for today. You’ll learn to craft the three essential components of every successful submission: a compelling cover letter that introduces you and your work with impact, a clear synopsis that captures your story’s arc without losing its essence, and polished sample pages that hook readers from the first line.
Whether you’re a debut author or refining your approach, you’ll leave with practical skills, industry insights, and the confidence to present your work professionally. The workshop concludes with a Q&A session where you can ask specific questions about your manuscript and submission strategy.
About Isabelle Kenyon Isabelle Kenyon is the CEO of Manchester publishing house ‘Fly on the Wall Press’, and was named a Leader of the Year by the Bookseller in 2025. Founded in 2018, she has led Fly on the Wall Press to win Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards 2024 (North), achieving finalist status five times in the years 2021-2025. She is the MA Module Leader for ‘Publishing in the 21st Century’ at Arts University Bournemouth, and the author of psychological thriller ‘The Dark Within Them’, poetry collections including Growing Pains (Indigo Dreams) and one short story with Wild Pressed Books (‘The Town Talks’). She has had work published internationally in journals such as Ink, Sweat and Tears and newspapers such as The Somerville Times and The Bookseller. She previously coordinated the Northern Fiction Alliance and runs PR campaigns for writers and publishers under Kenyon Author Services (www.kenyonauthorservices.co.uk).
Today’s reviewer is Sakinah, who loves reading, walking in the woods and gardening. She also loves catching up with friends or family over a cup of tea and cake. Her favourite cake is lemon drizzle.
Title: Hidden Fires
Author: Saarish Hussain
Genre: Adult Fiction
Summary: Ruby is a teenage girl struggling with anxiety, body image and self harm. Her father, an over- worked social worker and carer of his wife, who suffers from a long term illness, does not have much time to spare for his only child, Ruby.
When Ruby’s grandmother passes away in Spain her father decides to leave her in the care of her paternal grandfather Yusuf, in another city. Ruby is perturbed by the idea of living away from home with her elderly grandfather who she barely knows. His religious rituals and old fashioned ideas are enough to drive her to the edge.
However, over time, she comes to realise that she is not the only one facing internal struggles. Her grandfather, she discovers is battling with deep seated trauma and horrific memories of his own.
During the short time they spend together, Ruby and Yusuf establish a wonderful bond that leads to emotional healing for the pair of them.
Verdict: I enjoyed this book because the author covered a variety of different themes that are current issues of contention in today’s society, such as over-worked parents, stretched social services, self- harm, anxiety and bullying amongst teenagers and loneliness and isolation amongst the elderly.
I particularly enjoyed the author’s coverage of Yusuf’s traumatic memories of living through the partition of India and Pakistan in a sensitive yet informative manner.
I felt that the author also broke many of the age-old stereotypes of British Muslim families, which was refreshing and encouraging to read.
Reviewer Bio – My name is Noor, I am a ten -year -old girl. I love playing sports, especially Football. I also love cats and I have a pet cat named Mia.Here are my two reviews.
Title: Running Wild
Author: Micheal Morpurgo
Genre: Adventure
Summary: This story is about a young boy called Will who goes on holiday with his mum to try and forget the memories of a tragic incident, that has changed their lives forever.
Whilst on holiday, Will is riding an elephant named Oona when a Tsunami hits. Oona instinctively runs away from the sea and towards the jungle, but she doesn’t stop running. Will is desperate and scared and has no idea what has become of his mother who he left behind on the beach before Oona ran.
Will has to learn how to communicate and work with Oona to survive his new life in the jungle. Will he live the rest of his life there with Oona? Or will he eventually return home? And what is left of home for Will?
Verdict: I enjoyed this book because the plot has lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed the descriptions of the jungle and the animals. I am a big fan of Micheal Morpurgo’s writing style.
The chapters where quite long and I would have liked it if they were shorter.
Summary: This book is about the survival of two sisters who fall off a passenger train that runs through the middle of a wild land. All they have with them is a rucksack, a bar of chocolate, a bottle of water, a mobile phone without signal and one another.
This story is about survival in the wild. Will the sisters ever make it home again?
Verdict: I found this book really difficult to put down. The story was really interesting from the moment I picked it up. I especially liked the part of the story where the sisters fall off the train and realise, they are all alone in the wild, with barely any belongings. I liked the fast pace of the book and the length of the chapters.
Author Mandy Sutter (Ted the Shed) has appeared regularly at Bradford Libraries. Today she shares her favourite 19th Century festive reads.
In my day job, I record stories for the sleep and meditation app, Insight Timer. I write some of these myself. But there are also plenty of classic stories that can’t be beaten, especially at Christmas.
One of the most beloved Christmas stories is ‘A Christmas Carol,’ by Charles Dickens. This comes in five instalments, or ‘staves’ as Dickens calls them, and if you’ve never read it, or only seen the film, it’s a must. You may be surprised to find that it’s extremely funny and that Scrooge, even at the beginning before his nocturnal transformation, is witty and even a little bit likeable. Dickens is sometimes credited with inventing Christmas as a time of generosity and joy and this story was a powerful force for social justice in its day.
Next comes ‘The Gift of the Magi,’ by O Henry, which tells of a young American couple, much in love but very hard up, who try to buy each other a special Christmas gift. I won’t give away the ending, but it is touching and heart breaking all at once and makes you shout ‘nooooo!’ at the dog, or the cat, or at O Henry himself.
There is a great Sherlock Holmes story set at Christmas, ‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.’ It’s quite a romp, involving a missing diamond, a thief and a Christmas goose. As you may know, Sherlock’s opinion of the police is never very high and here, Arthur Conan Doyle has his hero decide for himself whether to turn the culprit over to the police or not.
Another place you might look for a good Christmas story is in the Just William books, by Richmal Crompton. All her stories (and there are an amazing number of them) deal with the rascally young William and his adventures. The great appeal of William is that he is thoroughly authentic and always sees through, and challenges, the hypocrisy of adults. In ‘William’s Christmas Eve,’ with a deliberate nod to Dickens, his good-heartedness shines through.
But my favourite Christmas story of all time is Truman Capote’s ‘A Christmas Memory.’ Written in 1965, it’s an autobiographical story about a special friendship.
‘I am seven; she is sixty-something, We are cousins, very distant ones, and we have lived together—well, as long as I can remember. Other people inhabit the house, relatives; and though they have power over us, and frequently make us cry, we are not, on the whole, too much aware of them. We are each other’s best friend. She calls me Buddy, in memory of a boy who was formerly her best friend. The other Buddy died in the 1880’s, when she was still a child. She is still a child.’
Capote beautifully reconjures their Christmas preparations, such as gathering pecan nuts, baking fruit cakes and even stealing a Christmas tree.
However you choose to do it, reading even just one of these stories will enrich your Christmas. Happy reading and Happy Christmas!
“ Water” is the first book in the series” Elements” written by John Boyne. It is a short novel which sets the scene for “ Earth” “ “ Fire” and, finally “ Air.” The characters are linked throughout the four books.
We meet Willow as she gets off the boat on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland. The author tantalises us from the outset as we know this is not her real name plus she has cut off her hair. So we want to know why.
Thus begins the story behind her escape from a controlling marriage and the consequences of her husband’s behaviour. We meet the islanders who have their own histories, dreams and aspirations. Willow has experienced unimaginable loss and this island is there to give her back an identity.
The link to “ Water” is excellent in that it peels back the waves of disgust at what her husband had done. However, it also envelops her and sustains her recovery “ like a body emerging from near drowning , reaching the surface and gasping for air”.
Despite being short, it packed a punch and drew me into island life. I was totally drawn and could imagine being there. This book made me consider how I would have reacted if faced with a similar dilemma. The tides kept throwing things at her but I liked how the islanders kept their council and did not judge her.
Boyne’s observation of people never fails to impress me and this story left a lasting effect. I have read the other three in the series and could not put them down. Interestingly, the title of each book is linked to the main character W for Water and for Willow! I totally recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a well written , well constructed book which draws you in from the first sentence.
John Boyne is one of my favourite authors . He never fails to impress me with his use of language.
Sue Hewitson is a retired teacher who has loved books since she could turn a page.
She says: My mum took me to the library in Brighton ( where I grew up ) at least twice a week as I devoured everything so quickly. I am now a volunteer at Baildon library and try to share my passion with other borrowers. In my view, a house is not a home without books hence I champion The Book Trust and The Imagination Library . All children should have books to read, peruse, enjoy. You should see my daughter’s house !
Historical Fantasy Author, Author Elizabeth Hopkinson chooses three books from Bradford Libraries Collection she feels would be suited to three characters from her own Angelio series, Tammo, Carlo and Celestina… Have a read through and see if these are books that would interest you too…
IntroducingTammo. Tammo is a character in Elizabeth’s Angelio Series who plays flute. His heart’s desire is to be able to charm birds with his flute, and he forms an especially close bond with a crow named Coronis.Elizabeth thinks My Friend the Octopus would be a good read for Tammo and possibly you too! She writes…
I think Tammo would enjoy this middle grade novel set in 1893, about a girl called Vinnie who forms a bond with a giant octopus in Brighton Aquarium. The octopus – named Ghost – is initially billed as a dangerous monster, but is actually sensitive and nurturing.
The idea of being trapped in a beautiful cage – so central to my novel, Cage of Nightingales – is also central to My Friend the Octopus. Not only is Ghost imprisoned in the aquarium, but Vinnie finds freedom from the restrictive world of high fashion and her mother’s milliner’s shop, with her 1890s “new woman” aunt, who wears bloomers, rides a bicycle and runs a tea shop. And Vinnie’s new friend Temitayo – the African ward of an English gentleman – is determined to escape from being treated as a pet curiosity, and forge her own life (starting with being called by her real name).
I just know that spirit of freedom in this novel would appeal to Tammo. And he’d enjoy the fast-paced adventure and mystery of the plot – not to mention the illustrations, maps and newspaper articles!
My Friend the Octopus is children’s historical fiction which evokes the Victorian era. Fashion, attitudes to women, and the disparity between rich and poor are among the themes explored. It is suitable for readers aged 8+.
A Book for Carlo – The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Elizabeth has chosen The Black Flamingo as a read for Carlo- another character from her own series, who, she feels, would relate to this prose poetry autofiction about a young man finding his queer identity through performance.
In Angelio, Carlo is a castrato, a type of opera singer that was wildly popular in the 1720s and 30s. Boys were made into eunuchs to preserve their soprano voices and trained intensively in schools like the Cage of Nightingales. People loved their androgynous appearance onstage, where they took leading roles, both male and female. Offstage, they were both fêted and persecuted. They are iconic for many queer people today, including asexual, nonbinary and transgender.
Elizabeth thinks The Black Flamingo would really appeal to Carlo’s reading taste and here’s why…
The Black Flamingo is about a young man – Michael – a gay, British teen of Greek Cypriot-Jamaican heritage, struggling to find out where he fits in the world. He has a poor/non-existant relationship with his father (as does Carlo), although he has other family and friends with varying levels of understanding. One of his questions is, “Does being gay make me less Black?” Michael eventually finds his place at the university drag society, creating his alter-ego, the Black Flamingo.
Again, it’s short and easy to read, with illustrations and a beautiful cover. I think Carlo and Michael would enjoy exchanging outfits!
The Black Flamingo is suitable for youngsters aged 13+ interested in gay young adult fiction.
A Book for Celestina – The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas
Born into a life of privilege yet excluded from certain aspects of high society due to her disability, Celestina, another of Elizabeth’s characters is a young lady who knows her own mind and is determined to forge her own path. Elizabeth thinks Celestina would love The Psycholoy of Time Travel – historical sci-fi, consisting almost wholly of strong, female characters working in science.
The book begins in 1967 in a Bletchley Park-like setting in which four women and a rabbit create the first time machine – but one of them (Bee) suffers a breakdown and is removed from the programme, her contributions erased. By the 2010s, time travel has become a vast organisation called the Conclave, headed by the controlling and emotionless Margaret. Meanwhile, both Bee’s granddaughter Ruby and a museum volunteer named Odette are attempting from different points in time to solve the mystery of an old woman killed in a sealed room. Could it be Bee?
Like many disabled people, Celestina from the Angelino series is an early adopter of technology (she has a self-propelled, clockwork wheelchair and a hand-cranked lift) so I think she would appreciate the scientific aspects of the story, but also the focus on how time travel affects emotions and relationships. And the controlling Margaret might remind her of her mother!
The Psychology of Time Travel is a blend of science fiction, historical drama and mystery suitable for readers aged 15+
About the Reviewer – Elizabeth Hopkinson is an avid reader and writer of the Angelio series, published by Deep Hearts YA. She/they are currently working on the third book of the series. Click below to see her titles.
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