Lessons Learned Pitching Books for Adaptation

Plus the peaks and troughs of a typical week in publishing

Happy Friday Scribblers and hello from a very soggy Manchester,

This week has truly encapsulated the saying “every cloud has a silver lining.” While we received yet another rejected grant from the Arts Council, I’m thrilled to share that we’ve been shortlisted as a finalist for the British Book Awards for the fifth consecutive year!

After three years of investing countless hours into Arts Council grant applications and resubmissions, I’ve made the decision to step back from the pursuit of funding completely. Rather than compromising our editorial direction or freedom, we will continue building our catalogue through sales from you lovely lot, as we have been doing since our inception.

Growing fully independently has its challenges, but the joy of maintaining complete creative control makes it worthwhile. In today’s climate of increased censorship in taxpayer-funded arts programs, we take pride in being able to publish important stories without impediment. If you want to support our work, you might want to upgrade to a paid newsletter subscription (or try with a 7-day trial!) to get in-depth Friday newsletters or grab a gorgeous tote bag because you can never have too many book bags haha!

The awards shortlisting provides welcome encouragement that our unconventional path resonates with readers and has recognisable quality! Big thanks to the authors and readers who made 2023 special.

This week has also marked a exciting secret being revealed! In January 2025, we will be publishing poet, novelist and performance artist Rosie Garland’s debut short story collection: ‘Your Sons and Daughters are Beyond’.

(Photo credit Carri Angel)

Garland offers "stories of outsiders, those who won’t (or can’t) squeeze into the one-size-fits-all templates the world offers,” refracting “themes as diverse as rebellion against imposed norms, family relationships, queerness, loss and recovery... through the lens of animals, Egyptian mummies, knitting patterns and runaway stars.” Read more about Garland’s magical collection here.

Let’s chat film and TV…

When I don’t have my Fly on the Wall Press hat on, I coordinate the Northern Fiction Alliance. As part of that, I’ve had a very exciting few months organising film and TV pitching sessions, both in person and online, for the publishers within the alliance. It has been a fascinating experience, and with a few books being looked at for possible adaptation, I've gleaned a few helpful lessons when it comes to adapting literature for the screen: