Edinburgh is packed with people who earn their living through words, stories and poems, and there has been no better time to pick up a pen in this city. Whether an aspiring writer or a published author, we hope that this section will offer you some ideas about how to progress with your work and pursue new audiences.   

We will be featuring regular updates with new opportunities and advice from established authors, and shortly we will be offering a selection of tips for getting published and for marketing your work.  You may also like to check our What's On section to see if there are any relevant writing courses planned in the coming months. 

Literary Agents

Having an agent can take the pressure off writers when they come to look for a publisher.  They submit to publishers, negotiate the contract, collect the money and a good agent offers valuable support and advice to their authors.  Find out about the Edinburgh-based literary agents.

Prizes and Awards

There are many annual competitions on offer in a range of writing forms: poetry, short stories, fellowships and book prizes all have their own Scottish-based prizes.

Publishers

With publishers used to receiving floods of manuscripts, many of which are innappropriate for the type of publications they produce, we'd like to offer a few suggestions as to how writers can put together more effective applications to Scotland's publishers.

Sources of Funding

There are various options out there for writers trying to find funding in order to pursue their work, although in most cases you need to have had something published to secure these opportunities.

Writers' Groups

If you're looking for a forum for your work, then why not join a local writers' group?  Whether you're writing just for fun or looking for some serious feedback, there is a writing group out there to suit every level.  read the full list of Edinburgh writing groups.