TLC launches digital platform for writers

The Literary Consultancy (TLC) has launched a digital platform to support writers and "safeguard their creativity".

Being a Writer aims to "understand why writers write, and how best to keep them going", using an online community.

The platform was created in response to a survey conducted by the Royal Society of Literature in 2019, which found that 68% of writers felt challenged by a lack of funds, and 53% said they did not know enough about the support available to them.

“It was our hope when we conceived the Being A Writer programme that it would go on to enable all authors—emerging, mid-career or veteran—to cherish their creative process and to be supported holistically in developing their craft", said author and platform co-curator Julia Forster.

"To remain strong in our writerly convictions in times of crisis or uncertainty is essential. Being A Writer is both a clarion call to all those who write to honour their artistic impulses while it is also a safe space where writers can share their process, experiment and find community.”

The platform spans "interdisciplinary learning" and includes podcasts. It is following a subscription model available at £12 per month or £99 annually, and launches with a 30-day free trial. 

TLC director Aki Schilz said: “We are so proud to bring Being A Writer into the world. The programme itself has been a year in development, but really this new offer is a result of years of work at The Literary Consultancy, which was founded with the spirit of writers’ creativity and resilience in mind.

"We have always been interested in process before product, and we truly believe that if we can help writers at all stages to grow be creative, and to build resilience, we can support the kind of writers, and writing, that the world needs most.”