👩🏫 EDITOR HOUR: Ask Me Anything w/ Editor Harriet Bourton
** This is a LIVE session and will not be recorded. **
Curious about what it takes to get published?
Editor Hours is your chance to connect directly with top industry professionals and ask burning questions—all in a lively, interactive session designed to help you get one step closer to publication.
This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Harriet Bourton.
Submit questions about:
What makes a manuscript stand out to a major publisher like Viking
How to craft a compelling hook or one-line pitch for emotive, contemporary fiction
Trends in commercial, women’s, and reading group fiction
Writing topical fiction that feels timely but not didactic (e.g. menopause, cultural identity, family drama)
The editorial process: what it’s like to work with an editor on shaping your book
Advice for debut authors seeking traditional publication
Even if your question isn’t answered directly, you’ll gain invaluable insights from hearing an editor share their expertise and break down the publishing process.
How It Works
1️⃣ Submit Your Questions: Ticket holders will receive instructions on submitting questions upon purchase.
2️⃣ Show Up Live: Join us on Zoom for a 60-minute, ask-me-anything-style session.
3️⃣ Listen & Learn: Watch editors answer questions, share insider advice, and offer live feedback.
⚠️ Please note: While we aim to address as many submissions as possible, attendance and ticket purchase does not guarantee feedback. Priority feedback goes to London Writers’ Salon members (Silver and Gold). If time permits, we will turn to questions from ticketed attendees.
Perks for Gold Members 🏆
Priority Feedback: Gold members’ questions and query letters will be addressed first.
Recorded Insights: Can’t make it live? Gold members can submit their questions in advance and receive a private recording.
👉 Not a Gold member yet? Find out more about Gold Membership here.
🎟️ Limited tickets available for non-members. Secure your spot now!
About Harriet Bourton, Publishing Director at Viking Books UK
Harriet Bourton is drawn to contemporary fiction with an emotive core, whether that’s launching debuts or nurturing brands. This can range from warm, uplifting commercial fiction to more reflective bookclub stories, through to darker novels that explore a timely issue. She's seeking a novel about the menopause as written by Nora Ephron, or a family drama that immerses you in another culture. At Viking I publish a varied list including Richard Osman, Josie Silver and Tana French.
Her authors would say she's a collaborative, supportive and scrupulous editor, and she's ambitious about building long-lasting careers with them. Previously she has published: Cathy Bramley, Veronica Henry, Julie Cohen, Libby Page, Cathy Kelly and Joanne Harris.
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