Novella-in-Flash Services

Open book
I provide specialist mentoring and developmental editing services for people who want to write and publish a novella-in-flash.

Since 2018, I have helped many writers prior to the publication of their novellas (at publishers including Ad Hoc Fiction, V. Press, Ellipsis Zine, Reflex Press, Alien Buddha Press, above/ground Press, WTAW Press, Flash: the International Short-Short Story Press, and Hamish Hamilton). I’m a certified creativity coach, associate member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, and author of the first ever full craft guide for writing a novella-in-flash. I believe strongly in a supportive editing/feedback process that builds on each writer’s unique strengths. You can read some testimonials by previous clients here: novella-in-flash testimonials.

Standard Manuscript Appraisal

  • Developmental feedback before submitting to a publisher or competition.
  • Confirm how ready your manuscript might be, and identify changes that need to be made.
  • 2-3 pages of manuscript appraisal.
  • 60- to 90- minute conversation (by Zoom/GoogleMeet/telephone) to discuss key areas and explore your routes forward.

Enhanced Manuscript Appraisal

(Subject to Availability)

  • Detailed developmental feedback before submitting to a publisher or competition.
  • Confirm how ready your manuscript might be, and identify changes that need to be made.
  • Minimum 3-4 pages of manuscript appraisal.
  • 60- to 90- minute conversation (by Zoom/GoogleMeet/telephone) to discuss key areas and explore your routes forward.
  • Line-by-line copy editing recommendations.

Mentoring

  • Want some help drafting a novella-in-flash?
  • Extended one-to-one support while you develop a new manuscript.
  • Various options, including:
    • Three 60-minute Zoom calls (monthly)
    • OR Six 60-minute Zoom calls (monthly)
    • OR Six 60-minute Zoom calls (monthly) + emails in-between + editorial feedback.

Work-in-Progress “Clarity Call”

  • Have you put together the beginnings of a first draft of a novella-in-flash, but don’t know where to head next with the material?
  • Book a 90-minute in-depth discussion by Zoom/GoogleMeet/telephone, to gain clarity, brainstorm ideas together, and develop a tangible action plan of next steps.
Getting Started

Please send an enquiry about the support you need (giving brief details of the project, including word count AND number of chapters, and stating which type of help you are looking for), through the contact form.

Novella-in-Flash Experience

Michael Loveday is a creativity coach, editor, and a Visiting Lecturer at Bath Spa University, where he teaches and supervises students in flash fiction and prose poetry. He has provided editorial support and mentoring on over 25 published novellas-in-flash across a variety of leading publishers. His book Unlocking the Novella-in-Flash: from Blank Page to Finished Manuscript (Ad Hoc Fiction, 2022), the first ever complete craft guide to the form, won an Arts Council England Award, the 2024 Independent Press Award for Writing and Publishing, a Best Indie Book Award, a Cadmus Book Award, and was a Finalist or Runner Up in four other international book awards.

Michael was the judge for the 2019 and 2020 Bath Flash Fiction Novella-in-Flash Awards, and has given talks, workshops, interviews and chaired panel discussions on the novella-in-flash – including for the Flash Fiction Festival (2019, 2021, 2022 & 2023), the National Association of Writers in Education (2019), Novel Nights (2019), National Flash Fiction Day New Zealand (2021), London LitLab (2022 and 2023), and Sheffield Hallam University (2023). He has also hosted the free-to-join Novella-in-Flash Writers & Readers Facebook Group since 2021.

He has written numerous articles about the novella-in-flash / novel-in-flash, including a series about the history of the form for SmokeLong Quarterly magazine. Read Michael’s articles here.

Three Men on the Edge (V. Press, 2018)

Michael’s novella-in-flash sequence Three Men on the Edge (V. Press, 2018), which consists of three short, related novellas-in-flash, was shortlisted for the 2019 Saboteur Best Novella Award. Link

“A beautifully crafted novella-in-flash, small and perfect slices of life written with skill and heart.” (Kit de Waal)

Three Men on the Edge took me unawares and made a huge impression. To me it represents what the Republic of Consciousness Prize is all about. Denholm, Gus and Martyn are wonderful creations and Michael Loveday renders their world with great skill and empathy and subtlety.” (David Collard, chair of the judging panel, Republic of Consciousness Prize 2019)

Where to Publish Novellas-/Novels-in-Flash
Explore a list of opportunities for novel-/novella-in-flash manuscripts, including publishers of NIFs since the turn of the 21st century.
Novella-in-Flash Writers & Readers Facebook Group

Connect to the Facebook Group.