The Crime Writers Association is proud to present Crime Writers’ Clinics, a programme of online conversations with industry experts specially designed with CWA members in mind.

These events are free for CWA members, and £10 per event for non-members.

Visit our Events listings to book your place.

2023 Programme

19 September 7.00pm 

Why Aren’t I a Number One Bestseller Yet? In Conversation with Agent Caroline Hardman, and Publisher and Bestselling Author Phoebe Morgan

New authors especially are often disappointed and confused by the world of publishing which seems to spread its attention thinly over so many titles. We’ll be talking to top agent Caroline Hardman of Hardman & Swanson, and Hodder & Stoughton publisher and bestselling author Phoebe Morgan, about the realities of publishing in 2023, about what goes on behind the scenes, what we can do to help our publishers, and why some great books sell – while others don’t. 

Book your place here.

10 Oct 7.00pm

So you Want to be a Scriptwriter? With Radio and TV scriptwriter Nick Walker

Nick Walker’s Radio 4 police procedural drama Annika Stranded, staring Nicola Walker, was picked up first by Alibi TV and then for two series by BBC as Annika, with Nick Walker writing the lion’s share of scripts. We’ll be conversing with him about what he’s learned in the move from radio to TV scriptwriter, and about adapting for TV.

Book your place here.

12 Oct 7.00pm

Looking After Your Mental Health as a Writer, with Writers/Therapists Claire Seeber and Paddy Magrane

Writing is a lonely business and publication can feel crushing in a world in which social media makes it look like everyone else is succeeding. Claire Seeber is a top crime writer and former TV director; Paddy Magrane runs the crime fiction festival Lyme Crime as well as writing great crime fiction for print and audio. Both are also experienced therapists. They come together to discuss how being a contemporary writing can affect our wellbeing, and how we can work to maintain healthier mental habits. 

Book your place here.

2 Nov 6.30pm

Best practice: Best-Selling Conversations, with New York Times and Sunday Times Bestselling Author Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware has topped the New York Times bestseller lists and the Sunday Times charts and her books have been translated into ten different languages. Though she’s known for her psychological fiction, her latest novel Zero Days is a tense adventure thriller. We’ll be talking with her about sustaining a career in fiction and about the choices she’s made over the years to get a better understanding of what makes a modern bestseller. 

Book your place here.

7 Nov 6.30pm

Paying the Bills: Writing and Financial Management, with Andrew Subramaniam and Ajay Jassal of HW Fisher

As we all know, making a living from writing is hard. As well as being CWA Treasurer, Andrew Subramaniam works with Ajay Jassal at HW Fisher, a practice that specialises in accounting for writers. How can we navigate a world in which incomes are uneven and sporadic, where we’re often paid in a one tax year for the work we do in another, where we sometimes – if we’re lucky – get an unexpected large sum? What can we claim for – and what can’t we? Ajay and Andrew give us tips to navigate the often hazardous waters. 

Book your place here.

23 Nov 7.00pm

The Publishing Revolution: the New Hybrid Author, with Author JD Kirk and Melissa Addey of the Alliance of Independent Authors

Self published authors are earning almost double the amount that trad-published authors receive, according to new research by the University of Glasgow. JD Kirk’s incredible success as a self-published, independent and traditionally published author shows how a canny writer can navigate these worlds to their advantage. He’s joined by Melissa Addey from the Alliance of Independent Authors to discuss how we can take advantage of new publishing forms in a fast moving world.

Book your place here.