THE LIVERPOOL LITERARY AGENCY

ABOUT

Clare Coombes

Agent, Author, Editor, Producer & Mother

With more than 15 years’ experience of writing professionally, including the publication of two novels, Definitions (2015) and We Are of Dust (2018), I have developed an in-depth knowledge of what commissioning editors and publishers expect to see from a submitted manuscript. I have been through the process of drafting, editing, pitching, publishing and marketing a novel, using my background in PR and marketing to analyse what a book needs in order to get the attention of publishers and readers alike. 

My MA in Creative Writing and postgraduate teaching included seminars on how to pitch to agents and publishers, as well as good social media practise for writers. I have judged fiction competitions and spoken in schools and at high-profile events on writing as a career. I received development funding from the Liverpool Film Office in July 2020 to adapt We Are of Dust for TV, working with Roanne Bardsley, an award-winning television drama writer, and Julia Berg, an award-winning creative producer at Untamed Stories.

My commended short stories and novel extracts feature in a number of publications, competitions and journals. In my PR roles, I have worked on everything from art to astrophysics, publishing articles used by national media outlets and receiving a nomination for Science News’ Breakthrough Story of the Year. I am also a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. 

ABOUT

Matthew McKeown

Agent, Editor, Copywriter & Italian Football Enthusiast 

As an English BA and Writing MA with a background in commercial copywriting, I am able to provide an editing and proofreading service that meets the highest standards of spelling, grammar and punctuation; skills that have proven to be eminently transferable as I have made the transition into agenting, allowing me to match authors with publishers based on extensive market research and growing first-hand experience.

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I have written feature articles for a wide variety of print and online publications, covering everything from football to music festivals. My screenwriting portfolio has received professional recommendations from award-winning industry experts, and my debut novel was a finalist at Pulp Idol 2018.  

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I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and I take great pride in being able to help authors transform rough drafts into polished, publishable manuscripts.

ABOUT

Laura Bennett

Assistant Agent, Editor & Video Game Writer

I developed a love of writing early, attending my first Creative Writing course at college. I then decided that I wanted to study Writing at Liverpool John Moores University, obtaining a BA before pursuing a career in teaching. I began work at a college for young adults with special needs, and then moved to a vocational college while studying for a post-compulsory PGCE. I taught English for a few years, and also ran several Creative Writing courses before returning to LJMU to obtain an MA in Writing. I then worked as a teaching assistant at a local secondary school, before leaving that job to pursue a career in editing.

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The combination of teaching and writing works extremely well for editing, and for providing encouragement and guidance for writers. I also work as a freelance writer, and I am currently the writer and lore master for a video game, in addition to writing for various roleplaying games.