Cornerstones Literary Consultancy

What Cornerstones Literary Consultancy does

Cornerstones Literary Consultancy is a privately held, founder-owned literary services firm founded in 1998 by Helen Corner-Bryant (former Penguin editor) and headquartered in London, with a US subsidiary established in 2016. The company provides professional editorial services to published and unpublished writers across all genres (excluding academic monographs, poetry, and scripts), delivering developmental edits / industry-style reader's reports priced at £14–18 per thousand words, one-to-one workshopping at £100–160 per hour, and final-stage line editing, copy-editing, and proofreading. Its core differentiator is the Scouting Programme, an invitation-only service in which editors actively pitch submission-ready manuscripts to literary agents, earning a 10% commission on the author's initial worldwide deal on a successful sale.

Beyond editorial services, Cornerstones runs scalable training products — most notably the 18-week, CPD-accredited Edit Your Novel online course (delivered via the Professional Writing Academy at £1,980 per participant), the Scotland Professional Writers' Retreat (£7,200–£8,400 + VAT, seven-day residential), and bespoke executive training programmes for institutional clients. Since 2024 it has served as the Primary UK Publishing Training Partner for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Literature Publishing and Translation Commission (LPTC), with a 2025 STTAR strategic alliance extending its role under Saudi Vision 2030. The company operates a curated network of approximately 80 published/bestselling authors, literary agents, and senior editors across the UK and US as its core delivery asset, monetising primarily via pay-as-you-go professional services fees, transaction fees from the Scouting Programme, course tuition, retreat fees, and bespoke B2B training contracts. No proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capability is disclosed; the business is fundamentally people-and-process, with codification of methodology through the co-authored book 'On Editing' (John Murray/Hachette, 2018) and the Edit Your Novel curriculum.

Name

Cornerstones Literary Consultancy

Legal name

Cornerstones Partners Ltd

Website

https://cornerstones.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornerstones Literary Consultancy is a founder-owned, UK-headquartered literary services firm (founded 1998) that provides developmental editing, workshopping, agent scouting, training courses and government publishing training to individual authors and institutional clients in the UK, US, and Saudi Arabia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Consultancy Services

NAICS

Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Manuscript Development Services (Coaching, Developmental Editing) (MPAJAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Editorial & Production Services (Copyediting, Proofreading, Formatting, Typesetting) (MPAJAJAG), Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals) (EDAMAMAI), Ghostwriting & Collaborative Writing Services (MPAJAJAI)

Keywords

• Literary consultancy
• Developmental editing
• Manuscript editing
• Creative writing courses
• Literary agent scouting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Editorial Reports (Developmental Edit): Charged per thousand words for developmental editing services. The service includes a full manuscript critique (8-10 pages) plus a 60-minute brainstorm consultation with the editor post-report. Rates vary by editor tier.
2. Workshopping (One-to-One Mentoring): Hourly-rate editorial workshopping, charged at £100-160/hour depending on editor tier. Authors purchase blocks of hours (recommended 15 hours for 50k manuscript, 27 hours for 100k manuscript) and can purchase additional 3-hour blocks. Includes a midway check-in and a final summary report.
3. Priority Expedited Service: Optional faster turnaround service for editorial reports, delivering within 2-3 weeks instead of the standard 6 weeks, at an additional fee on top of standard report rates.
4. Scouting Programme Success Fee: No charge for manuscript submission to agents. However, if a manuscript submitted through the programme is sold to a publisher by that agent, Cornerstones receives 10% of the author's initial worldwide deal as success fee.
5. Edit Your Novel Online Course: A 18-week CPD-accredited online course priced at £1,980 per participant (£1,782 early bird). Run in collaboration with Professional Writing Academy. Includes 8 classes, peer feedback, forum discussions, tutor feedback on first 10,000 words, synopsis, and covering letter. Course directed by Kathryn Price and Helen Corner-Bryant.
6. Scotland Professional Writers' Retreat: A 7-day in-person residential retreat in the Scottish Highlands (Pityoulish House), led by Monica Chakraverty, Helen Corner-Bryant, and Lisa Gallagher. Priced at £8,400 per author inclusive of taxes for accommodation at Pityoulish House, or £7,200 for own room at a nearby inn; partner rates available at £1,800 (with tuition) or £1,440 (without tuition). All prices plus VAT. Travel not included.
7. Loyalty and Referral Discounts: 5% loyalty discount for repeat editorial reports; 5% referral discount (not combinable with promotional offers).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cornerstones Literary Consultancy is a privately held literary consultancy that sells professional editorial services to authors across all manuscript stages. Its core paid services include industry-style developmental edits (reader's reports priced per thousand words plus a post-report brainstorm), one-to-one editorial workshopping (hourly blocks), final-stage line/copy-edits and proofreads, an 18-week CPD-accredited Edit Your Novel online course (£1,980), a week-long residential Writers' Retreat in Scotland (£7,200–8,400), an invitation-only Scouting Programme that pitches manuscripts to literary agents for a 10% success fee, and bespoke executive publishing training delivered to government and corporate clients.

Product overview

Cornerstones Literary Consultancy operates as a comprehensive literary consultancy offering a portfolio of editorial and publishing services. The core offering includes developmental editing, one-to-one workshopping, and final-stage copy-editing/proofreading services, complemented by the Edit Your Novel online course and the Cornerstones Professional Writers' Retreat. Additional services include executive publishing training programmes and a scouting programme that connects authors with literary agents. The company positions itself as the writer's friend, providing trusted professional editorial feedback across all genres to both published and unpublished writers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Developmental Edit Industry-style reader's report covering plot, pacing, characters, tension peaks, writing techniques, and marketability, including a developmental critique (approximately 8–10 pages) plus a 60-minute post-report brainstorm session with the editor. Priced per thousand words (£14–18) and charged by editor tier. Available with a priority/exexpedited 2–3 week turnaround option.
• One-to-one Workshopping Flexible hour-based one-on-one editorial mentoring allowing authors to work directly with an editor on reading manuscripts, brainstorming plots, applying Show not Tell technique, or preparing submission packages. Editors put together a bespoke plan and log hours across the engagement. Recommended 15 hours for a 50k manuscript or 27 hours for a 100k manuscript, with additional blocks in 3-hour increments. Includes a midway check-in and final summary report.
• Final-Stage Edits (Line Edits, Copy-edits and Proofreads) Final-stage editorial services including line editing, copy-editing, and proofreading to prepare manuscripts for submission or publication. Offered across editor tiers.
• Edit Your Novel — The Professional Way (Online Course) CPD-accredited, MA-level 18-week online course covering plan and plot, characterisation, POV, dialogue, description, scene construction, pacing, Show not Tell, and agent submission. Delivered in 8 fortnightly classes plus a final one-month class via the Professional Writing Academy platform. Includes peer feedback, forum discussions, and tutor-edited review of first 10,000 words, synopsis, and covering letter. Priced at £1,980 standard (£1,782 early bird). Course directed by Kathryn Price and Helen Corner-Bryant.
• Cornerstones Professional Writers' Retreat (Scotland) 7-day residential writers' retreat in the Scottish Highlands hosted at Pityoulish House, offering one-to-one support, morning workshops, guest speakers, and activities alongside fellow writers. Led by Monica Chakraverty, Helen Corner-Bryant, and Lisa Gallagher. Pricing from £7,200 (own room at nearby inn) to £8,400 (Pityoulish House, inclusive of taxes) plus VAT, with partner rates from £1,440. Travel not included.

Quantifiable outcome

• Authors have gone on to be published by HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Bloomsbury, Bonnier Books, Chicken House Books, Picador, Faber & Faber, Macmillan USA, Amazon Publishing, and more.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• STTAR (Swiss Hospitality / STTAR)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cornerstones signed a strategic partnership agreement with STTAR in 2025 to deliver and support Saudi Arabia's cultural investment in the publishing sector in line with Vision 2030. STTAR brings workforce and sector development capabilities while Cornerstones provides literary and publishing consultancy expertise. This partnership builds on Cornerstones' role as the Primary UK Publishing Training Partner for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Literature Publishing and Translation Commission (LPTC/MoC). The partnership aims to refine publishing skills, foster knowledge exchange, and create sustainable opportunities in the Saudi creative economy.
• Bath Novel AwardcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Cornerstones sponsors the Bath Novel Award, a prestigious annual competition for unpublished novelists. A longlistee receives a free place on the Edit Your Novel course. All BNA newsletter subscribers receive 10% off Cornerstones packages. The partnership drives high-quality lead acquisition from competition entrants seeking editorial support, and enhances Cornerstones' credibility in the writer community.
• Bath Children's Novel AwardcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Cornerstones sponsors the Bath Children's Novel Award (BCNA) alongside the BNA. Similar benefits are offered to BCNA entrants and newsletter subscribers. The partnership targets the children's and YA writing market segment and supports diversity in the Cornerstones pipeline.
• Literature Publishing and Translation Commission (LPTC) — Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Cornerstones is the Primary UK Publishing Training Partner for the Saudi Ministry of Culture's LPTC. In 2024 and 2025, Cornerstones ran an in-person Core and Advanced International Literary Agent Training Programme in London with tutor Kate Nash (Kate Nash Literary Agency). The programme combined training, exposure, and networking with leading UK literary agencies to help establish a literary agent sector within Saudi Arabia. The partnership is part of the Kingdom's broader cultural exchange and Vision 2030 objectives.
• Professional Writing AcademycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018Cornerstones collaborates with the Professional Writing Academy (PWA) to deliver and distribute the Edit Your Novel online course. PWA hosts the course platform, handles applications, payment processing, and course delivery logistics. Cornerstones provides the curriculum, tutors (Kathryn Price, Helen Corner-Bryant, Ayisha Malik, Lee Weatherly, Rachel Hamilton), and academic direction. The course is PWA-listed and branded as a Cornerstones/PWA joint programme.
• John Murray / HachetteminorOthers · 1 January 2018John Murray (Hachette) published On Editing: How to Edit Your Novel the Professional Way by Helen Corner-Bryant and Kathryn Price in May 2018. The book was initially a Teach Yourself title, and Cornerstones later reverted and reacquired rights before John Murray bought it back as a lead title. The book underpins the Edit Your Novel course curriculum.
• Pityoulish House (Scotland)minorOthersThe Scotland Professional Writers' Retreat is hosted at Pityoulish House, Scotland's 'Home of the Year', which serves as the venue for the 7-day residential programme. Pityoulish House provides accommodation, meals, and facilities for the retreat. This is a venue hire/partnership arrangement, not a formal commercial partnership.
• Kate Nash Literary AgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKate Nash Literary Agency is referenced in testimonials as a literary agency that has taken on Cornerstones alumni as clients (e.g., Helen Hawkins). The Scouting Programme facilitates introductions between Cornerstones clients and literary agents, including Kate Nash Literary Agency.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• BookBaby: Self-publishing services company offering editing, design, printing, distribution, and marketing services to authors. Adjacent service provider in the broader author-services ecosystem with overlapping editorial offerings but a self-publishing (vs. traditional agent placement) orientation.

Broad incumbents

• ProWritingAid: Established writing-analysis software platform used by authors for grammar, style, and structural feedback at scale. A broad incumbent in the writing-tools category whose AI-enhanced editing capabilities increasingly overlap with Cornerstones' developmental feedback services at the entry tier.
• Grammarly: Leading AI-powered writing assistance platform providing grammar, style, tone, and increasingly generative writing feedback across consumer and business markets. Represents a structural AI threat to commoditized editorial feedback and the broader author-services category.
• Penguin Random House: World's largest trade book publisher and a frequent destination for Cornerstones alumni's manuscripts (multiple alumni have secured deals with PRH imprints). Operates as a downstream customer/partner rather than direct competitor, but its scale and in-house editorial function shape the broader market Cornerstones serves.
• Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): Amazon's self-publishing platform enabling authors to publish directly to Kindle and print. Increasingly bundles AI-assisted editing, cover design, and marketing tools, positioning itself as an end-to-end alternative to traditional publishing pipelines that Cornerstones' Scouting Programme channels authors into.

Emerging players

• Fictionary: Software-as-a-service editorial tool that helps authors and editors perform structural story editing using story-coaching frameworks. Represents a technology-enabled competitor to Cornerstones' manual developmental edit service, with potential to capture the lower end of the manuscript-feedback market.

Direct peers

• Reedsy: Online marketplace connecting authors with freelance editors, designers, and marketing professionals; also publishes educational content and runs Reedsy Promotions. A different business model (marketplace vs. consultancy) but operates in the same editorial-services-for-authors category with overlapping customer base.
• Self-Publishing Formula (SPF): UK-based education, community, and services business run by Mark Dawson and James Blatch, focused on helping authors self-publish successfully through courses, podcast content, and advertising services. Targets a similar author customer segment (aspiring and self-publishing authors) with adjacent editorial and educational offerings.
• The Literary Consultancy: Founded in 1996 in the UK by Hannah Griffiths, The Literary Consultancy is the closest direct competitor to Cornerstones, offering manuscript assessments, editorial services, mentoring, and agent introduction services to aspiring and published authors. Highly comparable model, services, and customer base.
• Jericho Writers: UK-based editorial services and writing education company founded by Harry Bingham, offering manuscript critiques, editing services, and writing courses to aspiring novelists. Comparable editorial service offering and target customer (aspiring fiction authors seeking agent representation).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstoneslit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornerstones Literary Consultancy