Arvon has partnered with The Literary Consultancy to offer aTLC Free Read manuscript assessment to low-income writers who meet the criteria. Apply by 16 January. Website: www. arvon.org/writershub/tlc-free-reads/Alienhead Entertainment call themselves a hotbed of stellar, creative activity specializing in digital content creation and book publishing. The Press team seek stories for their anthology, LITERALLY DEAD: Tales of Holiday Hauntings. Submit spooky stories, 2,000 to 4,000 words, that take place during the winter days of Christmas, Hanukkah, winter solstice,Yule, Kwanzaa, etc. Submit by 20 January. Website: https:// www.alienheadentertainment.comIf you don’t want to write a realist novel, that’s not who or what you are. Work out the kind of novel you want to write, that you’re best suited for, and do that one instead. David Mitchell