FAQS FOR THE AUTHOR'S APPRENTICE 2020/2021.

Here are answers to your most frequently asked questions about the Author's Apprentice program. If you have a question that's not answered here, do please drop us a line using our contact form.

Our school has just applied for access, so what happens next?

You'll be sent a web link in a few days where your pupils can each register for their student accounts, along with a unique code for your school's students to use during this sign-up process (this is to help restrict access to genuine students).

Will my school be automatically accepted to take part in the Author's Apprentice?

We only accept genuine schools and their students, so acceptance isn't guaranteed. We also reserve the right to close the programme to new participants if more students sign-up than our servers can cope with.

Will my school's student registrations be automatically accepted?

We only accept genuine schools and their students, so student registration isn't guaranteed. We also reserve the right to close the programme to new participants if more students sign-up than our servers can cope with.

Are there any costs for students/schools to participate?

There are no direct subscription fees to take part, either for students or schools. You are welcome to support the programme via my Patreon page, and have your school library buy paper copies of the finished novel at the end of the programme (the final e-book version is free to your students).

Do students take part in the programme during class time and what are the time commitments for students taking part?

The programme is set up as an online enrichment activity, so students can spend as little or as much time as they care to devote. This activity can be done at home, as part of lesson, or during breaktime.

The mimimum for an active participant in the programme would be taking time to read the weekly email update, then participate in our online forums and any votes concerning ongoing development of the novel. Anywhere from ten minutes upwards per week, as a minimum.

What's your data protection policy?

We don't sell, trade, lend, or give access to programme participants' details to anyone else. Only the Author's Apprentice has access to your details, and we only use the data to run the programme.

I have just tried to login to the Author's Apprentice and can't get access, what should I do?

If you have registered for access and you can't login, try using the lost password look-up facility on the login page.

How many students can register for the programme at my school?

As many as you want to - in theory, the entire student body, as long as they actually want to take part in the programme.

What construes bad behavior on the part of a student and will get them banned?

Bad language and/or aggressive behaviour in the forums and comments. If a student's actions violate the average school's bullying code, then it will like likely be considered unacceptable online behaviour with us also. Please keep student participation friendly and kind.

Am I allowed to share my password/username with others?

No. We aim to offer a safe and age-appropriate online environment and sharing your password/username undermines this. You are allowed to access the Author's Apprentice program on your own PCs/Phones/Tablets at a variety of locations, of course (home/school/on the move). As long as it's only you using your details to access the web site, that's fine.

Am I allowed to invite teachers/students from another school to take part in the Author's Apprentice?

You can certainly point them in the direction of our open home page at www.TheAuthorsApprentice.com and ask them to sign-up directly.

You also should never give anyone else a 'sneak peek' at the system by lending them your password/username, as this is a potentially dangerous violation of the online safety policy.

How long will my access to the Author's Apprentice web site last?

The program will finish in December 2021. If it overruns a bit, we won't turn off the lights on your access, though.

Which imprint will the book be published under?

Green Nebula.

What language(s) will be the book be published in?

English.

What format(s) will be the final book be published in?

Mobi and ePub with no pesky encryption or rights management baked in. Also Adobe PDF format for PCs and Macs etc. This covers 99% of the popular e-book systems - Kindle, Kobo, Nook, etc. These e-books will be made available free to your students and school.

Will I also get a free copy of the printed version of the novel?

Sorry, no - only the e-book version is made available free to course participants.

Given the cost of producing print novels, to make the novel free to all students, we'd need to be backed by Bill Gates or billionaires in our own right - and, sadly, we're not!

Will the book later be available in print/online on 'general release' in book stores?

Yes.

Where do students login to the Author's Apprentice online service?

Just visit the main home page and head for the sign-in page.