A new, exciting concept in e-fiction
Fiction Express for Schools is an entirely new concept in fiction publishing for students aged 7–12. It enables readers to engage with their favourite authors in a unique and original way by allowing them to contribute to the plot.
Fiction Express for Schools e-books are published in weekly chapters at 3 pm (UK time) each Friday. At the end of every cliffhanging chapter there are voting options to decide where the plot should go next. The readers have the following Monday and Tuesday to read each chapter in school, and will vote by 3 pm on Tuesday afternoon. The author then writes the next chapter, in ‘real time’, according to what the readers chose.
Read the questions and answers below to find out how it works. If you cannot find the information you require, please email info@fictionexpress.co.uk
How much does a Fiction Express for Schools subscription cost?
How does the 3-week trial period work?
How do I register my school for Fiction Express for Schools?
Can anyone in my school use Fiction Express for Schools?
How do I register the students from my school?
Can students access chapters at home?
What reading ages are the e-books aimed at?
Can I join Fiction Express for Schools if my school is outside the UK?
How do I know what e-books are available on Fiction Express for Schools?
How do I read the Fiction Express for Schools chapters?
What happens if I miss a chapter?
Will there be any teacher resources, and where can I find them?
Can teachers suggest ideas for story themes to coincide with their teaching plans?
Can schools send in ideas for the plot and/or pupils' illustrations and written work?
What devices does Fiction Express for Schools work on?
How long are Fiction Express e-books available for?
What should I do if I have forgotten my Fiction Express password?
How much does a Fiction Express for Schools subscription cost?
A subscription to Fiction Express for Schools costs £199+VAT per year for whole school use. The subscription offers 12 e-books per year (4 per term at different reading levels) which can be read by all students both at home and in school. Discounts will be offered to small schools with less than 100 students. Contact Fiction Express for Schools at info@fictionexpress.co.uk for details.
Please note, Fiction Express for Schools does not take any immediate payment on the website. When you register your school, an invoice will be emailed to the billing email address you provide. This invoice is payable within 30 days.
How does the 3-week free trial period work?
Fiction Express for Schools offers a 3-week free trial period during which you can cancel your subscription without charge if you decide that the service does not suit you.
If you register during a period in which there are no live e-books (or partway through a live e-book and select to wait until the new ones launch), your 3-week trial period will be extended to week 3 of the new e-books.
If you wish to cancel your subscription during this period, simply log in to the website, scroll down to the 'Cancel subscription' section and hit the 'Unsubscribe' button.
If you choose to continue with your subcription, an invoice will be automatically emailed to you following week 3 of your chosen e-books. This is payable in 14 days. You will not be sent an invoice if you choose to cancel during the three-week free trial period.
How do I register my school for Fiction Express for Schools?
Registration is easy. The first teacher to register from each school should follow the ‘Sign Up’ link at the top right of the home page and select ‘School’. He or she must then complete the school registration form. He or she will receive a registration confirmation email containing the school’s unique Teacher Code and Student Code.
The remaining teachers and the students can then register individually using the Teacher and Student Codes provided and following the appropriate link from the 'Sign Up' page. Alternatively teachers can register multiple students by uploading an Excel file to the 'Students' area of their 'My Account' area (once logged in to the website). Once students are registered they will be able to vote individually each week.
Can anyone in my school use Fiction Express for Schools?
Yes all teachers and students in your school can register and access Fiction Express for Schools, both at school and at home.
How do I register the students from my school?
Students can register individully by going to the 'Sign Up' link at the top of the homepage, selecting the 'Student' option and entering your unique school student code (emailed to your school admin upon registration). This method allows students to choose their own usernames and passwords.
Alternatively, teachers can register students in bulk by following these instructions:
Log in to the website (click the 'Log In' link at the top of the homepage), then click on the 'Students' icon. Follow the instructions to upload an Excel (xls) file containing multiple students' details. Students will automatically be assigned usernames and passwords.
Whichever method you choose, you will always be able to access a list of your school's registered students (and their usernames and passwords) in the 'Students' section of your account (along with other teachers registered to your school).
Please note, it is the teacher's responsibility to keep this list up-to-date with current students only.
Can students access Fiction Express for Schools at home?
Fiction Express for Schools chapters can be read at home as well as at school.
What reading ages are the e-books aimed at?
Fiction Express for Schools e-books are aimed at children with reading ages of 8-11+. The stories are carefully read and checked for reading level by a primary teacher and a literacy consultant.
Can I join Fiction Express for Schools if my school is outside the UK?
Fiction Express for Schools e-books are available anywhere in the world. Just sign up in the normal way. Payment must be made by international electronic funds transfer.
Don't forget, though, that, if you live in a different time zone, the e-books will be available at a different time and you will have to vote by a different time. If you live in New York City, USA, for example, the e-books will be available around 10.00 am on Friday, but you'll have to vote by 10.00 am on Tuesday morning. If you live in Sydney, Australia, the e-books won't be available until Saturday morning, and you'll have until 2 am on Wednesday to vote. If you are in any doubt, look at a good time zone map to work out what the availability and voting times are where you live.
How do I know what e-books are available in my Fiction Express for Schools subscription?
Once you are logged in, the books available will be displayed in your ‘My e-books' section. Click on the orange arrow next to a title to read a full synopsis of the e-book. Below the synopsis you will see a list of chapters showing which are available and which are yet to be released.
How do I read the Fiction Express chapters?
Follow the instructions in the answer above to see a list of chapters for the e-book of your choice.
Chapters that are available will have a ‘Read now’ link beside them. Click this link to access the chapter. Chapters that have not yet been released will not have a 'Read' link, but will list the date upon which they will become available.
What happens if I miss a chapter?
If you miss a chapter, you can catch up and read it at any time during the 5 weeks that the e-book is live, but you won’t be able to vote once the voting has closed at 3 pm on Tuesday.
When voting is open, you will be given the option to vote at the end of a chapter. All voting must take place between 3 pm (UK time) on the Friday upon which the chapter is released and 3 pm on the following Tuesday.
On the voting screen, click on the option that you choose and then click the 'Vote now' button.
At 3 pm on Tuesday, the votes will be counted and verified and Fiction Express for Schools will give the author the result. The authors will then set to work writing the next chapter in real time according to the most popular readers' choice.
Will there be any Teacher Resources, and where can I find them?
Each weekly episode is accompanied by a Teacher Resources pack of comprehension questions, ideas for extension activities in drama, art and ICT, picture resources and puzzles. When teachers log in to the website, there will be a link to the 'Teacher Resources' section. To access the teacher resources once you are logged in, simply click on your name at the top of the page and you will then see the 'Teacher Resources' link.
Can teachers suggest story themes to coincide with their teaching plans?
We welcome suggestions from teachers for themes for stories. Obviously we need to have a large number of requests for a particular theme before we can go ahead and commission a title with that theme. We will need at least 6 months’ notice, prior to the publication of any title. To send us your suggestions, please fill in the form on the Contacts page or email us at ideas@fictionexpress.co.uk.
Where possible, Fiction Express for Schools will give teachers at least 3 months' notice of upcoming titles in order that you can prepare at least one term ahead.
Can schools send in ideas for the plot and/or pupils' illustrations and written work?
We would love to hear from you. Please email all ideas and contributions to ideas@fictionexpress.co.uk. We'll consider illustrations for publication on the blog.
Please check the Terms and Conditions for information about use of contributions from schools and copyright clearance.
What devices does Fiction Express for Schools work on?
Fiction Express for Schools works on all Internet-connected devices including PCs, tablets, smartphones and any Kindle with a browser.
How long are Fiction Express e-books available for?
All Fiction Express e-books run for 5 weeks with live voting each week. After this time, the e-books will continue to be available until the end of your current subscription. At this time, teachers will be sent pdfs of the completed books and they will be withdrawn from the site.
What should I do if I or any of my students have forgotten their Fiction Express for Schools password?
If you are a teacher and you have forgotten you password, click on the 'Forgotten your password?' link and then fill in your email address. A reminder of your password will be emailed to you.
If students lose their usernames and/or passwords please contact us on info@fictionexpress.co.uk for a reminder.