Forthcoming Titles

On a more personal level, I've finished the typescript for How To Write for the How-To Market and this will be going off to the production team early next week.  I've already got two more ideas in the pipeline, based on the two main interests in my writing career - Pagan Pathways: How To Write for the Pagan Markets and Country Writers' Craft: How to write for the country, regional and rural markets.  I'm a firm believer in writing about what you know, and it's a formula that hasn't let me down yet.

Compass Books Update New Opportunities for Writers

Imprint Submission Guidelines for How-To Write Books

Commissioning Editor – Suzanne Ruthven

At Compass Books we are looking for creative writing books that are instructional and entertaining, by authors that are widely published in their genre, and who tutor at popular conferences and workshops.  The general approach should be informal and aimed at beginners as well as more experienced writers who are exploring different disciplines.  We are particularly interested in how-to write submissions from author-tutors in the genres of the MB&S market, children (different age groups), historical fact and fiction, thriller/chiller, sport, gardening, erotica, comedy, scriptwriting, food, fantasy and science fiction, with plenty of writing exercises included in the text.

Submissions should be submitted via the website or email in the form of a short proposal in the first instance; followed by a synopsis, full chapter breakdown, author biography and opening draft chapters if requested.  The finished typescript should not be less than 45,000 words and each chapter should contain a number of formal writing exercises.   A decision is normally made within 1-2 weeks. No advances: royalties paid twice yearly.

Compass Points: We are also introducing a mini how-to series on the different writing disciplines, such as writing captivating dialogue, constructing the plot, the importance of establishing time and place, self-publication, creating believable characters, different forms of poetry, etc.  The finished typescript should be around 25,000 words maximum including writing exercises - but please submit a short proposal with author biography in the first instance via the website or email. 

See our Facebook to find out how our authors like working with us.

Website: www.compass-books.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JHPCompassBooks

Email: publisher1@compass-books.net

ONLINE WRITING COURSE: KICK-STARTING THE NOVEL

Following my last post I thought it might be a good idea to add details of my 'Kick-starting the novel course, since at the moment I'm having to follow my own advice and kick-start a typescript that been dormant for years!

This is an ideal course for those who have got ‘bogged down’ with an existing novel.  Discover how to kick-start the narrative as tutored at Horncastle College (Lincs) and the University of Wales’ Writers’ Summer School.   Participants should have completed at least the first 2-3 chapters, and be able to submit a full synopsis of the novel at the time of registration.  The course includes:

Lesson One Who’s going to read my novel?
Lesson Two: Plot and Theme
Lesson Three: Characterisation
Lesson Four: Pace and narrative style
Lesson Five: Bones and Padding
Lesson Six: Publishers and Agents

The fee is £20 per lesson paid in advance via PayPal. This ensures that the writer pays only for the tuition received and can withdrawn from the course at any time.
For more information send an email to
suzanneruthven333@gmail.com
Subject: ‘online writing course’.

Personal Update

The final draft for How To Write For The How-To Market is almost complete and should be off to the publishers within the next couple of weeks.  Compass Books is slowly gaining recognition and we're beginning to have some highly experienced authors in our sights.  Have a look at www.facebook.com/JHPCompassBooks for details of our activities and the forthcoming titles.  We're looking to expand Facebook as a mini-writers' resource, not just as a catalogue of creative writing books - so log in and 'Like'.

I've also restarted the research to kick-start my own novel - The House of Strange Gods - and will be knuckling down to this as soon as the last non-fiction book is out of the way.  It will be in the same vein as my first novel, Whittlewood, and I hope I have as much enjoyment writing it.  I'm also toying with the idea of publishing Whittlewood as an e-book for Kindle but that's for later.