Compass Books started off with a brand new concept – to
publish how-to books that cater for more experienced writers as well as
beginners. The titles were commissioned
from authors with plenty of personal experience in a particular genre who could
identify with the writer aiming for a change of direction or intent on
exploring new genres. It was also
evident from comments made by those providing the endorsements or advance reviews
for new CB titles that even professional writers can always benefit from fresh ideas
and viewpoints – and weren’t afraid to admit it!
In reality, no writer can exist for ever in a comfort cocoon
of familiar marketplaces since editors are constantly changing, publishers
frequently alter their focus, and all too often published authors find
themselves redundant. That’s why it’s
necessary for relatively new or middle list authors to be constantly
re-inventing themselves to stay ahead of these market changes. Compass Points titles provide a
cut-to-the-chase approach to how-to books that doesn’t rely on the usual
beginners’ instruction in order to pad out the number of pages, and weigh-in at
a mere 25,000 words packed with valuable advice – not padding.
For example, Suzanne Ruthven’s extensive experience as
author, commissioning editor for a publishing house, and editor of a creative
writing magazine shows exactly why typescripts are rejected and reveals this
knowledge in a practical and entertaining way with ‘Compass Points: Creating Meaningful Dialogue’; or the full-length ‘How To Write For The How-To Market’ and ‘The Country Writer’s Craft’ that show
you don’t have to be an expert on anything to write about it – just an
understanding of the right approach.
While Simon Whaley gives us a crash-course with ‘Compass Points: Photography for Writers’
and explains why providing photographs to support your articles and features
give added editor-appeal; Sarah-Beth Watkins advises on the right way to go
about ‘Telling Life’s Tales’ and
even ‘Life Coaching For Writers’,
aimed specifically at more experienced writers who have had some success and
want to move on from being an amateur scribbler to a professional writer.
It is also advisable to study the intricacies of specific
genres of novel writing if that’s your plan. Sally Spedding, herself author of eight
paranormal, historical and psychological thrillers, and who has helped many
writers achieve publishing success, leads us through the minefield of ‘How To Write A Chiller Thriller’, one
of the most competitive genres in modern publishing. Or author Nik Morton’s
popular ‘Write A Western in 30 Days’
that has been featured in several creative writing magazines. Widely published author of books, stories and
plays, Nicholas Corder tells us how to go about ‘Creating Convincing Characters’ and is currently working on ‘Writing Crime & Detection in Fact and
Fiction’ – possibly the most popular genre of all.
Experienced writers don’t need to read about the basics of
creative writing, they need to learn about the quirks and foibles of the new
genre they wish to explore – and Compass Books provides that information.
