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Talking to Publishers 6

Magazine

Changing Direction? Exploring a New Genre?

Suzanne RuthvenChanging Direction? Exploring a New Genre?
It's been a very good year for Compass BooksAn Imprint Of John Hunt Publishing. Focuses on practical and informative ‘how-to’ books for writers with lots of interesting new titles on our list and even more in production. Rather than concentrating on beginners' books, we're constantly on the lookout for titles that offer sound, practical advice for the more experienced writer looking at changing genre, written by authors who are widely published in that particular area.

Apart from the best-selling authors, few writers remain tied to their original writing interest, and as the years go by we all experiment with a change of direction, while some - like the astute Mr Bowie - develop the knack of re-inventing themselves as the marketplace ebbs and flows. Our current list offers suggestions for generating new ideas from old topics (Life-Writes, Surfing The Rainbow, Handy Hints for Writers) or revealing the tricks of the trade for more specific marketplaces such as How To Write For The How-To Market, The Country Writers' Craft, The Pagan Writers Guide (MB&S), Telling Life's Tales (autobiography), The Lifestyle Writer (home and family).

Each genre has its own quirks and foibles and Compass Books offer the would-be novelist an insight into the different areas of fiction that demand a certain amount of research by the writer before embarking on a change of career. We have already added Write a Western in 30 Days with Passionate Plots, How To Write a Chilling Thriller and Horror Upon Horror in production. These books offer valuable insight into each particular genre by published authors.

We are currently interested in how-to write submissions from author-tutors in the genres of crime and detection fiction, business, sport, warfare, women's and literary fiction with plenty of author quotes, examples and 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 on request by a synopsis, full chapter breakdown for non-fiction, author biography and opening chapters. 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.

We have also introduced a mini how-to series, Compass Points, on the different writing disciplines and techniques in specific areas, and would like to add how-to books such as covering pace and narrative (the importance of establishing time and place), constructing the plot, editing your own writing, etc. And we're looking for experienced authors to tell us how to do it! 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.


Commissioning editor: Suzanne Ruthven
, the former editor of The New WriterThis well-regarded magazine comes out six times a year and publishes the best in fact, fiction and poetry, including top stories from the Fish Prize and Real Writers annual competitions. Runs annual Prose and Poetry prizes, including short stories, novellas and essays, material to be submitted by end November. The magazine is towards the more literary end of the spectrum, but offers more publishing opportunities and market information for subscribers than other UK-based creative writing magazines. http://www.thenewwriter.com magazine and commissioning editor for Compass Books, a writer's how-to book imprint for John Hunt PublishingExplore the "Our Imprints" section to learn more about our uniquely qualified publishers and their supporting teams. . She is also author of nearly 40 titles in the MB&S and countryside genres, including two novels. She regularly provides contributions to a wide variety of different magazines and writing-related blogs and Facebook sites.
Website: www.compass-books.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JHPCompassBooks
Blog: www.compass-books.net/blogs/compass
Email: publisher1@compass-books.net

Talking to publishers - our new series

Talking to publishers 1 on compass Books' own books for writers

Talking to publishers 2 on Top Hat Historical Fiction

Talking to publishers 3 on Our Street BooksAn Imprint Of John Hunt Publishing. For children of all ages, deliver a potent mix of fantastic, rip-roaring adventure and fantasy stories to excite the imagination; spiritual fiction to help the mind and the heart grow; humorous stories to make the funny bone grow; historical tales to evolve interest; and all manner of subjects that stretch imagination, grab attention, inform, inspire and keep the pages turning. Our subjects include Non-fiction and Fiction, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Religious, Spiritual, Historical, Adventure, Social Issues, Humour, Folk Tales and more. for and about children

Talking to publishers 4 on Sassy BooksAn Imprint Of John Hunt Publishing. Hip, real and raw, SASSY books share untamed truths, spiritual insights and entrepreneurial witchcraft with women who want to kick ass in life and start revolutions.

Talking to publishers 5 on Chronos popular history

Talking to publishers 7 - 6th BooksAn Imprint Of John Hunt Publishing. Investigations, explanations and deliberations on the paranormal, supernatural, explainable or unexplainable. Titles cover everything included within parapsychology: how to, lifestyles, alternative medicine, beliefs, myths and theories. The 6th reader is an intelligent seeker of information and challenge. The 6th author delivers exactly that. - Paranormal and Parapsychology

Talking to publishers 8 - Christian AlternativeAn Imprint Of John Hunt Publishing. A space at the edge where the light shines through. Books, for writers at the edge, not writers in the mainstream.

Talking to publishers 9 - Lodestone Books for Young Adults

Talking to publishers 10 - How-to books for experienced writers

Talking to publishers 11 - New thinking in business and management