PART I - Getting Started: There are no rules in the creative art of writing. Every rule which has ever been proposed has been ignored b... More

PART I - Getting Started: There are no rules in the creative art of writing. Every rule which has ever been proposed has been ignored by some writers who have successfully done just the opposite. However there are practices which have evolved through many years of hard experience and writers who do not seriously consider these guidelines should be prepared to suffer the consequences. Here are a few basic steps to get new writers started: 1. Writers can write what they like. Writing is very therapeutic, but writers cannot expect anything they write to be published. It is not the publisher who decides what should or should not be published. It is the reader, and readers can be very choosey inspite of any hype. So the Number 1 Rule for writers who want to be published is 'Study the Market'. Those who don't study the market, will not market their studies! 2. Note the published works of your chosen publisher. The categories which we have open to writers is shown in this web site. These are all open to experienced and new writers with talent and potential. Our published authors have set a high standard for others to follow. Look at a few previously published books to get a feel for the wide range of general fiction and non-fiction we publish. If you don't want to buy a few sample books, someone in your local Writers' Circle will probably have a few copies you can borrow. Alternately you may order any ChapBook in easy-to-read WebBook format for quick and easy downloading. E-mail us for a free introductory WebBook chapter. 3. Email your idea in a nutshell, ie, no more than 25 words (this sorts out the writers from the wafflers). Your appointed editor will either: i) Reject you proposal and tell you the obvious reason why. (It is expected that contributors will take any criticism in the spirit it is given, that is blunt, but honest and we hope helpful for you next time). ii) Invite you to submit a synopsis and first chapter. 4. On receipt of your submission, your editor will either: i) Reject your synopsis and tell you the most obvious reason why. ii) Make constructive comments and invite you to submit your complete manuscript. 5. We can consider proposals and manuscripts posted as typed or photo-copies, hard copy printouts, or (to save postage) files on disk or as emailed attached files. All manuscripts will be considered fairly, without bias or favour, always on merit, never on recommendation. We receive many enquiries from all over the world. Unfortunately we cannot reply to any by post unless a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed (please allow extra postage to include our catalogue or further guidelines. 6. When submitting manuscripts by email or on disks, bear in mind that your beautifully laid out manuscript when loaded into a different page size, will look chaotic! So let us have your MS in plain text! You can save us a lot of time labouriously reformatting your work if you: i) Use a common word-processing program, eg Word, Wordpad or WordPerfect, to compose straight-forward text files, without any fancy desk top publishing layouts. ii) Avoid using different type faces and font sizes. iii) Avoid using spaces to centralise headings and columns. iv) Leave headings, footers, page numbers, page columns and variable margins to be set by the publisher. v) Use a single left tab key to indent new paragraphs. vi) Use the wrap around facilty not the hard return key (carriage return) to start a new line. Ruby Rules for Raconteurs: * Don't just be better, be different. * Publishers prefer their books to be made to measure, not off the peg. * Writers who don't study the markets, will not market their studies. * Brevity is the essence of modern writing. * Leave preaching to popes, priests, pontificators, preachers and politicians. * The best way to write better stories is to read better stories. Frequently asked question: Can you recommend any sample books for new authors to read? Answer: Let us know more about yourself and we will recommend the most appropriate (with our reasons for doing so). Telephone: 01249 720563 or email: [email protected] PARTS II - XII Writers' Guidelines are available free of charge on request with book orders