Today we are delighted to welcome Tracey
Steel who works as part The People’s Friend fiction team, with special
responsibility for Pocket Novels. We asked her about these books, complete in
their own right but following a very different path to publication from the
‘norm’.
Did you work for DC Thomson before
taking on your current job?
I joined DC Thomson straight from school at the tender age of 18! That was way back in 1987 and my first job was writing the horoscopes on Jackie magazine. It’s true….they’re made up! From there I worked on most of the teenage titles then I had the brilliant job of serialising books for the Dundee Courier. One month it was John Grisham and the next, Joan Collins!
I joined DC Thomson straight from school at the tender age of 18! That was way back in 1987 and my first job was writing the horoscopes on Jackie magazine. It’s true….they’re made up! From there I worked on most of the teenage titles then I had the brilliant job of serialising books for the Dundee Courier. One month it was John Grisham and the next, Joan Collins!
How many Pocket Novels are published
each year?
Twenty-four. Two a month.
Where can we
purchase Pocket Novels? Twenty-four novels a year is a huge amount. Can you tell us
something about their ‘shelf life’?
Each
Pocket Novel is available for a fortnight. They are available from most
supermarkets or you can order them on line at www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk
What happens
then, after you withdraw them?
The author can then self-publish or sell to Large
Print AFTER we’ve published it. They also have to use their own original
manuscript i.e. not the one we’ve edited.
What would you say is the best word
count for a People’s Friend Pocket Novel
With our new larger print they tend to
come in between 40,000 and 43,000 words.
How does an author submit and does
she/he have to have written for the People’s Friend Magazine?
Anyone can submit a Pocket Novel
manuscript. All I need is a synopsis and the opening three chapters…anyone can
have a go!
What would be the normal lead time before
you can reply with an answer?
It really does vary as I’m part of the
weekly Fiction team as well, so please bear with me! We have rather a lot of
manuscripts
How long does it take from acceptance to
publication?
It can be anything up to around six
months.
Is there a genre that readers prefer?
We had a pretty detailed survey done a
couple of years ago and no one genre came out on top. As long as the story’s
engaging it doesn’t matter where or when it’s set.
What are you looking for at the moment?
Family sagas, ‘gentle’ crimes, but not
murder, and romance!
What do you enjoy reading and how do you
spend your leisure time when not working on Pocket Novels?
I’m a crime fan! I love forensic-based
books and thrillers!
Thank you so much for joining us today. I hope there’s room in you
inbox after our followers have read this.
To submit your novel to Tracey, please
contact her by email on tsteel@dcthomson.co.uk
And here are the People's Friend guidelines for those of you who would like to see them. http://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/footer/guidelines/
And here are the People's Friend guidelines for those of you who would like to see them. http://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/footer/guidelines/
This blog is brought to
you by Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman. If you would like to write about
the craft of writing or perhaps be interviewed about your writing life please
contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com
3 comments:
Jackie was one of my favourite magazines but long before your time! Interesting interview and I'd recommend trying pocket novels to anyone who's interested - Tracey is great to work with.
Tracey, it's lovely to "meet" you and I look forward to our continued association.
Very helpful to read your post, Tracey - thank you!
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