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Wink Publishing launches for budding authors

01.01.70 | Graeme Neill

A husband-and-wife team has launched an e-publishing company for new authors.

Cornwall-based lawyers Nigel and Abbie Flanagan are calling on unpublished writers to submit the first 50 pages of their work to Wink Publishing. Those creations deemed good enough will be put up for public vote to decide which works will be made into e-books.

Nigel Flanagan, who has penned two unpublished novels himself, said the aim of the company was to help material chosen by the public hit the market, bypassing the “often subjective choices” made by publishers.

He said: “By asking readers to choose the titles which we publish, we hope to offer new and exciting work from new writers which people really want to read.

“It’s very difficult at the moment for unpublished writers to break through with traditional publishers, and most authors are reluctant to become publishers in their own right, so we think that the time is right for another way for new novelists to reach their audience.”

Wink Publishing will pay authors 40% of every e-book sale, which the company expects to price at “at around the price of a paperback, say £6.99-7.99.” The e-books will sell from all e-retailers, Flanagan added, on all formats.

The first contest will open for entries on 1st June 2011, with public voting on its website beginning at the end of July.

• Lisa Campbell
• publishing
• wink