Shutterstock / GaudiLab©“The People’s Friend” Pocket Novels come out every fortnight, and are an ideal platform for writers who like to tell a longer story.
Word counts
“The People’s Friend” Pocket Novels should have a word count of between 39,000 and 40,000 words.
We have a template that we run the text into and it makes life much easier.
What about genres?
The genres are the same as the weekly, so you can have anything from romance to cosy crime!
Historical or contemporary, it’s up to you.
Please remember that they should still feel like “Friend” stories.
We still want a satisfying end to the story and we don’t want anything downbeat or gruesome.
Submitting my pocket novel
Please send us a full synopsis and the first three chapters.
Your synopsis should include descriptions of your characters and the time your story is set in.
When will I hear back?
Like many submissions at the moment, it could take a while.
There’s a lot of reading in a pocket novel submission, and the Fiction team are always busy.
What’s the payment?
You will be paid £300 for your pocket novel, and you retain the copyright (always read the contract carefully), which means you can republish — albeit after we’ve published it.
You will be paid on acceptance, and we’ll tell you when your publication date will be.
So why not give one a go? Please contact Tracey Steel or Abigail Phillips.
For more hints and tips on writing our Pocket Novels, click here.
Tracey Steel Having worked on a number of magazines over the years, I have found my perfect place on the “Friend” as I’m obsessed with reading and never go anywhere without a book! I read all of our stories with a mug of tea close by and usually a bit of strong cheese too!
