When Write Out Loud member Bill Keeth was looking to place his debut novel with a commercial publisher or a literary agent, not one of the firms he contacted wanted to know. Which is simply par for the course, as any unpublished author will tell you - certain published authors, too. Irvine Welsh, the best-selling author of Trainspotting, puts it like this: ‘I would never have been published if I started writing now. Publishing goes through cycles. It’s never been so conservative.’

Bill Keeth, already at work on a second novel, opted to self-publish instead, whereupon his acclaimed debut novel, Every Street in Manchester, sold by the shed load, going on to be shortlisted for the prestigious Portico Literary Prize " which begs the question as to why no commercial publisher or literary agent wanted to know. Perhaps William McIlvanney (Doherty, Walking Wounded) has the answer when he says: ‘If literature is a testament to what it means to be alive, 98% of the witnesses haven’t been called.’

Now Bill has written a book both sharing his experiences and providing pointers in how to succeed with a self publishing venture with his new book: "Write it, Self-publish it, Sell It!" available for purchase from Amazon or all good bookshops for £9.99.

Contact Bill for more information by emailing billkeeth@novelnovella.com or come to the book launch  & wine tasting at Middleton's Arndale Centre from 9am to 4pm on Saturday 24th May.