HI~Arts in association with Jenny Brown Associates, literary agents, is launching a search to find Scotland’s best unpublished nonfiction.

Nonfiction is a success story for Scotland’s writers and publishers and we’re looking for new, unpublished, nonfiction books – or simply great ideas – for development for the commercial and mainstream book market.

The projects submitted can be memoirs, self-help guides, cook books or any other type of commercial nonfiction for adults or children.

For Scotland’s emerging and unpublished writers this is a great chance to pitch their work directly to a partnership of Scotland’s leading talent development agency for writers and Scotland’s leading Literary Agency – and through HI~Arts’ Talent Development project authors can get the professional assistance and advice they need in developing their book or idea – and have all the benefits of a leading literary agency behind them!

HI~Arts Talent Development Manager for writing, Peter Urpeth, said:

‘We are very excited to be able to launch this project at a time when nonfiction remains one of the strongest and most successful sectors in Scottish writing and publishing. But we know that the book market in general remains very difficult for writers looking to get an agent or publisher for their work.

‘This project combines a chance for writers to pitch their work to an agent with the chance to receive professional advice and support and from a leading talent development agency for writers.

‘Where appropriate, Jenny Brown Associates will work directly with writers whose work or ideas they like, and if we find promising work that needs the kind of nurturing that we can provide, then we will be offering that support.

‘HI~Arts has very considerable experience in assisting writers in developing their nonfiction projects, and in nurturing talent, and I’m sure that we are going to uncover some real unpublished gems of nonfiction through this project.’

The criteria for qualification are simple: writers must be resident in Scotland; the work or idea they plan to submit must be unpublished and all their own original work.

The application process is very straightforward. Writers complete the online form to tell us about their work or ideas for a nonfiction book, and send us the first three chapters. For those proposing an idea for a book, that’s fine, too, use the same form and if we like what we read, then we’ll be in touch either to receive a copy of the work as it is developed or to assist in further developing the idea or proposal.

HI~Arts usually offers talent development services only to writers living and working in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, but for this project we’re offering writers from across Scotland the chance to take part in one of our projects.

We cannot guarantee that all of our services will be available to writers outside of the Highlands & Islands, but we can certainly guarantee that through the partnership of HI~Arts and Jenny Brown Associates, work that’s has commercial promise will receive the kind of advice that really makes a difference – and both the application process and development support are free!

The application process is open throughout August and September 2012, and we will be reading work and contacting applicants right through until the end of October 2012, to ensure that writers have time to fully develop their pitch before submitting it to us for consideration.

HI~Arts Talent Development (Writing) is funded by HIE and Creative Scotland.

Full details can be found at HI~Arts website:

http://hi-arts.co.uk/services/talent-development/writing/services/

Source: HI~Arts