Twenty years ago the answer was simple: authors would just send their ideas for a book to a few publishers, and then wait to see if any of the books were published.

Digitalisation changed all that. Today fewer and fewer publishers are taking on new authors, and it can be a fruitless task to send out an idea to all the relevant publishers listed in a trade directory.

But there are still some publishing companies that are looking for books from writers. These tend to be specialist publishers, working with a specific audience in one specific field, and they tend to be publishers that are embracing the new media as well as publishing in printed form.

First and Best is one such publishing company, and we are indeed seeking authors who can produce volumes that will be purchased by teachers in secondary schools.

The books we publish often move across various media – they can be sold as printed copies, on CD with permission for the schools to put them on their learning platforms, and as downloads. But the one thing that all our books have in common is that they are copiable under licence by the school.

You can see exactly what we currently publish by going to www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk and look at the category headings down the left of the screen. From there you’ll be able to read some details about any of the books that are of interest. However I must stress that although we have some books for primary schools listed there, we are not currently looking to expand that range.

Our books are advertised through direct marketing – which means that we write to teachers who might be interested, telling them of the items on sale. We also advertise on www.ukeducationnews.co.uk and other websites of a similar type. Our authors receive a royalty of 10% on the price of each sale.

If you have a book that is ready to be published or if you have an idea for a book, we’d like to hear from you. Just email Anne@firstandbest.co.uk with the following information:

The proposed title of the book
The target audience (eg GCSE history teachers, senior managers, administrators…)
A contents list and outline of the book’s coverage
A short extract from the body of the book (ie not the introduction).
I’m sorry to say that it is very hard indeed for us to make a judgement about a book just by hearing about it on the phone, so if you have any questions please do email me at the above address. If you prefer you can submit your proposal by post, but please note we can’t return any materials unless you provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

You can write to me at Anne Cockburn, First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH

I look forward to hearing from you.

Anne Cockburn