KIDERMINSTER SHUTTLE : Thursday 8th November 2007

Novelist keen to help other budding authors
By Cadisha Brown

A KIDDERMINSTER-born author has set up a publishing firm to help other budding writers get their work in print.
Lee Crompton, who lived in Woodfield Crescent until he was six, created Positive Publishing in the hope of removing the barriers he encountered while trying to get into print.
He said: "As a self-published author, I know how hard it is to get a manuscript from a Word document to a finished paperback. I also know how much of a buzz it is to finally hold your novel in your hand.
"The idea came about when a friend wanted advice about producing a book. He asked me a series of questions about formatting, designing covers, obtaining barcodes, listing books on Amazon and getting books printed and my response was yes, I can do all that.

"I'd like to assist people in getting their books out without the extortionate costs. If I can help give someone that buzz of excitement from being in print then that's fantastic."

Lee has also released his latest novel, a thriller titled Digging Deep, which is a change in direction from his previous novels, 12 Months and Worlds Apart, which were recognised for their humorous storylines.

He added: "Humour is certainly thin on the ground when it comes to Digging Deeper and while it has its moments, it definitely has some very dark elements."

Lee already has plans for his next project. While in Wellington in 2004, he was involved in the writing and production of a short film for the New Zealand 48-hour film festival and now plans to write his first feature-length script.

"Writing has always been a visual thing for me. I know how every one of my books would look on the silver screen because of the images in my head when I'm scribbling down the text.

"People always comment on the fast-paced dialogue in my books and how they enjoy it and so writing a script seemed to be the next step."