Summertime Publishing
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    • Meet the Team
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    • Publish with Us
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Jo Parfitt

Jo Parfitt

Jo Parfitt has run Summertime Publishing since 1997. has written over 30 books and helped more than 100 new authors to write and publish their own. A journalist, editor, writer, speaker and teacher, Jo has lived abroad for 26 years – in France, Dubai, Oman, Norway, the Netherlands, Brunei and Malaysia. She specialises in inspiring others who write about expatriate issues.
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Jo is passionate about sharing her knowledge and offers three home study courses to help writers make the most of their overseas experience.

​Find out more at joparfitt.com
Write Your Life Stories

Write your life stories

Learn how to add SPICE to your life stories
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Buy the Book
The Write Your Life Stories workbook comes as part of a complete home study course, comprising a 60 minute video, 2 hours of audio and over 200 JustWrite Inspirational stickers in addition to this text book. Inside the text book is information on how to obtain the 8 audio lessons, video and stickers.

This home study course has been created, written, tested and produced by Jo Parfitt, herself a writer of 30 books, hundreds of articles, blog posts and columns in the 26 years she has worked as a writer and teacher.
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Its eight lessons include:

  • Introduction to the SPICE method for making your life stories leap off the page.
  • Letting it flow
  • Writing about childhood
  • Writing about people
  • Writing about places
  • Writing on a theme
  • Writing humour
  • Writing complete stories, with beginnings, middles and ends

There is an additional bonus lesson on the 20 most common mistakes and the editing process.

Each lesson comprises an introduction to the topic, a limbering up exercise and a variety of examples of life story writing taken from published authors and the author's own students. The lesson concludes with a written exercise.

This course is ideal for anyone who wants to write about real incidents from his or her life and turn those into individual stories, full-length memoir, blogs, columns, a family legacy, self-help books or fiction.
Definite Articles

Definite Articles

How to write and sell winning articles based on your overseas experience.
Buy the Book
Eight lessons that teach you how to plan, write, pitch, edit and place articles that editors want to publish.
If you have a story to tell, this book will make it sell.

Writing is the perfect portable career. It is an invaluable skill for anyone who requires an extra source of income or a hobby with earning potential. Today so many people move around the country or the world. Their experiences make great reading and are a constant source of inspiration.

This course will give you hands-on learning about far more than just the mechanics of writing. You will also learn how to find the markets that are out there and how to make the editors say ‘yes’.

Discover:
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  • How to find inspiration for your articles and writing
  • How to write something that editors want
  • The key to overcoming writer’s block
  • Where to look for opportunities and how to approach marketing
  • What to do when faced with rejection
  • What to do once you’re established
  • Discover these secrets and more from a wordsmith who has been a poet, short story writer, student, teacher, journalist, publisher, editor, presenter and copywriter.
Release the Book Within

Release the Book Within

Get that non-fiction book planned, written, edited and on the bookshelf in eight easy lessons.
Buy the Book
Isn’t it time you let that book out? If you’ve been thinking of writing that bestseller or simply turning your knowledge into a product then you’ll learn all you need to know to release your creative potential and turn your ideas into a polished finished product. In this step-by-step recipe book for success by ‘Book Cook’, Jo Parfitt, you’ll learn everything about the writing process, self publishing, pitching to publishers and more as Jo shares over two decades of hard won experience with you.

Learn:

  • How to put the book you have been burning to write into a format that will sell
  • How to find your voice and hone your vision based on what has worked for other successful expat authors
  • The ins and outs of self-publishing and e-publishing
  • Plain English information on ISBNs and other stuff you’ll need for your book
  • How to deal with publishers and agents
  • How to write a compelling synopsis
  • Much, much more…

Finally the acclaimed publishing and writing masterclass that led one delegate to go on and publish 33 books and get 5 best-sellers in just over 2 years (not to mention moving to Spain in the process) is available.

Summertime Publishing

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Website by author2author | © Summertime Publishing 2025. All Rights Reserved
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Authors
    • Publish with Us
    • Contact Us
  • Services and Fees
    • Publishing Programmes
    • Selected Services
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Our Bookshelf
    • Summertime Direct
    • Summertime Shop
    • Springtime Shop
  • For Writers
    • Jo Parfitt, Mentor
    • author2author
    • Paddy Hartnett, Proofreader
    • Writing Retreats
    • Free Resources for Writers
    • From Pipedream to Proposal
    • e-Learning
  • Blog