Jo Parfitt - Writer, Mentor, Teacher, Speaker, Publisher
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Publisher


Jo Parfitt, Teacher
When it comes to publishing I’m someone who has ‘been there, done that, got the tee-shirt and written the book’.
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After the success of my very first book idea (I had never been published before and couldn’t cook either) French Tarts in 1985, I went onto write and publish a series of word-processing handbooks for mainstream publishers such as McGraw-Hill and Macmillan in the UK. I learned, at the coal face, how to prepare manuscripts for publication and write what publishers and the market wanted.

In 1995, while living in Oman, I then co-wrote and published a cookbook called Dates, which sold thousands of copies and taught me the importance of knowing my target market and how to access potential readers.
​1998, back in the UK, I went on to compile and self-publish two more books, Forced to Fly and A Career in Your Suitcase, and learned how print a short run of books and then sell the thousands of books that now filled the dining room in our tiny cottage.

With Summertime Publishing now established, I set about writing and publishing more books for the expatriate market I know well and in 2002 decided to start helping new authors to plan, write and edit their own books. By 2008, with the advent of Print on Demand technology, Summertime expanded to offer our 'brainwave to bookshelf' concept – a full partner-publishing service both in print and digital where the author pays upfront for our services and in return retains all rights and earns considerably higher royalties. Before long, I devised and created the Expat Bookshop as a virtual shop window, first for my own books and later for other books in the genre.

By 2014 Jack Scott and Jane Dean joined the team and soon Jack took over as Business Manager for Summertime (which specialises in expatriate family titles) and its sister imprint, Springtime Books (which publishes our other books). Since then, I have taken on the role of Managing Editor for both.
Summertime Books
​Today, I work alongside the marvellous Jack and our small team of proof-readers and designers. We have now published in excess of 200 books in the following genres:
  • ​Expatriate
  • Children’s
  • Illustrated
  • ​Finance
  • Self-help
  • Personal development
  • ​Spirituality
  • Wellness
  • Career and entrepreneurship

SUMMERTIME PUBLISHING
SPRINGTIME BOOKS
EXPAT BOOKSHOP

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Testimonials

Tanya Crossman
​​"Jo and the Summertime team believed in my vision, then encouraged and challenged me through the process of crafting my book. I can’t overstate the value their services added to my work. I’m still just as delighted with you now as I was when I wrote it.” 
Tanya Crossman, Australia, author of Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century 
Valerie Bescanceney
"Working with the team at Summertime Publishing was an absolute pleasure. Jo provided me with the mentoring and feedback my initial drafts needed. She supported me through many email exchanges and Skype calls, challenging me to extend myself as a writer. Ultimately my ideas became a manuscript that made me proud. After publishing B at Home: Emma Moves Again (2014), they helped me publish the workbook My Moving Booklet (2015), first in English and then in French (2017). Whether you are new to publishing or an accomplished author, Jo gives you the much needed guidance and confidence to take the plunge into your next writing adventure! She also connects you to an amazing network of authors and experts on cross-cultural living."
Valérie Besanceney, Switzerland, author of B at Home: Emma Moves Again and My Moving Booklet
Parminder Bains
"I am eternally grateful to Jo Parfitt, my mentor, publisher and editor who has helped me with my poor grammar and polished my manuscript. If I am lucky, she will let me work with her again and again. Jo will see your blind spots and then help you put them right. Put simply, she is magical!"
Parminder Bains, Seasons of Wealth www.seasonsofwealth.co.uk​
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Summertime Publishing | Career in Your Suitcase | Springtime Books | Writing Me-Treats | Expat Bookshop
jo@joparfitt.com

© Jo Parfitt 2020 All Rights Reserved | Website by author2author
  • Home
  • About
  • Writer
  • Mentor
  • Teacher
  • Speaker
  • Publisher
  • The Life Story Jar
  • Virtual Events
  • Tools for Writers
  • Inspirer Blog