Local Man

​Due for publication in the summer of  2026, this is a collection of stories intended as a pastiche of the wacky stories seen in local newspapers, and an observation of British provincial life. ​

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The story title should be the headline as it would appear in the paper - and should start with "Local Man" or "Local Woman".   Occasional variations such as "Local Mum" will also be OK.

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To be clear - we do not want you to write the article - we just want your story tell the story behind the headline, the events leading up to the headline. If you so choose, you can include your actual newspaper article at the end of the story - your choice. 

Your story, headline and characters should be entirely fictional.

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This idea came from the internet phenomenon of "Florida Man".  Try Googling "Florida Man" and any given date, and you'll see all sorts of weird and wonderful headlines come up.  Googling it without a date and selecting "News" yields a similar result. 

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The humour behind the idea is that "Florida Man" - or in our case "Local Man" - is a single individual, with a chaotic, surreal and newsworthy life. 

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All stories should be set in the fictional town of Northbridge, and should be contemporary - i.e from a 2026 edition of our fictitious local newspaper. 

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A note about the book cover - the stories on the book cover are examples - we plan to replace those example stories with selected stories from the book. However - if you find one of them inspirational and want to write the story behind it, that's fine, but do let us know so we can stop anyone else writing about the same headline.

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There is no cost for you to submit a story and there is no cost if we choose it for publication.  As an author you will be able to buy as many copies as you like at half-price, enabling you to resell and make a profit. ​

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About Your Story

 

• These stories are intended to be humorous 

• Your characters must be entirely fictional but you can draw on personal experience

• This book is intended for adult readers

• Each story should be 3000 - 6000 words

• You remain the copyright owner of your story and you are free to publish it elsewhere. More details ​

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Formatting

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• We will provide a Microsoft Word template for you to use, along with style and formatting guidelines. 

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Project Rules

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• No submissions from under 18s for this particular project.

• Your story must be all your own work.

• Your story must not contain anything that is legally questionable or libellous.

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How the book will be sold

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• The book will be sold primarily on Amazon.  

• You will have the option to buy as many copies as you like at half price if you choose, which you can resell or give away.

• We ask authors to spread the word among friends and family - after all, they'll want to read your story!

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Deadline and Publication Date 

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• Submission deadline: 30th June

• Publication date: July / August 2026

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Money

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• We will never ask you to pay to contribute to our books

• We do not pay royalties but you can make money from your story by buying as many copies as you like at a discounted rate and reselling although there is no obligation to do so. 

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