'CHASING POINTS' ON SBOTY LONG LIST

Pitch Publishing is a fantastic imprint – they do all the great Got, Not Gots and retro sports titles.

James Brown, The Late Tackle, talkSPORT

Pitch Publishing show the way for enterprising sports book publishers and remains a beacon of hope for sports authors aspiring or established.

The Sports Bookshelf.com

Pitch Publishing, an outfit whose "pitch perfect" commissioning of boxing material stands as a rebuke to more established houses

Boxing Monthly

Pitch capture the real spirit of sport with entertaining and clever ideas. They work out what the aficianado would want to read, then deliver it with great verve.

Paul Hayward, The Daily Telegraph

Pitch have enabled me to write in the ways I enjoy most. Their production support is superb, delivering eye-catching designs, attentive proof-reading, energetic marketing and helpful advice.

Tim Quelch, Bent Arms & Dodgy Wickets, Underdog!

Pitch are willing to back out-of-the-blue and innovative ideas and turn them into viable, entertaining books. They do so with great presentation and editorial flair.

Justin Parkinson, Then Came Massacre

Pitch saw the potential in my story, used their expertise to polish it, published it and helped inspire thousands around the world to get into triathlon.

Andy Holgate, Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run

The process of working with Pitch to produce Picking up the Threads was enjoyable and rewarding, with the final edition surpassing expectations and becoming a resounding success.

John Chandler, Picking up the Threads

Pitch will take a chance on books that other publishers won't and realise that interest in football extends beyond the Premier League and the top 20 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Steve Menary, Outcasts!

Pitch have the vision to look beyond the obvious, seeking out interesting ideas and subjects and matching them with the right target audience.

David Tossell, Tony Greig, The Great English Final, Grovel!

Pitch have been an absolute joy to work with, contributing their passion, expertise, knowledge and experience to help produce a brilliant book.

Sam Pilger, Ashes Match of My Life

Pitch took our original concept and further enhanced it, using their knowledge, experience and expertise, and helped make Got, Not Got one of the football books of the year for 2011.

Derek Hammond, Got, Not Got

Pitch bought into the concept of development through football, channeling profits and proceeds from Eleven into helping some of the most disadvantaged young people in the world.

Steve Fleming, Eleven

In the highly competitive world of sport publishing,
Pitch have consistently demonstrated the happy
knack of spotting, nurturing and promoting winners.

Neil Dunkin, Anfield of Dreams

20 Sep

'CHASING POINTS' ON SBOTY LONG LIST

Today it was announced that Gregory Howe's unique tennis tale, Chasing Points, has been longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.

Our congratulations go out to Greg, whose debut book, Chasing Points: A Season on the Pro Tennis Circuit, offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a touring tennis professional from the perspective of a real 'underdog'.

After quitting as a teacher in London at the age of 34, Greg chased his childhood dream of becoming a world-ranked tennis professional. He started his year-long journey in the minor leagues, playing across four continents, as far afield as Bangkok, Kampala and Lahore, initially struggling against younger, fitter players.

Greg now finds himself with even tougher opposition for the prestigious 30th William Hill Award – including F1 driver Jenson Button and Paralympian Andy Grant, not to mention an exposé of Tiger Woods and a gonzo-style look at the crazy world of World Championship darts culture.

A total of 17 books make up the long list, with a shortlist set to be announced on 23 October.

Chasing Points: A Season on the Pro Tennis Circuit follows Gregory Howe in his journey through the levels of the professional game. Discover how Gregory:

Joined thousands of aspiring pros on tennis’s low-level Futures tour – travelling week after week around the world competing for precious ATP points
Played pro events in nations such as Sudan and Pakistan, as armed conflict and martial law threatened to become a reality
Broke through on to the ATP rankings to become Britain’s oldest ATP-ranked pro
Found himself in the locker rooms and player lounges of the elite ATP tour, where he encountered the sport’s biggest names
Eventually managed to juggle competing on the ATP tour while holding down a nine-to-five job
Was followed online by a community of tennis fanatics, who commented on his matches and started searching for clues about his identity
Encountered the full spectrum of the tennis world, from players and coaches to officials and fans – revealing how the game is played and viewed in its traditional strongholds and far-flung outposts

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from Chasing Points.