A Mill Hill author who has chosen an unusual way of raising money to publish his latest book is facing a race against time to gather the cash.

Peter Tarnofsky needs £1,500 to cover the printing costs of his compilation of short stories, Everything Turns Out Just Fine.

The father-of-one is ‘crowd-funding’ the publication and has offered contributors the chance to appear as some of the characters in the final edition – but time is running out and he has just one week left to raise the cash through an online collection.

Mr Tarnofsky, 40, said: “It is very difficult as a self-published author – the problem is trying to be heard. There is a vast number of writers these days and it is easier than ever to get published with e-books and online stories, which means it is difficult to stand out.

“I thought I would try something a little different. At the moment it is going well.”

The former computer programmer, of Belgrave Close, has set up an online appeal that has already gathered almost £700 from 28 contributors.

The online collection has just one week left to run, until March 12, after which point it will be shut down by the website Kickstarter if Mr Tarnofsky has not reached his target.

He said: “If I don’t raise £1,500 I will be back to square one. I can try and contact all those who have pledged but it will take a lot of time.”

The book will be Mr Tarnofsky’s fourth, but only his second for adults, having previously written children’s stories.

He said: “There is a huge amount of satisfaction in getting a story out of my mind and onto a page. The book’s concept is about showing that you don’t need a surprise ending to enjoy a good story that gets to grips with the characters.

“It is something I enjoy and hopefully this new idea will get some more people interested in my writing. I have no idea how this will go but I’m hoping for the best.”

To pledge to Mr Tarnofsky’s fundraiser, click here.