The number of new mums in Bristol putting pen to paper in a bid to become the 'next' JK Rowling has doubled in the past 12 months, experts said yesterday.
Research shows that more women than ever before are using their maternity leave to attempt to forge a new career as an author.
Most base their plots on the ''joys or difficulties'' of parenthood, while some rely on ''domestic strife'' for inspiration.
The vast majority pen children's stories, novels or memoirs, but illustration, poetry and biographies are also increasingly popular.
Literary agents in London are reporting a 50 per cent rise in such submissions since April last year.
Andrew Lownie, a leading agent who counts bestselling author Cathy Glass among his clients, said: ''Mothers writing books during maternity leave, or in the months immediately following childbirth, is not new.
''But in the last year, the number of manuscripts I've received from new mothers has significantly risen - possibly by as much as 50 per cent.
''Each week, I receive dozens of submissions from mothers in the Bristol area attempting to crack the market.
''Plots invariably involve struggles to bring-up children, domestic strife and some love tangle or anther.''
The figures show that entrepreneurial mothers are using their time off work to give their 'dream career' a shot.
Most have little, if any, professional - or, indeed, practical - writing experience, and many write less than one chapter per month due to time constraints.
Nevertheless, the number of aspiring new authors continues to grow.
A spokesman for the Southampton-based publisher Showcase UK confirmed the rise, adding: ''It's growing at a phenomenal rate and it shows no signs of slowing.''
But despite the rise in submissions, less than one per cent of new authors make the grade and secure a contract with a literary agent.
Fewer still strike a publishing deal, and only a ''tiny fraction'' of those will reach bestseller status and make a lucrative career through writing.
The vast majority of submissions end up on the so-called 'slush pile' of unread - and unwanted - manuscripts.
Among those to 'make it' in the industry is Cathy Glass, who began writing as a foster parent.
Her first book Damaged became a bestseller in 2007. She has since gone on to write six books all largely based upon her extended family.
The most recent, The Girl in the Mirror, was released in April.
Cathy, who writes under a pseudonym to protect the identity of her subjects, said: ''I was inspired to write by my experience as a foster mother. Many of my plots are based on the children I look after and hear about from other foster mums.
''It doesn't surprise me that more women are attempting to use their own experiences to write a novel.
''Writing is an ideal job for women as it gives them control over their hours and working environment and makes it possible to balance a family with work.''
For the publishing trade, and literary agents in particular, the rise of the 'mumpreneur' can only lead to bigger, and more regular, deals.
The problem, however, is that a large proportion of new authors write about ''boring'' subjects - namely the ''trivial minutiae'' of bringing up children.
Xan Phillips, the managing director of Showcase UK, said: ''Many mothers, mine included, love telling stories about their children.
''The problem begins when they attempt to put this down into novel form and expect it to be interesting to other people.
''To put it simply, it's a tired formula that won't trouble the top ten.''
A literary agent, who asked not to be named, added: ''Many women who have always wanted to write think that maternity leave is a great place to start.
''But a novel needs an awful lot of creative focus. While some mums can pull it off, others clearly expend their energies on their children which sadly leaves their writing a little lack-lustre.''
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