Equine horse books

[Lucy J]

Do you think there is a market for equine fiction (like the Pullein Thompson sisters)?

If you could come up with original ideas do you think you could make a living from it?

Its just I've thought of some good ideas, but I have no idea how well it pays for a good book or how many people try but don't succeed?

any thoughts?

[cvb]

I think there are still people writing for kids - at least in Sweden !

For adults you would probably need to combine with something else. Like whatisname (Mr D Francis ?) who writes racing thrillers - not my cup of tea but very popular.

(Weird - the forum censors his first name - I do know what it is but it just gets starred out ! Still, its a short version of Richard - know what I mean .:D)

I don't think writing is very lucrative unless you are a best seller. And there are an awful lots of writers of talent and not many best sellers .

[alleycat]

If you look a the cover price of a book, the author's share of that is actually only about 10% on average, and those marvellously large advances you hear about are also marvellously rare.

Having said that, it's possible to make a living by writing, if you sell either very well, or just consistently... The 'young adult series' is an excellent market if you can make the output because young people are very loyal to favourite authors and will tend to buy read every one they can get their hands on. It's tough to break into the market tho', and there are currently several very popular horsey series, at least one of which (Saddle Club) has the advantage of a tie-in TV show.

Now after all that, if you still think you have a great idea and you'd love to spend countless hours tearing your hair out over it - go you!!:D Just don't ever plan on being wealthy. JK Rowling is only one in *several* million!

[Lucy J]

so I need to write Harry Potter for horsey people!!!
:D

I have a few good ideas, I have read many of Mr D Francis' books, but I was thinking more of the children's market. I feel they tend to read more fiction and are less critical!

I remember the silver brumby series of horse books, I thought they were fantastic, perhaps if I could just write one series of books it would at least maybe pay for the horse!

I was thinking part time to start with anyway, only full time if it paid enough!

[Cochise]

I think there could be...look at the huge success of the Bonnie Bryant Saddle CLub series in the states. However I think that pony books for todays kids would be great!

When you get them published make sure that they are marketed in new Zealand!! Let me know how you get on!

[Arabesque]

Since we started this one... I have several part written 'novels', just seeking the inspiration to knuckle down and finish them! Can anyone tell me how you get started on the publishing trail? Do you just print off your word processed, beautiful manuscript and stick it in the post to your chosen publisher? Or do you need an agent first? And does it actually get read or might it just be overlooked? And is there any chance that it could be 'worked on' and sent back for improvements or does it get a black or white 'pass or fail' right away? Thanks!!

[Lucy J]

I think you can send them without getting an agent. have a look on some publishers wen pages. According to www.puffin.co.uk it takes about a year to publish a book.

I found a wook I wrote when I was really young, it too is part finished, but I read it and thought hey this is quite good! Bit far fetched in places though, but thats a 10 year olds imagination for you!

Best think you can do, I think, is to send it to as many publishers as possible. Perhaps an agents advice would be the best thing?

[cvb]

I suspect there may be books and web sites on this - but I think there is a 'good' way to present books, rather than just sending the whole manuscript.

I don't know - cos I haven't done it. But I have thought about it - for something more non-fiction.

But I [B]think [B/] that you should send a short synopsis of the book as a summary - a 'pitch' to get them to read more. Like the back page (or inside the cover) blurb you get when you want to decide whether to buy a book or not.

e.g. "Katie is just an ordinary teenager. Will she cope with the challenges that a wild horse presents her with, while her mother leaves home and her father shacks up with his boyfriend" you know the kind of stuff. Like a film trailer !

[Arabesque]

Thanks guys.. Cool story Cvb, When's it 'out in paperback'!!:D

[LouiseS]

Hi

Have a lok on Amazon for Blind Beauty by K M Peyton and read the reviews by the young readers. I think this is a great horse themed book and I enjoyed reading it as an adult,.

I think you need to research the market quite well by reading what is currently available - Saddle Club is still in print and there are a couple of vaguely similar UK ones - Sandy Lane Stables comes to mind.

Good luck

Louise

[alleycat]

Whether you require an agent or not is a bit dependent on where you are... in Australia for instance, agents are only just becoming more common, whereas in the States I believe they are much more necessary. It also depends on the specific publisher - some do accept unsolicited manuscripts, others don't. What you need to send will also vary - most would require a cover letter, synopsis and the first three chapters, others like a full manuscript. It's very important you research the specific publishers and what they prefer - don't give them an excuse to dump you in the unwanted pile! Also, there's the issue of multiple submissions. Some publishers do not like the idea of people sending copies to several publishers at a time - they'd rather know that they're the only ones considering your manuscript at a given time. (Which is a bitch for the writer, because it means the entire process takes much longer, and publishers aren't usually that speedy at getting back to you anyway.)

LucyJ, I think the children's market is a wonderful idea, and series are very popular. If you can come up with a fresh spin you could well keep a horse in very nice style. ;) I'd reccomend you grab a writer's magazine, they often have great tips about presentation and submission, and do some market research. Look at the children's shelves, check out who publishes the stuff most similar to what you want to write, and find out as much as you can about them. Publishers' websites usually have information on what submissions they accept, in what form, and what their preferred genres, styles and lengths are.

Good luck!!