The Book Of The Walk?

When I started this blog last year, I stated that one of its functions is to act as a diary or database for possible use while writing a possible book about Vic's Big Walk.

But do I really want to do that? I have been involved, in a desultory way, in the writing business, for most of my adult life. I have had a reasonable amount of stuff published. One thing this has made me aware of is the hit and miss nature of success in that field.

Now and again we read in the press about some author's huge success, sometimes with his first book, and how many millions he has made from it. Rarely do we see the truth, which is that thousands and thousands of books are written each year and never see the light of day. Of course some of them are not very good. But many of them are.

It is all down to luck. You write a book. Then you send it off to a publisher who you think would be interested in it. Frequently it sits in the "slush pile" and never gets looked at. Frequently the publisher will only accept offerings from an agent. More often than not, agents will only deal with authors who have already been accepted by a publisher.

There is clearly a great deal of effort involved in writing a book. It is amazing that so many people persist in doing so when the odds are so heavily stacked against them. However good your book is, it is unlikely to be published. If you are lucky it will. If you are determined, even desperate, you will go ahead anyway.

Am I determined or desperate? No, I am not. I love writing and of course I would love to see a book by me about VBW in the bookshops. But I am beginning to think that, with all the effort of planning, training for, and implementation of the Walk itself (not to mention all this bloggery) I am committed enough. That I am not sufficiently enamoured of the book idea to spend the rest of my time slaving over a hot laptop without some indication that it is worth it.

A number of people have told me they are looking forward to the book. Some have even said that they are not spending much time reading the blog because they are waiting for the book.

I have not ruled the idea out altogether. I would be interested in any feedback on this.