Write Your Own Book - Taking the Plunge

There’s an old saying that everyone has a book in them. On the other hand, some folk go on to say that’s where it should stay, but conversely and perhaps more encouragingly, there are those who reckon all you have to do is write it.

If you fancy the idea then there are more choices to make – fiction or non-fiction, a personal life story or someone else in the family, particular life experiences or a subject derived from your hobby or interest, or as seems to be very popular these days choosing a sport or a sporting personality as the main subject.

What these celebrated pundits don’t say is what you do with it once you’ve written it! Writing is the easy part, finding a publisher or going down the self-publishing route for a first-timer is like orienteering without a map.

Having spent over fifty years as a motoring and motor sports writer based in Scotland, my chosen subject was ready made. Motoring and motor sport are already well represented on the nation’s library and personal bookshelves, but there is a niche in the market that has not yet been addressed. A very small niche, but it’s a story which deserves to be told.

What started during ‘lockdown’ as a single book on the history of the Scottish Rally Championship quickly evolved into a six volume series covering six decades of Scotland’s top national motor sporting competition series. So far no-one has recorded the exploits and adventures or the victories and failures of those who participated in a national motor sporting competition which hit the forests and roads of Scotland in 1959.

An important omission because this was the rally series which launched the careers of no less than four World Rally Champions, Louise Aitken-Walker, Colin McRae, Derek Ringer and Robert Reid as well as multiple British Champions and the first World Rally Marathon winner Andrew Cowan.

Anyway, writing such a book is relatively easy if you can source the reference material, but finding a publisher not so. For sure there are numerous specialist motor sports publishers out there, but they will assess the likely appeal and sales potential of a book before committing to it. They will also guide you on the price you’ll be able to charge but that will also be determined by printing and distribution costs and of course the publisher’s fee. If there is anything left and enough copies are sold, then the rest goes to the author.

Having been horrified by that, I chose the self publishing and self retailing option. I realised right from the start that writing a book about the Scottish Rally Championship would have limited appeal. This is a niche sport in a ‘niche part’ of the UK with a small niche audience and therefore with very limited sales potential.

But the desire to create a permanent record of the sport up here before it is lost forever remained and the project was fortunate enough to attract some modest financial support. Selling advertising in a book is rather different to selling adverts in a magazine or newspaper or on TV. It’s very difficult to quantify a return. It’s more about status and ‘brand’ enhancement.

Anyway, the deal was done and contributed to the costs of printing. That was another major dilemma - how many books to print? Some rally fans suggested thousands whilst other more experienced authors and journalists suggested hundreds. Estimates have to be realistic otherwise a newcomer can suffer a very costly financial misjudgement. However, whilst critical of the intricacies of the internet, it has proved most beneficial in reaching out to the sport’s niche audience.

On a more local level, everyone who has participated in the sport will have a tale (or two) to tell and if they think of writing a book, then go for it, even if only for their family’s interest and enjoyment! If we don’t write it down now, future generations will have no idea of the sacrifices made, knuckles skinned, bones broken and the millions of litres of adrenalin surging through countless miles of veins in the pursuit of gravel spraying, ditch hooking and tree butting as well as tearing up the tarmac.

Meanwhile my own first volume of ‘The Scottish Rally Championship 1980-1989’ is available now. The hardback A4 book comprises 216 pages with 101 international and national rally reports and over 350 photographs all for a very modest 35 quid, and the ‘1990-1999’ volume is already underway!

https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site

This ‘first’ book starts with the 1980s because that was the decade that introduced three future world champions to the sport, Colin McRae, Derek Ringer and Robert Reid. It also includes some previously untold tales and photographs which have never before been published and therefore ensures the book will be of wider appeal to a bigger audience.

Meanwhile the search goes on for ‘lost’ records of the 1960s and 70s to complete the early volumes of this series which are also currently underway.