[at-l] Not Meaning to Start Something---

[Bror8588 at aol.com (Bror8588@aol.com)]

In a message dated 2/16/2005 2:55:34 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
ellen@clinic.net writes:

I toyed  with the idea of writing a book. I was discouraged by an editor for 
a major  publishing outfit I met on the trail. He assured me that the trail 
book market  was way over filled. 


Writing a book that will appeal to the general public is a worthy  ambition.  
Editors should stick to editing not forecasting. Publishers have  some feel 
for the market (or should have) but even they have been wrong a whole  lot of 
the time.  Editors know how to make a book come alive or at a  minimum know how 
to insert punctuation and rearrange grammar.  They check  for consistency in 
a book and check (some do) on research.  If you have a  book within you then 
write it.  The quest for the perfect book about the  trail is like searching 
for the holy grail.
 
BTW Bill Bryson did write about the Trail -- The Appalachian Trail -- and  he 
inspired hundreds of people to take a chance on a dream.  He did not  hike 
the whole trail but he hiked more of it than I did.  He described it  pretty 
well and allowed many non-hikers to get a glimpse of the concept of  hiking the 
AT.  Too many are jealous of his success (financially) and hate  the idea that 
he made money on something he did not reverence.  I read his  book twice and 
it gets better the second time.  Perhaps I will read it  again now that I have 
had the experience of a week on the trail under my  belt.  Who knows?  I may 
get inspired to return to Springer and start  all over again!
 
Skylander