To Market, To Market

A significant chunk of any book proposal is devoted to the potential market for one's book. In my 100-plus-page proposal, the first twenty or so pages describe what the book is and who, I think, will buy it.

This includes such facts as Barbaro was the third most popular sports-related Google search term for 2006, behind NASCAR and World Cup soccer and the Barbaro web site established by the University of Pennsylvania vet school logged over 2 million visitors and 6 million page views during the eight month period when Barbaro was hospitalized at its large animal facility. Ray Paulick, the former editor of Blood Horse magazine, one of the industry's leading publications, called 2006 "the year of Barbaro" saying, "What has happened in the aftermath of the tragic Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 20. . . brought this magnificent animal closer to the hearts of tens of millions of people than any thoroughbred has been in my lifetime."

Sound convincing? Apparently not, at least so far.

Yet when I read that over 500 people attended a memorial service for John Henry, the 32 year old gelding who was euthanized due to old age at the Kentucky Horse Park last week, some of whom never knew about the horse when he was racing, or receive holiday catalogues of all things equine, I know there is a market not only among racing aficionados but also among animal lovers for this story.

I continue to send these tidbits in the direction of NYC, no doubt becoming a pest, but ever mindful of the fact that it is up to me to make my own case.

Which makes me wonder, all the more, about the process.