Selling PEG LEG GUS

I wrote my third children's novel, PEG LEG GUS, for my daughter Ellen. In a nutshell, the book is a magical story of a friendship that grows between a young girl and a lame old horse who had once believed he could fly. Ellen loves the book, and I am happy to have written it for her.

But I would also like it to be bought and read by others!

The aim seems reasonable, but achieving the aim has evaded me. This is a good book. Its one review on Amazon is very positive and those who have read it always come to the end with a tear in their eye but having enjoyed the story. The book has not (yet) found its way onto bookshelves. So I'm trying to market it online from my desk. So far.... the book is not selling.

I tried various websites dedicated to books about horses, which seemed like a good idea. I sent them a kind of 'sales pitch'. I never got an answer from any of the sites.

I tried websites recommending books and asking if I could send review copies of the book. Again never a reply.

I then discovered this site and realised just what I was up against. Are there more children's writers than there are children? It almost seems that way. Certainly, they all have mighty impressive website. My pal Don Conroy, who did the cover for PEG LEG GUS, has a brilliant website.

I have two other children's books in the pipeline, WELCOME TO EARTH and THE DREAMIST. My novel MOTHERSHIP will be coming back into print as it is now being developed as a feature film that I will co-write and direct. Maybe when I have a body of work I'll sell more books or be a more attractive proposition to a publisher?

My very successful brother Bill once asked me 'what's the one thing you do?' and I couldn't answer him. I do lots of things. 'I tell stories,' might be an answer to his questions, or 'I am creative'. But I'm not solely a writer for children and so perhaps that weakens my chances of drawing attention to my new children's novel. If anyone out there has an idea for how I could promote sales of the book - please let me know. And if anyone out there is looking for a warm, moving story for girls in the 8-10 age group: please buy PEG LEG GUS!

great Scott!

My first full-time job was as an apprentice projectionist in what was then called the Kenilworth Cinema in Harold's Cross, Dublin. I recently wrote an article about my time there, and in that article I sang the praises of projectionist Harry Colgan. Harry became the step-father of the writer Michael Scott after Michael's father - Harry's best friend - died.

I first met Michael Scott in the early 1990s at a sci-fi convention in Dublin - he and I being two of the few sci-fi writers in Ireland. While I went on to make a few films but write only two sci-fi novels so far, Michael is a writer of gigantic talent with an astonishingly formidable output - over a hundred books to date. He and I remained in contact from time to time down the years, but just today I stumbled on the fact that Michael - already a highly successful writer - has hit the jackpot. His novel The Alchemyst, the first of six parts, has become an instant bestseller and has been optioned for film rights of all six parts!

Another friend of mine, Don Conroy, has written many novels for young people while also writing about wildlife and about painting. He has a great new website, and I must ask him to create a link there to my own young people's novel PEG LEG GUS for which he made the cover painting.

Michael and Don live their dreams. They are rightly rewarded for that. And they are two great people.

I think the secret of their success is persistence: okay, plus huge talent. I wonder will I get away with just persistence....