I am hoping that when the book on Holy Bull comes out, readers will be able to grasp a picture that I am still putting together from the pieces. Anyone willing to do a little research can put together a recitation of which races Holy Bull won and by how many lengths. What I want is for people to discover for themselves a living, breathing, one-of-a-kind horse and how special he was to the people who loved and cared for him. I hope today's interview will be one more step toward that goal.
Earlier today, I had the privilege of talking to a member of Jimmy Croll's family about Holy Bull. Unfortunately, Croll himself died some years ago, but talking to this relative helped flesh out my grasp of the personalities of Croll, Rachel Carpenter, and Holy Bull. It wasn't so much a matter of gathering factual information as it was gaining a sense of the color and quality of the interactions within the community of people surrounding this wonderful horse, as well as seeing a little more of what Holy Bull was like as an individual within a network of relationships.
I am hoping that when the book on Holy Bull comes out, readers will be able to grasp a picture that I am still putting together from the pieces. Anyone willing to do a little research can put together a recitation of which races Holy Bull won and by how many lengths. What I want is for people to discover for themselves a living, breathing, one-of-a-kind horse and how special he was to the people who loved and cared for him. I hope today's interview will be one more step toward that goal.
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Having gotten into chapter five of the Holy Bull book (which will focus on his season-ending win in the In Reality Stakes and the transition to his 3-year-old season), I'm finding myself doing some extra research on what was going on in South Florida racing at the time. Turns out there were two scandals in progress. One, at Calder, involved the suspension of any access to Calder for seven jockeys, all of Venezuelan origin, who had falsified their previous riding records in Venezuela to qualify for apprentice status (and the accompanying weight allowance) in North America. It was big news at the time, particularly since 1992 Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey Jesus Bracho was among those accused. (After further investigation showed that he was indeed ineligible for apprentice status in the USA at the time that he was claiming it, he returned the Eclipse Award, which two years later was officially presented to Rosemary Homeister, who had been runner-up in the original voting and who then became the first female jockey to win an Eclipse Award.) The suspensions came through only four days before the Festival of the Sun and the running of the In Reality.
The other scandal didn't involve Thoroughbred racing but was instead centered at the Pompano Park harness track, where several driver-trainers, owners, and veterinarians were either arrested or lost their pari-mutuel licenses in Florida as the result of a year-long investigation into race fixing that made both the culprits and the local officials look woefully incompetent about either concealing or cleaning up the problems. Although there was no evidence that the dirty doings had spilled over to Florida Thoroughbred tracks, the bad publicity for horse racing of any sort, combined with the jockey scandal, left some heavy clouds hanging over South Florida racing in the public eye. No wonder Holy Bull was such a hero in his native state; nothing like having a budding superstar strutting his stuff at your track without the shadow of a doubt as to whether he was for real (everyone knew Jimmy Croll's reputation for integrity, and he was well liked) to take people's minds off the ugly stuff! The racing scandals were background material for the focus on Holy Bull's career, so given the space limitations I have to work with in this manuscript, I'm not going to be going into huge detail on them. Still, knowing such things helps to explain the horse's great popularity. He was brilliant, he was eye-catching, and he and his connections were totally for real. Sometimes a star shines the brighter for being framed against the darkness. Writing a book usually starts off with a burst of enthusiasm. The problem is that the opening enthusiasm will seldom carry you through a complete writing project. Three and a half chapters into my new Holy Bull manuscript, that's where I am. I still enjoy the work once I sit down and get into it; it's mustering up the discipline to get going that's the issue.
For me, at least, the best solution is to set mini-goals of so much to be completed (or at least drafted) at the end of a work week. I know how much time I have to produce a completed work, so by setting goals for when each chapter is to be completed, I can pat myself on the back a little as I pass each milestone. Other authors work better by word count (so many words per day or week) or by thinking of the book as a series of subtopics or vignettes and completing each chunk. The important thing is to keep moving, because with a deadline in sight, the one thing you can't do is nothing. I am thrilled to announce that Dream Derby: The Myth and Legend of Black Gold has been named as a semifinalist for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for books related to the world of Thoroughbred racing and breeding that were released in 2023. It is a great honor to be included among the six semifinalists, in a year with some extremely tough competition. Some of the other honorees are Kim Wickens's Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse, John Paul Miller's False Riches, and Kathleen C. Mooney's Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey, all of which have been reviewed in previous posts. It is a measure of the depth of this year's field that such excellent works as Jennifer Kelly's The Foxes of Belair and Fred Kray's Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing's Golden Age did not make the cut. While I cannot speak for all the books I haven't read and reviewed, the sterling quality of what I have read suggests that this year's judges had a difficult task indeed. I am glad that my own effort was judged worthy of such consideration.
Last week, I touched on the concept of opportunity cost in relation to book promotion efforts---the fact that every such effort consumes resources (such as time) that cannot be used for alternate purposes (such as writing). Awareness of such tradeoffs is necessary in making decisions about how to allocate your available time, energy, and money. Let us suppose that you are on the other end of the stick, however---you have already made a decision, perhaps some time ago, and now are finding that the results you are getting from a particular course of action do not seem to be worth the trade you have made. What then?
Sometimes perseverance is a winning strategy. If you have considered your position and have reason to believe that you may turn the corner with a little more effort or investment, staying the course can be worthwhile. On the other hand, if you find yourself thinking more about the loss of what you have already put into your promo effort than about taking an objective look (well, as objective as possible---we're all human) at whether or not it still has a reasonable chance of getting the results you hope for, you may be falling prey to the sunk-loss fallacy, which can keep you pouring money, time, and energy down a rat hole. A sunk loss represents a resource that is irrevocably gone, regardless of what you do next. For example, if you buy a meal at a restaurant, you are out the cost of the meal whether you ate all of it, half of it, or one bite of it. For many of us, this represents a challenge to eat the whole thing so that we don't feel we've wasted money. But what if you find that you don't like the food even though it's decently cooked and presented, or you're on a diet and eating the entire plateful would blow your calorie count or your sodium count or whatever sky-high? (For the moment, let's drop the option of taking the leftovers home.) The wise thing to do would be to simply eat no more than is wanted and leave the rest. The problem is that most of us will focus on how much money we're "losing" by not eating the whole thing and then proceed to eat as much of it as can be stomached, which doesn't bring the money back and has a good chance of adding an upset stomach to the evening's woes. Now, a single meal is generally a pretty small thing, and the worst we usually face from falling for the sunk-loss fallacy in this case is an unpleasant encounter with the toilet later in the evening or with the bathroom scale the next morning. When it comes to an ongoing promotional effort, however, focusing on past investment rather than on a rational look at future expectations can result in failure to cut losses and modify or ditch a strategy that clearly isn't working out. An irrational fear of loss is often a factor, even though the actual loss has already occurred; it's as though the brain doesn't recognize the loss as real until confronted with the need to decide to let it go. Pride is also often a barrier to cutting losses; who likes to admit that they made what's turned out to be a poor decision? (I sure don't.) Marketing a book inevitably costs money, time, and energy, and completely balking at these costs is a strategy that's almost certain to result in poor sales. At the same time, every promotional effort needs regular reassessment to examine whether it's worth continuing to pursue. Awareness of the sunk-loss fallacy isn't perfect insurance against making further decisions that don't pan out as hoped, but it can at least get your decision-making focused on where it should be---on the projected future rather than on an unchangeable past. During my recent book tour in Kentucky, I did a lot of chatting with fellow author Kim Wickens (Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse). Naturally, the topic of promoting books came up. If you've read material from a lot of sites on authors and writing, you've probably seen advice to the effect that you should take every possible opportunity to get out there and promote your book, no matter what that opportunity may be. Having recently been through the grind of making appearances and trying to keep a book in the public eye, Kim and I both found ourselves with the same conclusion: that advice is, well, flawed. I have a strong hunch that we're not the only authors to have figured that out.
Whether you like it or not, the need to promote your book is inescapable if you're going to make sales. That being said, not every opportunity to promote a book is equal in terms of the resources you have to put in or the results you're likely to get from investing those resources. Some "opportunities," to be blunt, just aren't worth it. Take book fairs and festivals. What could go wrong? The fees for participation usually aren't exorbitant, and the whole purpose of the event is to put you and your books together with a large group of potential buyers and readers---many times the number of people who would normally visit even a large bookstore in a single day. In addition, you'll have opportunities to network with other writers and with professionals in the book industry. So, why not go to every one you can reach? The answer is simple: not every festival will offer the same bang for the buck regarding your book or books. Some festivals are slanted heavily toward children's books, or toward certain genres; if your book isn't a good fit for the market the festival is best known for, you may spend all day at your table to sell only two or three books. Some simply aren't in the right location to attract the kind of audience that might want to buy your book; a book on some aspect of horse racing that would be attractive in Lexington, Kentucky, might be a much harder sell in Miami, Florida, or even in Louisville, Kentucky. Some festivals do a better job of attracting people who want to sell you their marketing expertise, writing classes, seminars, etc., than they do in attracting the audience you want to make contact with. What can be said of book festivals can be said of other promotional opportunities that involve personal appearances. There is always a tradeoff between the potential benefit and the amount of time and money you'll have to sink into making the appearance, and that tradeoff can be harder to justify if significant travel is involved. Opportunities that don't involve in-person experiences are generally less expensive, and as a rule of thumb, I'd say that if you have an opportunity to be interviewed by phone or Zoom for a piece in a periodical or website, or you have a chance to "appear" as a guest on someone's podcast or YouTube channel, go for it unless something about the party offering the invitation raises a red flag in your mind. These things typically cost nothing but your time, and most periodicals, podcasters, and YouTubers aren't going to waste their time on talking to someone they don't feel will appeal to their audience. That's a win-win; you get publicity, and they get an interview that they have reason to believe will help grow their audience. I'd be much more cautious with people who want you to pay for whatever their writing-related service may be. Exercise due diligence with these and check around with people you trust, because people offering paid services range from excellent professionals to slapdash or overly optimistic amateurs to scammers. (A good clue: if results are "absolutely guaranteed," take a long and skeptical look at more than the testimonials such services often rely on to sell themselves---even the best agents, editors, instructors, and marketers out there can do no more than improve your chances of success, and the good ones will be honest enough to admit that although they're confident in in their ability to provide value with service, they cannot promise great success every time.) Promotion is important, but don't forget that there is an opportunity cost attached to the time and money you spend on marketing your book. Unless you're in a "one and done" situation as far as writing goes, time and effort you spend on marketing is time and effort you can't spend on getting your next book written, and over the long haul, creating a sizable body of work to keep engaging older fans and bringing in new ones is at least as important if not more so than relatively short-term marketing endeavors. Keeping an eye on both the forest and the trees is the needed strategy in developing a successful writing career. As I get down to the business of developing a manuscript on the career of Holy Bull, this seems as good a place as any to discuss the topic of writing an introduction for a work. It is no exaggeration to say that the intro may be the most important part of your prospective book. Why? Because in those few pages, you'll be answering the most important question of all posed by your reader: "Should I keep reading this?"
You, of course, want an answer of "Yes"--even better, "Yes!" Assuming you have done your homework, you have already selected a topic which you feel readers will want to explore. Your task in the introduction is to provide enough context and content for readers to sell themselves on your work. A good introduction provides the reader with two crucial pieces of information. It presents a topic in which the reader will presumably be interested, and it presents the overarching theme of how that topic will be explored. This theme will determine what implicit or explicit questions the book will answer, which viewpoints and ideas will be emphasized, and much of how the book will be structured as it develops the theme to a reasonable or satisfying conclusion. A book written with the aim of portraying a successful racehorse as an animal that overcame numerous obstacles to become a popular champion and a book written to portray the success and popularity of that same racehorse as emblematic of an ongoing class struggle in the time period and society in which the horse was running have the same subject, but their differing themes will result in two very different books. Because of its importance to the book's purpose and overall development, failure to develop a clear concept in your own mind of what your theme is will almost certainly doom your book before it is ever written. It has often been said that if you can't explain an idea in a way that an intelligent ten-year-old can grasp, you probably don't understand it yourself as well as you think you do. If you can present your theme to a naive listener---one who knows little or nothing about the topic you want to explore---and have that person respond with a genuine "That sounds interesting!", then you are probably on the right track. A confused look means you'd probably better go back to the drawing board and figure out both exactly what it is you want to say and how to say it. That being said, another pitfall to avoid is trying to do too much during the introduction. Your intro is the place to present your topic and main theme in a focused, readable manner that invites the reader to want to learn more. It is not the place for a complete outline of the work, an information dump, or a discussion of why you chose to write it as you did. A good rule of thumb to follow: any kind of supporting information that can be placed in a later chapter or part of the book probably should be. You don't want to give so much information in the intro that the reader has no reason to read the rest of the book! In conclusion, think of a book introduction as parallel to beginning an interview with a potential employer. You want that reader to hire you (buy your book) as a source of information or entertainment. Keep your intro focused on what it is you have to offer that you believe will meet the reader's wants or needs in a fresh, interesting way, and you'll be on your way to drawing them further in to the story you want to tell. Fiction is not usually on the agenda at American Classic Pedigrees, but every now and then it's worth making an exception. For those who like relaxing with a good racetrack yarn, you could do much worse than to pick up a copy of John Paul Miller's False Riches (2023, Palmetto Publishing). A combination of mystery, romance, and fictional exploration of timely issues in the horse racing world, this debut novel combines taut pacing and action with a realistic but sympathetic view of the problems and issues of conscience facing its major characters, who constitute a slice of the ordinary people who make horse racing run at a minor track. It is also, oddly, a novel about grace and forgiveness, which may sound incongruous but is in fact an important theme in the development of the book's characters.
I won't provide any spoilers here, but if you're looking for an intriguing read that explores complex and controversial ideas through the lens of imperfect people trying to navigate a morally murky situation---without sounding preachy---then False Riches may be just what you're looking for as an addition to your summer reading list. Getting home from a book tour can be a great relief, no matter how good and profitable a time you had on the trip. There's much to be said for being back with your loved ones again and for settling into familiar, comfortable routines. Nonetheless, there are a few pitfalls to be aware of on getting back home.
First, give yourself a little time for readjustment, especially if you've been on the trail for a couple of weeks or more. Your loved ones have adapted to doing without you; you've been equally adapted to doing without them. You need to get used to each other again. This is especially true if you're returning to children, who can make sudden changes right under your nose, much less when you're out of sight for a while. Depending on the personality of your child or children, you may find them needier or more standoffish on your return than you remember. Give them (and yourself) a little time to adapt to being a family again. Don't overlook the fact that pets, too, may need a chance to readjust. Second, be prepared for a significant physical and emotional letdown to hit you within a few days of your return. You've been running hard and living on adrenaline and cortisol, probably more so than you know. If your body is demanding rest and lowered stimulation levels, do your best to meet those needs. You may have no choice about getting right back to work, but try to defer complex or demanding projects for at least a few days while you sort out the inevitable accumulation of things that didn't get done and need your attention. Be prepared for needing extra sleep and for readjusting your diet and exercise schedule. Taking care of your physical self will help keep your emotions from taking you on an unwelcome roller-coaster ride---and if the trip didn't go so well, can be a needed way to soothe and reassure yourself that you're still a worthwhile person. Third, don't overlook the possibility that you may get sick soon after coming home. When you combine extra stress for days or weeks on end with exposure to viruses that you haven't met at home, the odds are pretty good for ending up with a minor illness. That's another reason for not planning too much into the first few days after you get home---you may need recovery time from more than exhaustion. (I speak from grim experience here as I'm still coping with the tag end of a head cold I brought home with me.) Fourth, don't give yourself a chance to lose receipts and records you'll need for filing your taxes. Put them into a file or envelope right away and put them where you keep other important records. Fifth and finally, don't forget gratitude. If people made arrangements for you, provided hospitality, or did you favors along the way, be sure and thank them again after you return home, even if you did so in person. A note or thank-you card may be a bit old-fashioned but is still a particularly nice touch, though an appreciative text or email is far better than nothing. Until the road calls again, safe travels and safe harbors to you all. Next week should see a return to more "normal" topics. As I wrap up my research/promotion trip to Kentucky, I am getting a solid reminder of the need to budget oneself physically. The truth is, being away from home for extended periods of time is exhausting even when you're trying to pace yourself. Travel almost always results in disturbed sleep patterns; you are continually adapting to unfamiliar places, your schedule tends to be irregular, and the push to Get Things Done keeps your adrenaline/cortisol levels pumped up higher than usual, tending to mean that whatever sleep you do get is often of poorer quality than you get at home in your own bed. This is the time when good stress management techniques can come in very handy, along with a supply of melatonin.
Then there's diet. If you're like me, you're probably strongly tempted to throw caution to the wind and just eat whatever. In one word: DON'T. I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy yourself, but keeping an eye on what you eat and drink does make a substantial difference in how much you're dragging by midway through your trip---not least because overindulgence in alcohol, caffeine, fat, and/or sugar ties back into the bugaboo of getting enough quality sleep. Dehydration is also pretty common when you're on the road, and the combination of too little water and too much sugar can definitely make any aches and pains you have flare up. It's better just to avoid the problems by exercising moderation. If you can work in some exercise to go with it, all the better. Finally, there's mental exhaustion. If you're making a lot of appearances, the pressure's on to make sure that you and everything you need are in the right place at the right time, to say nothing of the pressure to present yourself and your book well and make good impressions. If you're working in research time (as I did on this trip), you're trying to make the most of every precious moment that you have access to resources you don't have at home. Working some "me time" into your schedule may seem like a luxury, but it isn't. Take time to stop and take in a local attraction or two. Laugh with friends or give loved ones back home a call. Pray. Meditate. Set some time aside for reflection on what you've learned. Shop for something nice for someone you love at home. You'll have to keep balance in mind; this is a business trip, after all. But do take time to take some pleasure in the journey and some care for your own needs. You'll work the better for it. |
AuthorI'm Avalyn Hunter, an author with a passion for Thoroughbreds and a passion for writing and storytelling. Archives
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