10th January 2009, 12:24 PM
I remember attending the the "World Wargaming Championships" a little after graduation.
Ended up buying "Roman Imperial Army" by Graham Webster from the Bring and Buy Stall and
a "15mm Ancient Indian Army" from there, too....
I then went to the Osprey Book stall, where you could talk to their representative about book proposals. I pointed out that they did not have (at that time) a book on the armies of the Persian Empire (5th / 4th century BC).
I said I knew that Nick Secunda normally wrote for them on that era but had not done a Persian book.
They said I would need to submit a book synopsis.
I would need to submit black and white photos / make new negatives for the book.
I would need to supply line-drawings of the troops, for their artist to then copy from; and make into the proper full colour artwork (in the centre pages.
In return, a would get "a flat fee" of £350 (but this was in 1991, this story)
Osprey would retain full copyright, after the book was published.
£350 was not much for a book but maybe "it was a chance to get my name in print".
I submitted the required things to their main office.
They thanked me for it but said that since Nick Secunda was their regular writer on this era (as I had acknowledged with their rep) they would inform him of my submission and give him "first refusal". If he said NO, then I would write the book for Osprey.
As soon as Nick Secunda heard of my proposal (I can only assume?), he of course then agred to write the book for Osprey.
I bought a copy for my book collection but I am not too impressed with it (as I compare it to "how I would have written it") However, a similar style of book publisher "Montvert Press" commissioned Duncan Head to do a book on the Persian army and I thought that was really good, similar to how I imagined writing my own, if I had done it. Of course, Duncan is a more experienced, established writer, so my own version would have been a weaker version of what he did. So, full marks to Duncan!
I aint bothered with (thought about) any of the interests expressed in the email above, for over six years, now.
I think for me, I decided I could not make a living by writing "just" Osprey books.
You would have to produce one book per week? Assuming that they were all being published.
I do not know what the flat rate is now? You will have to ask their main office.
See if Montvert are still around. They are much better (academically) military history books.
Yes....
If you are writing these books, you have to write what will be popular to the buyers, not yourself.
German World War 2 stuff will always sell.
But generally, anything on WW2, Napoleonic Wars, Greek and Roman related.
If only they will give you a better "deal" for writing them.
Ended up buying "Roman Imperial Army" by Graham Webster from the Bring and Buy Stall and
a "15mm Ancient Indian Army" from there, too....
I then went to the Osprey Book stall, where you could talk to their representative about book proposals. I pointed out that they did not have (at that time) a book on the armies of the Persian Empire (5th / 4th century BC).
I said I knew that Nick Secunda normally wrote for them on that era but had not done a Persian book.
They said I would need to submit a book synopsis.
I would need to submit black and white photos / make new negatives for the book.
I would need to supply line-drawings of the troops, for their artist to then copy from; and make into the proper full colour artwork (in the centre pages.
In return, a would get "a flat fee" of £350 (but this was in 1991, this story)
Osprey would retain full copyright, after the book was published.
£350 was not much for a book but maybe "it was a chance to get my name in print".
I submitted the required things to their main office.
They thanked me for it but said that since Nick Secunda was their regular writer on this era (as I had acknowledged with their rep) they would inform him of my submission and give him "first refusal". If he said NO, then I would write the book for Osprey.
As soon as Nick Secunda heard of my proposal (I can only assume?), he of course then agred to write the book for Osprey.
I bought a copy for my book collection but I am not too impressed with it (as I compare it to "how I would have written it") However, a similar style of book publisher "Montvert Press" commissioned Duncan Head to do a book on the Persian army and I thought that was really good, similar to how I imagined writing my own, if I had done it. Of course, Duncan is a more experienced, established writer, so my own version would have been a weaker version of what he did. So, full marks to Duncan!
I aint bothered with (thought about) any of the interests expressed in the email above, for over six years, now.
I think for me, I decided I could not make a living by writing "just" Osprey books.
You would have to produce one book per week? Assuming that they were all being published.
I do not know what the flat rate is now? You will have to ask their main office.
See if Montvert are still around. They are much better (academically) military history books.
Yes....
If you are writing these books, you have to write what will be popular to the buyers, not yourself.
German World War 2 stuff will always sell.
But generally, anything on WW2, Napoleonic Wars, Greek and Roman related.
If only they will give you a better "deal" for writing them.