The reasons are simple. I have two hefty books -Some Things Strange & Sinister and Some More Things Strange & Sinister as well as Pursuing The Strange And Weird -A Naturalist's Viewpoint and The Bizarre Legends, Crimes And Truth About Spring Heeled Jack (2014). To which you might add (since it has elements of "Cryptozoology") The Red Paper: Canids (over 40 years research work crammed into one handy book!).
The sales have been un-spectacular to say the least -one or two copies of the first three books. Review copies requested were never reviewed and promoting like crazy -including cutting the cover prices drastically- achieved nothing. Book stores are not interested in Independent books.
And I do need to eat and pay bills like everyone else. I look at a few of the "phenomena" books out there and they are not that good. Repetitive pot-boilers with not much original in them -certainly photo and image wise nothing new. It sounds like sickening egotism to say it but there is far more in one of my books and that really disappoints me because I had hoped that by now the sensationalistic approach ("I looked behind me and NOTHING was there. On that day I knew true evil existed!") would be "old school" with more factual reporting because only after thorough research and investigation can you find the cases that defy current explanation.
I will not turn a book into something sensationalistic to sell because the material in the books is sensationalistic enough -UFOs, ghosts, poltergeists, unknown sea creatures, Sasquatch and so on. I simply cannot produce a book of over sensationalistic lies to feed minds that will accept that every TV paranormal programme (introduced with "Intended for entertainment purposes only") does not contain trickery and lies.
I have the material but you are looking at a book taking a year to write/edit (SMTS&S like STS&S each 
had over 350 pages with illustrations, maps, photographs -many thought to have been lost forever). Look at the cover from the second book and an infamously 'lost' or even "non-existant" photo (you'll need to buy the book to answer the question "What?"
had over 350 pages with illustrations, maps, photographs -many thought to have been lost forever). Look at the cover from the second book and an infamously 'lost' or even "non-existant" photo (you'll need to buy the book to answer the question "What?"
Perhaps, one day I may be lucky to assemble a small team of investigators in Bristol to look into the strange and weird but I'm on week two of a mammoth read -so far three "Ghost" books and, I think now, five books on alien abductions/UFOs and Sasquatch and a stack of books is on the floor next to me!
TV -I'm still working on that but so far no serious offers or responses and, please, believe me, I do need to eat!
So if you are an Independent TV programme maker (and I do NOT do this for free!) get in touch.
Now, off to read!
The books are detailed here:
The books are detailed here:
