This writing project has gone for a toss! It was so dear to my heart and I had great hopes of it becoming a published book that Wodehouse fans the world over would enjoy. However, the plan seems to have become unstuck. I failed in my attempt to persuade the Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate to grant permission for its eventual publication. They didn’t seem to have been impressed by my preliminary inquiry. Perhaps I should have made out a formal book proposal.
I do not intend giving up on this project. Even if the book is not published eventually, it still gives me great joy to put together a collection of all the characters in Wodehouse, with my own observations on them. The experience has been useful. I need to look at the project anew and work on how I can market it better. These days, and rightly so, The Wodehouse Estate is extremely strict about possible copyright infractions. I understand that you are allowed to quote not more than 250 words from the original works in a book or passage.
As I take stock, the following actions suggest themselves to my mind:-
- I need to prepare a formal book proposal, which will speak far more eloquently about what is on my mind than a preliminary inquiry.
- I should explore whether I can collaborate with someone else who has worked on similar projects with greater success.
- I should not lose heart. I maintain my book idea is a juicy one. It just needs to be packaged more effectively.
Resuming work on this project is a big challenge for me but I look forward to it! My logic is simple. If what I have put together has given me so much pleasure, surely there would be other P.G.Wodehouse fans out there who would enjoy it too.
Prem Rao : Stories from a Story Teller 