The Smithy was once a fine pub, its a bit fetid nowadays sadly.

Give us a call, will go to Pompadour on the 12th.

Here's a link to an extraordinary story that involves the owner of Sizing Europe, who owned the MMD firm referred to - almost all the stolen money came from the personal pension fund of Alan Potts, and it was gambled away on here. It only adds to the tale that the criminal also had the initals AP and named his business AP Turf.

http://archive.herefordtimes.com/2003/12/18/25527.html

That is shocking Mordin.  James Pyman in the same sentence as Beyer, Mordin and Potts. 

How's things btw Mr Pyman?

I remember watching The Racing Channel when Alan was on and he tipped up Kingscliff a few months before he won the Foxhunters at Cheltenham. Nice memories.

Veitch's book is absolutely chite.

In Nevison's first book he has a pop at the Hannon yard (is he still training ?) and his second book is utter garbage.

I haven't read any of your books Alan but nice of you to add to this thread and good luck with your punting.

Nice thread and nice to see frank contributions from a well-known racing figure - Bobby Dazzler (Our Friends in the North) does an equally good job on the ante-post forum.

Alan, I haven't read your books but I see both are available 'used' (at fancy prices) on Amazon and that they have superb reviews there.  I'm not sure if you know that Amazon will do a Kindle edition(e-book reader and, I believe, the Next Big Thing, certainly in publishing: Kindle books can be read on smart-phones as well as PCs).

Key factor here, as you probably know, will be the book rights, which should have reverted to you after the publisher went bust.  Most publishing contracts also have  an out-of-print clause which would give you back full rights.

I am not certain, but I believe Amazon will convert the books free-of-charge for Kindle download and will pay you a decent royalty on each - unlike the desperate royalty rates in conventional publishing.  Anyone considering buying a book from the likes of WH Smith might want to consider that on a typical £17.50 hardback sale, Smith's get £8.50, the author, £1.75 if he/she is lucky.

Anyway, it might be worth dropping Amazon a line.  I doubt you'll make a fortune, but at least it would be an outlet for your fans, and your Amazon review standing alone would generate considerable interest which should, in turn, widen the already virtuous circle.

Good luck.

Hi Alan, remember Kingscliffe very well, you thought it was the banker of the meeting, and it won!! loved both the books and really miss the "Odds On" magazine, that was a great look forward every month,

Hope you are keeping well and see you in the Blacksmiths if near Goodwood[;)]

Steeplechasing, the £1.75 or 10% of sale price is not a figure I recognise. From personal experience the percentage is 10% of the publisher's 'net' sales on hardback, 7.5% on paperback. The Author's advance is deducted before royalties are paid.

Great thread, reminds me of what it used to be like on here.

All the best Alan

educator  i was going to buy that russell clarke book is it any good.
one of the few  havent got.

Great thread. Still some sense on the forum, thank god.

I have both of Alan's books along with many others and have them a short-head second only to Clive Holt's first offering which, IMHO, remains the most sensible way to start - note the word start - looking for winners, even all these years later.

Very interested in Alan's career because I, too, have been in IT since 1978 but took two periods off, one of two years, to back greyhounds for a living using a form analysis method derived from the way FineForm worked, although certainly not the same.

I have also had published three betting books, one on Spread Betting (1998), one on Greyhound Racing (2003) and one on Internet Poker (2006). Got to say that Alan is right about the author generally being at the thin end of any reveue a book generates.

I am not going to publicise my books on here because we don't want SPAM on such a good thread but the tale of what happened with the first book, which is now well out of print, when the publisher and I tried to get sponsorship for it would make your hair curl!

Last point is that I am not yet totally convinced that the old fashioned ways of finding winners are completely dead with the gee-gees. Still think the best place to start looking is with the Form Book, although much else now has to be considered as well.

Hi The Knight. Is it a natural progression from IT to horse racing and betting?
I too have several books out there. Nothing at all to do with horse racing or betting, thankfully. Odd though because my practical background is horse racing, apprenticeship and friends. I have, however, moved on and now it provides me with my day to day existence.
Finally I totally agree with your last point. I am form book through and through. It works well for me because I avoid like the plague the day to day 'bookmaker' dross and am as selective as it is possible to be.

First of all, great thread.

My thoughts on whether Alan should publish another book are somewhat at odds with what most think here and I'll explain why.

Alan, I don't think you should publish another book. As far as I am concerned you have made your contribution to racing literature. The classic example of why I'd say keep anything else you've have got to yourself was proved when Andy Beyer released Picking Winners in the 1970s. A classic as anyone who has read it will surely testify. A while after its release and the adoption of his speed figures by the DRF the methods that were once profitable ceased to be so.

You have already shared things with your previous publications that by definition would make it harder for you to profit from your own work subsequently.

Your presence here would indicate to me at least that you have probably altered your approach to take into account the way things have changed over time. Why ruin that by telling others? The only one to lose out is yourself long term.

I haven't read your first book, but I do own the second and found it to be a very enjoyable read. In my opinion though, the people who want to read another book by you are more concerned about the short term benefits of using your latest methods than they actually should be by developing something that is truly their own.

g/l one & all.

Just incase anyone thinks it, I am not the Dave Edwards from the Racing Post.

I still think he should do a blog,

enough interest hear !

Dave Edwards makes a fair point about losing out yourself.

Like Kevin Pullein in the RP........his weekly column over the years has divulged all his edges and effectively educated the bookmakers.... to such an extent that any decent edge he ever had has disappeared and he is now resigned to recommending bets on obscure markets such as the time of the third or fourth corner, if he recommends a bet at all.

What does it say on your pay cheque Dave? That's what matters, believe me.

Educator, fair enough. If Alan did write an autobiog I would happily buy it. Whether or not he is the type of man who would want to do something like that is another matter of course.

I still think my point is valid though. Even if everyone here is posting with the best of intentions there are some people who will read any update on his methods and then use them until they are no longer profitable. That's just the way some people roll.

Great stuff, Dave.
Anyway I agree with AP when he says writing is mind numbingly boring. To many it sounds romantic and hugely cash rewarding but for the day to day writer it becomes a real chore. On top of that you need a publisher ready to part with money up front and promote your work or works, positively. Anything selling less than 20,000 copies is hugely borderline imo.