A small idea sprouts wings

24

Two years ago, it was small.

Just a glimmer of an idea. Nothing more than a flicker of movement, caught out of the corner of my mind’s eye.

Bold one moment, it would dash into full view like a blustery red squirrel. Furtive the next moment, it would skitter off into the mental underbrush. (I have underbrush to spare. A tidy parkland my mind is not.)

Within a few months, I realized it wasn’t going away. So I started reading up on it: How exactly does one go about getting a book published?

But I won’t bore you with the tedious details.

Fast forward to earlier this year: as I mentioned back in April, I found a book agent—and not just any agent, but the patient, insightful, and tenacious Laurie Abkemeier (aka Agent Obvious)—who thought I had an idea worth pursuing. Together we crafted a proposal, which she then shopped around to editors.

Just over two weeks ago, Laurie emailed me with the news. We had a publisher. (Friday the 13th is my new favorite day.) We just had to keep it under our hats until the details of the contract got ironed out.

Now it’s official.

The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian’s Hunt for Sustenance will be published by Pegasus Books!

I’m psyched. I’m grateful for the support and encouragement of all my friends and family, in person and online. And I’m looking forward to working with the fine folks at Pegasus on the next leg of the journey.

24 comments

  1. Richard Mellott says:

    Congrats, Tovar. I remember when I published my first article (my only article, so far!), and it felt really good to make that threshold. Now, go ahead and bust a move, show us how it’s done.
    We want to follow in your footsteps.

  5. Eric Nuse says:

    All right! Based on this blog and your other published articles I know the book is going to be great.
    Now you just have to write it!!!
    Good luck, we’re all rooting for you…

  6. Jason McGarvey says:

    This is awesome news, Tovar. I can’t believe it’s only been two years since you wrote “Full Circle” for OA. You have taken the project a long way since then. I can’t wait to buy the book. Stop in Richmond on your book tour. Better yet, have a reading in Norfolk, home of PETA.

  10. Deus Ex Machina says:

    Tovar, congratulations! It is a fantastic feeling. Wendy has submitted her complete manuscript for her first book, whcih will be publish in the Spring. It is a great ride to watch and, I’m sure, a better one to ride (you’ll have to ask Wendy). I look forward to it … when is it due to print?

  11. Eric Nuse says:

    My ghostwriter and I didn’t have the guts to go the agent, publisher route for our book, “Vermont Wild” so we are going with self publishing. It’s nice having more control of the final product etc, but requires pretty big money upfront and a ton of work on the selling, marketing and distributing side. We expect to have it out the end of Sept.
    I’ll get you a copy Tovar, if you like it (or even if you don’t) maybe you could post a review? It’s a lighthearted telling of some of my funnier warden adventures here in northern Vermont. The illustrations are by another talented warden, Bob Lutz, who trained with me in the ’80s.

  14. Tovar says:

    Thanks, everyone, for the congratulations and encouragement!

    True, Eric, now I just have to write it. Thankfully, the proposal included several chapters and I have a bunch more roughly drafted. By the way, having a publisher doesn’t let me off the hook on the marketing end of things. Looking forward to seeing your book!

    “Full Circle” does seem like a long time ago, Jason. I’ll keep Richmond (and Norfolk) in mind.

    No firm date has been set yet, DEM, but I’ll post an update at some point.

    • Tovar says:

      Oh, and Jason: You do realize, I hope, that “Full Circle” and my fine experience working with you are partially to blame for the genesis of this wild, winged thing.

      • Jason McGarvey says:

        See, editors are good for something. Now I’m trying to help another friend get his book off the ground — about how environmentalists’ all-or-nothing approach the last three decades has hurt the movement more than helped it. Who knows, one of these days I might get around to writing my own book.

    • Tovar says:

      Thanks, Tamar!

      With the “Tov” in Mazel Tov, you’re halfway to guessing that my name is derived from Yiddish or Hebrew. Alas, it’s not. 😉

Comments are closed.