I have some great news to share!
First, I have a contract with Stackpole Books, a leading publisher of fly fishing and fly tying titles, to publish Storied Waters!
Second, I’ll be attending the Bread Loaf Environmental Writer’s Conference in June, where I’ll be workshopping a few chapters from Storied Waters with the faculty and fellow writers at the Conference.
And third, one of my Storied Waters blog episodes- I Took To The Woods, about my visit to Louise Dickinson Rich's Forest Lodge on the Rapid River in Maine- will be published this month in the spring edition of The American Fly Fisher, Journal of The American Museum of Fly Fishing.
I'm hoping that my experience at Bread Loaf and publication in The Journal will help launch Storied Waters toward becoming a bestseller!
Everybody has a dream, right?
Stackpole
According to their website: “Stackpole Books is a trade book publisher with a proud, 90-year history of publishing titles in the categories of Outdoors, Crafts and Military History. Strong in Fly Fishing, Nature Guides, Civil War and World War II History, Military Reference and Specialty Crafts and Hobbies, we publish deep in our niche areas, releasing 60 new titles a year and maintaining a solid backlist of 1,500 titles.” Stackpole is an imprint of Globe Pequot and a trade division of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Co.
I have a bit of work to do between now and January 1, 2019 when my completed manuscript is due. Writing the blog during the trip was great fun. Now I need to turn it into a book.
I look forward to working with my Stackpole editor, Jay Nichols, to re-envision the story of my trip in book form, with my best photography, some “how to/where to” tips, and interesting sidebars about authors, locations or other points of interest in each chapter. Storied Waters is a bit of a stretch compared to Stackpole's core catalog of fly fishing titles, so I want to do everything I can to make this a successful venture for both of us.
Bye Bye Blog Episodes
I am ever so grateful for the many readers who followed my musings during the #StoriedWaters adventure. Now, while I'm turning this into a book, I’ll be taking down most of the blog episodes from the trip. Before I remove them later this week, I ask my loyal readers to scan back through and share with me your favorite parts.
What did you like most? Least?
Are there topics I should expand upon in the book?
Anything that was confusing or that needs better treatment in the book?
Any suggestions for how to turn this into a blockbuster bestseller?
Send me an email at davidvw @ maine.rr.com with your comments, ideas, and suggestions.
I'll leave a few teasers up on my blog, and will continue to post regularly about related topics, so stay tuned.
Bread Loaf
I’m thrilled that I’ll be a Bread Loafer during the first week of June! I’ll learn in early May who my workshop leader will be. There are several great faculty members with a nonfiction background. I’m also looking forward to meeting my fellow Loafers and seeing what I’ll learn from my colleagues.
Yes, I’ll be bringing my fly rod! The Middlebury River and several tributaries are nearby, so I hope to sneak off to gain inspiration from the natural setting in the hills around Ripton and commune with some local trout.
Journal of The American Museum of Fly Fishing
I'm very grateful to Kathleen Achor, editor of The Journal, for being an early fan and follower of the Storied Waters odyssey, and for bringing my storytelling to a wider audience. I reviewed the page proofs for I Took To The Woods a few weeks ago and they look great! I can't wait to see the issue in print in the next week or two.
If you're ever in Manchester, Vermont, be sure to stop in to see the Museum. Also, join as a member and receive the Journal quarterly.
Speaking Engagements & Growing My Following
As we work toward book publication, I need to expand my universe of readers and followers on social media, so please share by blog, FB, Twitter and LinkedIn posts to anyone who might enjoy fly fishing, literature and environmental topics.
Also, I am available to speak about my Storied Waters adventure, fly fishing, or any environmental science or policy topic, so pass along my contact information if you know of a group that would like to book me as a speaker.
Cheers, DVW
