Guest Blogger: St. Martin's Press Editor Daniela Rapp
Daniela Rapp has been an editor at St. Martin's Press since 2003 after stints in the performing arts and the
agenting world and considers herself an omnivore when it comes to reading and books. This is reflected in her
rather eclectic list of projects, which ranges from literary and commercial fiction, pet and humor books, to
serious narrative nonfiction titles. Her recent and forthcoming projects include Dog Talk by Harrison
Forbes, Saving Cinnamon by Christine Sullivan and the Last Dog on the Hill by Steve Duno.
Pet Memoir
Blame it on Marley. Well, it's not just his fault. Lava, Merle, Gus, Gracie, Sprite, Cinnamon, and Nubs had
their share, as did Dewey, Oscar and Homer (the cats), Alex (the parrot), Christian (the lion), Wesley (the owl),
and Freedom (the eagle). These charming, funny, exasperating and inspiring creatures are the reason I am currently
inundated with pet and animal book proposals.
Pet memoirs and books focusing on the bond between humans and animals have become increasingly popular over the last
few years, although they have been around in one form or another for quite a while: think James Herriot on the
non-fiction side, or Black Beauty and Lassie in fiction.
So, why the sudden explosion of these books? To me, there are several factors that have contributed to the
proliferation of the genre:
Most visibly, pet-focused TV shows such as the ones offered by Animal Planet are now aired during prime time. This
has raised awareness and perhaps also interest in the genre for readers.
As a result of the economic downturn, people have focused more on their families, and pets are certainly considered
family members. Annual spending on pet expenditures is currently at an all-time-high (at around $43 billion), and a
chunk of that budget will go to reading material.
And lastly, humans have always been fascinated with that special bond between animals and people - we love to hear
heartwarming stories of the dog that changed someone's life, the cat that made everyone's day brighter, or the bird
that was able to communicate desires and dislikes. The wall between us and the animal kingdom is one of the last
frontiers, and it is slowly being dismantled, as our understanding of animal behavior and communication grows.
That is exactly what attracts me to the genre - I love reading about wordless exchanges between a dog and its human,
the psychological and physical benefits of being near an animal, the antics and tricks pets are up to, as well as the
emotional connection that is built over years spent in each other's company.
One of my favorite examples is the forthcoming Last Dog on the Hill by Steve Duno - it's the story of a
one-in-a-million feral puppy turned superdog and his owner, and it makes all of us long for that unique
relationship. Steve gets it totally right in the writing of his memoir - humor is tempered with emotion,
there is a great arc to the narrative, and you can't help but fall head-over-heels for Lou, the canine hero.
This was also the reason I took on Saving Cinnamon by Christine Sullivan - an account of the nerve-wracking journey of
a stray puppy rescued from Afghanistan. I rooted for adorable Cinnamon to make it home every step of the way.
There are many uplifting, poignant, engaging, and humorous pet stories out there, but what sells me on the ones
that make it to publication is the strength of the voice and the strength of the bond, every time.
Guest Blogger: Storey Publishing Publicist Amy Greeman
Amy Greeman is currently Publicity Director at Storey Publishing and has worked in publicity for
the last 18 years for such organization as HBO, Bantam Doubleday Dell, and Simon & Schuster. She
has owned dogs all her life and is currently owned by a Wirehaired Dachshund.
Pets and Books, Books and Pets
Book Expo America is essentially a bookseller's trade show, but really, it's so much more than that.
Held annually, for the last few years in New York City at the Jacob Javitz Center, BEA is a polyglot
of booksellers, bookstore owners, media escorts, librarians, journalists, television producers,
publishing executives, publishers, warehousers and distributors, authors, literary agents, really,
anyone with even a pinky-toe in the world of words will be there. For years, those of us in publishing
bemoan the drop-off in attendance that is usually forecast a few weeks in advance, but when you're on
the floor it often seems like a non-stop whirl of activity, meetings, snacks, and free books. This
year promises to be very exciting with Apple's iPad adapting e-books and applications for those
books - I'll be interested to see how that looks and what books will take off in that format.
For pet books, it's been a year or two of shifting perspectives. It seems as though the "nuts and
bolts" of feeding, training, and behavior education have given way to celebrities with dog books.
Cesar Milan has made an empire of his strategies in interpreting canine behaviors, Victoria Stilwell,
host of Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog," will have a new book shortly, and even a non-name in the
animal world, Beth Ostrosky Stern (wife of shock-jock Howard) will be promoting a dog-care handbook
she's written. I'll be interested to see if books for dog- and cat-owners are still viable right
now with no big name attached to them. One of the truisms of publishing in this era of economic
uncertainty is that many people will spend money on their children that they wouldn't spend on
themselves, and I wonder if pet-owners and caregivers feel the same way about their animals.
Storey Publishing has slowed down on acquiring books on dogs and cats because we've found that
the books we specialize in, technique and breed books, don't really sell as well as those flashier
celebrity publications, and we aren't really willing to branch away from our mission statement to
accommodate that market segment. But it'll be an exercise in adaptability to see if the market
will return to that "nuts and bolts" plan. Tell me what you think! What's your prediction for
the future of pet books?
|
 |
 |
Steve Duno
Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou
Jean M. Fogle
Tricks for Treats
(Bowtie Press, 2010)
|
 |
|
