Most Painful Choice
THE MOST PAINFUL CHOICE:
A DOG OWNER’S STORY OF BEHAVIORAL EUTHANASIA
Beth Miller
McFarland Publishing, March 31, 2023
Paperback $29.95, Kindle, $13.49
ISBN: 9781476690193, eISBN: 9781476648781
Miller reports:
Making the decision to proceed with behavioral euthanasia for my rescued German Shepherd dog Champ was extremely difficult. I felt the only people I could talk to about it were his veterinarians and trainer. After I found an online support group with others dealing with this experience, I realized that there were few resources available for those in our situation.
Everyone in the support group was asking similar questions: “Why did this have to happen to my pet?” “What more could I have done to help my pet?” Since I could not find any books on the subject, I decided to write one, both to process my experience and to provide support for others who had to choose behavioral euthanasia for their pet. I also wanted to inform the public about what behavioral euthanasia is.
Beth Miller
As a science writer, I went to the literature looking for answers about what might make pets have unmanageable behavior problems. I read hundreds of research papers by veterinary behaviorists and other scientists who have dedicated their careers to animal behavior. I hoped to learn why Champ was so troubled. This book is part memoir, part science as I processed his death.
I spent evenings, weekends, and holidays for about 16 months writing this book before sending out query letters. A NASW seminar on sending query letters and proposals helped guide me. Since I did not have an agent, I targeted publishers that published books about dogs. McFarland Publishing’s Dogs in our World series proved to be a great fit.
My advice for aspiring authors is to write what you need to say and follow your idea. If you believe in it, others will, too.
Contact info:
- Beth Miller: 314-540-5256, bethmillerwriter@gmail.com, https://millerb68.journoportfolio.com/, @bethmillerwriter
- Book: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-most-painful-choice/
- Publicist: Stephanie Nichols, snichols@mcfarlandpub.com
NASW members: will your book be published soon? Take advantage of this opportunity for shameless self-promotion. Submit your report for Advance Copy.
Tell your fellow NASW members how you came up with the idea for your book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. Include what you wish you had known before you began working on your book, or had done differently.
See https://www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines.
Review Advance Copy archives at https://www.nasw.org/member-article/advance-copy.
Thinking of writing a book? If you are a NASW member, you may access a list of more than 150 books and online resources to help you create your book proposal, find an agent and funding sources, negotiate your contract, learn about self-publishing, publicize and market your book, and more at https://www.nasw.org/article/write-book.
Watch for announcements of NASW Books Committee Advance Copy virtual events on the NASW events calendar. View recordings of past events in NASW’s Video Archives.
Send book info and questions about book publishing to Lynne Lamberg, NASW book editor, llamberg@nasw.org.
Follow @LynneLamberg on Twitter for news about science/medical books and writing.
Banner image adapted from original photo by Beth Miller. NASW members: share photos of your office bookshelves for use on other pages of the NASW website. Upload photos to bit.ly/naswpicsubmit.
.png)
