Flush
FLUSH:
THE REMARKABLE SCIENCE OF AN UNLIKELY TREASURE
Bryn Nelson
Grand Central Publishing, September 13, 2022, $30.00
ISBN-13: 9781538720028
Hachette Audio (read by Fred Berman) ISBN-13: 9781549160820
ASIN: B0B2JGT4FP
E-book ISBN-13: 9781538720035
ASIN: B09PL5PQJH
Nelson reports:
The initial kernels for Flush appeared in 2014, when I wrote a feature exploring the rise of fecal microbiota transplants for the British magazine Mosaic. I was fascinated by how the relatively crude practice of transplanting the microbiome of a healthy individual into someone sickened by a Clostridioides difficile bacterial infection led to a cure far more often than a course of potent antibiotics did. Even so, patients were dying needlessly due to disgust, ridicule, and the refusal of some doctors to consider the technique.
I began thinking about how we assign value to the things around us, and how something that we have assigned the least amount of value—our poop—is actually one of the most powerful and versatile natural resources. Although it took a while for me to fully commit to a book project, I gathered material along the way, including during some vacations to Norway, Cuba, and locations around the U.S.
Bryn Nelson
I developed my book proposal in 2019 with the help of an accountability buddy and a few sample proposals. I then created a detailed spreadsheet based on information from Publishers Marketplace to identify which agents to pitch. After I found my agent, Anna Sproul-Latimer, she and I worked for about eight months to refine the proposal before pitching it to multiple publishing imprints. Two bid on the book, and I decided to go with Grand Central Publishing. My wonderful editor, Maddie Caldwell, helped me further shape the book over the next 18 months.
Covid-19 sharply limited my long-distance travel, so I focused on making the most of closer opportunities. Aspiring authors should know that publishers routinely split an advance into four parts, meaning that I only had one-fourth available for research and travel. I also assumed the full fact-checking costs, which ate up most of the advance’s second part. I would recommend starting the process as early as possible so you don’t run out of time. My book’s highly involved fact-checking took three months but I believe Flush is far better because of it.
Contact info:
- Bryn Nelson, 646-652-6304, bdnelson@nasw.org, https://www.brynnelson.com, @SeattleBryn, @brynster19
- Book: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/bryn-nelson-phd/flush/9781538720028/
- Audiobook: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/bryn-nelson-phd/flush/9781549160820/
- Publicist: Roxanne Jones, Roxanne.Jones@hbgusa.com
- Agent: Anna Sproul-Latimer, anna@neonliterary.com
NASW members: will your book be published soon? Promote it by submitting 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.
View 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 200 books and online resources to help you craft 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.
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, writing, and NASW authors.
Banner image adapted from original photo by Bryn Nelson. NASW members: Share photos of your office bookshelves for use on our website. Upload photos to bit.ly/naswpicsubmit.
.png)
