Gory Details
GORY DETAILS:
ADVENTURES FROM THE DARK SIDE OF SCIENCE
Erika Engelhaupt
National Geographic Books, March 2, 2021; $26
ISBN-10: 1426220979, ISBN-13: 978-1426220975
Engelhaupt reports:
The idea for Gory Details dates back to 2013, when I looked at my office bookshelf, loaded with titles like That’s Disgusting and histories of forensic science and decided to blog about the science of all things gross, creepy or morbid, and explore why we feel the way we do about them.
I started the blog at Science News and brought it with me when I went to work for National Geographic as online science editor. When I went freelance a couple years later, the National Geo books team approached me about turning Gory Details into a book. I was thrilled at the prospect and wrote a book proposal.
Since I was working with a former employer that had hosted the blog, I didn’t shop the book idea or get an agent. Instead, I hired a media lawyer, the same person who had also helped me trademark the name Gory Details, to review the contract. I would recommend that step to any author negotiating without an agent.
Erika Engelhaupt
I structured the book according to themes I spotted among my favorite topics, such as death, taboos, and disgust. Then came the fun part: planning new pieces to write and some travel, paid for by my advance. I drew from my existing blog content, but also wanted the book to feel fresh, so I agreed that at least half the word count would be new material. In the end, I think it was more, as I updated and added to old articles and wrote a number of entirely new pieces.
If you’ve ever considered writing a book about a topic you’ve covered heavily or blogged about, my advice is to learn from your agent or a lawyer about the relevant copyright law. It surprised me that it was up to me to negotiate with Science News for permission to reuse some of my old blog content there. They generously allowed me to use it for free. Also, know that even if your book will contain 50% “old” material, that doesn’t mean you’re halfway done. Even “minor” rewrites and updates can take a lot of time!
Contact info: -
- Erika Engelhaupt: 202-420-9085, erika@erikaengelhaupt.com, https://erikaengelhaupt.com/, @GoryErika
- Book: https://www.shopdisney.com/gory-details-adventures-from-the-dark-side-of-science-book-national-geographic-477414287776.html
- Publicist: Julia Borcherts, 773-878-0722, julia@kayepublicity.com
NASW members: will your book be published soon? Take advantage of this opportunity for self-promotion. Submit your report for Advance Copy.
Visit https://www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines.
View Advance Copy archives.
Thinking of writing a book? If you are an 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 and writing.
.png)
