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My first book, America’s Deserts, Guide to Plants and Animals, began as a plan to create something about local plants and animals. To get kids excited about the nearby foothills, one mile from Mayflower Elementary School where I taught science.
My first thought was rattlesnakes. Proabably because we’d had a few in our backyard. And rattlesnakes got me excited, although not actually in a good way. So I glued together a little booklet, 3 x 4 inches, with computer generated drawings and a simple description of two types of rattlesnakes.
But that didn’t seem broad enough. At least, not to get published. I changed the book to include rattlesnakes within the scope of California deserts. Then, the more I thought about who would read or use the book, the more I realized my audience would likely be limited to California.
An even broader scope was better, hence, America’s Deserts. All of North America. Besides, four of the six deserts on the continent occur in California anyway. And, as a bonus, two deserts were within a couple hours of my home. Easy access for field research.
I also learned that before moving beyond “The Idea,” 3 other elements need to be considered: Resources, Passion and Need/Market. Unlike fiction, you can’t make up facts in natural science as you go along. You need resources: Internet, reference books, people, field work. And you need passion – a lot of interest in your subject since it may take 1-2 years of work to finish your book. Lastly, who cares? Is there a need? A ready audience? You may have to convince a publisher of the market so you better know what it is.
Next post: Resources
